“There is but this means alone,” wrote Jeannini to Villeroy, “that can content him, although hitherto he has done like the rowers, who never look toward the place whither they wish to go.”  The attempt of the Prince to sound Barneveld on this subject through the Princess-Dowager has already been mentioned, and has much intrinsic probability.  Thenceforward, the republican form of government, the municipal oligarchies, began to consolidate their power.  Yet although the people as such were not sovereigns, but subjects, and rarely spoken of by the aristocratic magistrates save with a gentle and patronizing disdain, they enjoyed a larger liberty than was known anywhere else in the world.  Buzenval was astonished at the “infinite and almost unbridled freedom” which he witnessed there during his embassy, and which seemed to him however “without peril to the state.”

The extraordinary means possessed by Aerssens to be important and useful vanished with the King’s death.  His secret despatches, painting in sombre and sarcastic colours the actual condition of affairs at the French court, were sent back in copy to the French court itself.  It was not known who had played the Ambassador this vilest of tricks, but it was done during an illness of Barneveld, and without his knowledge.  Early in the year 1613 Aerssens resolved, not to take his final departure, but to go home on leave of absence.  His private intention was to look for some substantial office of honour and profit at home.  Failing of this, he meant to return to Paris.  But with an eye to the main chance as usual, he ingeniously caused it to be understood at court, without making positive statements to that effect, that his departure was final.  On his leavetaking, accordingly, he received larger presents from the crown than had been often given to a retiring ambassador.  At least 20,000 florins were thus added to the frugal store of profits on which he prided himself.  Had he merely gone away on leave of absence, he would have received no presents whatever.  But he never went back.  The Queen-Regent and her ministers were so glad to get rid of him, and so little disposed, in the straits in which they found themselves, to quarrel with the powerful republic, as to be willing to write very complimentary public letters to the States, concerning the character and conduct of the man whom they so much detested.

Pluming himself upon these, Aerssens made his appearance in the Assembly of the States-General, to give account by word of mouth of the condition of affairs, speaking as if he had only come by permission of their Mightinesses for temporary purposes.  Two months later he was summoned before the Assembly, and ordered to return to his post.