n
from among the Nobility and Magistrates of the Seven Provinces, who were
ordered to repair to the Hague to try the Prisoners. The Decree
appointing these Judges mentioned that the Accused were taken into
custody to secure the tranquillity of the Republic, to hinder the ruin
of Religion and the destruction of the Union, and prevent disturbance
and bloodshed: they were represented as ambitious men, who sought by
secret practices to embroil the State: And to give some appearance of
satisfaction to Holland, it was said in the Decree, that the
States-General had issued it without prejudice to the rights of the
Provinces. Care was taken to chuse for Judges the declared enemies of
the Prisoners. Barnevelt objected to them; representing that he could
not be tried by the States-General: but no regard was paid to his
exceptions. Thus he was obliged to answer before incompetent judges,
who were notoriously known to have sworn his ruin. He entered a protest,
that his answering before them should not be construed an approbation of
their infringement of the jurisdiction of Holland.

In fine, after many iniquitous steps, which will be more particularly
mentioned in Grotius' trial, Barnevelt was condemned to be beheaded. The
principal grounds[87] of his condemnation were, That he had disturbed
religion; that he had advanced that each Province in its own
jurisdiction might decide in matters of religion, without the other
Provinces having a right to take cognizance of it; that he diverted the
King of France from sending the Reformed ministers of his Kingdom to the
Synod of Dort; preferred the interests of the particular States of
Holland and West Friesland to those of the States-General; made use of
the name of the States of Holland and West Friesland for holding
conventicles and unlawful assemblies; occasioned the insurrection at
Utrecht; authorised the levying of the Attendant Soldiers; slandered
Prince Maurice, accusing him of aspiring to the sovereignty of the
United Provinces; and that he received large sums from foreign Princes,
which he concealed from the State.

FOOTNOTES:

[86] Grotius, Apology, c. 15.

[87] La Neuville, lib. 3. c. 16.

XII. Lewis XIII. who had an affection for the United Provinces, with
which he was connected by their common interest, beheld the domestic
troubles of Holland with concern. The Prisoners, especially Barnevelt,
whose merit was well known at the Court of France, were held by him in
partic