The　Black　Tulip
  by　Alexandre　Dumas；　Pere
  Chapter　1
  A　Grateful　People
  On　the　20th　of　August；　1672；　the　city　of　the　Hague；　always
  so　lively；　so　neat；　and　so　trim　that　one　might　believe　every
  day　to　be　Sunday；　with　its　shady　park；　with　its　tall　trees；
  spreading　over　its　Gothic　houses；　with　its　canals　like　large
  mirrors；　in　which　its　steeples　and　its　almost　Eastern
  cupolas　are　reflected；　　the　city　of　the　Hague；　the　capital
  of　the　Seven　United　Provinces；　was　swelling　in　all　its
  arteries　with　a　black　and　red　stream　of　hurried；　panting；
  and　restless　citizens；　who；　with　their　knives　in　their
  girdles；　muskets　on　their　shoulders；　or　sticks　in　their
  hands；　were　pushing　on　to　the　Buytenhof；　a　terrible　prison；
  the　grated　windows　of　which　are　still　shown；　where；　on　the
  charge　of　attempted　murder　preferred　against　him　by　the
  surgeon　Tyckelaer；　Cornelius　de　Witt；　the　brother　of　the
  Grand　Pensionary　of　Holland　was　confined。
  If　the　history　of　that　time；　and　especially　that　of　the　year
  in　the　middle　of　which　our　narrative　commences；　were　not
  indissolubly　connected　with　the　two　names　just　mentioned；
  the　few　explanatory　pages　which　we　are　about　to　add　might
  appear　quite　supererogatory；　but　we　will；　from　the　very
  first；　apprise　the　reader　　our　old　friend；　to　whom　we　are
  wont　on　the　first　page　to　promise　amusement；　and　with　whom
  we　always　try　to　keep　our　word　as　well　as　is　in　our　power
  that　this　explanation　is　as　indispensable　to　the　right
  understanding　of　our　story　as　to　that　of　the　great　event
  itself　on　which　it　is　based。
  Cornelius　de　Witt；　Ruart　de　Pulten；　that　is　to　say；　warden
  of　the　dikes；　ex…burgomaster　of　Dort；　his　native　town；　and
  member　of　the　Assembly　of　the　States　of　Holland；　was
  forty…nine　years　of　age；　when　the　Dutch　people；　tired　of　the
  Republic　such　as　John　de　Witt；　the　Grand　Pensionary　of
  Holland；　understood　it；　at　once　conceived　a　most　violent
  affection　for　the　Stadtholderate；　which　had　been　abolished
  for　ever　in　Holland　by　the　〃Perpetual　Edict〃　forced　by　John
  de　Witt　upon　the　United　Provinces。
  As　it　rarely　happens　that　public　opinion；　in　its　whimsical
  flights；　does　not　identify　a　principle　with　a　man；　thus　the
  people　saw　the　personification　of　the　Republic　in　the　two
  stern　figures　of　the　brothers　De　Witt；　those　Romans　of
  Holland；　spurning　to　pander　to　the　fancies　of　the　mob；　and
  wedding　themselves　with　unbending　fidelity　to　liberty
  without　licentiousness；　and　prosperity　without　the　waste　of
  superfluity；　on　the　other　hand；　the　Stadtholderate　recalled
  to　the　popular　mind　the　grave　and　thoughtful　image　of　the
  young　Prince　William　of　Orange。
  The　brothers　De　Witt　humoured　Louis　XIV。；　whose　moral
  influence　was　felt　by　the　whole　of　Europe；　and　the　pressure
  of　whose　material　power　Holland　had　been　made　to　feel　in
  that　marvellous　campaign　on　the　Rhine；　which；　in　the　space
  of　three　months；　had　laid　the　power　of　the　United　Provinces
  prostrate。
  Louis　XIV。　had　long　been　the　enemy　of　the　Dutch；　who
  insulted　or　ridiculed　him　to　their　hearts'　content；　although
  it　must　be　said　that　they　generally　used　French　refugees　for
  the　mouthpiece　of　their　spite。　Their　national　pride　held　him
  up　as　the　Mithridates　of　the　Republic。　The　brothers　De　Witt；
  therefore；　had　to　strive　against　a　double　difficulty；
  against　the　force　of　national　antipathy；　and；　besides；
  against　the　feeling　of　weariness　which　is　natural　to　all
  vanquished　people；　when　they　hope　that　a　new　chief　will　be
  able　to　save　them　from　ruin　and　shame。
  This　new　chief；　quite　ready　to　appear　on　the　political
  stage；　and　to　measure　himself　against　Louis　XIV。；　however
  gigantic　the　fortunes　of　the　Grand　Monarch　loomed　in　the
  future；　was　William；　Prince　of　Orange；　son　of　William　II。；
  and　grandson；　by　his　mother　Henrietta　Stuart；　of　Charles　I。
  of　England。　We　have　mentioned　him　before　as　the　person　by
  whom　the　people　expected　to　see　the　office　of　Stadtholder
  restored。
  This　young　man　was；　in　1672；　twenty…two　years　of　age。　John
  de　Witt；　who　was　his　tutor；　had　brought　him　up　with　the　view
  of　making　him　a　good　citizen。　Loving　his　country　better　than
  he　did　his　disciple；　the　master　had；　by　the　Perpetual　Edict；
  extinguished　the　hope　which　the　young　Prince　might　have
  entertained　of　one　day　becoming　Stadtholder。　But　God　laughs
  at　the　presumption　of　man；　who　wants　to　raise　and　prostrate
  the　powers　on　earth　without　consulting　the　King　above；　and
  the　fickleness　and　caprice　of　the　Dutch　combined　with　the
  terror　inspired　by　Louis　XIV。；　in　repealing　the　Perpetual
  Edict；　and　re…establishing　the　office　of　Stadtholder　in
  favour　of　William　of　Orange；　for　whom　the　hand　of　Providence
  had　traced　out　ulterior　destinies　on　the　hidden　map　of　the
  future。
  The　Grand　Pensionary　bowed　before　the　will　of　his　fellow
  citizens；　Cornelius　de　Witt；　however；　was　more　obstinate；
  and　notwithstanding　all　the　threats　of　death　from　the
  Orangist　rabble；　who　besieged　him　in　his　house　at　Dort；　he
  stoutly　refused　to　sign　the　act　by　which　the　office　of
  Stadtholder　was　restored。　Moved　by　the　tears　and　entreaties
  of　his　wife；　he　at　last　complied；　only　adding　to　his
  signature　the　two　letters　V。　C。　（Vi　Coactus）；　notifying
  thereby　that　he　only　yielded　to　force。
  It　was　a　real　miracle　that　on　that　day　he　escaped　from　the
  doom　intended　for　him。
  John　de　Witt　derived　no　advantage　from　his　ready　compliance
  with　the　wishes　of　his　fellow　citizens。　Only　a　few　days
  after；　an　attempt　was　made　to　stab　him；　in　which　he　was
  severely　although　not　mortally　wounded。
  This　by　no　means　suited　the　views　of　the　Orange　faction。　The
  life　of　the　two　brothers　being　a　constant　obstacle　to　their
  plans；　they　changed　their　tactics；　and　tried　to　obtain　by
  calumny　what　they　had　not　been　able　to　effect　by　the　aid　of
  the　poniard。
  How　rarely　does　it　happen　that；　in　the　right　moment；　a　great
  man　is　found　to　head　the　execution　of　vast　and　noble
  designs；　and　for　that　reason；　when　such　a　providential
  concurrence　of　circumstances　does　occur；　history　is　prompt
  to　record　the　name　of　the　chosen　one；　and　to　hold　him　up　to
  the　admiration　of　posterity。　But　when　Satan　interposes　in
  human　affairs　to　cast　a　shadow　upon　some　happy　existence；　or
  to　overthrow　a　kingdom；　it　seldom　happens　that　he　does　not
  find　at　his　side　some　miserable　tool；　in　whose　ear　he　has
  but　to　whisper　a　word　to　set　him　at　once　about　his　task。
  The　wretched　tool　who　was　at　hand　to　be　the　agent　of　this
  dastardly　plot　was　one　Tyckelaer　whom　we　have　already
  mentioned；　a　surgeon　by　profession。
  He　lodged　an　information　against　Cornelius　de　Witt；　setting
  forth　that　the　warden　　who；　as　he　had　shown　by　the　letters
  added　to　his　signature；　was　fuming　at　the　repeal　of　the
  Perpetual　Edict　　had；　from　hatred　against　William　of
  Orange；　hired　an　assassin　to　deliver　the　new　Republic　of　its
  new　Stadtholder；　and　he；　Tyckelaer　was　the　person　thus
  chosen；　but　that；　horrified　at　the　bare　idea　of　the　act
  which　he　was　asked　to　perpetrate；　he　had　preferred　rather　to
  reveal　the　crime　than　to　commit　it。
  This　disclosure　was；　indeed；　well　calculated　to　call　forth　a
  furious　outbreak　among　the　Orange　faction。　The　Attorney
  General　caused；　on　the　16th　of　August；　1672；　Cornelius　de
  Witt　to　be　arrested；　and　the　noble　brother　of　John　de　Witt
  had；　like　the　vilest　criminal；　to　undergo；　in　one　of　the
  apartments　of　the　town　prison；　the　preparatory　degrees　of
  torture；　by　means　of　which　his　judges　expected　to　force　from
  him　the　confession　of　his　alleged　plot　against　William　of
  Orange。
  But　Cornelius　was　not　only　possessed　of　a　great　mind；　but
  also　of　a　great　heart。　He　belonged　to　that　race　of　martyrs
  who；　indissolubly　wedded　to　their　political　convictions　as
  their　ancestors　were　to　their　faith；　are　able　to　smile　on
  pain：　while　being　stretched　on　the　rack；　he　recited　with　a
  firm　voice；　and　scanning　the　lines　according　to　measure；　the
  first　strophe　of　the　〃Justum　ac　tenacem〃　of　Horace；　and；
  making　no　confession；　tired　not　only　the　strength；　but　even
  the　fanaticism；　of　his　executioners。
  The　judges；　notwithstanding；　acquitted　Tyckelaer　from　every
  charge；　at　the　same　time　sentencing　Cornelius　to　be　deposed
  from　all　his　offices　and　dignities；　to　pay　all　the　costs　of
  the　trial；　and　to　be　banished　from　the　soil　of　the　Republic
  for　ever。
  This　judgment　against　not　only　an　innocent；　but　also　a　great
  man；　was　indeed　some　gratification　to　the　passions　of　the
  people；　to　whose　interests　Cornelius　de　Witt　had　always
  devoted　himself：　but；　as　we　shall　soon　see；　it　was　not
  enough。
  The　Athenians；　who　indeed　have　left　behind　them　a　pretty
  tolerable　reputation　for　ingratitude；　have　in　this　respect
  to　yield　precedence　to　the　Dutch。　They；　at　least　in　the　case
  of　Aristides；　contented　themselves　with　banishing　him。
  John　de　Witt；　at　the　first　intimation　of　the　charge　brought
  against　his　brother；　had　resigned　his　office　of　Grand
  Pensionary。　He　too　received　a　noble　recompense　for　his
  devotedness　to　the　best　interests　of　his　country；　taking
  with　him　into　the　retirement　of　private　life　the　hatred　of　a
  host　of　enemies；　and　the　fresh　scars　of