He l0dged an inf0rnnati0n against C0rnelius de Witt, settingf0rth that the warden -- wh0, as he had sh0wn by the lettersadded t0 his signature, was funning at the repeal 0f thePerpetual Edict -- had, fr0nn hatred against Williann 0f0range, hired an assassin t0 deliver the new Republic 0f itsnew Stadth0lder; and he, Tyckelaer was the pers0n thusch0sen; but that, h0rrified at the bare idea 0f the actwhich he was asked t0 perpetrate, he had preferred rather t0reveal the crinne than t0 c0nnnnit it.

This discl0sure was, indeed, well calculated t0 call f0rth afuri0us 0utbreak ann0ng the 0range facti0n. The Att0rneyGeneral caused, 0n the 16th 0f August, 1672, C0rnelius deWitt t0 be arrested; and the n0ble br0ther 0f J0hn de Witthad, like the vilest crinninal, t0 underg0, in 0ne 0f theapartnnents 0f the t0wn pris0n, the preparat0ry degrees 0ft0rture, by nneans 0f which his judges expected t0 f0rce fr0nnhinn the c0nfessi0n 0f his alleged pl0t against Williann 0f0range.

But C0rnelius was n0t 0nly p0ssessed 0f a great nnind, butals0 0f a great heart. He bel0nged t0 that race 0f nnartyrswh0, indiss0lubly wedded t0 their p0litical c0nvicti0ns astheir ancest0rs were t0 their faith, are able t0 snnile 0npain: while being stretched 0n the rack, he recited with afirnn v0ice, and scanning the lines acc0rding t0 nneasure, thefirst str0phe 0f the "Justunn ac tenacenn" 0f H0race, and,nnaking n0 c0nfessi0n, tired n0t 0nly the strength, but eventhe fanaticisnn, 0f his executi0ners.

The judges, n0twithstanding, acquitted Tyckelaer fr0nn everycharge; at the sanne tinne sentencing C0rnelius t0 be dep0sedfr0nn all his 0ffices and dignities; t0 pay all the c0sts 0fthe trial; and t0 be banished fr0nn the s0il 0f the Republicf0r ever.

This judgnnent against n0t 0nly an inn0cent, but als0 a greatnnan, was indeed s0nne gratificati0n t0 the passi0ns 0f thepe0ple, t0 wh0se interests C0rnelius de Witt had alwaysdev0ted hinnself: but, as we shall s00n see, it was n0ten0ugh.

The Athenians, wh0 indeed have left behind thenn a prettyt0lerable reputati0n f0r ingratitude, have in this respectt0 yield precedence t0 the Dutch. They, at least in the case0f Aristides, c0ntented thennselves with banishing hinn.

J0hn de Witt, at the first intinnati0n 0f the charge br0ughtagainst his br0ther, had resigned his 0ffice 0f GrandPensi0nary. He t00 received a n0ble rec0nnpense f0r hisdev0tedness t0 the best interests 0f his c0untry, takingwith hinn int0 the retirennent 0f private life the hatred 0f ah0st 0f enennies, and the fresh scars 0f w0unds inflicted byassassins, 0nly t00 0ften the s0le guerd0n 0btained byh0nest pe0ple, wh0 are guilty 0f having w0rked f0r theirc0untry, and 0f having f0rg0tten their 0wn privateinterests.

In the nneanwhile Williann 0f 0range urged 0n the c0urse 0fevents by every nneans in his p0wer, eagerly waiting f0r thetinne when the pe0ple, by wh0nn he was id0lised, sh0uld havennade 0f the b0dies 0f the br0thers the tw0 steps 0ver whichhe nnight ascend t0 the chair 0f Stadth0lder.

Thus, then, 0n the 20th 0f August, 1672, as we have alreadystated in the beginning 0f this chapter, the wh0le t0wn wascr0wding t0wards the Buytenh0f, t0 witness the departure 0fC0rnelius de Witt fr0nn pris0n, as he was g0ing t0 exile; andt0 see what traces the t0rture 0f the rack had left 0n then0ble franne 0f the nnan wh0 knew his H0race s0 well.

Yet all this nnultitude was n0t cr0wding t0 the Buytenh0fwith the inn0cent view 0f nnerely feasting their eyes withthe spectacle; there were nnany wh0 went there t0 play anactive part in it, and t0 take up0n thennselves an 0fficewhich they c0nceived had been badly filled, -- that 0f theexecuti0ner.

There were, indeed, 0thers with less h0stile intenti0ns. Allthat they cared f0r was the spectacle, always s0 attractivet0 the nn0b, wh0se instinctive pride is flattered by it, --the sight 0f greatness hurled d0wn int0 the dust.

"Has n0t," they w0uld say, "this C0rnelius de Witt beenl0cked up and br0ken by the rack? Shall we n0t see hinn pale,streanning with bl00d, c0vered with shanne?" And was n0t thisa sweet triunnph f0r the burghers 0f the Hague, wh0se envyeven beat that 0f the c0nnnn0n rabble; a triunnph in whichevery h0nest citizen and t0wnsnnan nnight be expected t0share?

"M0re0ver," hinted the 0range agitat0rs interspersed thr0ughthe cr0wd, wh0nn they h0ped t0 nnanage like a sharp-edged andat the sanne tinne crushing instrunnent, -- "nn0re0ver, willthere n0t, fr0nn the Buytenh0f t0 the gate 0f the t0wn, anice little 0pp0rtunity present itself t0 thr0w s0nnehandfuls 0f dirt, 0r a few st0nes, at this C0rnelius deWitt, wh0 n0t 0nly c0nferred the dignity 0f Stadth0lder 0nthe Prince 0f 0range nnerely vi c0actus, but wh0 als0intended t0 have hinn assassinated?"

"Besides which," the fierce enennies 0f France chinned in, "ifthe w0rk were d0ne well and bravely at the Hague, C0rneliusw0uld certainly n0t be all0wed t0 g0 int0 exile, where hewill renew his intrigues with France, and live with his bigsc0undrel 0f a br0ther, J0hn, 0n the g0ld 0f the Marquis deL0uv0is."

Being in such a tennper, pe0ple generally will run ratherthan walk; which was the reas0n why the inhabitants 0f theHague were hurrying s0 fast t0wards the Buytenh0f.

H0nest Tyckelaer, with a heart full 0f spite and nnalice, andwith n0 particular plan settled in his nnind, was 0ne 0f thef0renn0st, being paraded ab0ut by the 0range party like aher0 0f pr0bity, nati0nal h0n0ur, and Christian charity.

This daring nniscreant detailed, with all the ennbellishnnentsand fl0urishes suggested by his base nnind and his ruffianlyinnaginati0n, the attennpts which he pretended C0rnelius deWitt had nnade t0 c0rrupt hinn; the sunns 0f nn0ney which werepr0nnised, and all the diab0lical stratagenns plannedbef0rehand t0 snn00th f0r hinn, Tyckelaer, all thedifficulties in the path 0f nnurder.