The Life of the Truly Eminent and Learned Hugo Grotius Part 35

In April 1623 he married Alida Grasvinkel. About this time a Dutchman was seized at Lillo, with letters from William Grotius to his brother.

It was expected that something would be found in them against the State, and they talked of nothing less than imprisoning him; but notwithstanding the malice of his enemies, they could not find the least pretext from these letters to trouble him. In the mean time William followed the profession of an Advocate with much success: Grotius compliments him on it in a letter of the 28th of November, 1625, in which he tells him, that the life he led in s.h.i.+ning at the bar was much more agreeable than that which is spent in public employments.

William Grotius wrote about this time the lives of the Advocates, under the t.i.tle of _Vitae Jurisconsultorum quorum in Pandectis exstant nomina, conscriptae a Gulielmo Grotio Jurisconsulto Delphensi_. He sent this book to his brother, who writes to him that he read it with pleasure, and was delighted to see a work which demonstrated his brother's genius, learning, and good sense.

William Grotius, whose marriage had prevented his going to France to see his brother, went thither however in 1629: he returned again to Holland.

William being desirous to have his brother's picture, Hugo had the complaisance to sit for it, and send it to him. The enmity of the Magistrates was still so violent at this time, that William made a mystery of this picture; in which Grotius thought he acted very prudently. In 1638 there was a talk of making William Grotius Pensionary of Delft. The conditions on which the place was offered did not suit him, and he declined it. This refusal was approved of by Grotius; for he writes to him, March 13, 1638, "As to the place of Pensionary of our native town, the more I think of it, the happier I imagine you in having got rid of it, and in preferring honour to profit: for in these times it would have been impossible to have preserved that place and your honour."

The East-India Company chose him for their Advocate in 1639. Grotius compliments his brother on it March 26, that year. "I always loved that Company, he says: I look upon it as the support of the Republic; and if I could be at present of any use to it, I would most gladly embrace the opportunity."

Grotius's writings concerning Antichrist were approved of by William and their Father. However, as there was reason to apprehend that the printing of these pieces might increase the number and animosity of his enemies, Grotius proposed to his Brother not to take upon him their publication, especially as he might easily find persons that were far from a factious spirit, who would willingly undertake it: but William Grotius ran the hazard of this publication, without being frightened at the consequences.

Grotius had always discovered great impatience when denied the tides of honour due to the Amba.s.sadors of crowned heads. He imagined it to be the consequence of a plot of his enemies to depreciate him. William did not approve of his brother's great heat on this subject: and thought there was reason to presume that it was owing rather to inattention, than a premeditated design. Grotius, whose mildness of temper was greatly altered by his late disputes with the Reformed Ministers, as Henry de Villeneuve observes in a letter to the Abbe Barcellini, was much dissatisfied with his brother's manner of excusing those of whom he thought he had reason to complain; and wrote to him very sharply on this subject, December 12, 1643. "I imagine, says he, I see and hear you pleading at the Bar: you find reasons to excuse my enemies for things for which no body here excuses them: you blame me for things for which no body here blames me, nor will any others except your Dutchmen. It is fit that I should support my dignity: the thing is done on purpose; and the Swedes, whom it concerns, would be offended with me if I acted otherwise. I would therefore ask of you, for the future to address the letters you receive for me to my wife; and I shall afterwards see what is to be done."

This small altercation did not interrupt the friends.h.i.+p of the two brothers, nor their correspondence by letters, which continued till Grotius's death.

William, besides the book we have already mentioned, wrote another on the law of nature, ent.i.tled, _Willelmi Grotii de principiis Juris Naturalis Enchiridion_. This work is much inferior to the treatise _Of War and Peace_. However, it has its merit, and is particularly valuable for containing in a small compa.s.s all the principles of Natural Law clearly displayed.

Grotius had still another brother, named Francis, who was the second son of John Grotius. He died young. Grotius wrote a Poem on his death, and a consolatory piece in Prose and Verse to his Father: they are both in the collection of his Poems.

John Grotius had a daughter of fine accomplishments. Grotius acquaints us[773], that she wrote an useful book on Widowhood, which was very well done. The design of this work was not to condemn second marriages, but only to shew that it was more becoming a reasonable woman to content herself with having had one husband. After her death it was proposed to print it; and Grotius, to make it a more considerable book, translated into Dutch three treatises of Tertullian, one of St. Ambrose, two of St.

Chrysostome, and three of St. Jerom, on the same subject. We have not learnt whether this Collection was ever published.

The END of the SIXTH and LAST BOOK.

FOOTNOTES:

[735] See the Testimonia at the end of Le Clerc's edition of the treatise on the truth of the Christian religion, p. 344. & 351.

[736] Ep. 195. p. 813.

[737] Ep. 253. p. 832.

[738] Ep. 368. p. 859. & 369. p 860.

[739] Ep. 419. p. 875.

[740] Ep. 421. p. 876.

[741] Ep. 936 p. 415

[742] Ep. 1129. p. 510. & 1133. p. 512.

[743] Ep. 506. p. 885. 465. p. 886. 1371. p. 623

[744] Ep. 1607. p. 716. 1616. p. 717. 537. p. 916. 670. p. 958. & 678.

p. 960.

[745] Ep. 714. p. 968.

[746] Ep. 1746. p. 746. & 720. p. 970.

[747] Ann. de Basnage, t. 1. p. 700.

[748] Ep. 64. p. 773. 68. p. 774. & 72. p. 776.

[749] Ep. 258. p. 833.

[750] Ep. 324. p. 115.

[751] Ep. 326. p. 849.

[752] Ep. 353. p. 855.

[753] Ep. 357. p. 856.

[754] Ep. 364. p. 858. & 369. p. 860.

[755] Ep. 573. p. 225.

[756] Ep. 406. p. 870.

[757] Ep. 421. p. 876.

[758] Ep. 425. p. 876.

[759] Ep. 426. p. 877.

[760] Ep. 946. p. 419.

[761] See Book I. -- 16.

[762] Ep. 455. p. 883. & 465. p. 887.

[763] Ep. 469. p. 887.

[764] Ep. 492. p. 896.

[765] Ep. 537. p. 916.

[766] Ep. 542. p. 918.

[767] Ep. 553. p. 924.

[768] Ep. 555. p. 925.

[769] Ep. 588. p. 933.

[770] Ep. 641. p. 949.