Hampton Court ... Illustrated with forty-three drawings by Herbert ...

100
HAMPTON COURT
citizens of the Republic. He did nothing of the
kind."
Again he continues: " The death of John de Witt
ought to win him forgiveness for many faults. It is
still a problem which history has not solved, What
was the part which William had in that catastrophe?
Theresponsibility seems nevertheless to be considerable,
if we consider the amnesty granted by the Prince to
the assassins, and particularly the liberality with which
he pensioned the surgeon, Tichelaar. Such crimes
would sully the fairest life, and the death of John de
Witt remains an ineffaceable stain on the history of
William III."
Take another case. When the peace ot Nimeguen
had been signed four days, thePrince, who was strongly
adverse to it, attacked Marshal Luxembourg, and a
bloody battle took place — the lives lost being thrown
away without the slightest gain. The Prince declared
in the most solemn manner that he did not hear the
news of the peace until the next day. It has, however,
been proved that the news of the peace having been
absolutely decided upon was known in his camp and
by him the day before.
In the matter of Glencoe, probably not many people
have been misled by Macaulay's sophistical explanation.
It may be well, however, to mention the facts of the
case. From the correspondence to which Macaulay
himself refers it can be proved that William took
the keenest interest in the minute details of the
negotiations with the Highlanders. On the 9th of