The Life of Hugo Grotius Part 5

Between the time of his appointment to the advocacy of the Fisc of Holland and Zealand, and his being appointed Pensionary of Rotterdam, he married Mary Reygersburgh, of an ill.u.s.trious family in Zealand. It proved a marriage of happiness. The most perfect harmony subsisted between Grotius and his consort: we shall find that she was an ornament to him in prosperity, his comfort and aid in adverse fortune. The marriage was solemnized in July 1608, and celebrated by many a Belgic bard.

[Sidenote: CHAP II. 1597-1610.]

A dispute arising about this time between England and the States General, upon the exclusive right claimed by the former to fish in the Northern seas, the States, with a view to an amicable adjustment of it, sent Grotius to England. Several meetings took place between him and commissioners appointed by James, the British sovereign. If we credit the account, given by Grotius, of the point in dispute, and the negociation to which it gave rise, justice was decidedly on the side of the States General; and England only carried the point by the lion's right,--the _droit du plus fort_.

[Sidenote: Grotius embraces the profession of the Law.]

Grotius had every reason to be pleased with his reception by the English monarch and his court. Between Grotius and Casaubon, who, at this time, resided in England, an intimacy had long subsisted. It was cemented by mutual esteem, similarity of studies, and the earnest wish of each for an amicable termination of religious differences: each respected the antient doctrines and discipline of the church; each thought that many of the points in controversy were disputes of words; that much might be gained by mutual concessions; and that the articles, upon which there was any substantial difference, were few. "I esteem Grotius highly,"--Casaubon writes in a letter to the president de Thou, "on account of his other great qualities; but particularly because he judges of the modern subjects of religious controversy like a learned and good man. In his veneration for antiquity, he agrees with the wisest men."

... "I heartily pray G.o.d," says Casaubon in a letter to Grotius, "to; preserve you: as long as I shall live, I shall hold you in the highest esteem: so much am I taken with your piety, your probity, and your admirable learning."[005]

CHAPTER III.

THE EARLY PUBLICATIONS OF GROTIUS.

There is not, perhaps, an instance of a person's acquiring at an age equally early, the reputation, which attended the first publication of Grotius. It was an edition, with notes, of the work of "_Martia.n.u.s Mineus Felix Capella_, on the Marriage of Mercury and Philology, in two books; and of the same writer's Seven Treatises on the Liberal Arts."

They had been often printed; but all the editions were faulty: a ma.n.u.script of them having been put into the hands of Grotius by his father, he communicated it to Scaliger, and by his advice undertook a new edition of them.

The time, in which Capella lived, and the place of his birth, are uncertain; the better opinion seems to be, that he flourished towards the third century, resided at Rome, and attained the consular dignity.

His works are written in prose, intermixed with poetry. His diction has some resemblance to that of Tertullian, but is much more crabbed and obscure: none, but the ablest Latin scholars, can understand him. The Marriage of Mercury and Philology,--or of Speech with Learning, is not uninteresting. His other treatises contain nothing remarkable: that upon music, is hardly intelligible; it is printed separately in the collection of _Meibomius_. With all his harshness and obscurity, Capella seems to have been much studied in the middle ages,--some proof that there was more learning in them, than is generally supposed,--he is so often quoted by the writers of those times, that some persons have supposed that his work was then a text book in the schools.

[Sidenote: The early publications of Grotius.]

[Sidenote: CHAP. III. 1597-1610.]

When Grotius undertook his edition of Capella, he was only twelve years of age: he published it in his fourteenth year, and dedicated it to the Prince of Conde. The learning and critical discernment displayed by him in this publication excited astonishment, and obtained for him the applause of all the literary world. Grotius himself gives the following account of his work: "We have collated Capella with the several authors, who have investigated the same subjects. In the two first books, we have consulted those whose writings contain the sentiments of the antient philosophers, as Apuleius, Albericus and others, too tedious to name; on grammar, we have compared, Capella with the antient grammarians; in what he has said on rhetoric, with Cicero and Aquila; on logic, with Porphyry, Aristotle, Ca.s.siodorus and Apuleius; on geography, with Strabo, Mela, Solinus, and Ptolemy, but chiefly Pliny; on arithmetic, with Euclid; on astronomy, with Hyginus, and others, who have treated on that subject; on music, with Cleonides, Vitruvius and Boethius." In Grotius's Annotations all these writers are mentioned in a manner, which shews that he was thoroughly conversant with their works. Grotius's edition is become, from its extreme scarcity, a typographical curiosity: all the other editions are scarce. The writer of these pages found, with great difficulty, a copy of it in the London market.[006] That of Bonhomme, published at Lyons in 1539, he procured by loan. The celebrated Leibniz began to prepare an edition of Capella _in usum Delphini_; but his collections being purloined from him, he desisted from his project: it must be owned that the general learning of Leibniz qualified him admirably for such a task.[009]

[Sidenote: The early Publications of Grotius.]

While yet in his fourteenth year, Grotius published a translation of a work, published by Simon Steven in 1586, upon Navigation, and shewed by it a profound knowledge of mathematics:[010] he dedicated it to the republic of Venice.

[Sidenote: CHAP. III. 1597-1610.]

In the following year, Grotius published _the Phenomena of Aratus_, a poetical treatise of that author upon astronomy, with Cicero's translation of it, so far as it has reached us. Grotius supplied the vacancies. It is universally admitted that the parts supplied by him, are not inferior to those of Cicero. The abbe d'Olivet, the editor of Cicero's works, and an enthusiastic admirer of his style, declares that "the Muse of Cicero[011] did not throw the Muse of Grotius into the shade:" he therefore inserted the supplementary verses of Grotius in his edition. Grotius dedicated his work to the States of Holland and West Friseland; and promised them in his dedication something more considerable. He was complimented upon it by several of the greatest men of the age.

The following simile, taken from Cicero's translation of Aratus, and Voltaire's version of it, are greatly admired:

Sic Jovis altisoni subito pennata satelles, Arboris e trunco, serpentis saucia morsu; Ipsa feris subigit transfigens unguibus anguem Semianimum, et varia graviter cervice micantem; Quem se intorquentem laniens rostroque craentans, Abjicit efflantem, et laceratum effundit in undas, Seque obitu a solis nitidos convert.i.t ad ortus.

CICERO.

Tel on voit cet oiseau, qui porte le tonnere, Blesse par un serpent elance de la terre; Il s'envole, il entraine au sejour azure L'ennemi tortueux dont il est entoure.

Le sang tombe des airs: il dechire, il devore Le reptile acharne, qui le combat encore; Il le perce, il le tient sous ses ongles vainqeurs, Par cent coups redoubles il venge ses douleurs; Le Monstre en expirant, se debat, se replie; Il exhale en poison le reste de sa vie; Et l'aigle tout sanglant, fier et victorieux, Le rejette en fureur, et plane au haut des cieux.

VOLTAIRE.

[Sidenote: The early Publications of Grotius.]

About the year 1608, Grotius published his celebrated work _Mare Liberum_, to a.s.sert in it against the English, the general freedom of the sea. The controversy arose upon the claim of Great Britain to enjoy the dominion of the British seas, in the most extensive sense of those words, both as to the right of navigating them, and the right of fishing within them. Against this claim, Grotius attempted to shew that the sea was, from its nature, insusceptible of exclusive right; and that, if it were susceptible of it, England did not prove her t.i.tle to it. Selden, in opposition to Grotius, a.s.serted the British claim, by his treatise _Mare Clausam_,--a n.o.ble exertion of a vigorous mind, fraught with profound and extensive erudition. It is pleasing to add, that he treats Grotius with the respect due to his learning and character. Selden's treatise was thought of so much importance to his cause, that a copy of it was directed to be deposited in the British Admiralty. Grotius was highly pleased with the respect, which was shewn to him by Selden.

On Selden's _Mare Clausum_ he composed the following epigram:--

Ipsum compedibus qui vinxerat Ennegisaeum, Est Greca Xerxes multus in historia: Lucullum Latii Xerxem dixere togatum; Seldenus Xerxes ecce Britannus erit.

[Sidenote: CHAP. III. 1597-1610]

The States General were gratified by his work; but at that time it was so much their interest to preserve the strictest amity with England, that they discountenanced any further advocation of their claim.[012]

The year after his publication of his "Treatise on the Freedom of the Sea," Grotius printed his work on the "_Antiquity of the Batavian Republic_." He gives in it an account of the antient _Batavians;_ he professes to shew that they were the allies, not the subjects of the Romans; that, after a period of anarchy, during which little is known of their history, they became subjects of the Counts of Holland; that these were not va.s.sals of the empire, but independent princes; and, strictly speaking, elected by the people, although, in the election of them, great regard was always shewn to the hereditary line: that they were bound to conform to the laws of the state; and always required, before their election, to swear to the observance of the const.i.tution; that the taxes were always imposed by the States, and that Philip the Second had occasioned the grand war, by repeated infractions of the public and private right of the people of the United Provinces.

[Sidenote: The early Publications of Grotius.]

The States of Holland were highly pleased with this work; they voted thanks to its author, and accompanied them with a present. It is considered that his partiality to his country led him to advance some positions favourable to its antient independence, which his proofs did not justify.

For the use of _Du Maurier_, the French amba.s.sador to the States General, Grotius published, about this time, his "Directions for a Course of general Study," _De omni genere studiorum recte inst.i.tuendo_.

It was favourably received, both by the diplomatist for whose use it was composed, and the public at large; but, on account of the great extension of literature, since the time of Grotius, it is now little read. Mentioning the Roman history, he shews that a knowledge of it is better acquired by reading its Greek than by reading its Latin historians; because foreigners give more attention to the public manners and customs of a country than natives.

[Sidenote: CHAP. III. 1597-1610.]

All the works, which we have mentioned, were most favourably received in every part of the United Provinces. It was now become evident that the exertions for their independence were on the eve of being crowned with complete success. All the European Powers had deserted Spain, so that she was left to her own single and unaided strength, to maintain the contest against the insurgent provinces. The glory, which they acquired by their successful resistance to her, determined them to make choice of an historian, who should transmit to future ages the signal exploits of their memorable struggle. With this view, they appointed Grotius their historiographer.

[Sidenote: The Poems of Grotius.]

It remains to mention the "_Poems of Grotius:_" throughout his life, he sacrificed to the Muses. The _Prosopopoeia,_ in which he introduces the City of Ostend addressing the world, when, in the third year of her siege, the Marquis Spinola led the troops of Spain against her, was greatly, admired. All the adjacent territory had been taken by the Spaniards, so that nothing remained of it to the confederates, but the precinct within the walls of the city; and even much of this had been wrested from the besieged. All Europe had its eye fixed on the operations of Spinola. It is therefore, with great propriety of language, that Grotius makes Ostend thus address herself to the world, in the following lines:--

"Area parva duc.u.m, totus quam respicit orbis; Celsior una malis, et quam d.a.m.nare ruinae Nunc quoque fata timent,--alieno in litore resto.

Tertius annus abit; toties mutavimus hostem: Saevit hyems pelago, morbisque furentibus aestas; Et minimum est quod fecit Iber,--crudelior armis In nos orta lues,--nullum est sine funere funus.

Nec perimit mors una semel:--Fortuna quid haeres?

Qua mercede tenes mixtos in sanguine manes?

Quis tumulos moriens hos occupet hoste perempto?

Queritur,--et sterili tantum de pulvere pugna est."

"A small area of chiefs, whom the whole world contemplates; alone loftier than my woes; I, whom the Fates even yet, fear to condemn to ruin;--remain on a foreign sh.o.r.e.

"The third year now pa.s.ses away; thrice has my foe been changed:

"The winter rages on the sea; the summer, by its furious heats.

"The Spaniard has been my least enemy;--more cruel than arms, a pestilence has risen among us; no funeral is without another; the dying never perish by a single death.

"Fortune! why do'st thou hesitate? By what reward do'st thou detain the manes mingled in blood?