Again the King expressed his anxiety for Barneveld’s coming, and directed the Ambassador to urge it, and to communicate to him the conversation which had just taken place.  He much preferred, he said, a general war.  He expressed doubts as to the Prince of Anhalt’s capacity as chief in the Cleve expedition, and confessed that being jealous of his own reputation he did not like to commit his contingent of troops to the care of a stranger and one so new to his trade.  The shame would fall on himself, not on Anhalt in case of any disaster.  Therefore, to avoid all petty jealousies and inconveniences of that nature by which the enterprise might be ruined, it was best to make out of this small affair a great one, and the King signified his hope that the Advocate would take this view of the case and give him his support.  He had plenty of grounds of war himself, and the States had as good cause of hostilities in the rupture of the truce by the usurpation attempted by Leopold with the assistance of Spain and in the name of the Emperor.  He hoped, he said, that the States would receive no more deputations from Archduke Albert, but decide to settle everything at the point of the sword.  The moment was propitious, and, if neglected, might never return.  Marquis Spinola was about to make a journey to Spain on various matters of business.  On his return, Henry said, he meant to make him prisoner as a hostage for the Prince of Conde, whom the Archdukes were harbouring and detaining.  This would be the pretext, he said, but the object would be to deprive the Archdukes of any military chief, and thus to throw them into utter confusion.  Count van den Berg would never submit to the authority of Don Luis de Velasco, nor Velasco to his, and not a man could come from Spain or Italy, for the passages would all be controlled by France.

Fortunately for the King’s reputation, Spinola’s journey was deferred, so that this notable plan for disposing of the great captain fell to the ground.

Henry agreed to leave the two French regiments and the two companies of cavalry in the States’ service as usual, but stipulated in certain contingencies for their use.

Passing to another matter concerning which there had been so much jealousy on the part of the States, the formation of the French East India Company—­to organize which undertaking Le Roy and Isaac Le Maire of Amsterdam had been living disguised in the house of Henry’s famous companion, the financier Zamet at Paris—­the King said that Barneveld ought not to envy him a participation in the great profits of this business.

Nothing would be done without consulting him after his arrival in Paris.  He would discuss the matter privately with him, he said, knowing that Barneveld was a great personage, but however obstinate he might be, he felt sure that he would always yield to reason.  On the other hand the King expressed his willingness to submit to the Advocate’s opinions if they should seem the more just.