Черный тюльпан
Cornelius van Baerle’s Will
TheparcelwasputintomyhandsinthewayIhavedescribed;IvowbeforeGodthatIwas,andamstill,ignorantofitscontents,andthatitwasnotuntilmyarrestthatIlearnedthatthisdepositwasthecorrespondenceoftheGrandPensionarywiththeMarquisdeLouvois.Andlastly,IvowandprotestthatIdonotunderstandhowanyoneshouldhaveknownthatthisparcelwasinmyhouse;and,aboveall,howIcanbedeemedcriminalforhavingreceivedwhatmyillustriousandunfortunategodfatherbroughttomyhouse.”
ThiswasVanBaerle’swholedefence;afterwhichthejudgesbegantodeliberateontheverdict.
Theyconsideredthateveryoffshootofcivildiscordismischievous,becauseitrevivesthecontestwhichitistheinterestofalltoputdown.
Oneofthem,whoborethecharacterofaprofoundobserver,laiddownashisopinionthatthisyoungman,sophlegmaticinappearance,mustinrealitybeverydangerous,asunderthisicyexteriorhewassuretoconcealanardentdesiretoavengehisfriends,theDeWitts.
Anotherobservedthattheloveoftulipsagreedperfectlywellwiththatofpolitics,andthatitwasprovedinhistorythatmanyverydangerousmenwereengagedingardening,justasifithadbeentheirprofession,whilstreallytheyoccupiedthemselveswithperfectlydifferentconcerns;witnessTarquintheElder,whogrewpoppiesatGabii,andtheGreatCondé,whowateredhiscarnationsatthedungeonofVincennesattheverymomentwhentheformermeditatedhisreturntoRome,andthelatterhisescapefromprison.
