and the admiral taken prisoner by the English under Admiral Duncan. De Winter was in a few months liberated by exchange ; and his conduct in the battle was declared by a council of investigation to have nobly main tained the honour of the Dutch flag. He held the post of minister-plenipotentiary to the French republic from 1798 to 1802, when he reassumed the command of the Dutch fleet. He was employed in suppressing the piracies of the Tripolitans, and negotiated a treaty of peace with the Government. He enjoyed the confidence of Louis Bonaparte, king of Holland, and afterwards of the emperor Napoleon I. By the former he was created count of Huessen and made commander-in-chief of his armies by sea and land ; and by the latter he was named grand officer of the Legion of Honour, inspector-general of the coasts of the North Sea, and in 1811 commander of the Texel fleet. De Winter died at Paris, June 2, 1812, and his remains were buried in the Pantheon at the public expense.
DE WITT, CORNELIUS (1623-1672), brother of the
more celebrated John De Witt, was born at Dort in 1623.
In 1650 he became burgomaster of his native town, and
member of the states of Holland and West Friesland. He
was throughout life closely associated with his brother,
whose opinions he shared, and whom he supported with
great ability and vigour. Of the eight deputies appointed
in 1672 to accompany the naval and military commanders,
lie was the one selected to go with De Ruyter, and in
action he displayed remarkable courage, as he had done
under similar circumstances in 1667. Compelled by sick
ness to leave the fleet, he found on his return to Dort that
the revocation of the Perpetual Edict had been signed by
ius fellow magistrates. He was forced in his sick-room to
follow their example, but added after his name the initials
V.C. (vi coactits). See next article.
DE WITT, JOHN (1625-1672), an illustrious Dutch
statesman, was born at Dort in 1625. He was carefully
educated, and early displayed remarkable talents. A work
entitled Mementa Linearum Curvarum, published in 1650,
is attributed to him. His father was a member of the
States General of Holland and West Friesland, and well
known as a bitter opponent of the house of Orange, which
had gradually acquired almost regal functions. William II.,
prince of Orange, died in 1650; and as his son, afterwards
William III. of England, was an infant, the Republican
party easily won predominance. De Witt was made
pensionary of Dort, and in that position so distinguished
himself by his eloquence, firmness, and sagacity, that in
1652, although only twenty-seven years of age, he became
grand pensionary of Holland. He held this position
for about twenty years, during which he controlled the
policy of the United Provinces. He inherited his father s
intense jealousy of the Orange family, and steadily laboured
to prevent it from ever again rising to power. When he
became grand pensionary the United Provinces were at
war with England. He had always disapproved of this
conflict, and in 1654 succeeded in bringing about peace,
conceding to Cromwell his demands with respect to the
honours due to the English flag. The treaty included a
secret article providing that no member of the house of
Orange should in future be elected stadtholder or grand
admiral. De Witt was afterwards accused of having
suggested this condition to Cromwell ; but the latter was
also opposed to the claims of a family which was nearly
allied to the Stuarts.
After the restoration of Charles II., who had been
exposed to many affronts during his residence in Holland,
De Witt cultivated the friendship of France; and in 1661
a treaty was concluded by which that country and the
United Provinces granted to each other freedom of
commerce in their respective ports, the Dutch guarantee
ing to the French the possession of Dunkirk, and the
French guaranteeing to the Dutch the right of fishing off
the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. The latter provi
sion caused much irritation in England ; and it was
increased by the incessant quarrels of English and Dutch
merchants on the Guinea Coast, each desiring to have a
monopoly in the trade of slaves and gold dust. War was
declared in 1665 ; and in a battle off Lowestoft the Dutch
fleet was defeated, the remnant taking shelter in the Texel.
Antwerp was the only port at which it could be refitted,
and the most experienced pilots decided that it was
impossible the vessels could be removed thither. De Witt
himself, however, with splendid courage, undertook the
task, and not only accomplished it, but in a very short
time had the fleet once more ready for action. After two
more battles, in which the Dutch well sustained their fame
for skill and bravery, De Witt entered upon negotiations
which resulted in the Peace of Breda in 1667.
Meanwhile, by dint of severe labour, he introduced order
into the financial system of the country ; and in 1667 the
chief object of his life seemed to be attained, for owing to
his efforts a Perpetual Edict was passed proclaiming the
office of stadtholder for ever abolished. At this time,
however, a great danger threatened the Republic. In 1667
Louis XIV. invaded the Spanish Netherlands ; and it was
clear that if the war ended in the annexation of that
country to France it would be difficult to maintain the
independence of the United Provinces. De Witt made
secret but rapid preparations for resistance, and appealed to
England to support Holland in curbing French ambition.
Notwithstanding the prejudices of Charles II., Sir William
Temple was sent to propose an alliance between England,
Holland, and Sweden. De Witt entered so heartily into
this scheme that in the spring of 1668 the Triple Alliance
was concluded. Louis XIV. saw that for the time his
plans were foiled, and with as good a grace as possible
signed the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. At heart, however, he
bitterly resented the course which the States General,
guided by De Witt, had taken, and slowly prepared
for revenge. By artful diplomacy England and Sweden
were detached from the alliance, and several German
princes were persuaded to promise that they would join
France in an attack on Holland in order to restore certain
towns which, it was pretended, properly belonged to the
empire.
While Louis was maturing his plans the power of De
Witt was being steadily undermined. The Calvinist clergy,
who had always been his enemies, excited their congrega
tions against him and his party ; and, as the Prince of
Orange approached manhood, the people recalled the obliga ;
tions of the country to his ancestors, and freely expressed
doubts whether his rule would not be preferable to that of
nobles and wealthy burgesses. The state of public feeling
rendered it impossible for De Witt to make ready for the
approaching peril. When, therefore, France, England, and
the German allies of France proclaimed war against the
United Provinces in 1672, and it was found that no
effectual resistance could be offered to their attack, popular
indignation turned against the grand pensionary. The
Prince of Orange was appointed captain and admiral
general ; and De Witt could only secure that a council of
eight deputies of the States General should be associated
with the military and naval commanders, one to go with
De Ruyter, the other seven with Prince William. This
plan added to the confusion, and in a few months after the
declaration of war a large part of the country was overrun,
and the French were within five leagues of Amsterdam.
To save themselves the humiliation of surrender, the towns
of Holland and Brabant broke the dykes and laid the sur
rounding land under water.
