A true DISCOVERY OF THOSE TREASONS of which Geilis Van Ledenberch was a Practiser against the general States of the united Netherland provinces; Through the Aduise, and Assistance of John van Olden barnevelt. And For which( after Arraignment, Sentence, and Iudgement) execution was done on the dead body of the said LEDENBERCH, after he had most inhumanly murdered himself, through the guiltiness, and horror of his conscience. As also a copy of barnevelts last Letter to his Wife, and Children.  
LONDON Printed by E. Griffin for N. Butter and are to be sold at his shop near Saint Austins gate. 1619.   

THE PRINTERS privilege.  
THe States general of the united Netherland provinces, haue granted and given licence unto Hillebrant jacobson sworn Printer unto the said States in general, and to the States of Holland in particular, and by these presents give and grant licence unto him, that he onely for the space of two yeares next ensuing shall and may print and give forth in Dutch, the iudgement by the Iudges appointed thereunto by the said States given vpon Geilis van Ledenberch, sometime secretary to the States of utrecht, and executed vpon his dead body on the 15. of May, 1619. stilo novo. Prohibiting all and every Printer in general and particular, as also all the inhabitants of the said united provinces, to print or cause to be printed, or sold, the said Sentence, or Iudgement within the time aforesaid, vpon pain of the loss of the said books; and further of the penalty of 300. carolus gueldens; The one third part thereof to be given to the Officer that shall make seizure of the same; the second third part to the poor; and the last third part to the use of the said Hillebrant jacobson.  
given at the assembly of the said States general in graven Hage the 16. of May, anno 1619. Stilo novo. I: van DORT v': By order from the said States in general. C: AERSSENS.  
No Copies hereof shall be authentic but onely those that are printed by the said Hillebrant jacobson.   


THE CONFESSION, Arraignment, and Iudgement of Gielis van Ledenberch sometimes secretary to the States of utrecht: Together with the Execution done on his dead body, vpon the 15. of May, anno 1619. Stilo novo.  

GIELIS van LEDENBERCH sometime secretary to the States of utrecht, being committed to prison by the general States of the united Netherland provinces, without rack or any bodily torments, confessed unto the Commissioners thereunto appointed by the said general States,( as the Iudges by the said States thereunto ordained, for the deciding of the said process) by his said confession and otherwise found to be true.   

1  
That notwithstanding that the united Netherland provinces, by diuers and several treaties, agreements, conclusions, instructions, and resolutions, were bound with body, life, and goods to maintain and uphold the reformed religion by them received, and preached within the said united provinces; and not to alter the same, nor cause or suffer any alteration therein to be made: He the said Ledenberch, sought to do the contrary, and to that end induced strange, and most dangerous maxims for the State of the Land, and withall maintained that each particular province, had power and authority of itself in their several provinces, at their pleasure, to exercise and use what religion they will, without any consent or authority from the other provinces in general, and under pretence thereof, sought to perturb and vex the true reformed Church, and to that end invented the means, that diuers new and strange opinions, against the order of the reformed religion, were brought into the same, and many rigorous resolutions executed, and put in practise against those of the true reformed religion, that went and exercised the same their religion, in public Churches without the town and province of utrecht, and to that end he the said Ledenberch, then being secretary to the States of utrecht,( having nothing to do with the politic State of the town) caused a sharp and bitter Proclamation or Edict( contrary to his vocation) to be made, and in the name of the Magistrate of utrecht to be published, against those of the reformed religion. Against whom he proceeded in such sharp and bitter manner, that he termed them to be mutinous and factious persons, and their assemblies to bee riotous meetings. And notwithstanding that the KING of Great britain, and the most part of the provinces, and members of the unity,( for the extirping of the differences in religion) thought it fit and necessary to call and summon a national synod, which accordingly was by the said States general published and proclaimed; He devised the means, that the States of the province of utrecht, refused to consent and agree thereunto. And perceiving that he could not uphold and maintain his innovation of religion, without that he and his complices armed themselves against the united States, because the ordinary Souldiers that then lay in the garrisons, were bound by oath, onely to bee true unto those that maintained and upheld the true reformed religion, and that diuers towns in Holland agreeing together with him, and others of the government of utrecht, for the maintenance of the innovation of religion, had consented unto a resolute determination dated the 4. of August 1617. by the power and force thereof to arm and strengthen themselves with new companies of Souldiers, as also that John van olden barnevelt as then advocate or councillor of Holland, at that time was come to utrecht; He the said Ledenberch, held certain secret conferences with the said barnevelt, and thereby agreed presently to take up new companies of Souldiers in utrecht, at the first moving the same unto some of his particular Confederates, and after in the Counsell-chamber of the said town, before and among some of the government thereof by him, of his own authority warned to appear there at an unaccustomed time, with whom he debated and determined thereupon without the knowledge of others the council of the said town, whom he disinherited, and against whom he in the said assembly alleged certain causes and reasons of suspicion to be had of them, naming in the register of the said secret assembly some to be present, that were not there, and omitting to name others, that then personally appeared. And when the Bourghemasters of utrecht,( who by no means would agree to the taking up and raising of new Souldiers, without the consent of the States) sought to dissuade them from it, with a very impertinent demand,( whether they would cause the town bell to that end to be rung, and put it to the popular voice) he found the means, that without any further deliberation, onely by the States within the town, it was decreed and determined, that 600. new Souldiers should be taken up, there within the town of utrecht, in six companies, which was likewise put in effect, without once giuing any intelligence thereof unto the general States, or his excellency as their State-holder and captain general, nor yet joining the said new Souldiers then taken up,( by the advice and counsel of the said barnevelt) by oath with the garrisons then in service of the States, but binding them by a particular oath to be obedient onely to the States of utrecht, and to employ themselves in the service( both within and without utrecht, as well by water as by land) of the said States of utrecht, or of their good neighbours, friends, and complices, and not to respect or regard any other commandment, then that onely which should be given them by the said States of utrecht. Not regarding nor respecting that the town of utrecht ever since anno 1610. was still burdened with a great garrison of the general States Souldiers, and very well furnished and provided against all popular troubles and uproars: And further that the security of the said town by order from the counsel of Estate, in the same year was remitted and reserved to the generality; he the said Ledenberch himself acknowledging and confessing, that the said levying of Souldiers, was made against the rest of the united provinces whom they held to be their Aduersaries.   

2  
That the better to move the said States, to the willing and ready raising of the said Souldiers he made them beleeue and persuaded them, that the charge thereof should be born by the generality, or for want therof, that some of the ordinary Souldiers under the States general should not be paid their wages.   

3  
And when, the general States, by letters sent unto the States of utrecht writ unto them, of the unlawful, and disorderly, and suspicious manner of taking, and raising of those new Souldiers: He, by the advice of the said barnevelt, vpon the 6. of September 1617. made and drew an answer unto them in no sort agreeing with that by the which the new Souldiers were levied.   

4  
And although the said States general once again expressly sent to utrecht, to signify their dislikes and opinions of the aforesaid unreasonable, and suspicious raising of new Souldiers, and to take away and avoid all manner of pretences, to tell them, that they should not without their consents lessen the garrison there, but rather( if need were) to increase the same, at their own discretion, he found means, that the States of utrecht refused their said aduise, and still kept and maintained the new Souldiers, to the great charge and expense of the said province.   

5  
And having in this manner brought the Sates of utrecht to undertake war against the rest of the united provinces, and his excellency, he according to the foresaid aduise and conference, with the said barnevelt, dealt in such manner, that vpon report made that his excellency, was to come, and to pass by utrecht, resolved to writ a letter unto his said excellency, thereby,( notwithstanding the contradiction of some of the States of the town and that he was their State holder,) desiring him not to come thither, but to take an other way, with aduise to wish him to follow their counsel therein: penning the letter in such manner, that his excellency thereby was taxed to be the favourer of those that went about to make popular commotion: by that means, the better to animate the States of utrecht against his said excellency.   

6  
That he was the cause that the said letter was kept a certain time at the Hage by Monsieur Moersberghen, and other committees there, unsealed, and many times renewed, until that in March 1618. his excellency was to go to the assembly in Gelderland, and then the said letter was again renewed, and sealed up, and that one copy thereof was sent to the Deputies then resident in the Hage, to be delivered to his excellency if he were not gone from thence, and that the like letter was delivered unto his said excellency at Leyderdorp, by Ter Stege, clerk to the States of utrecht: And fearing that his excellency should nevertheless come thither, he determined, to sand certain Deptities to the same end to meet with him in the way, to divert him, or else that the gates should be shut against him. And lastly, that if he entred into the town, he should be so well guarded with shot, that none of the true reformed religion, should haue access unto him, having procured so much that at the same time it was resolved, and after effected, that 300. new souldiers more were there raised and entertained.   

7  
Then he also, of his own authority, sent watches out to Hinderdame and other places, there to arrest and stay all Souldiers that were at his Excellencies command that should pass there by, and not suffer them to go that way: and also sent some to Amersforth, with charge to inquire when his Excellencies troupe of Horse-men, lying there in garrison should come thither.   

8  
That also in the town of utrecht he obtained liberty to haue 4. pieces of great Ordinance ready, to use them when occasion served, thereby to animate the said States of utrecht to resistance.   

9  
That certain Propositions or Articles, made by the Magistrates of Hoerlem, were sent by committees from the States of utrecht, to the said Ledenberch, at the assembly of the States of Holland and West freseland,& by him there presented, where by the said States, and others Deputies of towns they were approved and allowed, and afterward by letters from the said Deputies it was ordered, that their deliberation should be translated into French, and secretly sent into France, and other places out of the land; And that the same should import a new bond of unity, to be made and kept among the good and assured towns, which should be drawn into a contract in writing. And that the meaning of the said towns was, to draw other good towns into the same, all which their proceedings in their contract in that case, were termed fearful extremities, that might be procured by those of the true religion, he the said Prisoner keeping all these things secret, and not( according to his duty) once disclosed the same.   

10  
And when he understood, and had intelligence, that the eight united towns in Holland( the better to unite themselves, and to secure their state against the other united provinces, and his excellency, and so to make the greater resistance,) had made a certain severe and earnest Procuration, or act of league and sent it to their Deputies; He found the means, that the greatest number of the two third parts of the States of utrecht by voices agreed vpon the like procuration or act of league, and the other third part of them by report onely, and after drew and made the same; and gave it to Monsieur Moersberghen going to the Hage, as if it had been absolutely consented unto, and agreed vpon by all the members of the State, thereby, better to move and encourage the States of utrecht to the aforesaid resistance. But the Magistrates of utrecht perceiving their intent, expressly limited their commission, with this clause, that it should not be used, for the furtherance of present extremities, or for the making of new combinations or unities.   

11  
And for that the maintaining of new companies of souldiers, tended to the soaking and drawing dry of the means and treasure of the province of utrecht, and the confusion of their State: And that thereupon the said States were resolved, to sand a good number of Deputies,( and among the rest the said Ledenberch) to the Hage, to give his Excellency an overture, and to show him that the said States were content and willing to cashere the said new companies of Souldiers: He presently began to labour and to work against the said Commission; first going to the said barnevelt, and consulted with him how that that their Commission might be kept close and not opened: And after went to Vtenbogaert, where he instructed Haen the Pensionarie, Hogerbeth, and Grotius, by diuers arguments and reasons how to persuade the other Deputies of utrecht not to open their said Commission. Yet desiring that the same should onely be kept secret to his fellow committees and himself, making as though he knew nothing thereof. Whereby vpon the 25. of june 1618. Stilo veteri, at Daniel Tresels house, it being in question there, the Pensionarie aforesaid used the said reasons, and persuasions, thereby to move the rest of the Commissioners to grant thereunto, to whom he gave such an answer, that it seemed rather to tend unto the hindrance then furtherance of their aforesaid Commission: By which means he persuaded the better part of his fellow Commissioners so far, that they also( notwithstanding further reiteration made by the aforesaid States of utrecht to the contrary) did not open their Commission; but without doing any thing therein, went back again to utrecht, to the great hindrance of the States of the Land, and specially those of the town and territory of utrecht; onely vpon promise and hope of assistance made and given unto them by the aforesaid barnevelt and his aduise, that they should be constant and not once grant nor give consent to the synod, nor seek to discharge their new Souldiers, but rather to continue them still: and withall to haue a care of their watch, and the keeping of their gates for the safety of their town.   

12  
That he rather sought to follow that advice, then to fulfil and effect the Commission of his principal Commanders, and yet acknowledged, that he perceived that there was some sinister and bad meaning, and that he very well knew, that the said barnevelt, spake much to the prejudice of his excellency, as also that he took too much vpon him, but yet that by his great authority he ouer-ruld him.   

13  
That he also with others determined vpon strengthening of certain Forts& houses in the province of utrecht, as the house of Duersteed, the house of Abconde, and of Eem, as also of the town of Woerden out of the province of utrecht, lying in Holland.   

14  
That he did not as he ought to haue done, truly open and declare, the advises by Monsieur van Moersberghen sent unto him from the Hage, to the States of utrecht, but kept them secret to himself.   

15  
And when his excellency with diuers committees of the generality vpon the 23. of july 1618. were desired to go to utrecht, with Commission there to move the States of utrecht, to discharge their new souldiers, and to the consenting to the synod, or to cause the said cashering of the Souldiers to be done, and those of utrecht were advertised thereof, he found means to get Monsieur van Moersberghen to bee sent unto the Hage, from them of Holland,( following the aforesaid procuration) to seek for counsel against his said excellency, and the committees for the general States: although that before he could get to the Hage, the aforesaid barnevelt, contrary to his allegiance, had in the name of the States of Holland sent Hogerbeets the Pentionary, de Groot, and some others, to the same end: with whom the said Ledenberch having private conference, counseled them presently to crave audience, Giuing them advice what they should propound, which was to move them of utrecht to be of good courage, and that they should in the name of the States of Holland offer them present aid, and assistance both of men and means: which before the coming of his excellency and the committees thither, they did.   

16  
And that when they were come to utrecht, and had made their said Commission known, he the said Ledenberch, for an answer to their proposition, would not aclowledge them to be committees sent from the general States, notwithstanding that in quality thereof they had delivered their Commission to be seen, and made certain speeches in open audience tending to the same end.   

17  
That purposely to hinder his excellency and the other committees from effecting their Commission, he had secret conference with those that were sent out of Holland, to consult about the setting of the watch, for order to be taken that no other Souldiers should be brought into the town: That the Artillery men should watch in the town house, that certain places should be scized vpon and holden, whereby they might best defend the States chamber, and the town house; as also, to hold the White Nunnes bridge strong, and to place certain pieces of Ordinance vpon it, giuing captain Herteuelt commandment, over all the new Souldiers, with Commission to follow the commandment of the chief Bourghemaster of utrecht, giuing forth, that if they that were sent out of Holland, could so bring it to pass, that the Companies lying in the town, and under the Hollanders pay, would be quiet and stir not, that they had taken such an order with their new Souldiers, that they would bring their purpose well to pass.   

18  
That when the said Herteuelt perceiving that he should be employed against his excellency, and the general States, made difficulty thereof, he the said Ledenberch in a secret assembly, holden in an extraordinary place and at an vnconuenient time,  told him that it was a point of faintness in him, and that he should rather boldly enterprise the same, the better to move others thereunto, and that if any Souldiers made difficulty to serve in that manner, that inquiry should be made of them, that for an example to others they might be punished.   

19  
That he also promised them, to continue their entertainment, and that if they were cashered, that he would bring them to an other place, where they should be entertained, and yet he knew well, that such continuance of those new Souldiers, tended to the utter decreasing and consuming of the treasure of the united provinces.   

20  
That to make the said resistance firm, the day before the new Souldiers were cashered, he desired those that were sent out of Holland, to deliver their letters which they had, in the name of the States of Holland to the Commanders over the Souldiers that were in utrecht under the Hollanders pay; The contents thereof being, that the said Commanders, were bound and obliged to be faithful, true, and obedient, to their Paymasters, and the States of the respective provinces, wherein they were, or lay in garrison, and to aid and assist them in the maintaining and upholding of all their resolutions, without doing, or suffering any thing to be done to the contrary.   

21  
That to show his great desire and readiness, to the furtherance of the said resistance, vpon persuasion of some of them that came out of Holland, with all his might he withstood, that they of utrecht should enter into no further dealing with his excellency, giuing forth, that the State of utrecht could not bear it. All which his proceedings tended to no other end, then only to cut off all the ways and means of reformation, and in the mean time to stir up all the ordinary Souldiers, the new companies, and the Artillery men of the town against the States general and his excellency. Thereby to hinder and let the execution of their commission; and to annihilate their authority, so to find the means to make the town of utrecht a sink and puddle of blood, to bring the whole State of the Land, and his excellency into utter ruin, and destruction, and to open the door unto the breach of the unity made between the united Netherland provinces. And after that the cashering of the souldiers was done, by his excellency, fearing that the ground, and intent of those bad proceedings might come to light, he took the greatest part of the letters written unto him by diuers Deputies of the States, out of the Office, and sent them to the said Deputies again. And at last being apprehended, fearing least he should be compelled to discover and disclose the ground thereof, and to show the cause why such proceedings were in that sort used, and to what end the aforesaid design should at last haue come, as also to shun the punishment which he thereby had deserved, he purposed secretly to murder himself; And to that end, with premeditated courage, vpon the 17. of September 1618 Stilo veteri, he wrote a small letter in French with his own hand, the contents thereof being, that to shun and prevent confrontings with his best friends, torments, ignominious sentence, and confiscation of all his Lands and goods, he was determined to kill himself, giuing the letter to Ioost his son, that understood no French, and as then was suffered to be with him to help him, and so that, and the next day making no show at all of any bad intent, that way, between the 18. and 19. daies of September aforesaid, in the night he murdered himself, with a knife, some daies before laid purposely aside to that end, with two stabs in his belly, and cut off his— And for that all the actions aforesaid, manifestly tended to the overthrowing of the peace of the land, to break the principal bond of unity, to stir up the members thereof unto dissension, among themselves, and so not tolerable, but worthily to be punished for an example unto others. The aforesaid Iudges, by ripe deliberation and good aduise,( having considered and well weighed all the circumstances and points of the matter aforesaid,) In the behalf of the States general of the united Netherland provinces, declare and pronounce the aforesaid Gielis van Ledenberch for the same cause to haue deserved death and loss of all his goods, commanding and ordaining, that the dead body of the said Gielis should be laid in a coffin vpon a hurdle, and drawn to the place of execution without the Hage, and there to bee hanged vpon the gallows, declaring all his goods and lands to be confiscate.   
given by the said Iudges, in graven Hage, and pronounced the 15. of May, anno 1619. under written By order of the Iudges aforesaid. Signed H. POTZ.   

THE copy OF barnevelts last letter to his Wife and Children.  
VEry loving Wife and Children, I draw near unto my end, I am by the mercy of God at peace; I hope that ye likewise will be also, and endeavour to overcome all by sincere love, peace, and concord, which at this time, being my last prayer, I am praying for withall fervency. John frank, hath faithfully served me many yeares, as also in this my affliction, and will so continue with me till the end, he ought to be recommended, and either by yourselves or some others advanced to good condition: I pray you let it be so; I haue caused to beseech his Princely excellency that he would be pleased to continue you my sons and children in his favour: unto which he answered in general terms, that so long as ye comport yourselves well it shall be so; which I recommend unto you earnestly, and commend ye all unto Gods holy keeping: kiss each other, and all my childrens children on my behalf, as the last time; So fare ye well.  
From my doleful chamber the 13. of May 1619. and was signed. John van Ouldenbarneuelt.  
give John frank some thing in remembrance of me.   
FINIS.