influential office of griffier or secretary to the States-General.  Nor did he scruple to exercise his powers of patronage for other members of his family.  His father, Jacob de Witt, was made a member of the Chamber of Finance; his elder brother, Cornelis, Ruwaard of Putten.  By these and other appointments of men who were his friends and supporters, to important positions diplomatic, military and naval, De Witt contrived to strengthen more and more his personal authority and influence.  And yet in thus favouring his relatives and friends, let us not accuse De Witt of base motives or of venality.  He firmly believed in his own ability to serve the State, and, without doubt, he was convinced that it was for the best interest of his country for him to create for himself, as far as was possible amidst the restrictions by which he was hemmed in on every side, a free field of diplomatic and administrative action.  No one, not even his bitterest enemies, ever charged John de Witt with personal corruption.  Throughout his whole career he lived quietly and unostentatiously, as a simple citizen, on a very moderate income, and he died a poor man.

One of the first cares of the council-pensionary after the peace with England was to deal with the internal troubles which were disturbing certain parts of the land, notably Groningen, Zeeland and Overyssel.  In the last-named province a serious party struggle arose out of the appointment of a strong Orangist, named Haersolte, to the post of Drost or governor of Twente.  The Estates were split up, the Orange partisans meeting at Zwolle, the anti-Orange at Deventer.  Both enlisted troops, but those of Zwolle were the stronger and laid siege to Deventer.  The victorious Orangists then nominated William III as stadholder with William Frederick as his lieutenant.  At last, after three years’ strife, the parties called in De Witt and William Frederick as mediators.  But De Witt was far too clever for the Friesland stadholder.  It happened that the post of field-marshal had just fallen vacant by the death of Brederode.  Both William Frederick and his cousin Joan Maurice aspired to the office.  The council-pensionary induced his co-mediator, with the hope of becoming Brederode’s successor, to yield on all points.  Haersolte was deprived of office; the prince’s appointment as stadholder was suspended until his majority; and therefore William Frederick could not act as his lieutenant.  Thus peace was restored to Overyssel, but William Frederick was not appointed field-marshal.  In the other provinces the tact and skill of De Witt were equally successful in allaying discord.  He would not have been so successful had the Orange party not been hopelessly divided and had it possessed capable leaders.