Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 2
(1976)–Willem Bentinck–Rotterdam, 11 oktober 1748The petition for this town is drawn up and is to be presented for signing to morrow. It is well worded and nobody is named in it, but the magistrates whom it is aimed att are so well painted out, as that the Prince can not mistake them. If we have our will Van Berckell, Van der Hoeven, Hoogendorp, Van Teylingen, Schoonhoven and De WilhemGa naar voetnoot1) will fall. Van der MeerGa naar voetnoot2) acts so scandalous a part, that altho' I was inclined that our three outils should speak to him, I have been obliged to forbid it. He and his kinsman the poetGa naar voetnoot3), enraged that their friend Erbervelt has been discarded, do all they can to ruin our three friends and to represent the real friends of the Prince in a very bad light. I must give you one instance of the vile caracter of Van der Meer. He was yesterday with a printer who has had a hand in printing the refrijntiesGa naar voetnoot4) to tell him, that great inquiries will be made in relation to those papers and that the onely way of saving himself and making his court would be to declare, what he knows of it to the fiscal. As we have found out the things, we have prevented the discoveries that fear might have made the printer make, to the ruin of | |
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Van der CruyffGa naar voetnoot5); besides this Van der Meer and the poet Oudaan take great pains to dissuade the most zealous people from signing the petition. I have sett two sentinells upon them both, who will try to find out their secret intreagues, which I will report to you, when ever they are material. I shall go to The Hague to-morrow to give the Prince an induction of the affairs of our city and see how far I may lett him into the last pranks of Van der Meer without ruining the little scoundrell for ever. The merchants named by the PrinceGa naar voetnoot6) are att work and have given in their considerations; I hear that St. MartinGa naar voetnoot7) of Amsterdam is a very honest fellow, but that he would ask of France a tarif, as if we had been victorious in the last war. WorGa naar voetnoot8) of this town is, lett me tell you, a Frenchman in his heart and has a compting house att Nantes. Van HanéleGa naar voetnoot9) may be very honest, for what I know, but is governed by Wor, and you know Van OortGa naar voetnoot10) - I think I shall mention this to the Prince. I hope your next will give me the best of news of what is going forward att Aix. P.S. I hear that you know Wor, that he has been with you and that he told his friends here, that he found you to be too much of an Englishman - c'est un habile homme, (these were his words) mais il est diablement anglois. When I tell you above, that I will inform the Prince of the pranks of Van der Meer, it is only for what relates to our three people and not for your affairGa naar voetnoot11). |
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