Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 1

1738.

VII.
Willem Bentinck aan de gravin van Portland.

[B.M., Eg. 1712]

Den Haag, 4 Febr. 1738.

I told you last post of Mr. Tenhoven's¹⁾ death. It is an irreparable loss for me. We were upon a foot of friendship and familiarity together, which was very agreable and useful. He was the only man I could ever have any recourse to for advice in any nice point in the employment I am in, and he has several times given me such disinterested counsels, as had given me a great deal of regard for his judgment and gratefulness for his kind way. He was very laborious, of great application, with a great compass of knowledge, and a happy genius. Tho' with all this merit, he had a better opinion of himself

1) Mr. Nicolaas Ten Hoven (1693-1738), secretaris Raad van State 1725-'37, Thesaurier-Generaal 1737-'38, een vriend en bloedverwant van Fagel, was Ontvanger-Generaal, en, naar Trevor schrijft, 31 Jan. '38, For. St. P., Holland, P.R.O., bestemd ‘by the general voice of the public’ om Fagel, die er sedert de dood van zijn oude vriend Slingelandt telkens van sprak om af te treden, op te volgen als Griffier van de Staten-Generaal. Vgl. P. Geyl, a.w., blz. 48.

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than he deserved, and could not hide it, which made him hated by those whom he made feel his superiority. - - I never took it ill of him, partly out of friendship, and sometimes not allowing the superiority, my own vanity making amends to me for his. - -

I do not believe any body is left alive that knows this country and government both as to domestick, and foreign affairs as well as he did. He had been under the care and direction of Mr. Slingeland and the greffier, brought up to business by the latter, employ'd by both, and had made the best advantage of all he had been in. We had lived very well together till Mr. Boetselaer's death, and since that time it was entirely his interest as well as mine to be well together, which had not little contributed to the uniting us stronger together.