The lives of all the princes of Orange, from William the Great, founder of the Common-wealth of the United Provinces written in French by the Baron Maurier, in the year 1682, and published at Paris, by order of the French King ; to which is added the life of His present Majesty King William the Third, from his birth to his landing in England, by Mr. Thomas Brown ; together with all the princes heads taken from original draughts.

Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange.

THis great Captain has falsified the Pro∣verb, which says, The Children of Heroes are generally good for nothing; for though he was the Son of a most excellent Father, who left behind him an immortal Glory, yet he has not only equall'd him in his pru∣dence and greatness of Soul, but has likewise surpassed him in the Art Military, and great Performances; As the Father for 20 years together made the discourse of all Europe, so the Son for 40 years successively, did it much more than all the crown'd Heads in Europe: for from the Year 1584, when he came first into action, to 1625, when he died, Prince Maurice was never mentioned without admi∣ration and astonishment, as being held for one of the greatest Captains that has ever yet appeared: In truth, though Nature does not always make extraordinary efforts to produce great men in the same family and succession, yet the great Actions of the Fa∣ther are powerful Incentives to stir up their Children to imitate them: The Glory of their Ancestors being a Light, which directs their posterity to march in those generous paths which they have trod before them

If the vertue of strangers has often stirred up some couragious Souls to do great things, (as that Greek whose rest was discompos∣ed by the Triumphs of Miltiades;) sure domestick examples must be much more mo∣ving, that they may not incur the shame of having degenerated.

Upon this occasion I shall here relate what I have often heard my Father say in his lat∣ter years, That he had undoubtedly past his life in the Country like some of his prede∣cessors, had not it been for the example of Iames Aubrey, his great Unkle; who by his Vertue, his Knowledge and his Eloquence, discharged the office of Advocate General to the Parliament of Paris, was Lieutenant Civil of the Council to Henry the Second, and his Ambassador Extraordinary to En∣gland; where he concluded a Peace between Henry the Second, and Edward the Sixth; and left behind him the reputation of being the French Demosthenes and Cicero, by that famous Plea which he made, pursuant to an order of the King, for the people of Cabrieres and Merindol; and which Monsieur the Chan∣cellor de Hopital admired so much, that he has translated great part of it into Latin verse. My Father therefore thought, that by his labour he might arrive to honourable employments; and so well ordered the Ta∣lents which God had given him, that he likewise was employed in Embassies, and admitted to the Council of his Princes.

Prince Maurice of Orange from his very childhood discovered the passionate desire he had to follow the glorious steps of his Fa∣ther; and took for the body of his Device the Trunk of a Tree, cut off so as to seem about two foot high, from whence there grew a vigorous Sprout, which apparently would renew the noble Tree which had produced it, with these words, Tandem fit circulus arbor, At last the Sprout becomes a Tree: To show that he would revive the glories of his Fa∣ther.

I do not pretend to represent the great Actions of this Prince in all the particulars; I shan't say any thing that may be found in common Annals, nor add to the number of those who transcribe other People; my design is only to draw the Portraicture of his Per∣son and his Manners, to inform the World of some transactions of his Life which are not known, and to set forth the causes of those great differences which hapned between him and Mr. Barneveld; which, as it was thought, would have overturn'd the Commonwealth, by an intestine division that has remained al∣most to this day, and threaten'd its ruine if it had not been prevented.

But before we come to these things, it is necessary briefly to represent his principal Actions, and to tell you, That Prince Mau∣rice had a great stock of Constancy and Cou∣rage from the 17^th year of his age, when he was called to the government of Affairs up∣on

the decease of his Father; for he was not cast down by that torrent of Success which attended Alexander Farnese Duke of Parma, Governor and Captain General for the King of Spain, who had then taken Bruges, Ghent, Dendermond, Deventer, Nimeghen, the Grave, with a great many other places, and even Antwerp it self, (which was held for impreg∣nable) by a Siege, which was looked upon as a Miracle of the Age; having stopped the River Schelde, and repell'd the force of the Sea by a Dyke, which was then held as a thing impossible, and which afterwards set an Example for undertaking the same thing at Rochel. Prince Maurice was not more disturb∣ed by the confusion and disorder that had reigned for a long time in the Common∣wealth, occasioned by the haughty conduct of Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester, Captain Ge∣neral for the Queen of England in the United Provinces, whose insupportable Pride, and un∣measurable Ambition, did them more preju∣dice than the Sums of Money which he brought, and the Troops which he com∣manded, ever contributed to their Service; for four entire years the States were reduced to strange Extremities, so that it was thought impossible for this young Prince to rid him∣self of so great Difficulties; and to cure those Evils which were occasioned by the Intrigues of Spain, and the Treachery of some of the Earl of Leicester's Dependants; who, after their return into England, sold the most im∣portant

places to the Spaniards. To be short, as the Affairs of this World do not always continue in the same posture, and are subject to a perpetual change, so that good Fortune, which till then had favoured the Duke of Parma in all his Enterprizes, of a sudden came over to the Party of Prince Maurice; for the Spanish Navy, which they had entitled The Invincible, and was designed to swallow up England, and the United Provinces, was de∣stroyed in the year 1588. by the Fleet, and good fortune of Queen Elizabeth; the third part of so great a Navy scarce returning into the Spanish Havens, after having undergone incredible dangers upon the Coasts of England, Scotland, and Ireland; and this inesti∣mable loss was accompanied with the morti∣fication which the Duke of Parma received before Berghen ap-zoom, which he had be∣sieged; Prince Maurice having forced him to quit his Enterprize, with the entire ruine of his Reputation.

After this Success the Prince, for the course of 20 years, to the time of the Truce, had fortune still so favourable to him, that he con∣quered 38 or 40 Towns, and more Fortres∣ses, and defied the Spaniards in open Field at three signal Battels: besides, he obtained se∣veral great Victories at Sea, as well upon the Coast of Flanders, as upon that of Spain and the Indies, by the Valor of his Lieutenants and Vice-admirals.

But nothing gained him so much Reputa∣tion, as the happy Surprizal of the Town and Castle of Breda, which belonged to his own Propriety. He made himself Master of it in 1590, by the stratagem of a Boat of Turfs, without any effusion of Blood, or lo∣sing so much as one Soldier upon so impor∣tant an occasion; and since this remarkable Action has made so great a noise in the World, it may not be unnecessary to give some account of it, in as brief terms as pos∣sible.

A Boatman, called Adrian Bergues, who furnished the Garison of Breda with Turfs, being discontented with the Spaniards, propo∣sed a way to Prince Maurice, how to surprize the place, by placing some Soldiers in the bottom of his Boat. The Prince seeing the probability of the matter, gave the manage∣ment of this great design to Charles de Herau∣giere, a Walloon Gentleman, Native of Cam∣bray, Captain of Foot in his Guards, reputed a Man of Bravery and Conduct. As soon as he received this Order, he made choice of 70 Soldiers out of several Companies, and some Commanders, whose Courage had been tryed. These he put at the bottom of the Boat, where they were placed very uneasily, as being forced either to lie down or stoop, the rest of the Boat being filled up with Turfs to a very great height. It was extreme cold weather; besides, they were up to the knees in water, which came in by a leak, which at

last they fortunately stopped. The excessive cold made them cough very much, but above all, Matthew Helt, a Lieutenant, (whose name ought to be remembred here in testimony of the Courage he shew'd upon this occasion) not being able to hinder himself from cough∣ing as they came near to the Castle, drew his Sword, and desired his Comrades to kill him, that the Enterprize might not fail, and he be∣come the cause of their ruine; but the Boat∣man hindred him from being heard, by often pumping, as if his Boat had took water.

The Garrison, consisting of Italians, wanted Firing, the Soldiers, because of the Ice, helped to draw the Boat by a Sluce within the walls of the Castle, as the Trojans brought the wooden Horse into their City; which gave occasion to the Poets of the time, to compare the taking of Breda to that of Troy; but withal remarking this difference, that the Horse made the Enemies Masters of Troy, from whence proceeded its ruine, whereas this Boat put the right Lord into possession of Breda, who thereupon caused it immediately to flourish.

Prince Maurice having spread the report that he had a design upon Gertrudemberg, made the Surprizal of Breda become more easie; for Edward Lanza vechia, who was Governor of both places, ran to that which he thought was most in danger. So the Castle being without a Commander was easily carried. As soon as Heraugiere had made himself Master

of it by the death of 40 of the Enemy, Prince Maurice, attended by the Counts de Hohenlo and Solmes, Francis Vere the General of the English, Iustin of Nassau the Admiral, and the Sieur de Famars General of the Ar∣tillery, being entred into the Castle with several of his Troops, was afterwards recei∣ved into the Town, whence the Italian Garri∣son, which, for the most part, consisted of Horse, ran, with full speed, by the way of Antwerp.

Heraugiere, with a great deal of Justice, was made Governor of Breda, and Lambert Charles a French Man, a brave Soldier of Fortune, was made Serjeant Major: I saw him af∣terwards when he was Governor of Nime∣guen. There were Medals stamped upon so considerable an occasion, which had these words upon one side,

Breda à Servitute Hispanica vindicata ductu Principis Mauricii à NASSAU. 4 Martii 1590.

Breda delivered from the Spanish Yoke, by the conduct of Prince Maurice of NASSAU. March 4. 1590.

And upon the Reverse was represented a Boat, with these words,

Parati vincere aut mori, prepared to over∣come or dye.

One of these Medals was given to each of the Soldiers in the Boat, as likewise a Sum of Money, with the promise of future ad∣vancement; Adrian de Bergues the Boatman had likewise a Medal, and was rewarded with a very large Pension.

This Surprizal may occasion this necessary Reflection, That ye ought never to trust the guard of two Frontier places at the same time to one only Governor, who has but too much trouble to preserve his own Government from the neighbouring Enemy, whose mind is always intent, and his eyes open, for some opportunity to be able to surprize him.

The taking of Hulst in Flanders, was a very considerable Action, and that of Gertrudem∣berg much more so, by reason of a long and difficult siege, in sight of the Spanish Army, consisting of 30000 Men, commanded by the old Count Peter Ernest of Mansfeldt, in the absence of the Duke of Parma, who was then in France, with Succors for the League: This old General could never force the young Prince in his own Lines, nor oblige him to come out of them, though he presented him battle each day continually; so that when Count Mansfeldt said one day to a Trumpe∣ter whom P. Maurice had sent him, That he admired his Master, who was a young Prince, full of heat and courage, would always contain himself within the covert of his own retrench∣ments; the Trumpeter answered him, That his Excellency of Nassau, was a young Prince,

who desired to become one day such an old and experienced General, as his Excellency of Mansfeldt was at present.

The year following he took the great and famous Town of Groninghen, Capital of the Province; he likewise took, and retook Rimbergues, and seized upon Maeurs, and the Grave, Towns belonging to his own Patri∣mony; having by the death of several Spa∣niards revenged the public injuries and those of his Private Family.

The Reputation of Prince Maurice was very much increased, by the long and memo∣rable defence of Ostend, where the Spaniards having lost more than Threescore Thousand Men, in a Siege that continued above 3 Years, and exhausted their Treasures by the ex∣pence of above two Millions, at last became Masters of a bit of ground which might seem to be a burying place rather than a City.

At the time of this loss Prince Maurice was so happy and diligent, that to return it with Usury, in a few days he seized upon the Town of Sluise in Flanders, which was of more consequence than Ostend, that had cost so many Men, so much Time, and so vast a Treasure; upon which Theophilus says very well in the Ode he made for the Prince of Orange.

Much time, and many years the Spaniards spend Before their Forces gain Ostend. But, Sir, when you resolve to seize a Town, Few Days suffice to beat its Bulwarks down. Each Day of yours much more importance bears. Than all that space of time, which mortal Men call Years.

This Ode did not displease Prince Mau∣rice, and tho he was naturally an Enemy to Flattery, and Vain glory, yet he recom∣penced this Poet with a Chain of Gold, and his Medal, to a very great value.

But this Prince showed at the battle of Newport, where he overcame the Arch-Duke Albert, that he knew as well how to defeat a numerous and well appointed Army in open field, as to defend places, or else to force and surprize them. The Arch-Duke, and the Duke d'Aumale were wounded in the fight, Francis Mendoza Admiral of Arragon, Maister de Campe, was taken Prisoner, with a great many other Commanders, and even the Arch-Dukes Pages, whom Prince Mau∣rice sent him back very civ•…•…illy, without any Ransom. All the Cannon, the Baggage, and above 100 Cornets and Colors, remain∣ed in the hands of the Conqueror, who saw above 6000 Enemies dead upon the place, and had all other marks of a full and entire Victory; which made several People say,

because this great Success happened upon the 2^d day of Iuly, that the Fortune of the House of Nassau was changed, seeing that 300 years before, upon the same day of Iu∣ly, the Emperor Adolphus of Nassau, had lost his Life and Empire near Spire, in a Battle against Albert of Austria; and that the same day Maurice had revenged the disgrace of his Ancestors, by the defeat of the Arch-Duke Albert, who was a Descendant from the for∣mer Albert of Austria.

A little before the fight, there was a dis∣pute of Honor, between Prince Maurice, and Prince Henry Frederick his younger Brother, who was then but 17 Years old; for when the Elder desired him to retire into some place of Safety, that in case of any misfortune, he might defend his Family, and his Country; Prince Henry being offended, said, he would run the same fortune with himself, and live or dye by him.

Prince Maurice showed that no ill success could daunt his courage, for the Resolution he had taken to give Battle, was not altered notwithstanding that the night before the Arch-Duke had defeated the Count Ernest, whom the Prince had sent to seize a pass, with 2 Regiments of Foot, and 4 Troops of Horse, that were all cut off, and several Colors, with 2 pieces of Cannon taken.

It is remarkable that the Prince, to take away from his Army all hopes of a retreat, and to show his Men that they had nothing

to trust to, but their Arms, made all those Vessels that brought them into Flanders to be sent away, for which he was much commend∣ed by the Admiral of Arragon, as the thing which had gained him the Victory by, the ne∣cessity that was laid upon his Soldiers to fight boldly, as having no prospect of Life but in the defeat of the Spaniards; so he told his Men before the fight, that they must either overcome the Enemy, or drink up all the water in the Sea. There came out at that time a magnificent Inscription upon this Battle, in honor of Prince Maurice, which is this.

Anno 1600 secunda die Iulij, Mauricius Aran∣sionensium Princeps in Flandriam terram hospitem traducto exercitu cum Alberto Archiduce Austriae conflixit, copias ejus cecidit, Duces multos pri∣mum{que} Mendosam coepit, reversus ad suos victor signa hostium centum quinque in Hagiensi Capito∣lio suspendit Deo Bellatori.

In the year 1600, the 2^d day of July, Mau∣rice Prince of Orange, having brought his Army into Flanders, then possessed by his Enemy, fought with Albert Arch-Duke of Austria, slew his Forces, took several Commanders, and especially Mendoza, then returning Conqueror to his Coun∣try, he hung up 105 of the Enemies Colors, in the Councel House at the Hague, to the Honor of God the Disposer of Victory.

This was not his first Essay of a Field Bat∣tle, for otherwise he might have passed for one, that was good only at the taking of Towns, but he had long before forced the Duke of Parma to raise the Seige of Knotsem∣burg, over against Nimiguen, having defeated 7 Troops of his best Cavalry; a disgrace which the Duke lessen'd, by the necessity laid upon him, by Orders from Spain, to go and succor Roan.

In the year 1594, he had likewise at the Battle of Tournhout, defeated and slain the Lord de Balancon, Count de Varax, General of the Artillery of Spain, who commanded a body of 6000 Foot, and 600 Horse, of which, besides the General, above 2000 were left upon the place, with several Prisoners of Note, amongst whom, a Count of Mansfeldt was one; there were 38 Ensigns taken, with the Cornet of Alonzo de Mondragon, which were all hung up in the great Hall of the Castle at the Hague, for a perpetual Memo∣rial.

And upon this occasion, I shall here relate, how an Ambassador of Poland, being come from King Sigismond, to exhort the States General to reconcile themselves to the King of Spain, whose Power he magnified so far, as that sooner or later it would entirely sub∣due them, and speaking as if he would frighten them with lofty words, full of Va∣nity, and according to the Eloquence of his Nation: Count Maurice, who was then

present at this Harrangue, upon his going out of the Assembly, led the Ambassador into this Hall, where he show'd him all the Co∣lors and Cornets, taken from the Spaniards at Knotsemburg, and Turnholt, and without using many words, let him understand, that in re∣ality the King of Spain was not altogether so invincible.

But as Prince Maurice was victorious at Land, so he was not less successful at Sea, having always got great Advantages over the Spaniards, by the Conduct of his Vice-Ad∣mirals.

They were assisting to the ruine of the Spanish Flota, stiled the Invincible, and brought several of the Galeons into Zealand.

In the year 1596, Iohn de Duvenvorde, Lord of Varmont, contributed his help to the Earl of Essex, in taking the Town of Cales, and burning the Spanish Fleet, for which Queen Elizabeth returned thanks to the said Sieur de Varmont, by a very obliging Letter, which extreamly commends his Bravery.

In the year 1599, the Vice-Admiral Peter Vanderdoes, seized upon Allagona, Capital of the Canary Islands, where he forced the Spani∣ards to fly into the Mountains, and followed them even thither, and then having sacked and burnt the place, returned victorious to his own Country.

In the year 1603, Don Frederick Spinola, not being able to endure that these Vessels of Zealand should always lye before the Haven

of Sluise, went out, with 8 Gallies, and some other Vessels of War to chase 'em thence; He was slain in the fight, and his Fleet so ill handled, that it was constrained to retreat into Sluise with a considerable loss: not to mention here a great many other con∣siderable advantages obtained in the Indies, and diverse other parts of the World, over the Vessels of the Castilians, and the Portugueses.

This is what I shall say in general of this great Prince, only adding, that in the year 1622, the Truce of 12 years being expired, and the Marquess Ambrose Spinola, having be∣sieged Berghen ap Zoom, with all the Forces of Spain, the Prince of Orange made him raise the Siege, being assisted by Count Ernest of Mansfeldt, and Christian Duke of Brunswick, that he had expresly sent for out of Germany. These Generals had taken Arms in favor of the King of Bohemia, and passing through Brabant, had defeated at Fleuru, (if my me∣mory does not fail me) Don Gonsalvo of Cor∣duba, who was sent to oppose their passage: In the fight the Duke of Brunswick had an Arm cut off as he was forcing a Barricade, which obliged him to wear one of Silver, which I myself have seen.

There was great rejoycing through all the United Provinces for this happy Victory, public Thanksgivings were ordered to be made in every Town, where there were such prodigious Bonfires, that they seemed to be all on fire. So this Count of Mansfeldt,

and the Duke of Brunswick contributed to the Prince of Orange's Glory, which seemed to have been decay'd and worn out of Mens minds by so long a Truce, but was renewed and revived throughout the whole World, by so illustrious an Action.

And because that here there has been oc∣casion to speak of these two Men, who in their time were the scourges of Mankind, it may not be amiss to let the Prince of Orange rest a little, and to relate what I know of their manner of Proceedings, and their Principal Encounters.

This Count Ernest was a Bastard of the fa∣mous House of Mansfeldt, which has produ∣ced great Generals; he was a Man so subtile and cunning, that some have rightly stiled him Ulysses Germanicus, or the German Ulysses. He was so bold, as to maintain the Quarrels of the Elector Palatine, elected King of Bohemia, with a great deal of Constancy and Resolu∣tion, against the Family of Austria; He had several successes both unfortunate and happy; at last being called into Holland to the succor of Berghen ap Zoom, I remember that I saw him there; he was then about 50 years old, fair, much wrinkled, of a good stature, but a little stooping; He always wore a gray Hat, without a Hatband, and said that he would never put it off till he had made his Fortune, which I myself have heard him speak. France, that too late understood its true Interest, (for it had unadvisedly sacrificed the Elector

Palatine to the fury of the House of Austria, as I shall more fully relate hereafter) assisted him with a Sum of Money, which my Fa∣ther paid him, and with the succor of 4000 Foot, under the conduct of Monsieur de Mantereau, who had his Winter Quarters in East Frizeland, beyond the River Ems, with the Troops of Count Mansfeldt.

This New Attila afterwards ravaged the lower Saxony, from whence being chaced by the Count de Tilly the Emperors General, he marched through the Country of Branden∣durg into Silesia, where he had some fortu∣nate Successes, and from thence at last retired to Bethlem Gabor Prince of Transylvania. A little after, as this unquiet Spirit, fruitful in new Expeditions, was going to Venice, to propose some League, passing through Bosnia in November 1626, he was taken with a violent pain in his Bowels, of which he died, not without suspition of Poyson, and was buried at Spalatro. He was a man of great Courage, who run through and ravaged the greatest part of Germany, having spread the terror of himself both within and without the Empire, and so frightned Champaigne and Paris itself, when Montpelier was besieged, where the late King was then in Person, that the most part of the Inhabitants of that great City, seeing their King and his principal Forces upon the Confines of his Realm, con∣veyed themselves, with what they most esteemed to the City of Orleans, to avoid a

Fire which consumed all things that were found in its way: Some Blockheads of Paris being frightened with his approach, com∣monly called him Bloody Bones, and used his Name to frighten Children that were trou∣blesome.

As to Duke Christian of Brunswick, he was of the illustrious and ancient House of Bruns∣wick, one of the richest and most powerful in all Germany, which at present maintains Ar∣mies both within and without the Empire, and which having conquered the Dutchy of Bremen, assists the Kings of Spain and Den∣mark, the Hollanders and Elector of Branden∣burg with its Forces. This Duke Christian was commonly called Halberstat, because he was Bishop of that place, and sometimes Dol Hartzoch, which is as much as to say, one that acts like a Madman. He was a Prince of good Mein, and well made; he was very brave, but his Courage had something more of Brutishness than true Valor: for when he saw a Workman on the top of a Steeple, he took no greater pleasure than to fetch him down with a Stone, which in my time he did in Holland: He had a great Passion for the Queen of Bohemia, from whom he had taken an English Glove, which I saw him wear, tied to a String in his Hat, and hang∣ing below the brims of it.

Having raised an Army in Lower Saxony, and not having wherewithal to pay it, he turned a Statue of S^t. Liberius into Money,

which was much bigger than the Life, and at that time in the Cathedral Church of Pa∣derburn. This Saint Liberius had been Bi∣shop of Mans. Such a beginning enticed him farther, and knowing that at Munster there were 12 Apostles, all of Silver, of a prodi∣gious bigness; he went thither, and seizing upon the place, marched directly to the great Church called the Dome, accompanied with all his Collonels and Captains, made a Speech to these Apostles, reproaching them with their Idleness and Disobedience, in not observing the commands of their Master, to go instantly through all the World, in these words, Go throughout all Nations; swearing that he would make them Travellers, and become obedient: So he immediately com∣manded to coin them into Rix Dollars, with which he paid his Army, and so spread them throughout all Germany. He had taken this for his Device, Gottes freindt, und der Psaffen feint, which is to say, Friend of God, and Ene∣my of Priests, whom he slew, or at least guelt them, without any remission; at last this outragious Spirit departed in 1626, at Wol∣fenbottle, of a burning Fever in the prime of his Youth.

After having raised the Seige of Berghen op Zoom; Maurice Prince of Orange did nothing considerable besides the Project he laid for the surprize of Antwerp, but Heaven and the Winds were opposite to his design; he had given so good order for every thing, the

Undertaking was so well laid, and he pro∣mised to himself such a happy Issue, that he said that it was God alone that could hinder the Success.

Prince Maurice before he had resolved to ruine Mr. de Barneveld, honored my Father with his esteem and confidence, insomuch that he undertook his defence against those that had aspersed him, as his elder Brother Prince Philip, and his Princess had done before; which was very well known to all those who were then in Holland, and which appears evident∣ly by a Letter which Prince Maurice writ to Monsieur de Villeroy, after the Peace of Lan∣dau, wherein he not only justifies my Fathers conduct, but moreover tells him, that the Court had no Person thereabouts, who could serve France so much as my Father, and that was so agreeable to him and the States General. The Letter is this.

SIR,

AT my return from Zeland, upon the instances that were made me by Monsieur de Maurier the Kings Ambassador, for the Re-establishment of the French Officers in their Employments, I used my endeavors for the satisfaction of their Majesties, the States having taken the same Resolution, their Act shall be executed; I am very much pleas∣ed that the Troubles in your Kingdom have been so happily composed, and particularly that your La∣bors have so well succeeded in it, wishing that this

repose may be of long continuance to the prosperity of their Majesties, which is the thing that I desire: besides, although the Care and Diligence which Monsieur Maurier has show'd in his faithful Exe∣cution of the Kings Commands, may speak suffici∣ently for themselves, yet I must render this Testi∣mony to his Behavior, that it has been such as has served their Majesties heartily, and to the purpose, without giving any one reason to complain, having managed all his Actions, which are very well known to us, with Modesty, Respect and Honor, and thus much I can give you certain assurance of; whereas if any other reports may be spread to his Prejudice, they must do great injustice to his Con∣duct and Integrity: The States General and all of us, are fully satisfied with his whole proceedings, and think their Majesties cannot hereafter make use of any other Minister, that will be more faith∣ful and serviceable to themselves, or more agreea∣ble to this Commonwealth, which, as I have reason, I must declare to be my own opinion; and with that I shall conclude, together with assurance of my desire to serve you, and prayers to God to give you health and long life.

Sir,

your very affectionate Servant Mauriceof Nassau.

This Letter, and several others of the same Strain, which Madam the Princess Dowager of Orange, and the principal Persons in the Country had writ to Court, contradicted the Aspersions of several Persons of Quality, who had assured the Queen Mother and her Ministers, that my Father was disagreeable to the Prince and States General.

In short, Prince Maurice, upon all occasi∣ons, gave my Father very signal marks of his Esteem and Friendship; so that in the Year 1615, having a Son born, the Prince would be his Godfather, and gave him his own name of Maurice, with a little Picture of a great value, this is he who has been known by the name of Villaumaine, and who having past all his Life in Holland, where he was born, arriv'd by 40 years Service and his own Merit, without any favor, to the com∣mand of Collonel; He had a mortal aversion for this last war, for he drew his extraction from France, where his Family was esta∣blished; on the other side he saw himself ob∣liged to defend the place of his Birth, where he had all his effects, and where he was at last arrived to an honorable Post, by an extra∣ordinary Patience: never Man had more true Friends than he, and they of all Nations, so that he gained the Esteem of all the consider∣able Frenchmen that had known him in Hol∣land, amongst others of Monsieur de Beringhen, chief Querry to the King, of Mr. de St. Ro∣main, who was Ambassador in Portugal and Switzerland; and towards his latter days, of the Princess of Tarentum: He lived in great Esteem for his Valor and Fidelity, and died at the Head of his Regiment in the Battle of Senef, very much lamented by all that knew him, and by the Prince of Orange himself, who placed a great Confidence in him. I hope I shall be pardoned for the tenderness I

had for this only Brother that was left me, which occasioned this digression.

But let us now come to the description of Prince Maurice's Person and Manners, even to the secrets of his Life, which have not hi∣therto been divulged, as I have learnt them from my Father, and several Noble Persons of that Country.

This Prince was very strong, and indefa∣tigable in Labor; he appeared lesser than he was, by being full and fat; his Face was plump and ruddy, his Beard fair, which he wore very large and broad; he always made use of little pleated Ruffs about his Neck: He never clothed himself but after the same fashion, with the same Stuff, and that always of a sort of brown or musk color; his Doublet was of Silk with Gold stripes, the rest of his Cloaths were Woollen, but his Cloaks, or long Coats, were faced with Velvet; I speak of his common Habit, and not of those that were designed for great Feasts and public Assemblies. He often wore in his Hat a Band of Diamonds, he was never without a Girdle, to which was fastened a sort of Belt for his Sword, that was gilt: I never saw him in any other Habit, and yet I have minded him a thousand times, at the French Church, in the Castle at the Hague, which heretofore was a Chappel for the Counts of Holland, and often at my Fathers, whither he used to come, either to eat, or play at Chess, which was his chief diversion; for during the

Truce, when he was not busy in war, he often plaid at it, and for that reason look'd upon such as did so. Hehad a great affection for Mr. de la Caze, a brave Captain of Bearn, whose Son served in the Troops of Holland, and played very well at it. This Mr. de la Caze had no Revenue more certain, than what he won of the Prince at this Play, scarce ever parting from him without 9 or 10 Crowns of Gold, which was worth more to him than his Company. They never plaid for above one at a time, without ever dou∣bling, but la Caze that he might not dishearten the Prince, would let him win one Game in three or four.

This Monsieur de la Caze has told my Fa∣ther, that the Prince would be very much vexed when he lost, which happens even to the greatest Men; and the reason is evident, because it is their own fault if they lose, for this Game does not depend at all upon chance, but good conduct; and 'tis very provoking to see ones self surpassed by others in Know∣ledge or Judgment. Monsieur de la Caze said, that when the Prince had lost, and it was late before they gave over Play, the wax Lights being almost burnt out, he would pull his Hat down over his Eyes without rising from his Seat, or bidding him good Night; but at such times as la Caze had let him win, the Prince would be very pleasant, conduct him on his way, and command his Pages to light and wait upon him to his

Lodgings; Such particulars as these show the temper of People, and that the greatest Men are not without their weaknesses. In relation to Chess, Prince Philip of Orange told my Father, that he had heard for certain in Spain, when he was there a Prisoner, that an old Spanish Lord having been winner all the Evening at this Play, and continuing so good part of the Night with King Philip the 2^d, without being so complaisant as to let him carry one Game, and having remarked much disturbance in the Kings Countenance, he told his Children upon his return home, that he must depart the day following, and never think of coming back to Court, where there was nothing to be done or hoped for, either for himself or them, because he had beat the King at Chess all that Night, and should ne∣ver be forgiven for it.

Prince Maurice used to make himself very merry with us Frenchmen, who to cloath themselves after the Fashion of those times, wore slasht Doublets, with one single Shirt, which made those freeze that look'd upon them, being so thin cloathed, and shivering, in the midst of Winter, which is very long and sharp in Holland; and as he was jesting one day upon them in a great Company, one of these Gentlemen told him, he had a way to deceive People, for he had two Shirts on, and that nothing was so warm as two Shirts; the Prince was pleasant, cried, Lay a wager upon it; to which the other replying, That

he knew nothing warmer than two Shirts, Prince Maurice answered, That undoubtedly three were warmer than two; and that the weather was cold enough for him to make use of them.

Prince Maurice related to my Father, that one Winter at the Hague, when there was a great many German Princes of his Kindred there, they met one day at one of the chief Inns to divert themselves, where after hav∣ing drank till scarce any of them could see, one of the Company proposed the putting out the Lights, and throwing Stools at one another all night long, which being done, one of these soveraign Princes found his Arm broke, another his Knee out of joynt, ano∣ther his Skull crackt, and those that came off best had horrible Bruises and black Eyes; af∣ter this they were all forced to go to Bed, and consider what to do with themselves. This Story the Prince learnt from Monsieur Luc his Surgeon, a Frenchman, very expert in his Profession, who was called to their help upon this occasion: Prince Maurice smilingly ask'd my Father, if this was not a very fine and agreeable diversion for the Princes his Rela∣tions, and whether they had not extraordi∣nary reason to boast of their Pastime.

Prince Maurice loved Mathematicians and Engineers very well, and amongst others of that age, he very much esteemed Monsieur Alcome, one excellent in the profession, to whom he gave a large Pension, though he

had a very good one from the King; but there was no body could teach the Prince in that Science, he having contrived several fine Inventions for the passage of Rivers, and fiege of places, so that in his Age, he served for a Pattern to Engineers, as well as Cap∣tains.

He would not suffer his Troopers to wear straight Boots, saying great inconveniencies might arise from thence, being often in haste to get on Horseback; ridiculing us Frenchmen, for affecting to have fine Legs, so that they would be whole hours in getting their Boots off, or on; and to set them an example, he had his own Boots so large, that he could al∣most leap into them. He did not approve those Italian Grooms who taught their Horses to prance, which he said was very dangerous, and had been the death of several People; he had no People to manage his Horses, and was content if they would only turn to the right and left.

During the Truce, the King of France sent him a magnificent Present of Spanish Horses by Monsieur de Pluvenelle, Querry to his Ma∣jesty, who had the honor to teach the King to ride, being a person of great Reputation, and the most famous Man of his time in that Art.

The Prince, though he was very vigilant and laborious, yet had so great a Quietness of Mind, that so soon as ever he was in Bed, and his Head laid upon the Pillow, he fell

into so sound a Sleep, that it was a difficult matter to wake him; but knowing his own in∣firmity, that he might not be surprized in time of War, as his Father, who was of the same Complexion, was like to have been in his Tent, near Malines, after having given necessary orders, he made two Men watch by turns every hour, with command to wake him, if any accident should happen. Mar∣quess Spinola was of a humor quite contrary to the Prince, and could never sleep if he had the least business upon his Spirits; the Marquess was very lean, the Prince very fat, and their Tempers very different; the one being dry and choleric, the other plump and sanguine.

Prince Maurice, being one day in a good humor, told my Father, That Elizabeth Queen of England, by a weakness common to her Sex, had so extraordinary a desire to be thought handsom, that when the States Gene∣ral had sent her a magnificent Embassy, which consisted of the principal persons of their Country, accompanied by a great many young Gentlemen of the United Provinces, a Hollander who was in the Ambassadors Train at their first Audience, having looked earnestly upon the Queen, told an English Gentleman, with whom he had been ac∣quainted in Holland, that he saw no reason why the Queens Beauty should be generally spoke of to so much disadvantage; that he thought People much to blame for doing it,

that to him she seemed very agreeable, and that if he durst, he would let her see what passions she was able to raise in a young Gentleman; with several other such like discourses, often looking upon the Queen, and then applying himself to the Englishman. The Queen who took more exact notice of the private persons than the Ambassadors, as soon as the Audience was ended, sent for the Englishman, and commanded him on pain of her displeasure to tell her, what his discourse was with the Hollander, being cer∣tain that it was concerning her, as was evi∣dent by their mein and behavior. The Gen∣tleman made a great many excuses, saying it was not worth her Majesties knowledge, at last the Queen being very urgent, he was forced to declare the whole matter, and con∣fess the extream passion which the Hollander had testified for her Royal person. The event of the affair was this, that the Ambas∣sadors were each of them presented with a Chain of Gold worth 800 Crowns, and every one of their Retinue with one of 100 Crowns; but the Hollander who thought the Queen so handsom, had a Chain of 1600 Crowns, which he wore about his Neck as long as he lived.

This Queen, who had a Thousand great qualities, had still the vanity of being thought handsom by all the world, and I have heard my Father say upon this occasion, that being sent to her, in every Audience

that he had, she would pull her Glove off a hundred times to show her hands, which were very white and handsom.

But to return to the character of Prince Maurice, he was naturally good and just, and died with the reputation of an exemplary Honesty; to show that he deserved this cha∣racter, I need only relate the following Sto∣ry. Two of his Domestics who were French∣men, one called Iohn de Paris, who waited upon him in his Chamber, the other one of his Halberdeers, named Iohn de la Vigne, hav∣ing assassinated a Jeweller of Amsterdam, who had Stones of a great Value, which he would have sold the Prince; he was so far from pro∣tecting them, (as several Persons of Quality would have thought it concerned their Ho∣nor to do) that on the contrary, he himself prosecuted the Actors of so inhumane a Butchery, and made them both be broke alive upon the Wheel.

If this great and just character of Prince Maurice, might be any way in the least sul∣lied in the opinion of some persons, it was occasioned by his contests with Monsieur Barnevelt, who had been one of the princi∣pal Ministers, and Confidents of Prince Wil∣liam his Father, and who after his Death got the soveraign Command both by Sea and Land, to be put into the hands of Prince Maurice; for People being in a terrible con∣fusion after that disaster, and several seeing themselves deprived of their principal sup∣port,

being desirous to have recourse to the Amnesty which King Philip offered them, he said publicly that matters were not in so desperate a condition; that they ought to take courage, they had indeed lost a real support by the Death of the Father, but that he had left a Son, then studying at Ley∣den, who was capable to fill his place, and gave very great Testimonies of his inclinati∣on to Vertue; so by the Perswasion and Authority of this great Man, Prince Maurice was no sooner come out of the Colledg, but he was placed, as Commander, at the Head of Armies; upon this account the Prince looked upon him as his Benefactor, till time made him think, he had reason to alter his opinion, and use other measures to∣wards him:

Whilst Monsieur de Barnevelt was for the continuance of the War, which the Prince desired to uphold his Authority, they kept a very fair Correspondence; as likewise in the year 1598, when he met King Henry IV. in Brittain to diswade him from making the Peace of Vervins. But when Barnevelt shew'd himself inclinable to a Truce, after a War of 40 years, which had so exhausted the State, that it was impossible, by reason of the pro∣digious number of Debts, to have the War continue any longer; it was then that this Prince, who thought the Truce would give a mortal blow to his Glory and his Interests, could no longer conceal his resentment, but

fell openly at variance with Monsieur de Bar∣nevelt, even in publick Conferences, so far as to give him the Lye, and one time to lift up his hand against him. Prince Maurice used all imaginable endeavours to perswade King Henry IV. to break the design of the Truce, as inconsistent with the welfare of France, since the Spaniards, being no longer engaged against the United Provinces, would without all doubt turn their whole Forces against his Kingdom: He spread several Papers which accused those who were for the Truce, of being Traytors, and holding aCorrespondence with the Spani∣ards, but Monsieur de Barnevelt, made it be represented to the King by such Ambassadors as had their dependance upon himself, what he had several times before told to Mr. Buzan∣val his Ambassador, and Monsieur the Presi∣dent Iavin, who had been dispatched Extra∣ordinary Envoy into Holland; That it was necessary for the United Provinces, to use the King in the same method that sick and wounded persons do their Physicians, or their Chyrurgions; That is, to discover plain∣ly their Wounds and Infirmities, whereby his Majesty may see, if it lay in his power to afford them such remedies, as would heal them; That their State was charged with excessive Debts, whose Interest was to be paid to private persons, that had lent their Money to the Public, and had scarce any thing else remaining for their own subsistence; and that except that Interest was exactly

paid, the greatest part of them must be left to starve. That the several Imposts which were established to maintain the charges of the War, were not sufficient for its continu∣ance, and that 13 or 14 Hundred Thousand Crowns were over and above necessary, to pay the Interest of their Debts, and the Troops which were then in their Service; but that if his Majesty would supply them with what was necessary for their continuance of the War with Spain, they would pursue it more vigorously now than ever.

The King, whose Treasure was exhausted, seeing that he would be obliged to furnish them every year with at least 4 Millions of Livres, consented to the proposal of the Truce, which was concluded by his Authority, not∣withstanding the perpetual opposition which Prince Maurice made to it by his Creatures. So the Truce being concluded, in the year 1609, by Monsieur Barnevelt's perswasions, it is not to be admired, if the Prince of Orange bore no good will to him; seeing France had followed the sentiments of that great Man, and had so little consideration for hisInterests and Councel: After this time, the Prince sought occasions to revenge himself of Barnevelt, but before he came to his final resolution, he en∣deavored to gain him over, by the means of the Princess Dowager of Orange, his Mother-in-law; but this did not succeed, for Mon∣sieur Barnevelt intimated to the Princess, as if Prince Maurice had a design of possessing

himself of the Soveraignty of the Country, and that it was upon this account he so ma∣nifestly pursued his Ruine.

The Prince finding that Barnevelt was not to be brought over, began to encourage such persons as were jealous of that Power and Authority which Barnevelt had gained upon the States; but the Prince managed this af∣fair with such discretion, that those, whose ruine perhaps he might design, should have least reason to distrust him, or provide for their own Safety; pursuant to this, he be∣stowed upon them all imaginable Favors; he gave to Monsieur de Grouneveld, Monsieur Barnevelt's eldest Son, the Office of Master of the Dykes, and Forests in Holland; to Stau∣tembourg his youngest Son, he gave the Go∣vernment of Berghen ap Zoom, which is one of the principal Keys of the Country.

Among others, he brought over Francis Aersens, Son of Cornelius Aersens, Secretary to the States, originally of Brabant, who had been a long time Resident, afterwards Am∣bassador in France: This Man was Author of all the violent Councels, and principal Executor of the passion of the Prince; he was a Man of Ability, and very bold, who aspired to new things, that so he might be∣come great; eloquent to the public damage, and desirous to heap up Riches by any means whatsoever. The Prince likewise made use of several other persons, who were of an un∣quiet and ambitious temper, willing to fish

in troubled waters, and to make their ad∣vantage of the disgrace such people were fallen into, as they before had reason to envy.

But as it was not safe, so neither did it seem just, to fall upon Monsieur Barnevelt, and his Dependants, till they had rendered themselves suspected, and odious to the peo∣ple; the difference which happened at this time upon the matters of Religion, between the Followers of Gomarus, and Arminius, gave an occasion for the Peoples disgust against him: for this diversity of opinions had so divided the State, that there were great quar∣rels in the Schools, and even fights and murders, upon their coming out of the Churches; what one Minister had preached in the Morning, after Dinner was confuted in the same Pulpit, by another Minister of a contrary opinion; so all the Doctors and Ministers having banish'd Charity, which is the chief Foundation of the Christian Reli∣gion; instead of instructing People in true Piety, and explaining the Word of God, that breathes nothing but peace, and which is sufficiently intelligible to minds that are meek and well disposed, amus'd themselves only with handling such questions, as the vulgar never could comprehend; and all full of Animosity and Revenge on either Party: employed their whole Wit and Knowledge to make their Adversary appear ridiculous, employing Scurrility more than Arguments

against one another. These different Ser∣mons, in which the Ministers mutually accu∣sed one another of Ignorance and Heresie, sowed divisions amongst the People, each following the opinion of his own Minister, as being uncapable to judge for himself in questions so difficult, as those of Free-will, Grace, or Predestination; like as it happens at this time, when Ladies of the greatest Quality, follow some the opinion of the Je∣suits, and others that of the Doctors of Port Royal; besides this division encreased daily, and not only took deep root throughout the whole State, but an infinite number of print∣ed Books, swarmed in every place, and entertained mens minds with Schism and Bitterness. The Gomarists, wedded to the opinion of Calvin, maintained that God had sentenced by an eternal Decree, what men were to be saved, and what were to be damn∣ed; that this Sentence drew the one into the path of Piety and Salvation, whilst it left the other buried in all that Vice which is common to humane Nature.

The Arminians said, on the contrary, That God who was a most righteous Judge, and a most merciful Father, made this distinction between Sinners, that those who repented of their faults should obtain Grace and Life, whereas such as were disobedient and obsti∣stinate in their crimes, should be punished for them; That God desired all would come into the right way, and had given them good

precepts for to follow, but that there was no necessity that might force either the one, or the other, it depending upon each Mans will, either to damn himself, or to be saved.

In the heat of the disputes, and in several writings, the Arminians accused the Gomarists of making God the cause of mens sins, and maintained that by a sort of destiny, they made Souls immovable, being submitted to the irrevocable fatality of Eternal Life or Damnation.

The Gomarists on the other side, blamed the Arminians for blowing up mens minds with so great an arrogance, as to think they could possess the greatest of Treasures, which is a Soul well constituted, without being be∣holding to God alone for it, but to the Me∣rits of their own Good Works. These Opi∣nions were defended with so much heat and positiveness, that I have heard Daniel Tilenus (a Famous Arminian, Native of Gaulsberg in Silesia, who had been driven from Sedan, by the Ministers of a contrary Opinion, and who died at Paris in an extream old Age) of∣ten say, he had much rather embrace the Opinion of Mahomet than that of Calvin; al∣ledging that the Turks believed in God, whereas the Calvinists did not, forasmuch as the principal Attribute of God was to be in∣finitely Good and Merciful; that the Turks acknowledged a God of such a Nature, but that the Calvinists framed one that was Cruel, Pittiless, and that damned his own Crea∣tures

with a set deliberation. Upon the mention of Tilenus I shall add, that he dis∣puted against Cardinal Perron, and that the Conference which they had together was Printed; and that tho he was a German, and upon the Frontiers of Poland, yet there was no Person in France, who writ in our Lan∣guage with more Elegancy and Neatness, which I am certified of from my Father, who received a thousand Letters from him, and who was a competent Judge in this matter, as be∣ing himself esteemed to have had one of the best Pens of the Age; He lived in the same Country of Silesia, which has likewise produ∣ced Monsieur de Borstell, who had the same Talent at writing, and was so much esteemed by Madam des Loges, and immortalized in the Letters of Monsieur Balza•…•….

The States General being often assembled to remedy these disorders which daily happen∣ed in all their Cities, by reason of these di∣visions upon the account of Religion, it was the advise of Monsieur Barnevelt, that all Ministers, and Professors of Divinity, should be prohibited to speak concerning Grace, and Predestination, either in the Pulpit or the Universities; that all Printers likewise should be forbid to publish any books upon this Subject; that both Parties should live together in Brotherly Union, without scan∣dalously dividing the Church; that this Doctrine was so subtle, and so incomprehen∣sible to the Common People, that the whole

Country would be at rest and easie, as soon as nothing more should be spoke con∣cerning it: that there remained a field large enough for the Ministers to comfort and in∣struct their Flocks, by exhorting them to the practice of Gods Commandments and Chri∣stian Vertues, by explaining to them the Old and New Testament, which leads Mens Minds to nothing more than Peace and Cha∣rity: In short, he added that the book of Pre∣destination was a book so difficult and ob∣scure, that the greatest Doctors could not see a Letter in it, and that the very Angels had much ado to comprehend it.

This Council was so wise and prudent that at the same time it was followed by the French King, who seeing his Kingdom disturbed with the same Questions, and threatned with a dangerous Schism, by the disputes and fre∣quent writings of the Iesuits, and such as were called Iansenists; imposed a perpetual silence to all these Writers.

But Prince Maurice and his dependants op∣posed themselves to the sentiments of Mon∣sieur Barnevelt and his Party, as esteeming them to lye under a suspition of holding cor∣respondence with the Roman Catholicks and the Spaniards, and that by this means they would bring back Popery into the United Pro∣vinces, which was the only thing that could ruine that Republick, and Francis Aersens be∣ing a bold Man that could write and speak

fluently, he was ordered to make use of his Pen upon this Occasion.

There were several papers published at this time, among which, one was called Prae∣via Detectio, another Dissertatio Necessaria, a third Hispanici Concilii Artes: and whereas Monsieur Barnevelts Party had commended his wisdom and the pains he had taken for the good of his Country, and the Counsels he had given so much for its advantage; so Monsieur Aersens by these writings accused him openly of being in League with the Pa∣pists, and corrupted by the Spaniards to ruine the true Religion, and bring his Country back again into Slavery.

Monsieur Barnevelt answered Aersens, with a very large Apology, wherein all his long services for the good of the State were repre∣sented to the sull; but this gained no ground upon those who were affected to Prince Mau∣rice, who had the Power in his hands, and the Soldiers all depending upon him, and then the common People could not but fol∣low him, as having no reason to think he could have any design to their prejudice, who had so long exposed himself to a great many dangers in the defence of their Liberties.

Monsieur de Barnevelt seeing himself thus attacqued, complained to the States of Hol∣land, as his Judges and Natural Lords, who took him into their protection by an authen∣tic Act; but he having counselled those of Utrecht to preserve their new Garrison which

they had levied for their particular safety, upon their own charges, affirming they might do it by the priviledge of their Province; the States of each Country having reserved their Rights by the Union of Utrecht: The Prince of Orange and his Party imputed this action to him as a crime, and made it pass for an attempt against the good of the confe∣derated Commonwealth. The Prince soon after went to Utrecht, assisted by some De∣puties of the States General, disarmed the new Levies, and changed the Magistrates, as at Leyden, Haerlem, Amsterdam, and other places; afterwards he displaced several of the States of Holland, and substituted others in their room; a little while after by an ex∣traordinary Order of Eight Persons under the Title of States General, Prince Maurice caused Monsieur Barnevelt to be arrested, he was put into the Castle of the Hague, in the same Chamber where Admiral Mendoza of Arra∣gon had heretofore been Prisoner; at the same time Monsieur Hoguerbeis, a Person of merit and known capacity was arrested likewise, with Monsieur Hugo Grotius, Pentionary of Rotterdam, a Man of great Learning, and the Sieur de Leydenberg Secretary to the States of Utrecht.

They were accused of several crimes a∣gainst the State, amongst others, that they would have laid the whole Country in blood, and betray'd it to the Spaniards.

The Prince to secure himself from any hatred that might be drawn upon him in this conjuncture, declared that whatever he acted, was in the Name of the States General, as principal Conservators of the safety of the Republic.

The Prisoners on the other side remon∣strated, That though this was done under the Name of the States General, yet that in effect it proceeded only from the power of the Prince, who was armed, and followed by the greatest part of the common People; that the change at present made in the Common∣wealth was so considerable, that it ought to astonish all those who were true Lovers of the Laws and Liberties of their Country.

That as for the States General, they had no Jurisdiction over the Subjects of particular Provinces, much less to arrest Persons of their Quality, who were deprived of their Em∣ployments without any process, against all Justice, and in opposition to the States of Holland, who were their only Lords and Su∣periors; that their true crimes were their opposition to the ambitious desires of Prince Maurice, their obedience to the States of Holland, who were their Masters, their Coun∣sel to some Towns to preserve their Privi∣ledges, and to arm themselves for their own safeties; and finally their refusal to give con∣sent to the calling of a General Synod, which they thought would cause more mischief than advantage to their Country: that they

were opprest by their Enemies under the Title of States General, who are the Deputies of Provinces, only for the affairs of Peace and War, for the receiving proposals from foreign Ambassadors, and reporting them to the particular States of each Province; the States General having no other lawful Right of intermedling with the affairs of the Provinces, each of which are soveraign States, and have time out of mind been Masters of the Life and Fortune of their Sub∣jects; that this was only a specious Pretext, by which the Neighboring Princes, who did not know the true constitution of the Pro∣vinces, might be hindered from defending them, and to put some sort of colour upon so great an Injustice; they alledged farther for themselves the ancient Customs sworn to by the Earls of Holland, the Dukes of Burgundy, and Charles the 5th, which for several ages had been inviolably observed, and for whose preservation their Ancestors had taken Arms; That as for a General or National Synod, they could not agree to it, because it would seem, as if the Seven Provinces were but one Nation, contrary to the priviledge of parti∣cular Provinces, which had always provided for matters of Religion in their own bounds, which was so true, that when the States of the 17 Provinces, assembled at Brussels, having instantly demanded of Prince William of Orange, that the Roman Catholic Religion might be exercised in his Governments, re∣turned

answer, That this depended only upon the States of Holland and Zealand. That they appealed from these Judges as incompetent, and visibly suspected of being their Enemies, to such Judges as were natural and proper to their cause.

At the same time Prince Maurice with the States General, called a National Synod in the Town of Dort, and several Divines of Foreign Countries were invited thither; in this Assembly the Opinion of Arminius was declared to be Heretical, scandalous, and tending to the Re establishment of Popery in the United Provinces, and in pursuance of this decree, Utembaugarts, and all the other Ministers and Doctors suspected to be of that Opinion, were dismissed from their Cures, and banished the Country, and forbid to re∣turn under pain of severe punishment.

After this, Monsieur Barnevelt and the other Prisoners, were tried before Judges nominated by the States General; these Judges Condemned Monsieur Barnevelt to death, upon the 12^th of May 1619. My Father had several times interceeded for him in the Name of the French King, and Mon∣sieur de Boissise had been twice sent Envoy Extraordinary into Holland, to exhort the States to consult their proper welfare, and treat their Prisoners with moderation.

Pursuant to the Sentence, he was executed in the Court of the Castle at the Hague, be∣ing 66 years old, where the Scaffold was

raised against his Chamber Window, oppo∣site to the Prince's Apartment, who was said to have beheld this Execution from his win∣dow by the help of a prospective; upon which some people made their Reflections.

Prince Maurice and the States had less re∣gard to the Intercession of France, because the King of England was in their Interest, as being perswaded that Monsieur Barnevelt was none of his Friends, and that he had done him a sensible displeasure, by causing the Eng∣lish Garrisons to retire from the Town of Flushing, the Brill, and the Castle of Rame∣kius; which the English held for a security of those Sums which Queen Elizabeth had lent to the States General. Monsieur Barnevelt (being the chief of a very splendid Embassy) made great Instances to the King to recall his Forces from their Towns; King Iames pro∣mised him publickly and solemnly that he would do it, provided they paid the Money due to him, thinking he had imposed an im∣possible condition upon them, considering how the Provinces had been exhausted by their Taxes; but Monsieur Barnevelt having got the Kings word, applyed himself with so much diligence to the collecting of the Mo∣ney, and by his Credit the people bled so freely, that in a little time these vast Sums were carried into England, which King Iames, tho' very much surprized at, was obliged to receive, and consequently to recall his Garri∣sons;

and the remembrance of it stuck so close, that he had always a great aversion for Monsieur Barnevelt.

Prince Maurice had another reason to make him have less regard to the intercession of France, which was because he was not in the least afraid of their resentments; Lewis the 13th was then come out of his Minority, and a new Favorite was absolute Master of Affairs, who had more regard to the raising of him∣self and two Brothers, than to meddle with the Affairs of other Countries, which appeared in the business of the Elector Palatine, King of Bohemia; for though by reasons of State he should have been maintained, to weaken the House of Austria, which at that time was become formidable, and because this Elector was one of our principal Allies, who might always have so divided Germany, as that one of the Parties should have assisted us when we had occasion; yet Monsieur de Luynes promised the Marquess de Mirabel, the Spanish Ambassador, then at Paris, to ruin the Affairs of the Palatinate, upon condition that Monsieur de Cadenet his Brother, should marry Mademoiselle de Pecquigny and Chauln•…•…s; one of the most noble, most beautiful, and richest Heiresses of her time, who was educated at Bruxels, in the Family of the In∣fanta Isabella.

Upon these hopes, which were not ill grounded (for the Spaniards had given him their word) Monsieur de Luynes sent a splen∣did

Embassy into Germany, consisting of Monsieurs d' Angouleme, de Bethune, and de Chateau-neuf; who deceived the Protestant Princes, that were armed for the defence of the Palatinate; for it was concluded by the Treaty of Ulme, where all the Princes of both Parties were assembled, to hearken to the propositions of France; That both Catho∣lics and Protestants should lay down their Arms, and the Quarrel be decided by the King of Bohemia, and the Emperor only. The Protestant Princes suffered themselves to be abused, and did perform the Treaty honestly, so that the Marquess of Ansbatch, the Gene∣ral of their Forces, had orders to disband them; but the Duke of Bavaria, and the other Catholic Princes of the same Parties, sent their Troops by the Danube to the Empe∣ror, who overthrew the Prince Palatine at the battel of Prague. After this, Monsieur de Luynes, having thus sufficiently raised his Family, began to consider what might be for the In∣terest of the Kingdom, and thereupon coun∣celled the King to weaken the Hugonots, who as he told his Majesty, had the Insolence to make a distinct State within themselves, and had hitherto been held invincible; hereupon Monsieur de Luynes seized upon all their im∣portant places, except Montauban, from Sau∣mur to the Pyreneans, and after his death, in the year 1622, pursuant to his Maxims Mont∣pelier was taken, and at last (some time after) Cardinal Richelieu counselled the King to

attack Rochel, which he gained, and razed immediately; and having in that destroyed the principal strength of the Hugonot Party, their entire ruin soon followed, upon the Duke of Rohans retreat to Venice, who had a long time upheld them by his Valor and In∣dustry.

Prince Maurice was sufficiently informed of this condition of France, by the Dukes of Bovillon, and dela Trimoille, who had married his Sisters; besides these, he had a great many Friends in Germany, where several of the Soveraign Princes were related to him, either by his own side, or his Mothers, who was Daughter to Maurice Duke of Sax∣ony. The Elector Palatine was his Nephew likewise, and he afterwards was chose King of Bohemia, which he accepted, as 'tis said, upon the advice of Prince Maurice, and the persuasions of the Princess his Lady, though contrary to the Counsels of King Iames, his Father in-law, who thought a young Prince was not capable to manage an Affair of such Importance, and resist the power of the House of Austria; protesting that he would neither succor him with men nor money, except he quitted this design, which would infallibly become his ruin: but the Duke of Bovillon perswaded the Elector Palatine to the contra∣ry, as having some power over the young Prince, who was his Nephew, and had been bred up with him at Sedan; and the Duke discovered some Ambition to have his Ne∣phew

a King, when he wrote to some Friends at Paris, that whilst Lewis was making Knights at Fountainbleau, he was making Kings in Ger∣many. But this Royalty did not continue above 6 months, so that his Enemies called him a King of Snow, because the single battle of Prague, in the beginning of the year 1621, lost him all Bohemia, Silesia, Lusatia, Mora∣via, with the adjoyning Provinces; and the year following, the Spanish Forces marching from the Low Countries, deprived him of the Palatinate itself, in which he was not re-esta∣blished, but by Gustavus Adolphus's Descent into Germany; Charles Duke of Lorrain, who died many years after, one of the oldest Cap∣tains of the age, signalized himself very much at the Battle of Pragne, where Count Har∣court was likewise, tho very young.

But to return to Prince Maurice; France being so apparently inclined to the Interests of Barnevelt's Party, its Ministers, which were then in Holland, used to say, that Prince Maurice would have pretended to the Sove∣raignty of the United Provinces, but that such People, who in the beginning had been hot∣test against Mr. Barnevelt, and most devoted to the Prince; yet when they fathom'd his designs became averse to them, notwithstand∣ing their former obligations; besides the Exile, Death and Imprisonment of persons who had been so considerable in the State, and had likewise a great many Friends and Dependants, wrought a mighty change in

the Peoples affections to the Prince, which ap∣peared very visibly; for whereas before when he went through the Towns of Holland, every body came out of their houses praying for him with extraordinary Acclamations; now, as he was one day going through the Market∣place at Gorcum, which was full of people, there was scarce a single man that pull'd his Hat off to him: For the common people were so variable, that the very Writings which heretofore had made Mr. Barnevelt become suspected by them, were now pro∣duced as so many motives for their pity and compassion towards him. To this they ad∣ded, that the assistance which probably he might have hop'd for, from the Elector Pa∣latine, was since the loss of the battle of Prague, no longer to be expected; and the Emperor Ferdinand the 2^d, having by the happy success of his Generals, Count Tilly, and Wallestein, made himself absolute Master of all Germany, even to the Baltick Sea, where he established an Admiralty at Wismar, reduced all the Princes, and Im∣perial Towns under his Obedience; Prince Maurice could no longer expect Succors from Germany, whatever Friends he might hereto∣fore have had there.

But those who adhered to the Interests of Prince Maurice, and the House of Orange, acquitted him of a Design so prejudicial to the good of the United Provinces, by main∣taining that it was a perfect Artifice of his

Enemies, to make him become odious to the People of the Low Countries; for said they, what probability was there, that Prince Maurice ever had it in his thoughts to become Soveraign of his Country, since after the extirpation of Barnevelt and his party, he never made one step towards it, which he might have done, having then no farther obstacles.

Prince Maurice did not long survive a great Conspiracy, which the Sieur de Stautemburg, youngest Son of M^r. Barnevelt, had laid against his Life, which being happily disco∣vered some hours before its execution, ob∣liged him to punish a great number of the Conspirators, throughout the pincipal Towns of Holland.

The Prince was never married, but had several Natural Children, the most consi∣derable of them all was Mousieur de Bever∣vert, a man very well made, and very brave, he was Governor of Bolduc, after whose death the Prince of Tarentum had that Government, and was succeeded by Collonel Fitz Patrick, a Scotchman.

Prince Maurice died in the Spring of the Year 1625, when the Marquess Spinola be∣sieged the Town of Breda. And as some pretended it was for grief that he did not succeed in the Soveraignty; so others said that it was, because he could not relieve that place, which was his own propriety, and had been surprized by him 34 years before.