FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   3746   3747   3748   3749   3750   3751   3752   3753   3754   3755   3756   3757   3758   3759   3760   3761   3762   3763   3764   3765   3766   3767   3768   3769   3770  
3771   3772   3773   3774   3775   3776   3777   3778   3779   3780   3781   3782   3783   3784   3785   3786   3787   3788   3789   3790   3791   3792   3793   3794   3795   >>   >|  
The famous engraver Visser executed a likeness on copper-plate of the grim malefactor as he appeared in his boor's disguise. The portrait, accompanied by a fiercely written broadsheet attacking the Remonstrant Church, had a great circulation, and deepened the animosity against the sect upon which the unfrocked preacher had sworn vengeance. His evil face and fame thus became familiar to the public, while the term Hendrik Slaet became a proverb at pot-houses, being held equivalent among tipplers to shirking the bottle. Korenwinder, the treasurer of the association, coming to visit Stoutenburg soon after van Dyk had left him, was informed of the discovery of the plot and did his best to escape, but was arrested within a fortnight's time. Stoutenburg himself acted with his usual promptness and coolness. Having gone straightway to his brother to notify him of the discovery and to urge him to instant flight, he contrived to disappear. A few days later a chest of merchandise was brought to the house of a certain citizen of Rotterdam, who had once been a fiddler, but was now a man of considerable property. The chest, when opened, was found to contain the Seigneur de Stoutenburg, who in past times had laid the fiddler under obligations, and in whose house he now lay concealed for many days, and until the strictness with which all roads and ferries in the neighbourhood were watched at first had somewhat given way. Meantime his cousin van der Dussen had also effected his escape, and had joined him in Rotterdam. The faithful fiddler then, for a thousand florins, chartered a trading vessel commanded by one Jacob Beltje to take a cargo of Dutch cheese to Wesel on the Rhine. By this means, after a few adventures, they effected their escape, and, arriving not long afterwards at Brussels, were formally taken under the protection of the Archduchess Isabella. Stoutenburg afterwards travelled in France and Italy, and returned to Brussels. His wife, loathing his crime and spurning all further communication with him, abandoned him to his fate. The daughter of Marnix of Sainte-Aldegonde had endured poverty, obscurity, and unmerited obloquy, which had become the lot of the great statesman's family after his tragic end, but she came of a race that would not brook dishonour. The conspirator and suborner of murder and treason, the hirer and companion of assassins, was no mate for her. Stoutenburg hesitated for years as to his future career
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   3746   3747   3748   3749   3750   3751   3752   3753   3754   3755   3756   3757   3758   3759   3760   3761   3762   3763   3764   3765   3766   3767   3768   3769   3770  
3771   3772   3773   3774   3775   3776   3777   3778   3779   3780   3781   3782   3783   3784   3785   3786   3787   3788   3789   3790   3791   3792   3793   3794   3795   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Stoutenburg

 

escape

 

fiddler

 

Rotterdam

 

Brussels

 

effected

 

discovery

 

cheese

 

Beltje

 

engraver


famous

 

formally

 

Visser

 

arriving

 

commanded

 

adventures

 

trading

 

watched

 

likeness

 

neighbourhood


strictness

 
ferries
 

Meantime

 

cousin

 

thousand

 

florins

 
chartered
 
protection
 
faithful
 
joined

Dussen

 

executed

 

vessel

 

Isabella

 

dishonour

 
conspirator
 
family
 

tragic

 

suborner

 

murder


hesitated

 

future

 

career

 

treason

 
companion
 

assassins

 

statesman

 
loathing
 

spurning

 

communication