The Life of the Truly Eminent and Learned Hugo Grotius: Containing a Copious and Circumstantial History of the Several Important and Honourable Negotiations in Which He Was Employed; together with a Critical Account of His WorksBurigny, M. de (Jean Lévesque)
History
The Life of the Truly Eminent and Learned Hugo Grotius: Containing a Copious and Circumstantial History of the Several Important and Honourable Negotiations in Which He Was Employed; together with a Critical Account of His Works
Burigny, M. de (Jean Lévesque)
Grotius, Hugo, 1583-1645
Grotius complains that he was not examined on the tenth part of the
facts specified in his sentence, that his examination was not read over
to him; in fine, that he was no ways reprehensible, since in all he did,
he exactly followed the orders of the States of Holland, or those of the
city of Rotterdam[100], as the States and the City allowed; and that if
he was to be tried, it ought to be by Judges of Rotterdam, according to
the privileges of that city. Hoogerbetz was also condemned to perpetual
banishment. The body of Ledemberg, Secretary of the States of Utrecht,
who, as hath been said, put an end to his life in gaol, was affixed in
the coffin to a gibbet. Moerbergen, Counsellor of Utrecht, had only his
country-house, for his prison, because, suffering himself to be moved by
the tears of his wife and children, he made a kind of submission
bordering on those which they wanted to draw from Hoogerbetz and
Grotius.
The Judges who condemned them were so ignorant of the laws, that they
decreed penalties which are only enacted against persons convicted of
high treason, yet omitted mentioning in the sentence that Grotius was
guilty of that crime. They were told of this irregularity, and saw they
were in the wrong: to remedy it, they declared, a whole year after the
trial, without rehearing the cause, that their intention was to condemn
Grotius and his accomplices as guilty of high-treason; which step was
the more irregular[101], as delegated judges cannot, by law, add to
their sentence after it is passed. This addition deprived Grotius's wife
of the liberty of redeeming, at a moderate price, her husband's estate;
a privilege which the law allows in all cases but those of treason. His
estate was therefore confiscated: but by this he was no great loser. At
that time he was very far from being rich: his father being alive, what
properly belonged to him was only the savings of his salary and his
wife's fortune.
FOOTNOTES:
[91] Hug. Grotii votum, p. 664.
[92] Apol. c. 13.
[93] Mare clausum l. 1. p. 198.
[94] Apol. c. 15.
[95] Apol. c. 13.
[96] Ibid. c. 16.
[97] Ibid. c. 19.
[98] Dedication of his Apology.
[99] Apol. c. 13. 17.
[100] Hug. Grotii votum, p. 669.
[101] Ep. Gr. 161.
XIV. In consequence of the sentence passed against Grotius, the
States-General ordered him to be carried from the Hague to the fortress
of Louvestein near Gorcum in South Holland, at the point of the island
formed by the Vahal and the Meuse; which was done on the 6th of June,
1619; and twenty-four sols per day assigned for his maintenance, and as
much for Hoogerbetz: but their wives declared they had enough to support
their husbands, and that they chose to be without an allowance which
they looked on as an affront. Grotius' father asked permission to see
his son; but was denied. They consented to admit his wife into
Louvestein, but if she came out, she was not to be suffered to go back.
In the sequel it was granted her that she might come abroad twice a
week.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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