Dissertation_A Bick_May 25 - DataSpace at Princeton University

“various papers concerning that subject.” 40 Documents in the archive of the States General make
clear that these papers included the secret letter from the Hoge Raad and a selection of excerpts
from their secret minutes. 41 Cornelis Musch (ca. 1592-1650), the notoriously corrupt secretary to
the States General, noted on their letter of credentials that these papers were to be handed over to
a committee consisting of Jacob Veth (d. 1667), Coenraad Ruisch (1583-1656), and Wolter
Schonenborch, all of whom previously had been selected to attend the upcoming meetings of the
Heren XIX on behalf of the States General. 42 This committee reviewed the secret documents and
spoke at length with the three directors from Zeeland before reporting back to the States General
as a whole. Evidently, the discussions did not progress very far, for the States General resolved
only that the matter should be referred to the Heren XIX for resolution. 43 While in The Hague the
three directors sent a letter to the Amsterdam chamber informing them of the news and, on their
return, stopped in all three cities that made up the Maas chamber—Delft, Rotterdam, and
Dordrecht. When they returned to Middelburg on September 6, they found the second delegation
already back from Eekelo. This delegation had been “favorably received” by the Prince of
Orange, who promised to write to the States General and the provinces to urge them to pay the
subsidies they owed the company so that military assistance could be organized as quickly as
possible. 44
There is probably no way to know how fast the news spread by word of mouth, or how
many people may have seen either the originals or copies of the documents enclosed in the
generale missiven. But it is possible to trace the spread of the most closely guarded documents.
40
NA 1.01.03, inv.nr. 4845, entry for September 2, 1645. “eerste by monde gecognosenteerde deselvere
gelegentheyt van de Saecken der Conquesten in Brasyl, & vervolgens staende vergaderinge aen haer ho: mo:
overgeleeverdt verscheyden pampieren dat subject raeckende.”
41
NA 1.01.04, inv.nr. 5758.
42
NA 1.01.03, inv.nr. 4845, entry for August 15, 1645. On Musch, see Knevel, Het Haagse Bureau, chapter 5, "Een
Zeventiende-eeuwse Catalina," 123-144.
43
NA 1.01.03, inv.nr. 4845, entry for September 4, 1645.
44
NA 1.05.01.01, inv.nr. 26, fol. 108.
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