authority of the government of the Provinces, the person of the Prince of Orange, the States of the particular Provinces, and the towns themselves; and therefore forbad all persons to have it in their custody on pain of death.  The Mercure Francois mentions this in the following terms.  “The Apology is prohibited; and all persons of what quality soever are forbid to have it in their possession on pain of death; thus making Grotius as it were a prey to any person who shall apprehend him.”

These menaces gave him uneasiness:  he consulted the French Ministry, his friends and protectors, how to behave in this situation, and what was to be done to prevent the consequence which might result from the proscription:  he had several conferences on this subject with the Chancellor de Silleri and the President Jeannin.  The Chancellor, who was naturally irresolute, contented himself with blaming the rigour of the edict, and making general offers of service.  The President Jeannin was of opinion he should write a letter to a friend, shewing the injustice of the proscription:  others advised him to despise these vain threats, and publish a new edition of the Apology in which he might put the Authors of the Edict to confusion:  some were of opinion he ought to complain to the States-General themselves; but others represented there would be danger in having recourse to this last expedient, as he might seem by it to acknowledge their authority.  Against writing to the particular States of the Provinces there was one great objection, namely, the certainty of drawing upon himself a new proscription, because the power was in the hands of his greatest enemies.  Those who wished to see him pass the rest of his days in France thought he should get himself naturalized a Frenchman, because the King by that would necessarily become his protector:  they farther represented that this formality would qualify him to hold a place in France.

What kept him in suspense was to know whether he should put himself under the protection of the parliament, or ask a safe-conduct from the king.  In the beginning of the year 1623[142] he seemed resolved to present a petition to the Parliament, and afterwards write to the States-General.  He was in doubt whether to write to the Prince of Orange; at length he took the most proper step, which was to apply to the King.  He presented a petition to his Majesty to be protected against the above-mentioned Edict, “which imported that he should be apprehended wherever found;” these are the terms of the Mercure Francois; “and his Majesty took him into his special protection, the letters for that purpose being issued at Paris, Feb. 26, 1623.”

Although the greatest part of the Roman Catholics would have found nothing amiss in his Apology, yet many of them in the Low Countries were scandalized that he had not spoken of religion as they would have spoken:  and it was condemned at Antwerp as dangerous to be read[143].