“Thus fell that great minister, who did the United Provinces as much service in the cabinet, as the Prince of Orange did in the field.  It is highly probable that the melancholy end of this illustrious and unfortunate man was owing to his steadiness in opposing the design of making Prince Maurice Dictator."[032]

[Sidenote:  Trial and Imprisonment of Grotius.]

The Prince pursued his triumph.  Soon after the arrest of Grotius, the States of Holland presented a petition to the Prince, representing the arrest as a breach of their constitutional rights; the Prince referred it to the States General.  To these, therefore, they presented a similar petition; praying at the same time, that Grotius might be tried by the laws and usages of the Provinces of Holland:  no regard was shewn to their petitions.

[Sidenote:  CHAP.  VII. 1618—­1621.]

Grotius had an invaluable friend:—­he was no sooner arrested, than his wife petitioned to share his confinement throughout the whole of his imprisonment:  it was denied.  Grotius fell ill:  she renewed the application:  it was absolutely rejected:  but neither his wife, nor any of the friends of Grotius ever recommended to him an unworthy submission.  He always denied the competency of the tribunal appointed to try him:  his wife and brother uniformly recommended him to persist in his plea.

Much disregard of form took place, and many arbitrary acts were perpetrated, in the proceedings against Grotius.  On the 18th of May 1619, the Commissioners pronounced sentence against him.  After enumerating all the charges, of which he was accused, and asserting that all were proved against him, the judges condemned him to perpetual imprisonment, and his estates to be confiscated.  The same sentence was passed on Hoogerbetz; but the house of the latter was assigned to him for his imprisonment.

On the 6th of June, Grotius was taken to Louvestein.  It lies near Gorcum, in South Holland, at the point of the island formed by the Vaal and the Meuse.  Twenty-four sous a day were allowed for his maintenance; but his wife undertook to support him, during his confinement, from her own estate.  She was at length admitted into prison with him, on condition that she should remain in it, while his imprisonment lasted.

[Sidenote:  Trial and Imprisonment of Grotius.]

At first, his confinement was very rigid:  by degrees it was relaxed:  his wife was allowed to leave the prison for a few hours, twice in every week.  He was permitted to borrow books, and to correspond, except on politics, with his friends.

He beguiled the tedious hours of confinement by study, relieving his mind by varying its objects.  Antient and modern literature equally engaged his attention:  Sundays he wholly dedicated to prayer and the study of theology.

Twenty months of imprisonment thus passed away.  His wife now began to devise projects for his liberty.  She had observed that he was not so strictly watched as at first; that the guards, who examined the chest used for the conveyance of his books and linen, being accustomed to see nothing in it but books and linen, began to examine them loosely:  at length, they permitted the chest to pass without any examination.  Upon this, she formed her project for her husband’s release.