Cornelius van Baerle’s Will
Rosahadnotbeenmistaken;thejudgescameonthefollowingdaytotheBuytenhof,andproceededwiththetrialofCorneliusvanBaerle.Theexamination,however,didnotlastlong,ithavingappearedonevidencethatCorneliushadkeptathishousethatfatalcorrespondenceofthebrothersDeWittwithFrance.
Hedidnotdenyit.
Theonlypointaboutwhichthereseemedanydifficultywaswhetherthiscorrespondencehadbeenintrustedtohimbyhisgodfather,CorneliusdeWitt.
Butas,sincethedeathofthosetwomartyrs,VanBaerlehadnolongeranyreasonforwithholdingthetruth,henotonlydidnotdenythattheparcelhadbeendeliveredtohimbyCorneliusdeWitthimself,buthealsostatedallthecircumstancesunderwhichitwasdone.
Thisconfessioninvolvedthegodsoninthecrimeofthegodfather;manifestcomplicitybeingconsideredtoexistbetweenCorneliusdeWittandCorneliusvanBaerle.
Thehonestdoctordidnotconfinehimselftothisavowal,buttoldthewholetruthwithregardtohisowntastes,habits,anddailylife.Hedescribedhisindifferencetopolitics,hisloveofstudy,ofthefinearts,ofscience,andofflowers.Heexplainedthat,sincethedaywhenCorneliusdeWitthandedtohimtheparcelatDort,hehimselfhadnevertouched,norevennoticedit.
Tothisitwasobjected,thatinthisrespecthecouldnotpossiblybespeakingthetruth,sincethepapershadbeendepositedinapressinwhichbothhishandsandhiseyesmusthavebeenengagedeveryday.