himself to firm holding ground at home.

The Ambassador had also a personal grievance. Many of his most secret
despatches to the States-General in which he expressed himself very
freely, forcibly, and accurately on the general situation in France,
especially in regard to the Spanish marriages and the Treaty of Hampton
Court, had been transcribed at the Hague and copies of them sent to the
French government. No baser act of treachery to an envoy could be
imagined. It was not surprising that Aerssens complained bitterly of the
deed. He secretly suspected Barneveld, but with injustice, of having
played him this evil turn, and the incident first planted the seeds of
the deadly hatred which was to bear such fatal fruit.

"A notable treason has been played upon me," he wrote to Jacques de
Maldere, "which has outraged my heart. All the despatches which I have
been sending for several months to M. de Barneveld have been communicated
by copy in whole or in extracts to this court. Villeroy quoted from them
at our interview to-day, and I was left as it were without power of
reply. The despatches were long, solid, omitting no particularity for
giving means to form the best judgment of the designs and intrigues of
this court. No greater damage could be done to me and my usefulness.
All those from whom I have hitherto derived information, princes and
great personages, will shut themselves up from me . . . . What can be
more ticklish than to pass judgment on the tricks of those who are
governing this state? This single blow has knocked me down completely.
For I was moving about among all of them, making my profit of all,
without any reserve. M. de Barneveld knew by this means the condition of
this kingdom as well as I do. Certainly in a well-ordered republic it
would cost the life of a man who had thus trifled with the reputation of
an ambassador. I believe M. de Barneveld will be sorry, but this will