Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/38

 a A A R S E N S, " his three ambafiadors, not to receive vifits from Mr. AarfenSj " who came from the States of the United Provinces to ne- " France had been deputed. The order fent for this purpofe " States, with whom the king was defirous to live always in <c his having acled in a manner inconfiftent with the intered O Wkquefort, * and dignity of his majefty [A]." Mr. Aarfens was the firft . *' pp * of three extraordinary ambaffadors, fent to England in 1620; and the fecond, in 1641. In this laft embafly his colleagues were the lord of Brederode firft ambaffador, and Heemfvliet as third ; they were to treat about the marriage of prince Wil- liam, fon to the prince of Orange. He was alfo ambafiador Pu Maurier, extraordinary at the French court in 1624; and cardinal p. 3S&. Richelieu having juft taken the admimftration into his hands, and knowing he was an able man, made ule of him to ferve his own purpofes. Aarfens died in a very advanced age; and his fon, who furvived him, was reputed the wealthieit man in Holland. He has left very accurate and judicious memoirs of all thofe embaflies in which he was employed ; and it muft be ob- ferved, that the various inftruclions given him by the States, and all the Credential letters he carried in his later embaflies, were drawn by himfelf ; whence ve may conclude, fays Mr. Tol. II. p. Wicquefort, that he was the ableft perfon in all that country, 435 not only for conducting of negotiations, but for inftruftir.g ambaffadors what to negotiate upon. Memoirs, p. Du Maurier, in his memoirs, fays, t6 that he was of a 376. fpirit the nioft dangerous which ever arofe in the United " Provinces, and the more to be dreaded, as he concealed all " the malevolence and artifice of foreign courts, under the " vour of the worft caufes, had an intriguing genius, and " France, whofe condudt was not only fufpected, but highly " offenfi ve to the king 3 and that, having bribed the French [A] This paffage in Wicquefort may "libel, written, figred, and publirtied be illuftrated by the following in Du " by Francis Aarfens ; to the great Maurier. " In the year i6i2," fdys " fcandal and diflionour of the mem- he, " the king commanded Mr. D: " bers of his majefty's council j for " Boiflife, to complain in his nanr to " which no fatisfadion could then be " the States General, of a defamatory ' obtained,"
 * ' gociate with fome German and Italian princes, upon the
 * ' fame affairs of Bohemia for which the ambafTadors of
 * fignified, that it was not intended as any indignity to the
 * ' friendihip, but entirely upon account of Mr. Aarfens, for
 * 5 appearance of Dutch bluntnefs and fimpiicity; that he was
 * ' vehement and perfuafive, eould advance arguments in fa-
 * ' had kept a fecret correfpondence with fome great men in