A True RELATION At large of the whole PROCEEDINGS During the Imprifonment of Cornelius de VVitt 5 Old Burgermafter of the City of DO d^T, » . Js alfo the Sentence pajl upon him. TOGETHER With a full Account of tfie Maffacre committed upon the (aid Cornelim de Witt, and his Brother John de Witt , late Rate Pen- tionaries of Holland and W^ft-friefland, upon thezoth of Au&njl) at the Hague. mn^ LO ND ON,M 1 i Je £ Printed for RaUalTnyivr at theCiOwn in Little Britain. 1672- ■ a 1 k (I) A true Oblation at large of the Tfrbole Proceedings during the Impri/onment of Cornelius de Witt, old 'Burgerma/ler of Jthe City of Dort, Ruwaert of the Qountry of Putten, &c* \ . ■■ ' . , . William Tichelattr a Chirurgion , Inhabi- rant in Peirfhal, informing the Court of Jufticc, that the Hecr Cerrtelite* de Witt old Burghomafter of the City of Dort y Ritrvaert of the County of Patten, had contra&ed with him for a certain fum of Money, and other great Promifes, to make away the Prince of Orange, which being taken into deliberation by thofe of the Court, it was refolved at the Houfe of the Heer Prefident^ that Order fhould be given to the Advocate Fifcal and the other Officers, to tranfport themfelves to the City of Dart, to apprehend and bring with them the faid Ruwaert van Patten ; where they arri^ ved the 24th of f aly 3 whereupon the faid Fifcal ex- ecuted his Order accordingly, and brought the faid Patten to the Hague 5 where being landed, he deli- red a Coach, but was anfwered that he was to walk 1 on foot: On his way, being guarded by the Fifcal' and another Officer, one fteptin ufing thefe words in dcrifion, Where are your Halb erdeers now to fecure you ? Being fccurcd in the Gafteleney on the 2 5th of he was the fame day about noon examined by the full Court, as alfo the following days, with confronting the Chirurgion, who went free in and out of the Prifon. During this*, the Cfiirurgion A z went went home, and fetcht farther Certificates • and at his Return, on the fixth of Augufl was lodged in the fame Prifon with Ruwaert van Fatten y and. though it. was the vacation time, yet they were ex- amined the following days by the Councel of the Court, face to face. Mean time the late Rate Pen- fionary de Witt , his Brother, was very diligent both day and night, advifing with feveral of the ableft Civilian*, to contrive his Brothers Releafment:: Wherupon a Paper of Madam Van Brocket his wife, was delivered to the Court, to this effeft: That the f Aid Chirurgion had not feen her Husband hut once for above a years time, which happened on the %th of July, at the houfe of the faid Ruwaert at Dort, who was at that t l me fick in bed $ that he held not a quarter (f an hours difcourfe with him^ neither dire ft ly nor i indireftly gave him any invitation, hut came freely of bimfelfs and that which was remarkable,, was, his de- fire to /peak with the [aid Ruwaert alone, who refufed it } but at the fee on dor third inflance was admitted. Befides;, that the wife of the [aid Ruwaert cmfidering the wickednefs of the times, was troubled at his pri- if ate accefs to herHusband, whofetU afpeft portended him no good, in regard of the late attempt made upon her Husbands Brother not many days before, which in all humane probability had been executedyhitd.net the Watchmen prevented their defign y which grounded apprehenfion through Gods Providence dircftcd her as a J.afeguard to place her Son and Servant at the Cham- her-door, that in cafe the faid Chirurgion bad any evib defign upon her Husband, ajfiflancefhsuldbe near at handi, and withal to hear the parages between them • the Sen affirming that he'plainly beard their difcourfe, which, which the Father reflated after the Chirnrgion was gone-, whereby it did appear there had not been the leaf fy liable of what the Chirurgion laid to his charge. The difevurfe being as foHoweth: Having declared to him the dangeroufnefs of the times, he had fome- what to difcover to him, which might retain a fe- crefic ; To which Ruwaert made anfwer, That in cafe ir concerned the States, or was of bad confequcnce, it ought to be difcovered. Upon which, the Chlrur- gion took his leave, / tying, Sir, if you are not willing to know it, I fhall be filent, andfo fare you well. The Humble Petition of the Wife and Friends of Cornelius de Witt , Sheweth, THat /^Ruwaert vanPutten at prefentPrifetter, your Petitioners did txpeft after feme days to have feen him at liberty, the Crimes laid to his charge being altogether groundlefs, and the malicious inven- tion of his ^iccufer ; and for this cat/fe we were ad- vifedtoprefent the circumfances relating to the clear ring of the Jaid Prifoner, not doubting but that his innoctncy wtil appear, and accordingly have an ho- nourable difmifsion. Notwithftanding this, the Lords of the faid Court continued to examine both parties: but Upon Tutf- day the 16th of -Aug*ft, a report was fpread as if the • faid Ruaert had made his efcape, which drew a great * concourfe of People 5 whereupon fome of the Lords went to the Prifon,and caufed Ruwaert vanPutten to, fhew himfelf to the People, who upon his appear- anse called to the Rabble, tod them begone, the De-. <4> *vil take ye, what do ye do there t This Tumult was occafioned by a Coach waiting upon a certain Lord near the Prifon, which was fuppofed by the Pepple to be defied for Rutvaert's Conveyance. The Tumult was no fooner ended, but the Burgers began to appear in Arms, and his Highncfs the Prince of Orange was fupplicated that fome Com- panics might be ordered for preserving the peace. His Highnefs return d them this anfwer, That he thanked the Burgers for their great care, that the {sLidRutvaert was out of his hands and committed in- to the hands of Juftice, to whom he fully intruded thebufinefs: the efft&s whereof did appear by a ftri£ examination taken at a full Council. On the 18th of Augufl he was brought to the place of Tot- ture, and accordingly Racked by the Executioner ; there declaring, that if they cut him to pieces, he would to the laft maintain his Innocency. Upon the 20 of Jug* the following Sentence was pronounced againft Cornel.de Witt in the faidPriforu THt Court of Holland having feen and examined the Pa- per* and Writings delivered by the Procurator General Mguinjt Cornelius de Witt old Burgermafier of the City of Dort, 44 Itkfvfife his examination, and proofs made againft him , &C. and having alfo cor/filer ed all what is reefuijite to the matter in band •, 'Doth declare the fold Prifoner to have forfeited all his Dignities and Offces belonging unto him, and that with expedi- tion he (hall be banifhed out (if the Countries of Holland and Weft-Friezland, never to return again upon pain of feverepu- nljhmeot. And farther condemns him in the (fofis and Charges of the fald (fourt. Adrian Pauw Prefident, Aelbrecht Nierop, WilIemGoes, K r „ r „ run. Frederick van Leir, Cornells Baen, jfL r n fl u an . and Mactheus Gool, 2 WWcft-Puealand. Pronounced its tho Prifon of the fald Court y Auguft 20.1672, Adrian Poet. (5) The manner of the Death of John de Witt ? and his Brother Cornelius de Witt. AT the Tame time , being the 20th of dugufl, John deWitt , late Rate Pentionary of Hoi- land, underfbnding his Brother was to be ft t at li- berty in order to his Banifhmtnt, made hafte to dif- charge him from the Prifon, where he went in his Coach, and leaving it fome little diftance from the Prifon-gate, went in to his Brother, and after two hours Bay with him, about eleven of the Clock, the Prifon-gates were fetopen, and the two Brothers ftood at the door in order to be gone •, but before they could take Coach, a great noife was heard, upon which a Burger laid, Away, away, into the Pri- fort. For the Chyrurgion being releaft fome time before, Reported that Ruwaert was difcharged, and offered to make good his Accusation againft him before God and Men 5 and told them that Ruwaert van Putten offered him 30000 Gilders with a confi- derable Employment, and fome Ducatoons in hand, to kill the Prince of Orange. Upon this difcourfe the Rabble flocked together, crying, Arm, Arm \ and immediately appeared Six Companies of Foot who furrounded the Prifon, notwithftanding three Troops of Horfe were drawn out to prevent Dif- order. About four of the Clock in the Afternoon fom e of them demanded to have the Prifon-doors open 5 which being refufed, fo many volleys of fhot were difcharged againft them, that a paffage was quickly made CO made to go in; where in a horrible manner they were both kill'd in a moment: after which, their Bodies were ftript, dragged to the common place of Execution, and hung up by Legs upon the Gallows, where their Fingers, Toes, Ears, Nofes^ Hearts, and Privy'Members were cutoff and mangled in a moft barbarous manner, and (old up and down the Town, ajoyntof a Finger fox 12 ^Stivers, a whole one for 15 Stivers, a piece of an Efr for 2 5 Stivers, and a Toe for 10 Stivers, and fo proportionable. So horrid anddifmal a Spe&acle in all its Gircum- ftances was fcarce ever feen or heard of. v 1 ii 1 s.