GROTIUS AFTER HIS ESCAPE FROM PRISON, TILL HIS APPOINTMENT OF AMBASSADOR
FROM SWEDEN TO THE COURT OF FRANCE.
1621-1634.
Soon after the escape of Grotius from prison, he repaired to Paris: in
this, he followed the advice of Du Maurier, the French ambassador at the
Hague. His works had made him known in every part of Europe, in which
learning was cultivated: but persons properly qualified to appreciate
their merit, existed no where in such abundance as at Paris: he was
personally esteemed and regarded by the monarch; and the principal
officers of state were attached to him. Paris was also recommended to
him by its libraries, the easy access to them, and the habitual
intercourse of the men of letters, who, during, at least, a great part
of the year, made that city their place of residence.
[Sidenote: From the Escape of Grotius till his appointment of
Ambassador.]
Grotius arrived at Paris on the 13th of April 1621. He was immediately
noticed by a multitude of persons of distinction and rank; but it was
not till March 1622, that he was presented to the king. His majesty
received him graciously, and settled upon him a pension of 3,000 livres.
The Prince of Condé, the Chancellor, and the Keeper of the Seals, had
exerted themselves to dispose the king in his favour. His majesty
professed kindness towards those, who had been persecuted by the States;
and issued an edict, dated the 22d April 1622, by which he took them
under his protection, in the same manner as if they were his own
subjects; he even extended this benefit to their children. The
celebrated President Jeannin was one of the most active and useful of
Grotius's friends; but he died soon after Grotius arrived at Paris.
Grotius, during his stay in that city, attended frequently the courts of
justice. He observed the wretched style of oratory, which at that time,
prevailed in them. It was, in some measure, corrected by _Patru_ and _Le
Maitre_; but it did not reach its best state, till the end of the reign
of Lewis XIV. The rhetorical march and laboured amplifications allowed
at the French bar, are offensive to English ears. Has any nation
produced a more perfect style of forensic or judicial eloquence, than
that of _Sir William Grant_? The wisdom and justice of _Lord Stowell's_
decisions, and the admirable arguments by which he explains or
illustrates them, are known and acknowledged by every Court.
[Sidenote: CHAP. IX. 1621--1634]
Grotius's love of his native country continued unabated; all his views,
all his hopes, were directed thither. With these feelings he wrote his
_Apology_. He composed it in the Dutch language, and translated it
afterwards into Latin: it was published in 1622. He dedicated it to the
people of Holland and West Friesland. It is divided into twenty
chapters; in the first, he argues the important point, that each of the
United Provinces is sovereign and independent of the States General, and
that the authority of these is confined to the defence of the provinces
against their enemies. In the second chapter, he applies the position to
ecclesiastical concerns; these, he says, are subject to the sovereign
power of each State. In the following chapters, he descends into the
particular charges against him; defending himself against all the crimes
and irregularities of which he was accused, and shewing the informality
of the judicial proceedings by which he and his companions in misfortune
were tried and condemned.
[Sidenote: From the Escape of Grotius till his appointment of
Ambassador.]
His answer was universally read and approved: It greatly incensed the
States General: They proscribed it, and forbade all persons to have it
in their possession, under pain of death; but no answer to it was
published. The edict made Grotius and his friends entertain
apprehensions for his personal safety. On this account, he obtained
from the French monarch letters of naturalization, dated the 26th
February 1623: By these, his majesty took him under his special
protection.
Grotius retained many friends in every part of the United Provinces:
Prince Frederick Henry, the brother of Maurice, was among them. He had
never entered into his brother's persecuting projects.
"The Count d'Estrades has given us," says Burigni, "some anecdotes on
this subject, which we shall relate on his authority. He assures us,
that, being one day _tête a tête_ with Prince Henry Frederick in his
coach, he heard him say, that he had much to do to keep well with his
brother Maurice, who suspected him of secretly favouring Barneveldt and
the Arminians. He told me, (these were the Count's own words), it was
true that he kept a correspondence with them, to 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 Vandenuse, one
of his particular friends, and Barneveldt'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 Barneveldt
approved of."
[Sidenote: CHAP. IX. 1621--1634.]
In the meantime, the situation of Grotius at Paris, became very
uncomfortable. His resources, and those of his wife, were small; and his
pension was paid irregularly. Cardinal de Richelieu wished to attach
Grotius; but required from him an absolute and unqualified devotion to
him, which was utterly irreconcileable with the slightest degree of
honourable independence. Grotius therefore declined the offers of the
Cardinal. From this time, the Cardinal regarded him with an evil eye,
and often made him feel the effects of his displeasure.
This rendered Grotius desirous of quitting France. Trusting to some
protestations of friendship, which he had received from Prince
Frederick; to his numerous friends, to his claims upon the gratitude of
the States of Holland, to his feelings of innocence, and to the effect
produced, as he flattered himself, by his _Apology_, he ventured into
Holland in 1631. But he met with no countenance: and in that year was
banished a second time. Upon this, he formally bade a final adieu to
Holland, and determined to seek his fortune elsewhere: He then fixed his
residence at Hamburgh.
[Sidenote: From the Escape of Grotius till his appointment of
Ambassador.]
He sought to preserve his friends in France; but announced to them his
intention to receive no more money from the French government.
"I shall always," he said in a letter to the First President of the Cour
des Monnoies, "be grateful for the King's liberality; but it is enough
that I was chargeable to you, while I resided in France. I have never
done you any service, though I made you an offer of myself. But it would
not be proper that I should now live, like an hornet, on the goods of
other men. I shall not, however, forget the kindness of so great a king,
and the good offices of so many friends."
[Sidenote: CHAP. IX. 1621-1634.]
It may appear surprising that Prince Frederick of Orange should
pertinaciously exclude Grotius from his native country. But ambition
listens to nothing that conflicts with its own views. Prince Frederick
inherited from his father and brother the wish of becoming the sovereign
of the United Provinces. To this, he knew he should always find a
zealous and able opponent in Grotius: hence, notwithstanding his great
personal regard for Grotius, he always kept him a banished man. Grotius
wished to be employed by the Government of England, and Archbishop Laud
was sounded upon this subject; but the application was coldly
received[034]. Prince Frederick sustained, both in military and civil
concerns, the character of the former princes of his family. Under his
administration, the affairs of the republic prospered at sea and land.
Peter Haim captured the Spanish flotilla, estimated at twelve millions
of florins. The Prince took Bois-le duc, Maestricht, and Breda, and
reduced the Dutchy of Limburgh. Under his auspices, the celebrated Van
Tromp commenced his career of naval glory, by obtaining a complete
victory over the Spanish fleet, consisting of seventy men of war. Prince
Frederick died in 1658.
From the close of his Stadtholderate, we may date the origin of the
jealousy entertained, by France and England, of the rising power of the
United Provinces. It is to be observed that Prince Frederick was
Stadtholder only of the Provinces of Holland, Zealand, Utrecht, Gueldres
and Overyssell: Count Ernest Casimir of Nassau was Stadtholder of the
provinces of Gröningen, Frizeland, and the county of the Drenta. In
1631, their eldest sons were chosen, in the lifetime of their fathers,
their successors in their respective Stadtholderates. This was a great
step towards making the Stadtholderate hereditary in their
families,--one of the leading objects of their ambitious views.