The Life and Death of John of Barneveld, Advocate of Holland, 1610-12

Life of John of Barneveld,
1610-12

The Project Gutenberg EBook The Life of John of Barneveld, 1610-12
#89 in our series by John Lothrop Motley Copyright laws are changing
all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country
before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project
Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project
Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the
header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the
eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is
important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how
the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a
donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since
1971**
*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers*****
Title: The Life of John of Barneveld, 1610-12
Author: John Lothrop Motley
Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4889] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 22,
2002]

Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE OF
JOHN OF BARNEVELD, 1610-12 ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger

[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the
file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making
an entire meal of them. D.W.]

THE LIFE AND DEATH of JOHN OF BARNEVELD, ADVOCATE
OF HOLLAND
WITH A VIEW OF THE PRIMARY CAUSES AND MOVEMENTS
OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR
By John Lothrop Motley, D.C.L., LL.D.

MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg
Edition, Volume 89
Life and Death of John of Barneveld, v4, 1610-12

CHAPTER V
.
Interviews between the Dutch Commissioners and King James--Prince
Maurice takes command of the Troops--Surrender of Julich--Matthias
crowned King of Bohemia--Death of Rudolph--James's Dream of a
Spanish Marriage--Appointment of Vorstius in place of Arminius at
Leyden--Interview between Maurice and Winwood--Increased
Bitterness between Barneveld and Maurice--Projects of Spanish
Marriages in France.
It is refreshing to escape from the atmosphere of self-seeking faction,

feverish intrigue, and murderous stratagem in which unhappy France
was stifling into the colder and calmer regions of Netherland policy.
No sooner had the tidings of Henry's murder reached the States than
they felt that an immense responsibility had fallen on their shoulders. It
is to the eternal honour of the Republic, of Barneveld, who directed her
councils, and of Prince Maurice, who wielded her sword, that she was
equal to the task imposed upon her.
There were open bets on the Exchange in Antwerp, after the death of
Henry, that Maurice would likewise be killed within the month.
Nothing seemed more probable, and the States implored the Stadholder
to take special heed to himself. But this was a kind of caution which the
Prince was not wont to regard. Nor was there faltering, distraction,
cowardice, or parsimony in Republican councils.
We have heard the strong words of encouragement and sympathy
addressed by the Advocate's instructions to the Queen-Regent and the
leading statesmen of France. We have seen their effects in that
lingering sentiment of shame which prevented the Spanish stipendiaries
who governed the kingdom from throwing down the mask as cynically
as they were at first inclined to do.
Not less manful and statesmanlike was the language held to the King of
Great Britain and his ministers by the Advocate's directions. The news
of the assassination reached the special ambassadors in London at three
o'clock of Monday, the 17th May. James returned to Whitehall from a
hunting expedition on the 21st, and immediately signified his intention
of celebrating the occasion by inviting the high commissioners of the
States to a banquet and festival at the palace.
Meantime they were instructed by Barneveld to communicate the
results of the special embassy of the States to the late king according to
the report just delivered to the Assembly. Thus James was to be
informed of the common resolution and engagement then taken to
support the cause of the princes. He was now seriously and explicitly to
be summoned to assist the princes not only with the stipulated 4000
men, but with a much greater force, proportionate to the demands for
the security and welfare of Christendom, endangered by this
extraordinary event. He was assured that the States would exert
themselves to the full measure of their ability to fortify and maintain
the high interests of France, of the possessory princes, and of

Christendom, so that the hopes of the perpetrators of the foul deed
would