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282 safe in her excellent keeping, hut I never dreamed that my term of absence would be  so long.

“At the same time I wrote to the Prince of Orange, who was almost distracted for the  safety of his son. I told him what had happened, and also that I intended to disguise myself as a Dutch malcontent or Glipper  under the name of Dr. Leonidus Graafzoon,  and obtain entrance to the court of Spain. There I could remain for a time, and watch over the fortunes of the young boy, so  cruelly enticed into the midst of his father’s  enemies. The Prince wrote back that by so doing I would earn his eternal gratitude, and  procured me letters of introduction to the  Spanish court, under my assumed name.

“There I remained for five years, carefully guarding the safety of the count. At the end of that time, however, it became apparent  that they contemplated no harm toward  young De Buren. He was systematically well-treated, carefully educated, and seemed