“The Archdukes and the Prince of Neuburg appear to be taking the war earnestly in hand,” he said.  “We believe that the Papistical League is about to make a great effort against all the co-religionists.  We are watching closely their movements.  Aachen is first threatened, and the Elector-Palatine likewise.  France surely, for reasons of state, cannot permit that they should be attacked.  She did, and helped us to do, too much in the Julich campaign to suffer the Spaniards to make themselves masters there now.”

It has been seen that the part played by France in the memorable campaign of 1610 was that of admiring auxiliary to the States’ forces; Marshal de la Chatre having in all things admitted the superiority of their army and the magnificent generalship of Prince Maurice.  But the government of the Dowager had been committed by that enterprise to carry out the life-long policy of Henry, and to maintain his firm alliance with the Republic.  Whether any of the great king’s acuteness and vigour in countermining and shattering the plans of the House of Austria was left in the French court, time was to show.  Meantime Barneveld was crying himself hoarse with warnings into the dull ears of England and France.

A few weeks later the Prince of Neuburg had thrown off the mask.  Twelve thousand foot and 1500 horse had been raised in great haste, so the Advocate informed the French court, by Spain and the Archdukes, for the use of that pretender.  Five or six thousand Spaniards were coming by sea to Flanders, and as many Italians were crossing the mountains, besides a great number mustering for the same purpose in Germany and Lorraine.  Barneveld was constantly receiving most important intelligence of military plans and movements from Prague, which he placed daily before the eyes of governments wilfully blind.

“I ponder well at this crisis,” he said to his friend Caron, “the intelligence I received some months back from Ratisbon, out of the cabinet of the Jesuits, that the design of the Catholic or Roman League is to bring this year a great army into the field, in order to make Neuburg, who was even then said to be of the Roman profession and League, master of Julich and the duchies; to execute the Imperial decree against Aachen and Mulheim, preventing any aid from being sent into Germany by these Provinces, or by Great Britain, and placing the Archduke and Marquis Spinola in command of the forces; to put another army on the frontiers of Austria, in order to prevent any succour coming from Hungary, Bohemia, Austria, Moravia, and Silesia into Germany; to keep all these disputed territories in subjection and devotion to the Emperor, and to place the general conduct of all these affairs in the hands of Archduke Leopold and other princes of the House of Austria.  A third army is to be brought into the Upper Palatinate, under command of the Duke of Bavaria and others of the League, destined to thoroughly carry out its designs against the Elector-Palatine, and the other electors, princes, and estates belonging to the religion.”