Life and Death of John of Barneveld, Advocate of Holland : with a view of the primary causes and movements of the Thirty Years' War, 1610bMotley, John Lothrop
History
Life and Death of John of Barneveld, Advocate of Holland : with a view of the primary causes and movements of the Thirty Years' War, 1610b
Motley, John Lothrop
Oldenbarnevelt, Johan van, 1547-1619; Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648
The army marched forth and laid siege to the city, Prince Frederic Henry
at its head. He was sternly instructed by the States-General, under
whose orders he acted, to take possession of the city at all hazards.
He was to insist on placing there a garrison of 2000 foot and 300 horse,
and to permit not another armed man within the walls. The members of the
council of state and of the States of Utrecht accompanied the army. For
a moment the party in power was disposed to resist the forces of the
Union. Dick Kanter and his friends were resolute enough; the Catholic
priests turned out among the rest with their spades and worked on the
entrenchments. The impossibility of holding the city against the
overwhelming power of the States was soon obvious, and the next day the
gates were opened, and easy terms were granted. The new magistracy was
set aside, the old board that had been deposed by the rebels reinstated.
The revolution and the counterrevolution were alike bloodless, and it was
determined that the various grievances of which the discontented party
had complained should be referred to the States-General, to Prince
Maurice, to the council of state, and to the ambassadors of France and
England. Amnesty was likewise decreed on submission.
The restored government was Arminian in its inclinations, the
revolutionary one was singularly compounded both of Catholic and of
ultra-orthodox elements. Quiet was on the whole restored, but the
resources of the city were crippled. The event occurring exactly at the
crisis of the Clove and Julich expedition angered the King of France.
"The trouble of Utrecht," wrote Aerssens to Barneveld, "has been turned
to account here marvellously, the Archdukes and Spaniards boasting that
many more revolts like this may be at once expected. I have explained to
his Majesty, who has been very much alarmed about it, both its source and
the hopes that it will be appeased by the prudence of his Excellency
Prince Maurice and the deputies of the States. The King desires that
everything should be pacified as soon as possible, so that there may be
no embarrassment to the course of public affairs. But he fears, he tells
me, that this may create some new jealousy between Prince Maurice and
yourself. I don't comprehend what he means, although he held this
language to me very expressly and without reserve. I could only answer
that you were living on the best of terms together in perfect amity and
intelligence. If you know if this talk of his has any other root, please
to enlighten me, that I may put a stop to false reports, for I know
nothing of affairs except what you tell me."
King James, on the other hand, thoroughly approved the promptness of the
States-General in suppressing the tumult.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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