BOOK VI. (continued 3)

The fourth volume of M. de Wit's Letters and Negotiations concludes with the correspondence of Peter Grotius with the Grand Pensionary during his embassy at Stockholm. The Dutch Minister discovers in it great knowledge of mankind. "The more I reflect, says he to M. de Wit, Dec. 8, 1668, on the regency of Sweden, the more clearly I discover that the most important affairs are not regulated agreeable to the public interest, but according to that of the principal Ministers; and the surest and easiest way to succeed, is to gain him who has the King's ear rather than the King himself; because what is done for the good of the nation obliges no one in particular, and procures glory, but no acknowledgments. When I passed through Denmark, I perceived that more might be done by means of M.G. with a hundred thousand crowns, than can be done with the King with five times that sum."

The negotiations of Peter Grotius were in a promising way at the death of William Borell the Dutch Ambassador at Paris. Grotius was nominated by the States of Holland to succeed him, and at the same time the town of Rotterdam chose him for their Pensionary. M. de Wit was of opinion that Grotius ought to prefer the place of Pensionary: he wrote to his friend, May 14, 1669, "Messieurs the Burgomasters and Counsellors of the town of Rotterdam have unanimously made choice of you to be their Counsellor Pensionary. I believe your nomination to the French embassy will be set aside, if the Gentlemen of Rotterdam apply for that purpose to their Noble and Great Mightinesses; and I imagine you will prefer this honourable establishment in a post your father was undeservedly turned out of, to a gilded exile, for such an embassy may be styled. Other reasons will occur for your taking this step, without its being necessary for me to mention them."

Grotius was greatly embarrassed: he writes to M. de Wit, May 22, 1669, that his situation would not suffer him to give a positive answer; that he had written to the Gentlemen of Rotterdam, acknowledging their great civility and goodness in thinking of him; but that he had not declared himself with regard to the accepting of the place.

Holland had occasion at this time for the ablest of her Ministers at the Court of Lewis XIV. and Peter Grotius could not refuse to serve his Country in such critical circumstances. The point was to bring about a reconciliation between the United Provinces and the King, who resolved to declare war against them, imagining he had great reason to complain of their behaviour. Grotius was the only Minister who could succeed in this negotiation, had a reconciliation been practicable, says Wicquefort. The King, though highly incensed against Holland, shewed the greatest respect to her Ambassador. War being declared in 1672, Peter Grotius was again sent to the King, to try if an accommodation could be accomplished: but the King had made too great preparations for war to conclude a peace so soon.

Grotius returned to the Hague to serve the Republic in quality of Deputy to the States-General; but in a short time experienced a cruel reverse of fortune. Being involved in the disgrace of the De Wits, he was stript of his dignities, and threatened with assassination; which determined him to leave Holland: he went to Antwerp, where an attempt was made on his life.

He retired to Liege, and afterwards to Aix-la-Chapelle, and Cologn. A general peace was at this time negotiating; and Grotius having done singular services to the Dutch Plenipotentiaries, he was permitted to return to Holland, after being two years absent. He continued some time undisturbed in the country; but Wicquefort, the Duke of Brunswick's Minister at the Hague, being taken into custody, among his papers were found several letters from Grotius, containing, it is said, some indiscreet things concerning state affairs, and against the Republic's Ministers. He was arrested and prosecuted. Of the fifteen judges appointed to try him, nine declared him innocent. This was in November, 1676. Nicholas Heinsius, who was not prejudiced in his favour, writes to Grævius on the 6th of December following: "There was certainly imprudence and malice in what Grotius did; but I leave others to judge whether he was guilty of high treason."

It is improbable his judges would have shewn him favour, had he been convicted of a capital crime: he was known to be hated by the Prince of Orange, whom the Dutch at that time sought very much to please.

Peter Grotius, thus escaping out of the hands of his enemies, retired with his family to a country seat he had near Harlem, where he spent the rest of his days in educating his children, and reading the best authors. He died at the age of seventy. Some pretend, but without foundation, that he was poisoned. Those who knew him particularly speak of him as one of the best heads of his time. "Peter de Groot, son of the great Grotius, was not so learned as his father, says Wicquefort; but I may venture to assert he was as able a Minister. We can't say too much of this man, who was above all praise. I write this after receiving the news of his death. How much is Holland to be pitied for losing a man who would have assisted in repairing the breaches made by the disorders which have for some years prevailed in the state! He joined solidity of judgment to the graces of wit, and must have possessed these qualities in an eminent degree since they shone thro' such a disagreeable figure. It may be said of M. de Groot, that never did such a deformed body lodge such a fine and great soul: he had a surprising ready wit, his conversation was delightful, his understanding clear and solid, and his sentiments just and equitable: he possessed great knowledge of all sorts of business, foreign and domestic, and especially of what the French call the art of pleasing."

Grotius's third son, Diederic, began his studies in a very promising manner. Grotius writes to his brother William, August 16, 1630, "I am overjoyed to hear that Diederic's progress even exceeds my hopes. I wish he may continue." His grandfather John Grotius was his tutor. When he came to be old enough to be put to some business, Grotius designed him for an Engineer. He learned under the famous Boschius, and came afterwards, in the beginning of 1636, to see his father at Paris. Grotius having applied to the Duke of Weymar to take Diederic into his service, he entered into that Prince's houshold as one of his Pages, and was much respected: the Duke soon after made him his Aid-de-Camp. Grotius seemed to be well satisfied with his son at the time this youth had the misfortune to lose his Patron.

On hearing of the Duke of Weymar's death Grotius immediately thought of sending Diederic to Marshal Bannier. He wrote a letter to that General[771], October 13, 1639, in which he puts him in mind that it was his Excellency's brother first proposed to him his entering into the Swedish service: he afterwards makes an offer of his son, who had served two years under Boschius, chief Engineer to the Prince of Orange, and had since been several years one of the Duke of Weymar's Pages. After the death of that illustrious Prince, who shared with Bannier the glory of being the greatest general in Europe, he thinks he cannot do better than give him to Marshal Bannier, who was unanimously allowed to hold the first rank in the art of war. He begs that his son may be only employed in things of which he is capable. On the same day he wrote to Salvius, desiring him to recommend Diederic to the Marshal.

Whilst Grotius was thus employed in placing his son, Diederic entertained a design of entering into the Dutch service. His father was highly displeased with this project; and wrote to him, and to William Grotius, that it was most improper for him to expose his life for his cruellest enemies; and that Sweden was his true country, and to that kingdom he ought to devote his life, and from it to merit and expect honours. "If my son dislikes the activity of a military life, Grotius writes to his brother, he may find ease, and acquire honour in General Bannier's houshold, or by exercising his profession of Engineer. I shall always give him my assistance, and I hope I have as many friends elsewhere, as I have enemies in Holland. If my son disgraces himself so far, as to ask favours from the Dutch, he is unworthy to call me father. If he chuses rather to be an Ensign with you, than a Captain among others, he is mean-spirited, and forgetful of what he has been." Diederic had a design of writing the history of the Duke of Weymar; which project Grotius approved of, as worthy of a grateful mind. He sent him word, that if he would set about this work whilst he was with Marshal Bannier, he would make his court by it to that General, who had it in his power to reward him. Diederic at last complied with his father's desire, and went to Marshal Bannier's camp. He was made a prisoner of war by the Bavarians in an unfortunate action near Dillingue and Memingue, in the end of the year 1643. Grotius immediately set all his friends to work to procure his son's liberty: he wrote to the famous John de Vert, and applied to the Duke of Bavaria that he would be pleased to send him back as soon as possible: and at the same time wrote to his son to come to him as soon as he should be at liberty, that they might consult together what was best to be done. Diederic sent his father the history of the unfortunate action in which he was taken; and Grotius printed it to give copies to his friends, and to send others to the Swedish Ministry. Diederic was carried to Tubingen, from thence to Ulm, and confined in a citadel between Ulm and Augsburg: he did not continue there long: immediately on receiving his father's letter, the Duke of Bavaria gave orders that Diederic might be set at liberty, after settling his ransom, which was fixed at a thousand florins. He came to Paris, and on his arrival Grotius wrote a letter of thanks to the Elector of Bavaria, telling him, that as he had but one way to express his gratitude, namely by promoting a general peace, which his Electoral Highness wished for, he would do all in his power to bring it about. He wrote to Ketner the Bavarian Minister to the same effect.

Diederic went back to serve under Marshal Turenne in Germany, and made the campaign of 1644. He was again taken Prisoner, but soon released; and served in the end of the same campaign. He was detached by the Duke d'Anguien and Marshal Turenne to take Fridelshem and Neudstad, and was afterwards sent by them to the Landgravine of Hesse: he acquitted himself with honour of all the commissions that were given him. The Duke d'Anguien spoke of him in the highest terms; and the Landgravine received him in the best manner, in consideration of the services which his father had done to the house of Hesse: he was sent a second time by Marshal Turenne to the Landgravine. The Duke d'Anguien promised to take care of this youth's fortune; and the approbation of a prince, who was the Mars of his time and knew men so well, is the highest elogium that could be given of Diederic.

He came to an unhappy end when but young and unmarried. Queen Christina having abdicated the Crown in favour of Charles Gustavus, Diederic and Cornelius Grotius took a resolution to wait on that Prince, who had known and highly esteemed their father in France, with an intention to offer him their services, and get employment. Setting out from Holland with this design, they were got between Embden and Bremen, halfway to Hamburg, when a villain, who had served Diederic several years as his valet, resolved to murder both the brothers for the sake of their money: he went in the night-time into Diederic's chamber, and shot his master dead while asleep: he was preparing to serve Cornelius Grotius in the same manner, but he was awake: he happened to be employed in composing a Latin epigram. On hearing the shot, he took a pistol which lay on a chair by his bed side, and seeing the murderer advance softly to him (it was moon-light) he fired, and laid him flat on the floor: the people of the inn got up on the noise, and delivered the villain, who was dangerously wounded, into the hands of justice, and he was broke on the wheel.

Hugo Grotius had also three daughters, Frances, Mary, and Cornelia; Frances, the youngest, was born in October, 1626, before her time, her mother being delivered of her in the eighth month: accordingly this young person was short-lived, for she died in the beginning of the year 1628. Mary, his second daughter, died at Paris in the month of March, 1635, of the fatigue and cold she received in her journey to that city. Grotius informed his father of her death by a letter[772] dated March 23, 1635, in which he tells him she died almost without pain, and with a deep sense of religion. "My wife and I, says he, bear this misfortune like people accustomed to adversity: besides, why should we call her death a misfortune? has not God a right to take back what he gave? and ought not we to flatter ourselves that she is arrived at that happy state, which the young ought to long after as much as the old? We are delivered from the care of procuring a husband for her: perhaps we should have had much difficulty to find one that would have been agreeable to her and to all her family: and even if we should have found one that pleased us all at first, would there not have been room to apprehend that he had concealed his true character for a time, and that he would afterwards make her unhappy? She is now delivered from the pains of bearing children, and bringing them up. More happy than her mother, she will not see judges incensed against her husband, because he is innocent: she will not be obliged to shut herself up in prison for her husband; nor to lead a wandering life to accompany him. Let us congratulate her that God has taken her out of the world before she knew too much of the evil or what are called the good things of it. Let us congratulate ourselves on her having lived with us as long as life was agreeable to her, and free from any mixture of bitterness. What is there at present in Christendom to make us desire life? Divisions in the Church, bloody wars, men slaughtered, women violated, cruel murders, and multitudes reduced to beggary; Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia pillaged; the heirs of the most noble families reduced to the necessity of living on alms, if it can be called living to drag out their days in misery, wishing for death, which alone can put an end to it."

Cornelia, the eldest of Grotius's daughters, who survived her father, married John Barthon, Viscount of Mombas, a Gentleman of Poitou, who was obliged to quit France for having displeased Lewis XIV. He went to Holland, from whence he was also forced to fly, having been involved in the misfortunes wherein the De Wits perished, and which gave Peter Grotius, his brother-in-law, so much uneasiness.

Grotius had a brother named William, with whom he kept up the greatest intimacy during his whole life, and made him the confident of his studies and designs. It appears by his letters that they lived in the strictest friendship. Hugo, who was the eldest, contributed to his brother's education, and directed his studies. We have a letter from Grotius to his brother, dated at Rotterdam September 28, 1614, containing a plan of study. "I am of opinion, says he, that in order to acquire the knowledge of Law, before you touch upon law tracts you should read with attention Aristotle's second and fifth book of Ethics, to Nicomachus, or the excellent paraphrase of them published by Heinsius; then Aristotle's Rhetoric, with the learned commentary on it; afterwards Cicero's Offices, the Paradoxes, De Finibus, Of Laws, the Topica, and De Inventiene. I could wish that whilst reading you would make extracts, or at least mark in the margin of your book whatever has relation to the Law of Nature and of Nations, to the origin of Laws and Magistrates, to Jus publicum et privatum. When you have done this, we shall think of the rest." It was Grotius who corrected his brother's Law Theses.

William Grotius came to France in 1617 to learn the language; and retiring to Senlis made great progress in it: he purposed to go to Tours, and Grotius approved of his journey, because the air was pure, and they spoke good French there.

William Grotius, as well as his brother, had a turn for theological studies: he wrote something in verse on the Decalogue, which Grotius mentions in a letter dated from his prison at Louvestein, November 1, 1620. "I have read with pleasure, he says, what you have done on the Decalogue: the maxims are excellent, and the verses easy."

William had his brother's confidence during his whole life. Grotius writes to him from Paris, April 14, 1622, "You are never weary of assisting me under my afflictions: if ever fortune enables me to testify my gratitude, I will forgive her all the tricks she has played me." He was desirous, in the end of the year 1622, that his brother should settle his matters so, as to come to see him in the beginning of the following year; but this journey did not take place. Grotius's disgrace affected his brother: he despaired of attaining to honours, and Grotius advised him to think only of raising himself by the study of the Law.

In April 1623 he married Alida Grasvinkel. About this time a Dutchman was seized at Lillo, with letters from William Grotius to his brother. It was expected that something would be found in them against the State, and they talked of nothing less than imprisoning him; but notwithstanding the malice of his enemies, they could not find the least pretext from these letters to trouble him. In the mean time William followed the profession of an Advocate with much success: Grotius compliments him on it in a letter of the 28th of November, 1625, in which he tells him, that the life he led in shining at the bar was much more agreeable than that which is spent in public employments.

William Grotius wrote about this time the lives of the Advocates, under the title of Vitæ Jurisconsultorum quorum in Pandectis exstant nomina, conscriptæ a Gulielmo Grotio Jurisconsulto Delphensi. He sent this book to his brother, who writes to him that he read it with pleasure, and was delighted to see a work which demonstrated his brother's genius, learning, and good sense.

William Grotius, whose marriage had prevented his going to France to see his brother, went thither however in 1629: he returned again to Holland. William being desirous to have his brother's picture, Hugo had the complaisance to sit for it, and send it to him. The enmity of the Magistrates was still so violent at this time, that William made a mystery of this picture; in which Grotius thought he acted very prudently. In 1638 there was a talk of making William Grotius Pensionary of Delft. The conditions on which the place was offered did not suit him, and he declined it. This refusal was approved of by Grotius; for he writes to him, March 13, 1638, "As to the place of Pensionary of our native town, the more I think of it, the happier I imagine you in having got rid of it, and in preferring honour to profit: for in these times it would have been impossible to have preserved that place and your honour."

The East-India Company chose him for their Advocate in 1639. Grotius compliments his brother on it March 26, that year. "I always loved that Company, he says: I look upon it as the support of the Republic; and if I could be at present of any use to it, I would most gladly embrace the opportunity."

Grotius's writings concerning Antichrist were approved of by William and their Father. However, as there was reason to apprehend that the printing of these pieces might increase the number and animosity of his enemies, Grotius proposed to his Brother not to take upon him their publication, especially as he might easily find persons that were far from a factious spirit, who would willingly undertake it: but William Grotius ran the hazard of this publication, without being frightened at the consequences.

Grotius had always discovered great impatience when denied the tides of honour due to the Ambassadors of crowned heads. He imagined it to be the consequence of a plot of his enemies to depreciate him. William did not approve of his brother's great heat on this subject: and thought there was reason to presume that it was owing rather to inattention, than a premeditated design. Grotius, whose mildness of temper was greatly altered by his late disputes with the Reformed Ministers, as Henry de Villeneuve observes in a letter to the Abbé Barcellini, was much dissatisfied with his brother's manner of excusing those of whom he thought he had reason to complain; and wrote to him very sharply on this subject, December 12, 1643. "I imagine, says he, I see and hear you pleading at the Bar: you find reasons to excuse my enemies for things for which no body here excuses them: you blame me for things for which no body here blames me, nor will any others except your Dutchmen. It is fit that I should support my dignity: the thing is done on purpose; and the Swedes, whom it concerns, would be offended with me if I acted otherwise. I would therefore ask of you, for the future to address the letters you receive for me to my wife; and I shall afterwards see what is to be done."

This small altercation did not interrupt the friendship of the two brothers, nor their correspondence by letters, which continued till Grotius's death.

William, besides the book we have already mentioned, wrote another on the law of nature, entitled, Willelmi Grotii de principiis Juris Naturalis Enchiridion. This work is much inferior to the treatise Of War and Peace. However, it has its merit, and is particularly valuable for containing in a small compass all the principles of Natural Law clearly displayed.

Grotius had still another brother, named Francis, who was the second son of John Grotius. He died young. Grotius wrote a Poem on his death, and a consolatory piece in Prose and Verse to his Father: they are both in the collection of his Poems.

John Grotius had a daughter of fine accomplishments. Grotius acquaints us[773], that she wrote an useful book on Widowhood, which was very well done. The design of this work was not to condemn second marriages, but only to shew that it was more becoming a reasonable woman to content herself with having had one husband. After her death it was proposed to print it; and Grotius, to make it a more considerable book, translated into Dutch three treatises of Tertullian, one of St. Ambrose, two of St. Chrysostome, and three of St. Jerom, on the same subject. We have not learnt whether this Collection was ever published.

The END of the SIXTH and LAST BOOK.

FOOTNOTES:

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