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Cornelius　de　Witt　handed　to　him　the　parcel　at　Dort；　he　

himself　had　never　touched；　nor　even　noticed　it。　



To　this　it　was　objected；　that　in　this　respect　he　could　not　

possibly　be　speaking　the　truth；　since　the　papers　had　been　

deposited　in　a　press　in　which　both　his　hands　and　his　eyes　

must　have　been　engaged　every　day。　



Cornelius　answered　that　it　was　indeed　so；　that；　however；　he　

never　put　his　hand　into　the　press　but　to　ascertain　whether　

his　bulbs　were　dry；　and　that　he　never　looked　into　it　but　to　

see　if　they　were　beginning　to　sprout。　



To　this　again　it　was　objected；　that　his　pretended　

indifference　respecting　this　deposit　was　not　to　be　

reasonably　entertained；　as　he　could　not　have　received　such　

papers　from　the　hand　of　his　godfather　without　being　made　

acquainted　with　their　important　character。　



He　replied　that　his　godfather　Cornelius　loved　him　too　well；　

and；　above　all；　that　he　was　too　considerate　a　man　to　have　

communicated　to　him　anything　of　the　contents　of　the　parcel；　

well　knowing　that　such　a　confidence　would　only　have　caused　

anxiety　to　him　who　received　it。　



To　this　it　was　objected　that；　if　De　Witt　had　wished　to　act　

in　such　a　way；　he　would　have　added　to　the　parcel；　in　case　of　

accidents；　a　certificate　setting　forth　that　his　godson　was　

an　entire　stranger　to　the　nature　of　this　correspondence；　or　

at　least　he　would　during　his　trial　have　written　a　letter　to　

him；　which　might　be　produced　as　his　justification。　



Cornelius　replied　that　undoubtedly　his　godfather　could　not　

have　thought　that　there　was　any　risk　for　the　safety　of　his　

deposit；　hidden　as　it　was　in　a　press　which　was　looked　upon　

as　sacred　as　the　tabernacle　by　the　whole　household　of　Van　

Baerle；　and　that　consequently　he　had　considered　the　

certificate　as　useless。　As　to　a　letter；　he　certainly　had　

some　remembrance　that　some　moments　previous　to　his　arrest；　

whilst　he　was　absorbed　in　the　contemplation　of　one　of　the　

rarest　of　his　bulbs；　John　de　Witt's　servant　entered　his　

dry…room；　and　handed　to　him　a　paper；　but　the　whole　was　to　

him　only　like　a　vague　dream；　the　servant　had　disappeared；　

and　as　to　the　paper；　perhaps　it　might　be　found　if　a　proper　

search　were　made。　



As　far　as　Craeke　was　concerned；　it　was　impossible　to　find　

him；　as　he　had　left　Holland。　



The　paper　also　was　not　very　likely　to　be　found；　and　no　one　

gave　himself　the　trouble　to　look　for　it。　



Cornelius　himself　did　not　much　press　this　point；　since；　even　

supposing　that　the　paper　should　turn　up；　it　could　not　have　

any　direct　connection　with　the　correspondence　which　

constituted　the　crime。　



The　judges　wished　to　make　it　appear　as　though　they　wanted　to　

urge　Cornelius　to　make　a　better　defence；　they　displayed　that　

benevolent　patience　which　is　generally　a　sign　of　the　

magistrate's　being　interested　for　the　prisoner；　or　of　a　

man's　having　so　completely　got　the　better　of　his　adversary　

that　he　needs　no　longer　any　oppressive　means　to　ruin　him。　



Cornelius　did　not　accept　of　this　hypocritical　protection；　

and　in　a　last　answer；　which　he　set　forth　with　the　noble　

bearing　of　a　martyr　and　the　calm　serenity　of　a　righteous　

man；　he　said；　　



〃You　ask　me　things；　gentlemen；　to　which　I　can　answer　only　

the　exact　truth。　Hear　it。　The　parcel　was　put　into　my　hands　

in　the　way　I　have　described；　I　vow　before　God　that　I　was；　

and　am　still；　ignorant　of　its　contents；　and　that　it　was　not　

until　my　arrest　that　I　learned　that　this　deposit　was　the　

correspondence　of　the　Grand　Pensionary　with　the　Marquis　de　

Louvois。　And　lastly；　I　vow　and　protest　that　I　do　not　

understand　how　any　one　should　have　known　that　this　parcel　

was　in　my　house；　and；　above　all；　how　I　can　be　deemed　

criminal　for　having　received　what　my　illustrious　and　

unfortunate　godfather　brought　to　my　house。〃　



This　was　Van　Baerle's　whole　defence；　after　which　the　judges　

began　to　deliberate　on　the　verdict。　



They　considered　that　every　offshoot　of　civil　discord　is　

mischievous；　because　it　revives　the　contest　which　it　is　the　

interest　of　all　to　put　down。　



One　of　them；　who　bore　the　character　of　a　profound　observer；　

laid　down　as　his　opinion　that　this　young　man；　so　phlegmatic　

in　appearance；　must　in　reality　be　very　dangerous；　as　under　

this　icy　exterior　he　was　sure　to　conceal　an　ardent　desire　to　

avenge　his　friends；　the　De　Witts。　



Another　observed　that　the　love　of　tulips　agreed　perfectly　

well　with　that　of　politics；　and　that　it　was　proved　in　

history　that　many　very　dangerous　men　were　engaged　in　

gardening；　just　as　if　it　had　been　their　profession；　whilst　

really　they　occupied　themselves　with　perfectly　different　

concerns；　witness　Tarquin　the　Elder；　who　grew　poppies　at　

Gabii；　and　the　Great　Conde；　who　watered　his　carnations　at　

the　dungeon　of　Vincennes　at　the　very　moment　when　the　former　

meditated　his　return　to　Rome；　and　the　latter　his　escape　from　

prison。　



The　judge　summed　up　with　the　following　dilemma：　　



〃Either　Cornelius　van　Baerle　is　a　great　lover　of　tulips；　or　

a　great　lover　of　politics；　in　either　case；　he　has　told　us　a　

falsehood；　first；　because　his　having　occupied　himself　with　

politics　is　proved　by　the　letters　which　were　found　at　his　

house；　and　secondly；　because　his　having　occupied　himself　

with　tulips　is　proved　by　the　bulbs　which　leave　no　doubt　of　

the　fact。　And　herein　lies　the　enormity　of　the　case。　As　

Cornelius　van　Baerle　was　concerned　in　the　growing　of　tulips　

and　in　the　pursuit　of　politics　at　one　and　the　same　time；　the　

prisoner　is　of　hybrid　character；　of　an　amphibious　

organisation；　working　with　equal　ardour　at　politics　and　at　

tulips；　which　proves　him　to　belong　to　the　class　of　men　most　

dangerous　to　public　tranquillity；　and　shows　a　certain；　or　

rather　a　complete；　analogy　between　his　character　and　that　of　

those　master　minds　of　which　Tarquin　the　Elder　and　the　Great　

Conde　have　been　felicitously　quoted　as　examples。〃　



The　upshot　of　all　these　reasonings　was；　that　his　Highness　

the　Prince　Stadtholder　of　Holland　would　feel　infinitely　

obliged　to　the　magistracy　of　the　Hague　if　they　simplified　

for　him　the　government　of　the　Seven　Provinces　by　destroying　

even　the　least　germ　of　conspiracy　against　his　authority。　



This　argument　capped　all　the　others；　and；　in　order　so　much　

the　more　effectually　to　destroy　the　germ　of　conspiracy；　

sentence　of　death　was　unanimously　pronounced　against　

Cornelius　van　Baerle；　as　being　arraigned；　and　convicted；　for　

having；　under　the　innocent　appearance　of　a　tulip…fancier；　

participated　in　the　detestable　intrigues　and　abominable　

plots　of　the　brothers　De　Witt　against　Dutch　nationality　and　

in　their　secret　relations　with　their　French　enemy。　



A　supplementary　clause　was　tacked　to　the　sentence；　to　the　

effect　that　〃the　aforesaid　Cornelius　van　Baerle　should　be　

led　from　the　prison　of　the　Buytenhof　to　the　scaffold　in　the　

yard　of　the　same　name；　where　the　public　executioner　would　

cut　off　his　head。〃　



As　this　deliberation　was　a　most　serious　affair；　it　lasted　a　

full　half…hour；　during　which　the　prisoner　was　remanded　to　

his　cell。　



There　the　Recorder　of　the　States　came　to　read　the　sentence　

to　him。　



Master　Gryphus　was　detained　in　bed　by　the　fever　caused　by　

the　fracture　of　his　arm。　His　keys　passed　into　the　hands　of　

one　of　his　assistants。　Behind　this　turnkey；　who　introduced　

the　Recorder；　Rosa；　the　fair　Frisian　maid；　had　slipped　into　

the　recess　of　the　door；　with　a　handkerchief　to　her　mouth　to　

stifle　her　sobs。　



Cornelius　listened　to　the　sentence　with　an　expression　rather　

of　surprise　than　sadness。　



After　the　sentence　was　read；　the　Recorder　asked　him　whether　

he　had　anything　to　answer。　



〃Indeed；　I　have　not；〃　he　replied。　〃Only　I　confess　that；　

among　all　the　causes　of　death　against　which　a　cautious　man　

may　guard；　I　should　never　have　supposed　this　to　be　

comprised。〃　



On　this　answer；　the　Recorder　saluted　Van　Baerle　with　all　

that　consideration　which　such　functionaries　generally　bestow　

upon　great　criminals　of　every　sort。　



But　whilst　he　was　about　to　withdraw；　Cornelius　asked；　〃By　

the　bye；　Mr。　Recorder；　what　day　is　the　thing　　you　know　

what　I　mean　　to　take　place？〃　



〃Why；　to…day；〃　answered　the　Recorder；　a　little　surprised　by　

the　self…possession　of　the　condemned　man。　



A　sob　was　heard　behind　the　door；　and　Cornelius　turned　round　

to　look　from　whom　it　came；　but　Rosa；　who　had　foreseen　this　

movement；　had　fallen　back。　



〃And；〃　continued　Cornelius；　〃what　hour　is　appointed？〃　



〃Twelve　o'clock；　sir。〃　



〃Indeed；〃　said　Cornelius；　〃I　think　I　heard　the　clock　strike　

ten　about　twenty　minutes　ago；　I　have　not　much　time　to　

spare。〃　



〃Indeed　you　have　not；　if　you　wish　to　make　your　peace　with　

God；〃　said　the　Recorder；　bowing　to　the　ground。　〃You　may　ask　

for　any　clergyman　you　please。〃　



Saying　these　words　he　went　out　backwards；　and　the　assistant　

turnkey　was　going　to　follow　him；　and　to　lock　the　doo