concluded by enclosing the Barneveld correspondence since the beginning
of the year 1614, protesting that not a single letter had been kept back
or destroyed. "Once more I recommend myself to mercy, if not to favour,"
he added, "as the most faithful, most obedient, most zealous servant of
their High Mightinesses and your princely Grace, to whom I have devoted
and sacrificed my honour and life in most humble service; and am now and
forever the most humble, most obedient, most faithful servant of my most
serene, most illustrious, most highly born Prince, most gracious Lord and
princeliest Grace."

The former adherent of plain Advocate Barneveld could hardly find
superlatives enough to bestow upon the man whose displeasure that
prisoner had incurred.

Directly after the arrest the Stadholder had resumed his tour through
the Provinces in order to change the governments. Sliding over any
opposition which recent events had rendered idle, his course in every
city was nearly the same. A regiment or two and a train of eighty or a
hundred waggons coming through the city-gate preceded by the Prince and
his body-guard of 300, a tramp of halberdmen up the great staircase of
the town-hall, a jingle of spurs in the assembly-room, and the whole
board of magistrates were summoned into the presence of the Stadholder.
They were then informed that the world had no further need of their
services, and were allowed to bow themselves out of the presence. A new
list was then announced, prepared beforehand by Maurice on the suggestion
of those on whom he could rely. A faint resistance was here and there
attempted by magistrates and burghers who could not forget in a moment
the rights of self-government and the code of laws which had been enjoyed
for centuries. At Hoorn, for instance, there was deep indignation among
the citizens. An imprudent word or two from the authorities might have