Thus fell that great Minister, who did the United Provinces as much
service in the cabinet, as the Princes of Orange did in the field. It is
highly probable that the melancholy end of this illustrious and
unfortunate man, to whom the Dutch are partly indebted for their
liberty, was owing to his steadiness in opposing the design of making
Prince Maurice Dictator. But this is a question discussed by several
writers[89], and foreign to our subject.

The French ministry discovered no resentment at the little attention
paid by the States General to Lewis's solicitations. There is reason to
think Barnevelt would have met with less cruel treatment, or at least
that France would not have passed it over so easily, had Cardinal
Richelieu, who was soon after Prime Minister, been then in place: for a
book[90] ascribed to him censures the conduct of Messieurs de Luines,
who were in power at that time, with regard to this affair.

FOOTNOTES:

[88] Apology, c. 15.

[89] See Du Maurier, Le Vassor, La Neuville, Le Clerc.

[90] Hist. de la mere & du fils, t. 2. p. 380.


XIII. Grotius's trial did not come on till five days after Barnevelt's
execution. September 3, 1618, the fourth day after he was arrested, the
Burgomasters of Rotterdam presented a petition to the Prince of
Orange[91], setting forth, that they had heard with great grief that
Grotius, Counsellor and Pensionary of Rotterdam, being at the Hague at