the black tulip(黑郁金香)-第18部分

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Cornelius　van　Baerle's　Will


Rosa　had　not　been　mistaken；　the　judges　came　on　the　following　
day　to　the　Buytenhof；　and　proceeded　with　the　trial　of　
Cornelius　van　Baerle。　The　examination；　however；　did　not　last　
long；　it　having　appeared　on　evidence　that　Cornelius　had　kept　
at　his　house　that　fatal　correspondence　of　the　brothers　De　
Witt　with　France。　

He　did　not　deny　it。　

The　only　point　about　which　there　seemed　any　difficulty　was　
whether　this　correspondence　had　been　intrusted　to　him　by　his　
godfather；　Cornelius　de　Witt。　

But　as；　since　the　death　of　those　two　martyrs；　Van　Baerle　had　
no　longer　any　reason　for　withholding　the　truth；　he　not　only　
did　not　deny　that　the　parcel　had　been　delivered　to　him　by　
Cornelius　de　Witt　himself；　but　he　also　stated　all　the　
circumstances　under　which　it　was　done。　

This　confession　involved　the　godson　in　the　crime　of　the　
godfather；　manifest　complicity　being　considered　to　exist　
between　Cornelius　de　Witt　and　Cornelius　van　Baerle。　

The　honest　doctor　did　not　confine　himself　to　this　avowal；　
but　told　the　whole　truth　with　regard　to　his　own　tastes；　
habits；　and　daily　life。　He　described　his　indifference　to　
politics；　his　love　of　study；　of　the　fine　arts；　of　science；　
and　of　flowers。　He　explained　that；　since　the　day　when　
Cornelius　de　Witt　handed　to　him　the　parcel　at　Dort；　he　
himself　had　never　touched；　nor　even　noticed　it。　

To　this　it　was　objected；　that　in　this　respect　he　could　not　
possibly　be　speaking　the　truth；　since　the　papers　had　been　
deposited　in　a　press　in　which　both　his　hands　and　his　eyes　
must　have　been　engaged　every　day。　

Cornelius　answered　that　it　was　indeed　so；　that；　however；　he　
never　put　his　hand　into　the　press　but　to　ascertain　whether　
his　bulbs　were　dry；　and　that　he　never　looked　into　it　but　to　
see　if　they　were　beginning　to　sprout。　

To　this　again　it　was　objected；　that　his　pretended　
indifference　respecting　this　deposit　was　not　to　be　
reasonably　entertained；　as　he　could　not　have　received　such　
papers　from　the　hand　of　his　godfather　without　being　made　
acquainted　with　their　important　character。　

He　replied　that　his　godfather　Cornelius　loved　him　too　well；　
and；　above　all；　that　he　was　too　considerate　a　man　to　have　
communicated　to　him　anything　of　the　contents　of　the　parcel；　
well　knowing　that　such　a　confidence　would　only　have　caused　
anxiety　to　him　who　received　it。　

To　this　it　was　objected　that；　if　De　Witt　had　wished　to　act　
in　such　a　way；　he　would　have　added　to　the　parcel；　in　case　of　
accidents；　a　certificate　setting　forth　that　his　godson　was　
an　entire　stranger　to　the　nature　of　this　correspondence；　or　
at　least　he　would　during　his　trial　have　written　a　letter　to　
him；　which　might　be　produced　as　his　justification。　

Cornelius　replied　that　undoubtedly　his　godfather　could　not　
have　thought　that　there　was　any　risk　for　the　safety　of　his　
deposit；　hidden　as　it　was　in　a　press　which　was　looked　upon　
as　sacred　as　the　tabernacle　by　the　whole　household　of　Van　
Baerle；　and　that　consequently　he　had　considered　the　
certificate　as　useless。　As　to　a　letter；　he　certainly　had　
some　remembrance　that　some　moments　previous　to　his　arrest；　
whilst　he　was　absorbed　in　the　contemplation　of　one　of　the　
rarest　of　his　bulbs；　John　de　Witt's　servant　entered　his　
dry…room；　and　handed　to　him　a　paper；　but　the　whole　was　to　
him　only　like　a　vague　dream；　the　servant　had　disappeared；　
and　as　to　the　paper；　perhaps　it　might　be　found　if　a　proper　
search　were　made。　

As　far　as　Craeke　was　concerned；　it　was　impossible　to　find　
him；　as　he　had　left　Holland。　

The　paper　also　was　not　very　likely　to　be　found；　and　no　one　
gave　himself　the　trouble　to　look　for　it。　

Cornelius　himself　did　not　much　press　this　point；　since；　even　
supposing　that　the　paper　should　turn　up；　it　could　not　have　
any　direct　connection　with　the　correspondence　which　
constituted　the　crime。　

The　judges　wished　to　make　it　appear　as　though　they　wanted　to　
urge　Cornelius　to　make　a　better　defence；　they　displayed　that　
benevolent　patience　which　is　generally　a　sign　of　the　
magistrate's　being　interested　for　the　prisoner；　or　of　a　
man's　having　so　completely　got　the　better　of　his　adversary　
that　he　needs　no　longer　any　oppressive　means　to　ruin　him。　

Cornelius　did　not　accept　of　this　hypocritical　protection；　
and　in　a　last　answer；　which　he　set　forth　with　the　noble　
bearing　of　a　martyr　and　the　calm　serenity　of　a　righteous　
man；　he　said；　　

〃You　ask　me　things；　gentlemen；　to　which　I　can　answer　only　
the　exact　truth。　Hear　it。　The　parcel　was　put　into　my　hands　
in　the　way　I　have　described；　I　vow　before　God　that　I　was；　
and　am　still；　ignorant　of　its　contents；　and　that　it　was　not　
until　my　arrest　that　I　learned　that　this　deposit　was　the　
correspondence　of　the　Grand　Pensionary　with　the　Marquis　de　
Louvois。　And　lastly；　I　vow　and　protest　that　I　do　not　
understand　how　any　one　should　have　known　that　this　parcel　
was　in　my　house；　and；　above　all；　how　I　can　be　deemed　
criminal　for　having　received　what　my　illustrious　and　
unfortunate　godfather　brought　to　my　house。〃　

This　was　Van　Baerle's　whole　defence；　after　which　the　judges　
began　to　deliberate　on　the　verdict。　

They　considered　that　every　offshoot　of　civil　discord　is　
mischievous；　because　it　revives　the　contest　which　it　is　the　
interest　of　all　to　put　down。　

One　of　them；　who　bore　the　character　of　a　profound　observer；　
laid　down　as　his　opinion　that　this　young　man；　so　phlegmatic　
in　appearance；　must　in　reality　be　very　dangerous；　as　under　
this　icy　exterior　he　was　sure　to　conceal　an　ardent　desire　to　
avenge　his　friends；　the　De　Witts。　

Another　observed　that　the　love　of　tulips　agreed　perfectly　
well　with　that　of　politics；　and　that　it　was　proved　in　
history　that　many　very　dangerous　men　were　engaged　in　
gardening；　just　as　if　it　had　been　their　profession；　whilst　
really　they　occupied　themselves　with　perfectly　different　
concerns；　witness　Tarquin　the　Elder；　who　grew　poppies　at　
Gabii；　and　the　Great　Conde；　who　watered　his　carnations　at　
the　dungeon　of　Vincennes　at　the　very　moment　when　the　former　
meditated　his　return　to　Rome；　and　the　latter　his　escape　from　
prison。　

The　judge　summed　up　with　the　following　dilemma：　　

〃Either　Cornelius　van　Baerle　is　a　great　lover　of　tulips；　or　
a　great　lover　of　politics；　in　either　case；　he　has　told　us　a　
falsehood；　first；　because　his　having　occupied　himself　with　
politics　is　proved　by　the　letters　which　were　found　at　his　
house；　and　secondly；　because　his　having　occupied　himself　
with　tulips　is　proved　by　the　bulbs　which　leave　no　doubt　of　
the　fact。　And　herein　lies　the　enormity　of　the　case。　As　
Cornelius　van　Baerle　was　concerned　in　the　growing　of　tulips　
and　in　the　pursuit　of　politics　at　one　and　the　same　time；　the　
prisoner　is　of　hybrid　character；　of　an　amphibious　
organisation；　working　with　equal　ardour　at　politics　and　at　
tulips；　which　proves　him　to　belong　to　the　class　of　men　most　
dangerous　to　public　tranquillity；　and　shows　a　certain；　or　
rather　a　complete；　analogy　between　his　character　and　that　of　
those　master　minds　of　which　Tarquin　the　Elder　and　the　Great　
Conde　have　been　felicitously　quoted　as　examples。〃　

The　upshot　of　all　these　reasonings　was；　that　his　Highness　
the　Prince　Stadtholder　of　Holland　would　feel　infinitely　
obliged　to　the　magistracy　of　the　Hague　if　they　simplified　
for　him　the　government　of　the　Seven　Provinces　by　destroying　
even　the　least　germ　of　conspiracy　against　his　authority。　

This　argument　capped　all　the　others；　and；　in　order　so　much　
the　more　effectually　to　destroy　the　germ　of　conspiracy；　
sentence　of　death　was　unanimously　pronounced　against　
Cornelius　van　Baerle；　as　being　arraigned；　and　convicted；　for　
having；　under　the　innocent　appearance　of　a　tulip…fancier；　
participated　in　the　detestable　intrigues　and　abominable　
plots　of　the　brothers　De　Witt　against　Dutch　nationality　and　
in　their　secret　relations　with　their　French　enemy。　

A　supplementary　clause　was　tacked　to　the　sentence；　to　the　
effect　that　〃the　aforesaid　Cornelius　van　Baerle　should　be　
led　from　the　prison　of　the　Buytenhof　to　the　scaffold　in　the　
yard　of　the　same　name；　where　the　public　executioner　would　
cut　off　his　head。〃　

As　this　deliberation　was　a　most　serious　affair；　it　lasted　a　
full　half…hour；　during　which　the　prisoner　was　remanded　to　
his　cell。　

There　the　Recorder　of　the　States　came　to　read　the　sentence　
to　him。　

Master　Gryphus　was　detained　in　bed　by　the　fever　caused　by　
the　fracture　of　his　arm。　His　keys　passed　into　the　hands　of　
one　of　his　assistants。　Behind　this　turnkey；　who　introduced　
the　Recorder；　Rosa；　the　fair　Frisian　maid；　had　slipped　into　
the　recess　of　the　door；　with　a　handkerchief　to　her　mouth　to　
stifle　her　sobs。　

Cornelius　listened　to　the　sentence　with　an　expression　rather　
of　surprise　than　sadness。　

After　the　sentence　was　read；　the　Recorder　asked　him　whether　
he　had　anything　to　answer。　

〃Indeed；　I　have　not；〃　he　replied。　〃Only　I　confess　that；　
among　all　the　causes　of　death　against　which　a　cautious　man　
may　guard；　I　should　never　have　supposed　this　to　be　
comprised。〃　

On　this　answer；　the　Recorder　saluted　Van　Baerle　with　all　
that　consideration　which　such　functionaries　generally　bestow　
upon　great　criminals　of　every　sort。　

But