h 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 _tete a tete_ 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 b