Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 2

[p. 234]

487
R. Wolters aan Willem Bentinck

[B.M., Eg. 1746]

Rotterdam, 15 november 1748

I shall tell you very little of the affairs of the province, because I know but little since my last, att least what may be depended upon. I do not hear that anything has yet been done att Gorcum¹⁾.

It grieves me to think, that there are now troubles att Leyden and Haarlem²⁾ and I must own, that if ever I thought your presence necessary att The Hague, it is now. Les nouvellistes font sonner bien haut les peines, que se donne la personne, que vous avés sauvé le 29 avril de l'année passée³⁾, et dans les mémoires, qu'on envoye en Allemagne, on y voit au long: grâces aux soins que se donne le Prince et le premier ministre de cette province pour mettre les finances de ce païs dans un meilleur ordre, la confience et le crédit public sont rétablis. The former part of this assertion you know better than I do and the latter you will find, how true it is, when we see you here.

I wish my two friends had been consulted in the choice of a baillif for this city. Not that I have any objection to Leuven, but Cordelois, tho' I do not greately esteem him, desarves to be rewarded for what he has done.

I am now better au fait of the affairs of Delft and since Verschoer is supported by my friends⁴⁾, I wish him success, but I must own that he has a very strong party against him. They have now got it into their heads att Amsterdam that a new two per cent is to be levyed and this has allarmed the moneyed men who say, that they would rather leave the country than pay it. I do not doubt this being spread by the old regents; but I think it highly necessary, that the people should know the contrary.

1) Juist op 15 november werden de zaken te Gouda definitief geregeld.

2) Ned. Jb. 1748, p. 1206 vlg.

3) De dag waarop de beweging voor de verheffing van de Prins begon. Het volk dreigde toen Gilles te vermoorden, maar Bentinck bracht het tot bedaren. De eerste nacht sliep de raadpensionaris in Bentincks woning. Zie Bentinck I, p. 255.

4) Dat wil zeggen de stadhoudersgezinden. Vergelijk zijn brief van 12 november van Bedford in Geyl, De agent Wolters, p. 124. Zie ook Bentinck II, nr. 480.

[p. 235]

When you come to The Hague, I shall have a sollicitation to trouble you with; it is for a friend of mine, a man of substance, who is tired of living att Amsterdam, and who would gladly live att The Hague, if he could get some place, which would pay house-rent and an additional servant.

If anything of this kind dropped, when you are att The Hague, I should be much beholden to you for your intrest. As to his capacity and parts, I will speak to you farther by word of mouth.