van der Graeff, was seized and executed; the others were allowed to escape, it was said by the prince’s connivance.  A few days later an attack upon Cornells de Witt at Dordrecht likewise failed to attain its object.  That such dastardly acts could happen without an outburst of public indignation was ominous of worse things to come.  It was a sign that the whole country had turned its back upon the States party and the whole system of government of which for nineteen years John de Witt had been the directing spirit, and had become Orangist.  Revolutionary events followed one another with almost bewildering rapidity.  On July 2 the Estates of Zeeland appointed William to the office of Stadholder.  The Estates of Holland repealed the Eternal Edict on July 3; and on the next day it was resolved on the proposal of Amsterdam to revive the stadholdership with all its former powers and prerogatives in favour of the Prince of Orange.  The other provinces followed the lead of Holland and Zeeland; and on July 8 the States-General appointed the young stadholder captain-and admiral-general of the Union.  William thus found himself invested with all the offices and even more than the authority that had been possessed by his ancestors.  Young and inexperienced as he was, he commanded unbounded confidence, and it was not misplaced.

Meanwhile, despite the strong opposition of Amsterdam and some other towns, the fuller powers asked for by De Groot were granted, and he returned to the camp of Louis to endeavour to obtain more favourable terms of peace.  He was unsuccessful.  The demands of the French king included concessions of territory to Cologne, to Muenster and to England, and for himself the greater part of the Generality-lands with the great fortresses of Hertogenbosch and Maestricht, a war indemnity of 16,000,000 francs, and complete freedom for Catholic worship.  On July 1 De Groot returned to the Hague to make his report.  The humiliating terms were rejected unanimously, but it was still hoped that now that the Prince of Orange was at the head of affairs negotiations might be resumed through the mediation of England.  William even went so far as to send a special envoy to Charles II, offering large concessions to England, if the king would withdraw from the French alliance.  But it was in vain.  On the contrary at this very time (July 16) the treaty between Louis and Charles was renewed; and the demands made on behalf of England were scarcely less exorbitant than those put forward by Louis himself—­the cession of Sluis, Walcheren, Cadsand, Voorne and Goerce, an indemnity of 25,000,000 francs, the payment of an annual subsidy for the herring fishery, and the striking of the flag.  If all the conditions made by the two kings were agreed to, the sovereignty of the remnants of the once powerful United Provinces, impoverished and despoiled, was offered to the prince.  He rejected it with scorn.  When the Estates of Holland on the return of De Groot asked his advice about the