prevent their opposing his election in case his brother should die, but
that as it imported him to be on good terms with his brother, and to
efface the notion he had of his connection with the Arminians, he made
use of Vandermyle, one of his particular friends and Barnevelt's
son-in-law, to let the cabal know that it was necessary for him to
accommodate himself to his brother, that he might be better able to
serve them: which Barnevelt approved of."

Hoogerbetz's situation, who, as we have seen, was condemned with
Grotius, received some alleviation by the change of the Stadtholder.
Four months after the death of Prince Maurice he was allowed to come out
of Louvestein, and to reside at a country-house, upon condition of not
leaving the country on pain of forfeiting twenty thousand florins, for
which his friends and children were bound. "It is asserted (says the
author of the _Mercure François_) that this liberty was granted him
without any acknowledgment of his fault, and without asking pardon." He
did not enjoy it long, for he died three weeks after he was discharged.

Grotius's father, who knew his son was esteemed and even loved by the
new Stadtholder, advised him to write to that Prince. He obeyed his
father: but informed him that he was determined not to do a mean thing
to procure his return. It was from mere complaisance that he wrote to
the Prince, for he owns to his brother he had very little hopes of
success from his letter: he was even desirous that his correspondence
with the Prince might be kept a secret, lest its being publicly known
should vex his Highness. The enemies of the Remonstrants would, no
doubt, have been greatly offended with the Stadtholder, had they
discovered that he was favourably inclined to the Arminians: and the
Prince's authority was not yet sufficiently established to free him from
the necessity of keeping measures with so powerful a party. Grotius's