This work is divided into two parts, Annals and History, in imitation of Tacitus.  The Annals begin with the year 1566, and contain five books:  there are eighteen of the History, which begins with the year 1588, that is, when Prince Maurice had the greatest influence in the affairs of the United Provinces, and concludes with the year 1609, when the twelve years truce was made.  Had his love to truth and honesty been less, he had a fine opportunity of revenging himself on Prince Maurice.  But he every where does him justice[486], and even speaks of him as if he had been always satisfied with his conduct to him.

M. Baillet thinks very advantageously and at the same time very justly of this work.  “That great man (says he, speaking of Grotius[487]) has discovered in this work all the capacity, accuracy, judgment, solidity, industry, perspicuity, honesty, and integrity, of a true historian.  His impartiality would almost make him pass for a foreigner, who had no interest in what he relates:  he appears a Dutchman, only by his thorough knowledge of the causes, motives, ends, and other circumstances of the subject he has undertaken to handle.”

The only thing for which he can be censured, is the stiffness of the style, by affecting to make it resemble that of Tacitus, which renders it obscure and unnatural.  We are assured, that the eminent Advocate-general, Jerom Bignon, took notice of this fault to Grotius, with whom he was very intimate; and that learned man, yielding to his friend’s advice, promised to do his work over again, and had even begun it, but could not finish it; and his sons published it as it was at first.

Peter Grotius tells us this History was his father’s favourite work.  Grotius intended to dedicate it to the Queen of Sweden.  Dec. 5, 1637, he writes to the High Chancellor[488], “I have written a great part of the History of the Low Countries:  what I have done till the truce in 1609 is ready to appear with some advantage.  I purpose to dedicate it to our Queen, unless your Sublimity determine otherwise.  Of all the histories of our time, it appears to me the most useful.  It presents us with the speedy rise of a republic, whose forces in its weak beginning were scarce able to defend its small frontier; and which afterwards carried its arms to the extremity of the globe:  we no where find the art of besieging or defending towns brought to such a height; in fine, we see her Mistress of the Sea after her marine had been long neglected.”

It should not be forgot, that the celebrated[489] Peyresc was of great use to Grotius in compiling this work:  he communicated to him several important papers, and procured him the memoirs collected by Antonius Querengius, who purposed to write the History of the famous Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma.  Grotius’s History was translated into French by M. L’Heritier, father of Mademoiselle L’Heritier, famous for her writings:  but it deserves a new translator to turn it into better French.