Dissertation_A Bick_May 25 - DataSpace at Princeton University

would become a two-year campaign lobbying the States General to provide military support to
end the Portuguese revolt in Brazil. 160
This work touched on a number of aspects of the company's business, but especially on
issues relating to investors, the company’s colonies, and relations with Portugal and Spain. The
first of these areas of engagement was probably no more than a reflection of De Laet’s
considerable personal stake in the company, but the other two recognized and put to practical use
his geographical and historical knowledge and his impressive linguistic abilities. 161 This range
and depth of involvement made De Laet an excellent diplomat for the company, not only at
home, but also abroad. In June 1641, shortly after the Spanish had destroyed the Providence
Island Company's Caribbean colony, De Laet was approached by Sir Thomas Roe, Robert Rich,
and other wealthy Englishmen to provide Parliament with advice on establishing an English
West India Company on the Dutch model. 162 The onset of England’s Civil War prevented De
Laet from formally addressing Parliament, and such a company never got off the ground, but De
Laet’s correspondence from London makes clear that he did not think this group of English
aristocrats were up to the task, being “not sufficiently aware of the things which are required for
the proper establishment of a company of this sort, nor do they understand exactly how much
money is needed.” 163 For potential allies as well colleagues within the Dutch Republic, De Laet’s
intimate knowledge of the company’s history and structure made him the ideal person to
represent its interests at the highest levels of government.
160 NA 1.01.07, inv.nr. 12564.17.
161 Bremmer Jr., “The Correspondence of Johannes de Laet as a Mirror on His Life”; Bremmer Jr., “‘Mine is Bigger
than Yours’: The Anglo-Saxon Collection of Johannes de Laet and Sir Simonds D’Ewes.”
162 British Library Add Ms 6395, fol. 120, Johannes de Laet to William Boswell, June 18, 1641. See also Bekkers,
“Introduction”; Bremmer Jr., “‘Mine is Bigger than Yours’: The Anglo-Saxon Collection of Johannes de Laet
(1581-1649) and Sir Simonds D’Ewes (1602-50)”; Appleby, “An Association for the West Indies? English Plans for
a West India Company 1621-29”; Kupperman, Providence Island, 1630-1641, 343.
163 British Library Add Ms 6395, fol. 120, Johannes de Laet to William Boswell, June 18, 1641. The translation is
by John Kuhner.
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