him Reader he purposes slaughter vnder a Lambs-skinne yet seeing hee prouokes vs let vs make a publick enquirie Berneuell why doe you make no conscience so often to lie Why doe you so maliciously oppose the reformed Religion Why are you an enemy to the Ministers of your Countrey why do you extenuate their authority Why are you a hater hinderer of a future Synod Why are you a traytor to your countrey A priuate friend to the Spaniard A hunter after glory wealth A foe to the house of Nassaue Orenge A spend-thrift of the common Treasure A persecutor of all good men and fauourer of euill Will you answere mee Doe but publickly otherwise you shall be held as guiltie of all these crimes neuer so small in businesses either publique or priuate managed by mee seeme liable to the reproofe of any let that man openly speake it whosoeuer he is I craue no fauor I presume I shall conuince him and in reasonable tearmes shew him his errour It is true that according to a custome receiued in transactions of leagues and peace I receiued gifts more then the Lords condeputed with mee though they were of great estimation and of this publique notice was taken But that either (c) Hee that hath not learned to lie notably fayles in confirming his owne cause Sweare forsweare doe any thing sooner then bewray your secrets before or after the Treatie either directly or indirectly either by my selfe or any proxie I eyther did take or purposed to take any thing whatsoeuer more of the Spaniard or his complices or had the least dealing communication or treatie by my selfe or by another with the Spaniard or his confederates without publike knowledge that I solemnly auow to bee deuised fained and most contrary to the truth Furthermore it is knowne vnto you that I my selfe motioned and thought fit that the gratuities before spoken of which were bestowed on me should bee kept for the publike good benefit and some others there were who approued not hereof For the space (a) How oft haue you sung this song your repetition of the same things argues your memorie lies in your heeles of 32. yeeres in which as Aduocate of the Countrey I bestowed my paynes in your seruice I was thus much honoured that I was often intreated by the (b) What doe you meane man here is another grosse absurditie you leaue out your great friend the King of Spayne whose right challenges the first place in your Catalogue But you will say it is conditioned bewtixt vs that I should not name him but vpon the rack Excuse me I was not priuie to your crafty dealing King of France by Eliz. Queene of England both of famous and immortall memorie That I was often intreated by the King of great Brittaine the K. of Sueland the Elector Palatine of Bradenburg (c) It is suspected you had too great dealings with him and afterward through his meanes with the Spaniard the Elector of Colen in diuers occurrences and businesses concerning them to doe vnto them acceptable Offices and seruices This I did being so desired either by their Letters or Embassadors or Commissaries in such matters as might be done with the benefite of the Countrey or at least without the losse and hindrance thereof Namely and for example I laboured in the Elector of Colens behalfe that agreement might bee made betwixt him and the Arch-Dutchesse of Arschot the Countesse of Neeuweuaer the Count and Countess of Solmes euen to the finishing cōpounding of maters controuerted among them finally with the Count of Benthem for restitution of speciall Offices of the Arch-bishoprick of Colen For which seruices hee both thanked me by Letters presented me with gifts In like maner I helped other Princes Counts and forain Cities earnestly requesting mee thereto by my good counsell And thus much also was performed by me to Domestick Prouinces Commanders Counts Lords and moreouer to great societies and also to many priuate and particular persons who willingly of their owne accord acknowledged these my seruices although I neuer asked or demanded any of them any thing directly or indirectly by my selfe or by another The (d) Now he swels Reader giue him the hearing Now a stiffe gale filles his sayles lend him your best obseruance Here are great maine matters of greatest consequence and import Bragge is a good Dog still chiefe matters which I did performe for the vnited Prouinces are these (e) Hee harpes againe vpon the same string you see he dotes but he is old we must pardon him for he was a great bragger from his infancy shortly he wil leaue it First fiue times I performed a Regall Embassage and in foure Embassages the managing and (a) How the cōmonwealth was adminished by his words guidance gouernment and successe behold now he meditates direction of all things was committed vnto me and I my selfe spake to Kings face to face The first was in the yeere 85 wherein we first obtained of the Queene of England the ayde of foure thousand armed men to rayse the siege from Antwerpe afterward a promise of 5000. foote-men and a thousand horse-men the Garrison at Brill and the Forts of Flushing and Rammekens not reckoned herein because they were places and cities deliuered vp to her Maiestie as pledges for securities sake to be maintained in the time of warre The second Embassage was in the yeare 1598 to the King of France a promise was made by his Ma of paying two millions nine hundreth thousād Florens to the States within the space of 4. yeares furthermore a securitie concerning his Maiesties full and sincere purpose to preserue the good of these Dominions In my third Embassage performed the yeare premised vnto the Queene of England I (b) Paice vol figlio di padre crudele We haue a sweete sonne of so cruella Father effected that howsoeuer the King of France had couenanted a league of peace with the K. of Spayne the Archduke at Veruyns neuertheles his Maiesty was moued to deferre and suspend the like Treaty In my fourth Embassage into England a remission of the third part of the exacted debts esteemed one and twenty hundred thousand Florens was obtained of the Queenes Maiesty So that it was agreed much labour and difficultie praeceding concerning the payment of fourescore thousand pounds Flemish and the tearme of payment appointed for the halfe part viz. fortie hundred thousand pound was about twentie yeere when in the compact made in the yeere 1585 wee couenanted to pay the whole debt within the space of foure yeares and the terme when wee should paie the other halfe was delaied and put off till another time In my Embassage to the King of England at this day I obtained that the King gaue vs libertie to muster two or three thousand souldiers in Scotland for the benefit of the Prouinces and also consented that the King of France for that yere
that I desired to be freed froÌ„ the burthen therof But our affairs being then perplexed I fel short of my wish Then afterward all things being happily finished and dispatched I renued my suite to be discharged of the place without expectation of any further (a) Quis veteres auias tibi de pulmone reuellet Who dares attempt to quite your bragging brest Of this proud diuel wherwith you are possest Your bragges are vnreasonable and you then vent them when you haue least cause recompence but this to wit an immunitie euer after from the vndertaking of any other office and charge vvhatsoeuer But my Petition though earnest and heartie preuailed not and I was with my honour requested and my pay (b) A man may see you haue reade the Comedian and obserued this out of him All men are bound their selfe-good to procure And thereof in th' first place themselues assure purposely encreased that I should not giue ouer my Office and it was declared this was heartily desired of each member and Citie of the whole assembly Thus I was compelled to perseuer in my charge and Office From this time viz from the yeere ninty two vntill the yeere 1608. I neuer left nor was any way wanting to my Office From the yeere (d) Now this base impudent and vaine-glorious fellow this periur'd and adulterous naughty-packe enters afresh into his bragarisme Mais pourquoy t' en croyra on puis qu' en vn champ tuâ—n ' ouys iamais la trompette But who will beleeue him who durst neuer venture himselfe within the hearing of the sound of a trumpet and euer after he continues in his vanity and tragicall loftie stile 88. vnto the yeere 1606. full out I went thirtie sixe seuerall times to Prince Maurice in his Campe either sent for by him or otherwise deputed that I might vnfould vnto him the course and order of our proceedings and procure the establishing of your decrees which I performed to my commendation and praise oftentimes (e) Haue patience a while and wee will inroll you in the number of the Gods but it must be the infernall ones beyond the hope and expectation of all men In this interim too I vndertooke and worthily performed foure (a) Wonder reader and giue this mighty man the way For he was sent Embassadour from hence in the behalfe of a potent Common-weale But why did you accept of those Embassages as you call them wheÌ„ in the entrance to your office you prouided that you might be sent no where out of the Prouince but I know added some prouiso exception and I know moreouer that your ambition gapes for great imploiment an impotent and vnrestrained desire of praise makes you aduenture your selfe blindfolded in pursuit thereof Princely royall Embassages to the great good and benefite of the Countrey And when a treatie tending to Peace was laboured in the Emperours name and the Prince of Parmaes in the names of Erueste and Albert Arch-Dukes and the generall States of the aduerse and contrarie faction the (b) You are an enemy to Peace and shall neuer enioy peace But I maruell you durst be so impudent as to professe so much Especially since the interest payed for your debts which were occasioned by breach of the Peace surmounted your imposts contributions and exactions Your selfe alone were the originall of these inconueniences But what became of all these monies Giue vp your accounts for you must bee no longer Steward breaking of this Peace cost me a great deale of paines Now since the King of France made a league with the King of England the King of Spaine and the Arch-Dukes the money paid for our debts and other arrereages were so excessiue that they amounted to more then the Subsidie contributions though they were greatly raised could satisfy by the summe of twenty six millions of Florens Furthermore the two last yeeres were passed ouer with much infamie and losse and yet againe greater daÌ„ger was feared two expeditions prepared by the enemy being hardly remoued out of the way because at the very instant time forraine aides were both lesse firme and more burdensome to the countrey then heretofore they were wont to be and because the interest-money came to that height that the State of the whole seemed desperate as our Counsellours and Treasurers three yeeres since had forewarned And now after this aduertisement the burdens imposed exceeded the reuenewes of the Countrey about sixe or seuen millions of Florences within the compasse of the said three yeeres (c) Why doe you extoll this as though it had beene effected by your industrie You are not Iwis the preseruer but the betrayer of your Countrey and scatter-good thereof You haue not relieued her but thrust her into further debt and the commendation which you would engrosse is either no commendation or if it be any it belongs not to you And truely whereas the Spaniard made a composition on such easie tearmes in so desperate a time that must be ascribed to the hidden counsell of God who turnes all things to their good whom he hath predestinated thereto Otherwise I was my selfe an eye witnesse of such abashment in the subiects of the confederated Prouinces and an eare witnesse of such desperate counsells as were neuer heretofore heard of and therefore you coined money wherein there was a mysterie with Peters floating ship and this inscription O yee of little faith why doe you feare Which you diuided amongst the Orders and heads of the State as a present for honours sake not of dutie according to a receiued custome among you Whereof I had a part and doe professe my selfe to be a well-willer of the good of the Common-weale not of your faction But if God had not helped in these extremities those counsels had beene to litttle purpose and certaine others more to bee abhorred I speake the truth which proceeded from desperation Here no man ought to maruell that is not destitute of reason why since it appeared that the King of Spaine and the Arch-Dukes yeelded for their part vnto the Prouinces their rights and libertie and this granted would end all matters with the Lords of the States not now as their vassals and subiects but Gouernours of free-dominions to which they made no claime and since it was hoped that by this meanes so long bloudy and chargeable a warre might sort to an honourable wished and secure end why I say such a meeting was intended At my first entrance into this meeting wherein the Common Councell and Embassadours of France Great-Britain Denmarke and of the Electors Palatine and Brandeburge and diuers Princes Euang of Germanie I plainely perceiued the first attempts of my aduersaries against my person and proceedings both in open assemblies and in libels which were cast out which was done by their directions who were (a) This is but your opinion and coniecture but others know there is no such matter offended at this
treatie concerning Peace I declared so much to your Honours and Highnesses and proffered neuerthelesse to resigne my offices and liue a priuate life and therefore of set purpose I absented my selfe from the Assembly But (b) This was kindely done of them howsoeuer the feare of a greater inconuenience made them choose this you laught in your sleeue when you perceiued that the Foxes skinne auailed there where the Lyons could not You are very politick I wish you to continue so I vnderstood both by vvord of mouth by the commissaries of the Nobles and free-cities and also by letters that the Assembly of your Honours and Highnesses did with one accord approue of my offices and seruices and willed me to persist therein and againe resort vnto the Assembly that they would furthermore esteeme so of all inconueniences which happened vnto me as if they should happen to the generall Assemblie I obeyed your Honours and Highnesses heerein perseuered in my office brought the treatie to a desired and (a) You know what Menelaus sayes in Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is worth the wishing for to bee without the compasse of exception commendable issue and with others subcribed thereto (b) Better better stil but you hunt after prayse with too great earnestnesse Was not the once vttering of these things sufficient But happely doating old age hath depriued you of your memorie so that you obserue not that in a short space you repeate the same thing ouer and ouer But the Reader must hold him excused hee was sometime wise new hee dotes Nam quaecunque sedens modo legerat haec eadem stans Profert atque eadem cantabit versibus ijsdem What sitting earst he read that standing hee rehearses And vents the self same things all in the selfe same verses Gaudent I was imploied also in diuerse Treaties vvith the Embassadours of the Queene Mother in France with Embassadours in England both as long as the foresaid meeting held and before as also to continue the same Moreouer I was made gouernour of the forces which were sent by the King of France and put in trust to make euen the debts betwixt vs and the King of England all the agreements whereof vvere sealed by me Afterward I was chiefe instrument and procurer of vniting the Prouinces which the King of England helped first of all more then 24 yeares one after another afterward with the countenance and authoritie thereof and great store of money and now by the care and direction of the Kings of the foresaid Kingdome things were brought to that passe which I tolde you a little before that they could fully discharge the debtes wherein they were engaged and redeeme their cities and places laid to pledge and recouer their bonds and obligations (c) Garrula securi narrare pericula nautae So Mariners when all is safe and wel Their perills ouerblowne doe ioy to tell Yet you sooth your selfe too much and make your selfe the Atlas and sustainer of the whole state of Holland But let mee tell you in your eare for I hope you will vnderstand mee Si suelen algunos hombres subir tan alto que se pierden à se mismos de vista Many haue mounted so high that haue lost the benefit of their sight It is the language of a nation with whom you are now familiar and well acquainted And I settled the money-matters of the Prouinces in those tearms that the companies of the Admiralties which before in the yeare 1609 were burdened with about two Millions and eight hundreth thousand Florens were so eased that whereas in the beginning of my office we paid yearely pensions of 12 in the 100 and 2 for brokeage now instead thereof our last borrowed money is at 16 and three in the hundreth for brokeage to bee redeemed at 9 in the hundred or at vse at sixteene Whereas (a) Some Times haue their oportunitie and some Oportunities their time and there will both time and oportunitie bee found to put vp complaints against you doe you conceiue mee then after so many so great so singular and extraordinarie offices and seruices for so long a time continually performed the administration of the Common wealth is now complained of whereas it is pretended that they know not whence and what I am whereas I am accounted a forreiner a stranger and that other such-like vnseemely reports are noised abroad these things must needs trouble mee hauing sustained more then 32 yeares the office of the disposer of the affaires of the country in all your Honours and Highnesses Assemblies and being possessed in the said Assemblies of another place and office nine yeares before But I answer I was borne at the city of (b) Is it so come you from Amersfort then you know how to bragge and swagger triumph and ioy in it But how doe you proue your selfe to be of that noble Familie or to bee legitimate If New-kerke in the Welue wil giue you a Testimonie of your legitimatenesse I will easily beleeue it they may iustly make claime of a place in the meetings of Gelderland you vniustly But I spare to speake of these things and you happely were borne in a place of no note where you were not known to your nearest friends Amersfort where my predecessor in office was also borne By my fathers side I deriue my pedigree from the ancient and noble stocke of the Olden-barneuells the line descending euery way lawfully from our ancestors for many yeares which Olden-barneuells for some hundred yeares appeared alwaie vpon warning in the Prouincial assemblies and other meetings of the Gentrie of Welue as they doe yet euen at this day By my mothers side a matrone of worthy memory I desceÌ„d lawfully euery way too from the worshipful family of (d) I know nothing but good concerning that Family yet I adde thus much but not in scorne Such once we were c. And I further maruaile why you should so carefully search and as it were mendicate these things for you haue no reason at all to make mention of the familie of Lockehorst which you doe a little after I know both that Familie and you and therein Marchants also at Amsterdam in the Warmestraet but you reply hee is an Anabaptist So by the same reason Wynbergen of Amersfort shall bee no Gentleman because hee goes in black It is not the Garment but the Place and Office which debases men Winbergen is principall of the Perfectists and you of the Arminians both your Religions are starke naught Amersfort which in progresse of time after the branching out hereof was called Wede and this was also of good account and ancient â—oo vvhich now some 300 or 400 yeares since in treaties of peace bewixt the Count of Holland the Bishop of Vtricke and others as also in affaires with the gouernours of Amstel and Woerden was ranked in the order of gentlemen and was possessed with some thousands of acres of
reformed religion with which yours being compared is hereticall and false and your selfe the sonne of perdition true religion and to both the Princes I persisted constantly in a (g) Here is a lie vvith a witnesse Our ancient religion is conformable with Gods word yours contrarie thereto and diuelish and your opinion concerning predestination was suggested by hellish Furies The griefe whereof hee makes a showe is counterfeited and if one doite might purchase a rope to hang all the professors of the ancient reformed religion c. Whatsoeuer his writing speakes I wish the reader to aduise of For my part I will not set a marke vpon euery particular lie in this place Hereafter I shall haue fitter occasion to doe it religion agreeable to Gods holy word and sincere doctrine and in my fore-vttered opinion concerning predestination I was heartily sorie for the dissensions growing betwixt the Remonstrancers and Contra-remonstrancers I alwaies vsed my vtmost endeauours that they might not breake forth and bee published abroad and obtained first that Arminius his cause might be examined in priuate sundry Ecclesiasticall persons hauing the ouersight and hearing therof And for this purpose the matter was reasoned in the Lord of Noortwicke of famous memory his house as the more ancient ouerseer of the Vniuersitie of Leiden Afterward it was commenced in a great conuocation betwixt Gomar and Arminius Ministers of diuers Churches of both parties being vmpires I neither simply accepted nor reiected either parties opinion since I (a) Yet let me tell you that he neither thought so neither was it possible he should And how can truth and apparant falsehood bee ioined or agree together The one is inconstant and variable the other firme and stable La Verité d'un Cube droit se forme Cube contraire au leger mouuement Son plan carré iamais ne sedement Et en tous sens a tousiours meme forme The truth resembles right the right Cubes figure The Cube contrarie to light instabilitie Whose quadrant flatness neuer doth disfigure Whose solid forme admits no mutabilitie vnderstood by a second writing and learned instruction of the King of England that both of them might be tolerated without preiudice to the truth in Christian vnion charitie And I will beware (b) For all your warinesse wee will conuince you to be the ring-leader and originall of them all of iudging the authors of these Tragedies and hurliburlies But I (c) What an age is this vvhat fashions are therein you perceiue reader for I cannot choose but interrupt you that the Megarians counterfaite teares deserue more credit then his Heauen stands still and the earth shakes in admiration of this impudence He makes the Synod the Diuines and Ministers of your Excellencies the raisers of the troubles in Holland that he may banish them from thence O monstrous impiety suppose the greatest euill proceeded from a certaine decree of a Synode which inioined the diuinity Professors of Leiden and all the Preachers thereof that in the feare of God they should attend to those things which were coÌ„tained in the Confession of Holland and a Catechisme of Heidelberge and if they doubted of any thing that they take note of it send it to their Classes Which Decree was caused by all those former Church-differences and controuersies which tooke their originall from Gasper Coolchaes H. Harbarts Taco Sybrandts Cornelius Wiggers and many more about the vnderstanding meaning and different interpretation of certaine points contained in the two forenamed writings and chiefely about the point of Gods Predestination And that therefore your Honours and Highnesses in the yeere 1597. vnderstood that the Confession was to be reuised and corrected by a Synodall Congregation For after your Commissioners had certified you concerning the fore-mentioned Decree of the Synode you iudged that it vvas not conuenient that the doubts of the Professors and Preachers should bee deliuered to their seuerall Classes fearing least by this meanes an vnquenchable fire of dissension might bee kindled amongst the Diuines Wherefore you determined that those doubts should be kept in priuate either by your selues or your Deputies vntill a Synode should bee assembled and that then they should be discreetly laid open and vnfoulded for the vse and benefite of the Church and Countrey To (a) Let the Reader whosoeuer he is tread warily and circumspectly heere Estamos à tiempo que merecer la cosa es principal parte para no alancarla Wee liue in such times as to deserue a good turne is the next way to lose it ouerthrow this Synodall Decree and your determination certaine Acts were exhibited by some of the Almarick Classis which were reade ouer in a Classicall meeting in which some Preachers not of the meaner sort of that order then appeared and it was knowne that all Preachers ought to haue subscribed thereto Fiue Preachers shewed themselues very backward in subscribing as though the matter had beene strange and new They vvere threatned with the Churches censure then they complained vnto you you appointed that such like proceedings and censures should be differred for a time as contrarie to the foresaid Decree of a Synode and your determination They which were of the Classis maintained they were not bound to obey your Decrees You perseuered in your determination They which were of the Synode of North-Holland ioined themselues to the Classis and made a great complaint of the prohibition before-mentioned By these and such like manners of proceeding by the sect of the Remonstrancers the Preachers were (a) Dissimulation suites well heere lest haply you should discouer your affection to your brethren whom you stirred vp to sedition moued fearing lest this might be their chance to exhibite their Remonstrance I (b) Which you suppressed lest the states should be offended and oppresse your fellowes in their birth and rising which then might haue easily beene done But you deale like an old beaten Foxe suppressed that a long time hoping an agreement might bee obtained by the conuocation of a lawfull Prouinciall (c) Your cause and the cause of your followers was so desperate that you hated a Synodal meeting as much as the Diuell doth the Papists Crosse Synode To which end the meanes of a conuocation beganne to be vsed but there was variance and iarring herein when as therefore this hope (d) Le vous croyrai quan ie le verrai I will beleeue you when I see it deceiued me I presented the Remonstrance spoken of After the reading whereof none seemed to make any question concerning the Articles of the remonstrancers opinion and some (e) Do you not most respected perceiue what this crafty Foxe intends The nets are spread and snares laid looke to him most excellent Prince of Orenge and you great Aduocate and Embassadour Lord Arsem and my other good Lords and famous defenders of the ancient reformed faith Will you let things â—asse with silence and suffer a publique calumnie to bee
an hundred thousand crownes monethly As this also was feigned that the charges of the warre surpassed the summe of seuen millions of crownes In like manner that three millions of crownes were requested of the King of France It is also a plaine lie that I gaue vnto President Ianyn and Busanual some thousands of Florenes As yee likewise know it to be a fained tale that I had power of disposing an hundred twenty thousand Florenes yeerely I had onely in lieu of my extraordinary expences and the trouble of making correspondence within and without the Countrey and the adiacent places fiue hundred Florenes yeerely Which difference how great it is let any man iudge They do sensibly manifestly and palpably lie when they say that our treasure was lessened by excessiue and extraordinarie charges since the truce seeing beside the paiment of many thousands to the Frenchmen vvhich were neither reckoned nor accounted concerning which three yeres before alwaies after diuerse demonstrances were tendered in the Assembly of your Honours and Highnesses in the fines or mony-matters of Holland and West-Frisland there was no disorder no losse happened since the truce but rather a great ease and notable increase of things succeeded as before I haue shewed So that it was diligently prouided that the debts and charges might not exceed the reuenewes It is an apparant lie too that I promised President Ianyn that in the while the truce last I would bring in the practise of the Romish religion I alwaies laboured for the contrarie so that the propounding thereof hitherto hath beene debarred and kept heere in priuate For these many yeeres I haue laboured with tooth and naile priuately and publikely to vnite all the companies of the East-Indies make one generall one of them all to procure the approbation and assistance thereof Which many of the companies thereof can witnesse And as soone as we may hope for a successe of making a company for the West-Indies I will bestow my paines herein too and confute those that withstand it If these forgering fellowes would manifest and discouer themselues maintaine what they haue written I will vndertake to make good proue that in all other Articles wherin they haue deposed against me they haue done me notable iniury and that in many things they haue trespassed against the authoritie liberties and priuiledges of the Countrey and of Holland and West-Frisland and that therefore both themselues as also they which had a hand in this businesse (a) If they deserue to bee punished you deserue death by whose instigations these courses were taken deserue to be seuerely punished When I would haue ended these matters I thought with my selfe and also desired your Honours and Highnesses in generall and the Nobles and Gouernours of free-Cities in particular to consider by (b) The assertions following are meere impostures deuised for Barneuelts protection the ouerthrowe of Graue-Maurice and the vtter destruction of Religion Therefore reader credite nothing therein For my part I will not make any stay in declaring so much but showe it in a word where need requires what meanes these tempests might bee allayed In fine I say with reuerence and vnder your correction be it spoken that all (c) This crafts-master feares lest hee should bee called to an account for his doings or rather constrained thereto Wherefore for his owne saueguard hee perswades that violence may be vsed vpon no man the proofes hee vses are onely for fashion sake and that vvith great words and titles hee may deterre vs from a further searching into the truth violent courses whereto the forenamed practises inclined would bee hurtfull and pernicious to the state of the Prouinces and free Cities to his Excellence and his whole house and euery member thereof to all good Patriots of what condition soeuer but especially to the true and reformed Religion and all those who embrace it And that that this was a meere plot deuised by the Spaniard to the perturbation and vtter ouerthrow and destruction of these famous Prouinces Wherefore (d) Marke how this bloud-sucker heere makes way for future tragedies but his poison lies in his taile take heed therefore of his venemous and deadly sting that ought to bee approued of which the King of Frances Embassadour very discreetly and with good reason commended the King of England againe and againe counselled and perswaded both to the generall-States and vnto you too in the yeere 1613. Whereto his Maiesties admonitions and aduice giuen within this yeeres compasse may also bee referred and applied as also the counsell and admonitions of the King of Switzerlands Embassadour extraordinarie and diuers warnings giuen to the same purpose in sundry assemblies both publikely and priuately Namely that all guile and dissimulation all sinister suspect and ambition all conceiued gall hatred and reuenge might be laid aside and the former grudges being forgotten and not thought of as farre as was possible without notable preiudice to any a new vnitie of mindes might be made in charitie peace and concord For this is the onely remedy whereby the counsels hostilitie and treacherie of the Spaniard might be resisted These things being done speciall care is to bee taken that such as are deputed for the Assembly of the generall States and those which consult in common without any instructions should perswade themselues that the last Vtricke vnion is the very foundation of their Assembly well and aduisedly prouiding that the (a) Yea the thirteenth Article too Ah! I' ay souuent ouy dire qu' on cognouit l'animant au parler le pot au sonner So ghesse we at the metall by the sound So by the voice the beast in chase is found Articles concluded of therein as their prouidence and pleasure thought fit may be obserued and enacted the defects of the former yeeres contributions may bee excused and supplied Consents may bee maturely and well obtained for the contributions of the yeere present and satisfaction may be made vnto Holland and West-Frisland by the contributions of the other seuerall Prouinces proportionably for the money dispended vpon two companies of footmen of the French and two troopes of horsemen That (b) How stately doth hee heere like the principal commonwealthes man prescribe lawes vnto the Generall States and limit their power and yet they are chiefe Lords and Administrators of all things But if this Foxes cunning bee haply vnknowne to the Reader I will briefely lay it open Et à fin que ie ne te voye plus en sinistre opinion de la chose Regarde car des yeux ie t' osteray la nue Qui des yeux des humains rend moins clare Iauenë And that you may no longer misconceiue the matter Attend I meane the curtaine to vnfold Which yet the mindes cleere sight in doubt doth hold The prouinciall States beyond Holland and West-Frisland and Vtricke those beyond the Islands now also are conformed by the most