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HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS
From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce—1609
By John Lothrop Motley
MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Vol. 83
History of the United Netherlands, 1609
Vote of the States-General on the groundwork of the treaty— Meeting of the plenipotentiaries for arrangement of the truce— Signing of the twelve years' truce—Its purport—The negotiations concluded—Ratification by the States-General, the Archdukes, and the King of Spain—Question of toleration—Appeal of President Jeannin on behalf of the Catholics—Religious liberty the fruit of the war—Internal arrangements of the States under the rule of peace—Deaths of John Duke of Cleves and Jacob Arminius—Doctrines of Arminius and Gomarus—Theological warfare—Twenty years' truce between the Turkish and Roman empires—Ferdinand of Styria— Religious peace—Prospects of the future.
On the 11th January, 1609, the States-General decided by unanimous votethat the first point in the treaty should be not otherwise fixed than,thus:—
"That the archdukes—to superfluity—declare, as well in their own nameas in that of the King of Spain, their willingness to treat with thelords States of the United Provinces in the capacity of, and as holdingthem for, free countries, provinces, and states, over which they have noclaim, and that they are making a treaty with them in those said namesand qualities."
It was also resolved not to permit that any ecclesiastical or secularmatters, conflicting with the above-mentioned freedom, should beproposed; nor that any delay should be sought for, by reason of theIndia navigation or any other point.
In case anything to the contrary should be attempted by the king or thearchdukes, and the deliberations protracted in consequence more thaneight days, it was further decided by unanimous vote that thenegotiations should at once be broken off, and the war forthwith renewed,with the help, if possible, of the kings, princes, and states, friends ofthe good cause.
This vigorous vote was entirely the work of Barneveld, the man whom hisenemies dared to denounce as the partisan of Spain, and to hold up as atraitor deserving of death. It was entirely within his knowledge that aconsiderable party in the provinces had grown so weary of the war, and somuch alarmed at the prospect of the negotiations for truce coming tonought, as to be ready to go into a treaty without a recognition ofthe independence of the States. This base faction was thought to beinstigated by the English Government, intriguing secretly with PresidentRichardot. The Advocate, acting in full sympathy with Jeannin,frustrated the effects of the manoeuvre by obtaining all the votesof Holland and Zeeland for this supreme resolution. The other fiveprovinces dared to make no further effort in that direction againstthe two controlling states of the republic.
It was now agreed that the French and English ambassadors should delaygoing to Antwerp until informed of the arrival in that city of Spinolaand his colleagues; and that they should then proceed thither, takingwith them the main points of the treaty, as laid down by themselves, andacc