two children. Now I can clearly prove that between the years 1577 and
1616 inclusive I have inherited in my own right or that of my wife, from
our relatives, for ourselves and our children by lawful succession, more
than 400 Holland morgens of land (about 800 acres), more than 2000
florins yearly of redeemable rents, a good house in the city of Delft,
some houses in the open country, and several thousand florins in ready
money. I have likewise reclaimed in the course of the past forty years
out of the water and swamps by dyking more than an equal number of acres
to those inherited, and have bought and sold property during the same
period to the value of 800,000 florins; having sometimes bought 100,000
florins' worth and sold 60,000 of it for 160,000, and so on."

It was evident that the thrifty Advocate during his long life had
understood how to turn over his money, and it was not necessary to
imagine "waggon-loads of Spanish pistoles" and bribes on a gigantic scale
from the hereditary enemy in order to account for a reasonable opulence
on his part.

"I have had nothing to do with trade," he continued, "it having been the
custom of my ancestors to risk no money except where the plough goes. In
the great East India Company however, which with four years of hard work,
public and private, I have helped establish, in order to inflict damage
on the Spaniards and Portuguese, I have adventured somewhat more than
5000 florins . . . . Now even if my condition be reasonably good, I
think no one has reason to envy me. Nevertheless I have said it in your
Lordships' Assembly, and I repeat it solemnly on this occasion, that I
have pondered the state of my affairs during my recent illness and found
that in order to leave my children unencumbered estates I must sell
property to the value of 60,000 or 70,000 florins. This I would rather
do than leave the charge to my children. That I should have got thus