Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 1

1737.

III.
Willem Bentinck aan de gravin van Portland.

[B.M., Eg. 1712]

Den Haag, 4 Jan. 1737.

......Count Wassenaer⁴⁾ who has been in the States General ten years, tells me that it is but ƒ 1700 a year, a very little sum for a post of such trust, for it does not bring me higher in the Nobles, the rank there being according to Seniority, and not as to the commissions, for else I should be quite at the top, this in the States

4) Graaf Johan Hendrik van Wassenaer - Obdam (1683-1745), die Bentincks voogd geweest was. Vgl. P. Geyl, Een opvoeding in de achttiende eeuw, in Bijdr. voor Vad. Gesch., V, IX.

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General being the first in rank¹⁾. I beg you would never imagine that I would hide anything from you with a design to draw anything from you, and wish I could make you and the family much happyer and easyer than they are. So you may be sure that I get but just what I tell you. Rhinsburg gos to Ct. Wassenaer and Leeuwenhorst²⁾ to Van der Duyn³⁾, as falling of course to the two ancientest. The place of Director of E. Ind. Company I would not ask when Mons^r. Twickel⁴⁾ got it, and now I would not be in Brigadier Wassenaer's⁵⁾ way, who by this and the Balliage of the Hague does not loose much above ƒ 2000 a year, but acts a very silly part in my mind to quit his military employments, in which he has pass'd most part of his life, for such an employment, which he honours more than it honours him. In this whole business I have learnt to know him and I assure you he has as good a stomach as his elder brother, but with less sense tho' more honesty. I had been his dupe if I had follow'd the way that family intended. I need not add anything upon this to my former letter.

1) Bij de verdeeling van Boetzelaers ambten is Bentinck de commissie van Gedeputeerde ter Staten-Generaal ten deel gevallen. Vgl. Van Huffel, a.w., blz. 177 vlg., waar een belangrijk bericht van Trevor hieromtrent uit de For. St. P., Holland, P.R.O., wordt aangehaald.

2) Het oudste lid der Ridderschap van Holland en het op hem in rang volgende waren Raden en Rentmeesters-Generaal der gesaeculariseerde goederen der Abdijen van Rijnsburg en Leeuwenhorst. Vgl. Tegenw. Staat van Holland I, blz. 99.

3) Adam Adriaan van der Duyn, lid van de Ridderschap sedert 1724.

4) Unico Willem van Wassenaer - Twickel (1692-1766), jongere broer van Johan Hendrik. Hij was in 1734 bewindhebber geworden.

5) C.L. van Wassenaer van Doeveren (1685-1751), die eerst nu in de Ridderschap komt en tevens baljuw van Den Haag en bewindhebber van de O.I.C. wordt. Wie met zijn oudere broer bedoeld wordt, is moeilijk uit te maken. Misschien Jacob Emmery, misschien Arent (Duvenvoorde); beiden waren in 1737 al dood.