1625 - Frederick Henry
Maurice had never married and he was succeeded by his half-brother Frederick Henry, son of Louise de Coligny. Frederick Henry, (1584-1647), prince of Orange, a Dutch soldier and statesman, was the youngest son of William I, stadholder of Netherlands.
These were the most prosperous and brilliant days of the Dutch state, under the stadtholdership of Frederick Henry (1625-1647). Abroad its navigators monopolized the commerce of the world, and explored nnknown seas; at home the Dutch school of painting reached its acme in Rembrandt (1607-1669); and the philological reputation of the country was sustained by Grotius, Vossius, and the elder Heinsius.
He was “ the father of his soldiers,” but he was still more famous as one of the authors of the Treaty of Munster which closed the Thirty Years’ War and finally established the place of Holland in the family of nations. Up to his time the Stadtholders had only been styled Excellency; in 1637 Richelieu addressed him as Your Highness, and all the rest of the world followed suit.
His father, William of Orange,was essentially a statesman rather than a soldier, while his brother Maurice was a soldier rather than a statesman. Frederick himself, perhaps the greatest member of his House, was both. If Maurice had been the ruler of a large country he would very probably have added his name to the list of great conquerors. The merit of Frederick Henry was in attaining the utmost possible results within the limits of his resources.
Frederick Henry, inheriting courteous manners from both mother and father, had learned much about war from his brother, of whom he was a great admirer. From the campaign of 1600 he was fully initiated into the great general's military plans and ideas, and had been formed entirely in his school. Carefully educated under his excellent mother's guidance and by the intelligent Uyttenbogaert, he had broader views than his brother, and an eye for other than military affairs. His intellectual culture was not so exceptional as some of his panegyrists would have us believe, but he manifested interest in art and literature, so far as the camp and politics allowed him time.
He was mild in his judgment of others, without the passion of party, noble toward his enemies, generous toward those he deemed worthy of his friendship and confidence. His diplomatic utterances and art of concealing his true meaning sometimes conveyed the impression of hypocrisy. His wife was a gifted woman, although she cannot be exonerated from a love of power and pelf, from a certain inclination to intrigue. The birth, on May 26, 1626, of their son, who was to bear the name of William, was celebrated as an event of national importance.
The beginning of his stadtholdership was not so brilliant. The large army designed for the relief of besieged Breda failed to drive the strongly intrenched Spinola away and had soon to withdraw, while Mansfeld's weakened forces encamped in the territory of Julich. Breda was forced to capitulate in May, 1625, its garrison marching out with the honours of war. The sensation produced by the loss of the important fortress was profound, as is manifest in contemporary pamphlets and other writings. There was some thought of an agreement with Spain, and the prince appeared not averse to it.
Frederick Henry continued the war in which his father was engaged and with better fortune. He captured Grol in 1627 and Bois le Duc two years later, but it was not until 1637 that he recovered Breda. He was the friend of Richelieu and the ally of Gustavus Adolphus, but his tolerance was not great enough to propitiate Richelieu.
Richelieu showed slight desire to engage in a great European war and negotiated secretly with Spain until a pacific agreement was speedily reached. An alliance between France and the Netherlands soon appeared impossible, and Sommelsdijk left Paris in April without attaining his object. The Huguenots had been sacrificed without receiving the price hoped for, and Sommelsdijk had been overreached by the crafty cardinal.
The alliance with England also did not answer expectation. The king of England had formed it more from personal enmity to Spain than from political considerations, and Parliament was not disposed by strong financial support to make the war really possible. Money could only be secured for it with difficulty, not even by pledging the jewels of the royal family, upon which Buckingham was unable to get a loan at Amsterdam. Under the circumstances, England's part in the war was limited chiefly to privateering upon not very extensive a scale.
A combined expedition of English and Dutch ships to the Spanish coast, undertaken in the fall to intercept the Spanish silver fleet from the West Indies, did not accomplish its purpose; an attack upon Cadiz was a complete failure; and a new Netherlandish fleet was very slowly equipped in the spring of 1626 owing to lack of money, bad management, and domestic discord. In Friesland dissensions prevented the regular collection of the taxes, and Zealand declared its inability to pay the excessive imposts.
The Remonstrants placed all their hopes upon Frederick Henry. Knowing his slight sympathy for the other party, they expected everything from him after his advancement, while their opponents were far from assured about his intentions with regard to religion. But the cautious prince was too much of a statesman to lend himself to thorough measures in favor of the weaker party, knowing well that he would thereby rouse the opposition of the preachers and people, and would make the recently ended contest break out again.
By 1630 the Remonstrants were soon holding meetings everywhere, no attention being paid to the prohibitory edicts. Hundreds of them came together without fear of the murmuring multitude or of the Calvinistic town councils, which even at The Hague dared not prevent these meetings. "Moderation, moderation!" was the prince's usual reply, when he was requested to use his military power to enforce the ecclesiastical laws.
No doubt the Dutch had lost patience with what was considered the trimming attitude of the Flemings towards Spain, and Holland came thus to regard Belgium very much as Ulster looks down on Munster. The times were not favorable to toleration, and men judged one another by hard and immovable tests. Frederick Henry died in the year of the treaty, indeed before it was signed; and he was succeeded by his only son William, second of his name in Holland, who had married our King Charles I’s daughter.
