at the French court as ambassador of Sweden, his memorable labours in history, diplomacy, poetry, theology, the present narrative is not concerned.  Driven from the service of his Fatherland, of which his name to all time is one of the proudest garlands, he continued to be a benefactor not only to her but to all mankind.  If refutation is sought of the charge that republics are ungrateful, it will certainly not be found in the history of Hugo Grotius or John of Barneveld.

Nor is there need to portray the wrath of Captain Deventer when he returned to Castle Loevestein.

“Here is the cage, but your bird is flown,” said corpulent Maria Grotius with a placid smile.  The Commandant solaced himself by uttering imprecations on her, on her husband, and on Elsje van Houwening.  But these curses could not bring back the fugitive.  He flew to Gorcum to browbeat the Daatselaers and to search the famous trunk.  He found in it the big New Testament and some skeins of thread, together with an octavo or two of theology and of Greek tragedies; but the Arminian was not in it, and was gone from the custody of the valiant Deventer for ever.

After a brief period Madame de Groot was released and rejoined her husband.  Elsje van Houwening, true heroine of the adventure, was subsequently married to the faithful servant of Grotius, who during the two years’ imprisonment had been taught Latin and the rudiments of law by his master, so that he subsequently rose to be a thriving and respectable advocate at the tribunals of Holland.

The Stadholder, when informed of the escape of the prisoner, observed, “I always thought the black pig was deceiving me,” making not very complimentary allusion to the complexion and size of the lady who had thus aided the escape of her husband.

He is also reported as saying that it “is no wonder they could not keep Grotius in prison, as he has more wit than all his judges put together.”

CHAPTER XXIII.

   Barneveld’s Sons plot against Maurice—­The Conspiracy betrayed to
   Maurice—­Escape of Stoutenburg—­Groeneveld is arrested—­Mary of
   Barneveld appeals to the Stadholder—­Groeneveld condemned to Death—­
   Execution of Groeneveld.

The widow of Barneveld had remained, since the last scene of the fatal tragedy on the Binnenhof, in hopeless desolation.  The wife of the man who during a whole generation of mankind had stood foremost among the foremost of the world, and had been one of those chief actors and directors in human affairs to whom men’s eyes turned instinctively from near and from afar, had led a life of unbroken prosperity.  An heiress in her own right, Maria van Utrecht had laid the foundation of her husband’s wealth by her union with the rising young lawyer and statesman.  Her two sons and two daughters had grown up around her, all four being married into the leading families of the land, and with apparently long lives of prosperity