even threatened, she confessed that she had caused him to be carried
to Gorcum in the book chest: and that she had done no more than kept her
word to him, to take the first opportunity of setting her husband at
liberty. The Commandant in a rage went immediately to Gorcum, and
acquainting the Magistrate with his prisoner's escape, both came to
Dazelaer's, where they found the empty chest. On his return to
Louvestein the Commandant confined Grotius's wife more closely: but
presenting a petition to the States-General, April 5, 1621, praying that
she might be discharged, and Prince Maurice, to whom it was
communicated, making no opposition, the majority were for setting her at
liberty. Some indeed voted for detaining her a prisoner; but they were
looked on as very barbarous, to want to punish a woman for an heroic
action. Two days after presenting the petition, she was discharged, and
suffered to carry away every thing that belonged to her in Louvestein.
Grotius continued some time at Antwerp. March 30, he wrote to the
States-General that in procuring his liberty he had employed neither
violence nor corruption with his keepers; that he had nothing to
reproach himself with in what he had done; that he gave those counsels
which he thought best for appeasing the troubles that had arisen before
he was concerned in public business; that he only obeyed the Magistrates
of Rotterdam his masters, and the States of Holland his sovereigns; and
that the persecution he had suffered would never diminish his love to
his Country, for whose prosperity he heartily prayed.

Grotius's escape exercised the pens of the most famous poets of that
period. Barlaeus wrote some very good verses on it[113]: and also
celebrated his wife's magnanimity[114]. Rutgersius composed a poem on
his imprisonment, in which he places the day of his arrest among the
most unfortunate for the Republic[115]. Grotius himself wrote some
verses on his happy deliverance, which were translated into Flemish by
the famous poet John Van Vondel. He made also some lines on the chest to
which he owed his liberty, and in the latter part of his life was at
great pains to recover it[116].

Henry Dupuis, a learned man settled at Louvain, being informed that
Grotius was at Antwerp, sent him a very handsome letter, to signify to
him the share he took in the general joy of all good men, and offered
him his house, and all that a true friend could give[117]: but Grotius
chose rather to c