places committed to their trust against any stirs or attemts that might arise by occasion hereof whether from without or from within carrying and discharging themselvs faithfully according to the Oath made by them to this State at the undertaking of their respective Commissions of which Oath there were sent Copies to them to refresh it in their memories And then the Council of State was desired to inform their Hi. Mi. with all speed of the true state and condition of the Garrisons in all the Frontier-Towns and places of this State that accordingly such order might bee taken and provision made as should bee found expedient and requisite for most safetie of the State Advertisement was likewise given to the reduced Cities of Brabant and Flanders apart To the Forrein Ambassadors and Residents residing at the Haghe intimation was given of this Accident by som Deputies of their Hi. Mi. and by the Agent Verburgh The Corps was not shewed in publick as his Fathers Uncles and Grandfathers had been partly for that the face was much altered and disfigured by the small Pox and partly to avoid further disturbance of the Princess Roiall by too much stir and nois there shee beeing great with childe which was the caus likewise that shee never saw the Prince in all his sickness as also they would have kept his departure from her knowledg the first night but that shee perceived it well enough by the much running out and in and hearing the whole Court alarm'd with it The King of Spain his Ambassador sent immediately to impart unto her his condoling and for leav that hee might com to perform it in Person which was don next morning as likewise that of the States General and inferior Courts or Assemblies both to her and to the Princess Dowager and the Q. of Bohemia The Princess Dowager sent that daie by Seig r de Willem and Secretarie Busero to get the Lord van Wimmenum to represent unto the Assemblie that there was a certain Treatie agreed upon between the Spanish Ambassador and the late Prince about an Equivalence for the not surrendring of the Marquisate there wanting nothing to it but the Subscription and fearing the winde might get in between beeing the Ambassador was upon his departure for Brussels and therefore her High s desired their Hi. Mi. would bee pleased to induce the Ambassador to the accomplishment They sent and pressed it but the Ambassador said Hee was charged to get the Treatie sign'd by the Princes own hand The same now beeing dead hee must and would write for further instruction and somtime after returning again to the Haghe hee declared himself ready for to conclude that Treatie as soon as the Wardship of the young Prince should bee settled The Death of the Prince did much perplex and afflict all those that together with and by him had agitated the proceedings against Holland Som Ministers also both in the Pulpit and otherwise in companies and meetings exclaimed and lamented that now the State was Headless that there was no King now in Israël that the State must needs fall into Discord Confusion and Ruine But among those of the Government of Holland and every where among such whose hearts stood more for Libertie then Court dependance you might have seen immediately a very great Alteration and Reviving The news ran nimbly by 3 in the morning it was alreadie at Amsterdam The Alms box fared well by it the people really glad would bee really thankful and liberal for their libertie One among the rest putting in a good quantitie of Gold in the Deacons purs at Sermon had featly wrap'd it up and added a Note to it with words to this purpose in Ryme The Prince his death Make 's my gift great No gladder nâ—ws these hundred years Upon the Letters from the Holland Deputies at the Generalitie the States of Holland met presently and after som preparatorie business with their Commission'd Members they caused to bee presented in writing to the Generalitie That their N. G. M. do judg the Unitie of the Provinces to bee the onely Foundation for to make the State subsist and that therefore Declaration was hereby made unto the Provinces that the sincere intention of their N. G. M. is constantly to improve maintain and evermore holily and inviolably to keep and cultivate the Unitie Love Friendship and good Correspondence with and among the Provinces without ever to recede therefrom and that they are readie to shew forth the same not in words onely but by real effects also upon all occasions Furthermore that their N. G. M. are firmly resolved to uphold and maintain Religion according to to the Synod of Dort and as the same is taught at this present in the publick Churches of these Countries That the Union shall bee kept faithfully so as it was concluded on in the year 1579 at Utrecht and that the Souldierie for the service of the State shall bee entertained according to the Resolutions formerly taken upon the preliminar points for the Treatie of Peace That the Provinces may bee desired to appoint a General Assemblie of all the States in the Hagh and to take care that they may com every one duely and sufficiently instructed for a work of so great importance and general concernment That they had found good to send unto all the several Provinces for this end and purpose That the Deputies of the other Provinces are earnestly desired to second the good intention of Holland by serious Letters to their Principals That in the mean time all States-affairs may bee left and proceeded in according to the accustomed Cours and fundamental Order of this Government The Courts or several Councils as also the chief Militarie Officers remaining in their respective Commissions and Instructions until such time as further Order shall bee taken upon the whole frame of the said affair by the Provinces In the first draught the words of this Claus â—un thus Until such time as her Royal High s shall bee delivered of the Fruit shee yet doth go with But least that might have caused a Construction of som Engagement it was alter'd as above Holland studied and endeavored much how they might draw Zealand in at least to side with them hoping that thereby they should bee able so to shut their Fence and to bee in that posture as that they should not need to fear to have a Captain General or a Stadtholder forced upon them And yet they ever shewed themselvs very Civil in their expressions of thankfulness to the Hous of Orange and Nassaw declaring they would gladly forget and laie aside all what was past and live and die with the Provinces in all Love Unitie and Concord Before their intended sending to the Provinces could bee dispatched the Princess Royal was delivered of a Son upon Mundaie Novemb. 14. betwixt 8 and 9 of the clock at night Whereupon the Assemblie presently met and notice was given of it to the Provinces and congratulations made to
standing at the right hand of God to give your Bodie new strength or favorably to receiv your Soul into his glorie Whereupon with good liking of his Highness hee and the present companie but few in Number fell down upon their knees powring out their praier with sighs and tears and heartily seeking to the Divine Majestie to vouchsafe a gracious and speedie releas to his Highness from under this heavie agonie during the praier there was perceived a great and incredible change in the disposition of his Highness which doubled the zeal of praier and made them sigh out from the heart that God would yet bee further gracious to the person of his Highness and in him to the vvhole Land Rising up from praier the Minister asked his Highness vvhether hee had undsrstood the vvords of the praier and received any comfort by it but hee received no ansvver Then the Physitians vvould have given his Highness som Cordial but they found his mouth closely shut up vvhich made them all conclude that his last minute vvas at hand returning thereupon to praier But they perceived immediately that this young Prince with a gentle hiccough sent forth his Soul to Heaven into that Happiness which notwithstanding the complaints tears and sighs of his faithful servants and others there present took from him all desire to return And thus this Prince who in Wisdom Discretion Prudence and Couragiousness already surpassed his Heroïcal and famous Ancestors and whom the world did wonder at was snatch'd out of it indeed unworthie of him even in the beautifullest bloom and youthfullest vigor of his years beeing old but 24 years and 6 months after that the unthaâ—kfulness of these times and the base unworthiness of manie had for a good while hitherto afflicted and pierc'd his Soul now translated into that place and companie where the Laurel-Garlands of his glorious atchievments shall never fade nor fail him upon Sunday Novemb. 6. about 9 at night in the year of the prognostick of those Countries downfall 1650. The News thereof was at the desire of the Courtiers presently brought to her High s the Mother Dowager by the foresaid Minister Sterremont and to her Royal High s the young widdow by one of her Chaplains which two even to death afflicted Ladies met that night yet about 12. at his late High s Court The sighs sobs tears doleful behaviour and words that past reciprocally between them no eie was able to look upon but it melted his heart into tears the former grieving for the premature death of her onely Son the Crown of her Age and the other for the untimely remooval of the onely hope and support of her Bleeding Hous and of the Illustrious Father of that long long'd-for Infant which yet shee carried swadled in her Bowells and had hoped speedily and cheerfully to have surrendred into his Arms with thanks But woe unto us and our dear Father-land if God bee not gracious unto us in a most singular and yet undiscernable manner the onely hope remaining yet is that God would bee pleased to bless her Royal High s by a happie and successful Deliverie with a young Son another William to shoot forth out of this withered Orange-tree and that hee may grow up prosperously from daie to daie and with his blowing branches shelter and protect all the subjects of these Countries against the Spanish heat and all manner of storms and tempests according to the pattern of his Ancestors God grant in the mean time to my Lords the States abundance of wisdom to remain in Unitie to take care for the Countrie 's and Churche's welfare and to make choice in the interim of a wise pious sober and fit Deputie-Lievtenant beeing that which all honest inhabitants of this Land are bound repentingly to praie for Thus far Sterremont Next daie the Bodie beeing opened one might still see the small pox without raised and white no bad signs and manie broken The Brains were sound the Milt somwhat slap as ordinarie and fill'd with som black blood the 2 parts and the bottom of the Liver blewish but the whole Lungs very black swell'd inflamed surrounded with black blood and thence arose the shortness of breath or difficultie of respiration Dispnoea and the fever of the two last daies not before which as it could not bee known for hee had neither cough nor loosnings of fleam nor obstructions neither from the Fever nor from the Damps so it could not have been remedied neither in that state and condition of the sickness and faculties Those of the Prince's houshold notwithstanding have much complained and given out as if the Prince had been neglected That they suffered him too often to change his linnen and to take too freely Lemonadoes and other cooling drinks But all the three above-mentioned Doctors have signed the foresaid Relation of his sickness with their own hands The Report of his Death immediately fill'd all the Haghe and amaz'd it with the unexspectedness it having alwaies been held and given out there was no danger and all in good hopes as indeed such flattering speeches are alwaies best liked and therefore most used in Courts None indeed durst tell the Prince that hee was in danger The Ministers had once design'd among themselvs to visit him every daie by turns but when any presented himself to his Bed-chamber they were alwaies told it would distemper the Prince and put him out of heart that hee was prettie well and visit was needless Sterremont onâ—ly was once admitted in all the time and yet least the Prince should bee terrified with a thought of death by the approach of a Minister they told him before hand hee came onely to present to his High s som extraordinarie good Oranges which hee had received from Rotterdam and Sterremont was expressly charged to forbear speaking of any apprehension of danger so that the same visit proved but a meer Civilitie The States Gâ—neral assembled that night yet about 10 and found good immediately to advertise the Provinces of this unexspected Departure by Letters Desiring them to prepare themselvs for the taking and framing such Provincial advices thereupon as their No. Mi. should judg fitting and convenient in the weightie conjuncture of the present times and affairs and to return the same with all possible expedition to the Assemblie making overture there of such mattters as concern the Generalitie Notice also was given hereof to the Courts of the Admiraltie as likewise to the Ambassadors and Residents of this State in forrein parts for to put themselvs in Mourning allowing every Ambassador 800 flor and every Resident 400 for that purpose Dispatches also were made to Count William Governor of Friesland to the Lord Brederode Field-Marshal and to all Governors and Commanders of the reduced Cities of Brabant and Flanders item of Orsey Rynberg Wesell Embrik Rees Ravestein Gennep Moeurs to the Commanders at Embden Lezort and Coeverdeu charging them all to keep a narrow and watchful eie to the respective
that coming along hee had spoken with his brother in Law Burgomaster van der Mayden This examined beeing withdrawn and after that the foresaid Hulst was likewise heard and had declared as wil bee shew'd presently call'd in again hee was asked whether hee knew not the hand of Cunes and whether when van der Hulst aforesaid had formerly told him that it was Cunes his hand hee could observ by the writing it self whether it was his hand indeed Hee said that when the Clark van der Hulst put him in minde that the same was Cunes his hand hee could observ well enough and knew it now that it was so indeed both by reason that hee knew Cunes his hand before and that having since seen more of his writing hee observed it more particularly The Questions demanded of the Clark van der Hulst were I. Whether hee had not by Order of Secretarie Heylersich copied two certain distinct writings the one containing Complaints against those of Amsterdam with desire of Repartition and Satisfaction in the points therein rehersed and the other entituled Reasons and Motives which induced his High s to seiz som of the Lords of their N. Gr. M. Assemblie and to laie siege to the Citie of Amsterdam Hee answered Yea II. By whose hand the original was penned from which hee took the said Copies Hee said hee could not tell III. Demanded further and pressed whether himself told not Heylersich then that it was the hand of Cunes Clark to the late Secretarie Musch Hee said that now indeed hee did remember and that indeed it was Cunes his hand IV. Whether both the Writings were written by one and the same hand yea or no Hee said hee knew not V. Which of the two then hee was sure to have been the hand of Cunes Hee said that intituled Reasons and Motives c. VI. Whether hee knew Cunes his hand well Hee said yea and that hee had seen his writings often VII Whether hee had no discours with the said Cunes about the said Writings Hee said yea and that Cunes had told him it was Secretarie Musch that indited the same but had charged him Cunes very earnestly to keep it secret VIII Where and when they had this discours together Hee said it was after the Prince his death but hee could not remember the place IX Beeing further demanded whether hee was sure that the writing written by Cunes was the same which is intituled Reasons and Motives c. and no other Hee said hee knew it very well and that it was don after the siege of Amsterdam and that hee remembred well yet that the Clerks were discoursing then about that very title why Reasons and Motives were both used and whether Reasons alone might not have been sufficient Next daie the Clerk Cunes was examined by the said Committee I. Whether hee had not been Clark to the late Seig â— Musch late Secretarie to the Lords the States General Hee answered yea II. Whether hee had not copied several things concerning his High s and in particular touching the Siege of the Citie of Amsterdam and the seizing of som Lords of the Assemblie of Holland penned by Secretarie Musch Hee said hee had copied several writings of that nature in the said Secretaries Dining room very early in a morning III. Whether hee copied the same from a draught or bâ—eing dictated to him Hee said that for the most part hee copied the same from a draught and that Secretarie Musch beeing busie with making of himself ready had dictated the rest IV. By whose hand the foresaid Draught was written Hee said the foresaid Secretaries V. Whether the said Draught conteined the foresaid Reasons and Motives or whether the Secretarie dictated of his own head what was defective Hee said the Draught was not perfect and that the said Secretarie had dictated of his own head what was defective VI. Whether hee Examinat had copied any thing els of that nature Hee declared No but if any other like matter were written the same was like to bee don by one William Goversz deceased late Clerk likewise to the said Secretatarie VII Whether there was any bodie els present then besides the Secretarie Hee said No. VIII What became of the foresaid Writing and what order was given to him the Examinat about it Heesaid that by order of the said Secretarie hee had brought the said Writing sealed with his Seal without Superscription to his High s Chamber and delivered it there to one of his High s Grooms of the Chamber by name Youngman IX Whether hee Examinat did not conceiv that som other Clerks might bee alive yet that were imploied about writing of things of like nature by order of the said Secretarie Hee said it was very like and especially one Peter Spyck Jan Dornick and W. van Zyl X. Whether hee Examinat could not tell of som particulars that were conteined in the said Writing Hee said hee was confident if hee heard it read hee should remember it well enough XI Whereupon there beeing read unto him the writing entituled Reasons and Motives which induced his High s the Prince of Orange to c. as also the Proposition of his High s made in the Assemblie of Holland Jun. 30 1650 conteining Complaints against those of Amsterdam with desire of Reparation Hee was asked again whether one of these two was the Writing before-mentioned and which of the two it was Hee said it was the latter which hee had in manner aforesaid partly copied and partly written at Dictate XII Whether hee Examinat knew very well not to have copied the other Writing Hee said hee could not affirm it yet hee knew well enough that hee had copied the former in the manner abovesaid By and through occasions of these informations and enquiries others also were muttered of and especially the Lord of Sommersdyck who for som time hitherto had kept himself at his hous at Spyck and this rumor coming to his ear hee found good of his own accord to repair to the Hague and to make his appearance in the Assemblie which also hee did declaring hee had understood of Discourses to his prejudice and that therefore hee was com to answer to what might bee alleged against him Whereupon the above-mentioned Committee could not but hear him also Julie 13 when hee declared that in the month of Julie last year som few daies before his departing to Sharp Zyl hee was summoned to the Chamber of his High s the Prince of Orange and that his said High s had then acquainted him hee was resolved to send Count William Stadholder of Friesland with som Cavalerie into Amsterdam for the recovering of the refused audience there as Stadholder and intended likewise to make use of his Sommerdyck's person with the Garrison of Nimmeghen for the conducting of the Troops designed for the Expedition a part of the waie That hee Examinat having thereupon shewed som difficulties by reason of the great distance the heat of the