deputation should be expedited, but then [he said] there was still six
months time, and that all that was proper and necessary could be put
upon a sheet of paper. Many reports also were spread among the people,
and it was sought principally by means of the English to prevent the
college of the Nine Men from doing anything; but as these intrigues
were discovered, and it was therefore manifest that this could not
be effected, so in order to make a diversion, many suits were brought
against those who were considered the ringleaders. They were accused
and then prosecuted by the fiscaal and other suborned officers, who
made them out to be the greatest villains in the country, where shortly
before they had been known as the best people and dearest children. At
this time an opportunity presented itself, which the Director was as
glad to have, at least as he himself said, as his own life. At the
beginning of the year 1649, clearly perceiving that we would not
only have much to do about the deputation but would hardly be able to
accomplish it, we deemed it necessary to make regular memoranda for the
purpose of furnishing a journal from them at the proper time. This duty
was committed to one Adriaen vander Donck, who by a resolution adopted
at the same time was lodged in a chamber at the house of one Michael
Jansz. The General on a certain occasion when Vander Donck was out of
the chamber, seized this rough draft with his own hands, put Vander
Donck the day after in jail, called together the great Council, accused
him of having committed crimen laesae majestatis, and took up the matter
so warmly, that there was no help for it but either the remonstrance
must be drawn up in concert with him (and it was yet to be written,)
or else the journal--as Mine Heer styled the rough draft from which the
journal was to be prepared--was of itself sufficient excuse for action;
for Mine Heer said there were great calumnies in it against Their High
Mightinesses, and when we wished to explain it and asked for it, to
correct the errors, (as the writer did not wish to insist upon it and
said he knew well that there were mistakes in it, arising from haste and
other similar causes, in consequence of his having had much to do and
not having read over again the most of it,) our request was called a
libel which was worthy of no answer, and the writer of which it was
intended to punish as an example to others. In fine we could not make
it right in any way.