r he should put himself
under the protection of the parliament, or ask a safe-conduct from the
king. In the beginning of the year 1623[142] he seemed resolved to
present a petition to the Parliament, and afterwards write to the
States-General. He was in doubt whether to write to the Prince of
Orange; at length he took the most proper step, which was to apply to
the King. He presented a petition to his Majesty to be protected against
the above-mentioned Edict, "which imported that he should be apprehended
wherever found;" these are the terms of the _Mercure Francois_; "and his
Majesty took him into his special protection, the letters for that
purpose being issued at Paris, Feb. 26, 1623."

Although the greatest part of the Roman Catholics would have found
nothing amiss in his _Apology_, yet many of them in the Low Countries
were scandalized that he had not spoken of religion as they would have
spoken: and it was condemned at Antwerp as dangerous to be read[143].

This work was never answered. Some years after its publication[144] a
report being spread that a private person had written against the
Apology without being employed by the States-General, Grotius desired
his brother to enquire into it. It is probable this news was without
foundation: at least we know nothing of that work. The malevolence of
those who were then in place made no change in Grotius's affection to
his country: in the height of the new persecution he wrote to his
brother that he would still labour to promote the interest of Holland;
and that if the United Provinces were desirous of entering into a
closer union with France, he would assist them with all his credit: for
the public interest was not to be sacrificed to the resentment of
injuries received from a few[145].

FOOTNOTES:

[142] Ep. 46, p. 768.

[143] Ep. 102. p. 784.

[144] Dec. 20, 1630.

[145] Ep. 50. p. 759, 769.

V. Though the Prince of Orange had taken care to leave none in place but
such as were entirely devoted to him, and consequently declared enemies
of the Remonstrants, Grotius still preserved many faithful friends who
ardently desired his return. He had scarce been a month at Paris when
they wrote to him that there were some hopes of his being recalled: but
he rightly judged that they were without foundation. He even writes to
his brother-in-law, Reigersberg, that he looked on that rumour as an
artifice of his enemies, who sought by it to engage him to silence,
which