Cornelia, the eldest of Grotius's daughters, who survived her father, married John Barthon, Viscount of Mombas, a Gentleman of Poitou, who was obliged to quit France for having displeased Lewis XIV. He went to Holland, from whence he was also forced to fly, having been involved in the misfortunes wherein the De Wits perished, and which gave Peter Grotius, his brother-in-law, so much uneasiness.
Grotius had a brother named William, with whom he kept up the greatest intimacy during his whole life, and made him the confident of his studies and designs. It appears by his letters that they lived in the strictest friendship. Hugo, who was the eldest, contributed to his brother's education, and directed his studies. We have a letter from Grotius to his brother, dated at Rotterdam September 28, 1614, containing a plan of study. "I am of opinion, says he, that in order to acquire the knowledge of Law, before you touch upon law tracts you should read with attention Aristotle's second and fifth book of Ethics, to Nicomachus, or the excellent paraphrase of them published by Heinsius; then Aristotle's Rhetoric, with the learned commentary on it; afterwards Cicero's Offices, the Paradoxes, De Finibus, Of Laws, the Topica, and De Inventiene. I could wish that whilst reading you would make extracts, or at least mark in the margin of your book whatever has relation to the Law of Nature and of Nations, to the origin of Laws and Magistrates, to Jus publicum et privatum. When you have done this, we shall think of the rest." It was Grotius who corrected his brother's Law Theses.
William Grotius came to France in 1617 to learn the language; and retiring to Senlis made great progress in it: he purposed to go to Tours, and Grotius approved of his journey, because the air was pure, and they spoke good French there.
William Grotius, as well as his brother, had a turn for theological studies: he wrote something in verse on the Decalogue, which Grotius mentions in a letter dated from his prison at Louvestein, November 1, 1620. "I have read with pleasure, he says, what you have done on the Decalogue: the maxims are excellent, and the verses easy."
William had his brother's confidence during his whole life. Grotius writes to him from Paris, April 14, 1622, "You are never weary of assisting me under my afflictions: if ever fortune enables me to testify my gratitude, I will forgive her all the tricks she has played me." He was desirous, in the end of the year 1622, that his brother should settle his matters so, as to come to see him in the beginning of the following year; but this journey did not take place. Grotius's disgrace affected his brother: he despaired of attaining to honours, and Grotius advised him to think only of raising himself by the study of the Law.
In April 1623 he married Alida Grasvinkel. About this time a Dutchman was seized at Lillo, with letters from William Grotius to his brother. It was expected that something would be found in them against the State, and they talked of nothing less than imprisoning him; but notwithstanding the malice of his enemies, they could not find the least pretext from these letters to trouble him. In the mean time William followed the profession of an Advocate with much success: Grotius compliments him on it in a letter of the 28th of November, 1625, in which he tells him, that the life he led in shining at the bar was much more agreeable than that which is spent in public employments.
William Grotius wrote about this time the lives of the Advocates, under the title of Vitæ Jurisconsultorum quorum in Pandectis exstant nomina, conscriptæ a Gulielmo Grotio Jurisconsulto Delphensi. He sent this book to his brother, who writes to him that he read it with pleasure, and was delighted to see a work which demonstrated his brother's genius, learning, and good sense.
William Grotius, whose marriage had prevented his going to France to see his brother, went thither however in 1629: he returned again to Holland. William being desirous to have his brother's picture, Hugo had the complaisance to sit for it, and send it to him. The enmity of the Magistrates was still so violent at this time, that William made a mystery of this picture; in which Grotius thought he acted very prudently. In 1638 there was a talk of making William Grotius Pensionary of Delft. The conditions on which the place was offered did not suit him, and he declined it. This refusal was approved of by Grotius; for he writes to him, March 13, 1638, "As to the place of Pensionary of our native town, the more I think of it, the happier I imagine you in having got rid of it, and in preferring honour to profit: for in these times it would have been impossible to have preserved that place and your honour."
The East-India Company chose him for their Advocate in 1639. Grotius compliments his brother on it March 26, that year. "I always loved that Company, he says: I look upon it as the support of the Republic; and if I could be at present of any use to it, I would most gladly embrace the opportunity."
Grotius's writings concerning Antichrist were approved of by William and their Father. However, as there was reason to apprehend that the printing of these pieces might increase the number and animosity of his enemies, Grotius proposed to his Brother not to take upon him their publication, especially as he might easily find persons that were far from a factious spirit, who would willingly undertake it: but William Grotius ran the hazard of this publication, without being frightened at the consequences.
Grotius had always discovered great impatience when denied the tides of honour due to the Ambassadors of crowned heads. He imagined it to be the consequence of a plot of his enemies to depreciate him. William did not approve of his brother's great heat on this subject: and thought there was reason to presume that it was owing rather to inattention, than a premeditated design. Grotius, whose mildness of temper was greatly altered by his late disputes with the Reformed Ministers, as Henry de Villeneuve observes in a letter to the Abbé Barcellini, was much dissatisfied with his brother's manner of excusing those of whom he thought he had reason to complain; and wrote to him very sharply on this subject, December 12, 1643. "I imagine, says he, I see and hear you pleading at the Bar: you find reasons to excuse my enemies for things for which no body here excuses them: you blame me for things for which no body here blames me, nor will any others except your Dutchmen. It is fit that I should support my dignity: the thing is done on purpose; and the Swedes, whom it concerns, would be offended with me if I acted otherwise. I would therefore ask of you, for the future to address the letters you receive for me to my wife; and I shall afterwards see what is to be done."
This small altercation did not interrupt the friendship of the two brothers, nor their correspondence by letters, which continued till Grotius's death.
William, besides the book we have already mentioned, wrote another on the law of nature, entitled, Willelmi Grotii de principiis Juris Naturalis Enchiridion. This work is much inferior to the treatise Of War and Peace. However, it has its merit, and is particularly valuable for containing in a small compass all the principles of Natural Law clearly displayed.
Grotius had still another brother, named Francis, who was the second son of John Grotius. He died young. Grotius wrote a Poem on his death, and a consolatory piece in Prose and Verse to his Father: they are both in the collection of his Poems.
John Grotius had a daughter of fine accomplishments. Grotius acquaints us[773], that she wrote an useful book on Widowhood, which was very well done. The design of this work was not to condemn second marriages, but only to shew that it was more becoming a reasonable woman to content herself with having had one husband. After her death it was proposed to print it; and Grotius, to make it a more considerable book, translated into Dutch three treatises of Tertullian, one of St. Ambrose, two of St. Chrysostome, and three of St. Jerom, on the same subject. We have not learnt whether this Collection was ever published.
The END of the SIXTH and LAST BOOK.
[735] See the Testimonia at the end of Le Clerc's edition of the treatise on the truth of the Christian religion, p. 344. & 351.
[736] Ep. 195. p. 813.
[737] Ep. 253. p. 832.
[738] Ep. 368. p. 859. & 369. p 860.
[739] Ep. 419. p. 875.
[740] Ep. 421. p. 876.
[741] Ep. 936 p. 415
[742] Ep. 1129. p. 510. & 1133. p. 512.
[743] Ep. 506. p. 885. 465. p. 886. 1371. p. 623
[744] Ep. 1607. p. 716. 1616. p. 717. 537. p. 916. 670. p. 958. & 678. p. 960.
[745] Ep. 714. p. 968.
[746] Ep. 1746. p. 746. & 720. p. 970.
[747] Ann. de Basnage, t. 1. p. 700.
[748] Ep. 64. p. 773. 68. p. 774. & 72. p. 776.
[749] Ep. 258. p. 833.
[750] Ep. 324. p. 115.
[751] Ep. 326. p. 849.
[752] Ep. 353. p. 855.
[753] Ep. 357. p. 856.
[754] Ep. 364. p. 858. & 369. p. 860.
[755] Ep. 573. p. 225.
[756] Ep. 406. p. 870.
[757] Ep. 421. p. 876.
[758] Ep. 425. p. 876.
[759] Ep. 426. p. 877.
[760] Ep. 946. p. 419.
[761] See Book I. § 16.
[762] Ep. 455. p. 883. & 465. p. 887.
[763] Ep. 469. p. 887.
[764] Ep. 492. p. 896.
[765] Ep. 537. p. 916.
[766] Ep. 542. p. 918.
[767] Ep. 553. p. 924.
[768] Ep. 555. p. 925.
[769] Ep. 588. p. 933.
[770] Ep. 641. p. 949.
[771] Ep. 1257. p. 571.
[772] Ep. 377. p. 138.
[773] Ep. 550. p. 920.
Hugeiani Grotii Batavi Pontifex Romanus, Rex Galliarum, Albertus Cardinalis, Regina Angliæ, Ordines Foederati: ex officinâ Plantinianâ, apud Christophorum Raphelengium, Academiæ Lugduno-Batavæ Typographum, 1599.
Grotius's Poems are in two collections; the prophane, in that published by his brother, which has gone through many editions; in the latter ones are inserted the Tragedy of Sophomphaneus, the Catechism in Latin verse, and Sylva ad Franciscum Augustum Thuanum. See the Life of Grotius Book 1. § 13. B. 2. § 14. B. 5. § 2. The sacred poems were printed, in quarto, at the Hague, in 1610, in a collection wherein we find Adamus exsul, a tragedy; Exordia quatuor Evangeliorum; Paraphrasis metrica Hymnorum in Evangelio & Actis Lucæ, variique Psalmi, & alia carmina; Martiani Minei Felicis Satyricon, seu de nuptiis Philologiæ & Mercurii libri duo; & de septem artibus liberalibus libri totidem: emendati & notis illustrati. Lugduni-Batavorum, 1599. See the Life of Grotius, B. 1. § 10.
Limneu[Greek: retichê], sive portuum investigandorum ratio, metaphraste Hugone Grotio Batavo: ex officinâ Plantinianâ, apud Christophorum Raphelengium, Academiæ Lugduno-Batavæ typographum, 1599. See the Life of Grotius, B. 1. § 11.
Hug. Grotii Batavi Syntagma Aratæorum, opus poëticæ & astronomiæ studiosis utilissimum. Ex officinâ Plantinianâ, apud Christophorum Raphelengium, academiæ Lugduno-Batavæ typographum, 1600.
Hoc opere continentur Arati Phoenomena, & Diosemeia Græcè Ciceronis interpretatio H. Grotii versibus interpolata.
Phoenomena Aratea Germanico Cæsare interprete, multo auctiora & emendatiora, ope manuscripti profecti ex bibliothecâ nob. dom. Jacobi Susii de Grisendorf.
Ejusdem fragmenta Prognosticorum, imagines siderum Germanici versibus interpositæ, ex manuscripto desumptæ, & a Jacobo Gheinia æri incisæ.
Notæ H. Grotii ad Aratum.
Notæ ejusdem ad Germanici Phoenomena.
Notæ ejusdem ad imagines, in quibus siderum & singularum stellarum nomina Arabica, Hebræa, Græca, & Latina, & situs exponuntur.
Notæ ad Fragmenta Ciceronis.
Festi Avieni paraphrasis, cum notis brevibus in margine appositis.
Mare Liberum, seu de jure quod Batavis competit ad Indica commercia. Lugduni-Batavorum, 1609. See the Life of Grotius, B. 1. § 19.
De antiquitate reipublicæ Batavicæ. Lug. Bat. 1610. See the Life of Grotius, B. 1. § 20.
The theological works were printed in four volumes in folio, by the heirs of Blaeu, at Amsterdam, in 1679.
The three first tomes contain the Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. See the Life of Grotius, B. 1. § 14. B. 6. § 11.
The fourth volume contains divers theological pieces.
De Veritate Religionis Christianæ. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 14. B. 6. § 9.
Ordinum Hollandiæ & Westfrisiæ pietas ab improbissimis multorum calumniis, præsertim vero a Sibrandi Luberti Epistolâ, quam Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi scripsit, vindicata. See the life of Grotius, B. 2. § 16.
Bona Fides Sibrandi Luberti. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 16.
Ordinum Hollandiæ & Westfrisiæ decretum pro pace ecclesiarum, munitum S. Scripturæ, Conciliorum, Patrum, Confessionum, & Theologorum testimoniis. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 4. & 17.
Oratio IX. cal. Maii habita in senatu Amstelodamensi, versa è Belgico sermone per Theodorum Schrevelium. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 6.
Defensio decreti pro pace ecclesiarum. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 16.
De Imperio summarum potestatum circa sacra. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 16.
Defensio fidei Catholicæ de satisfactione Christi, adversùs Faustum Socinum Senensem. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 16.
Conciliatio dissidentium de re predestinatoriâ atque gratiâ opinionum. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 16.
Disquisitio, an Pelagiana sint illa dogmata, quæ nunc sub eo nomine traducuntur. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 16.
Philosophorum veterum sententiæ de fato, & de eo quod est in nostrâ potestate. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 16.
Commentarius ad loca quædam Novi Testamenti de Antichristo. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 12.
Appendix ad Commentationem de Antichristo. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 12.
Dissertatio de Coenæ administratione ubi Pastores non adsunt. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 12.
Dissertatio an semper communicandum per symbola. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 12.
Explicatio trium utilissimorum locorum N.T. in quibus agitur de fide & operibus. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 12.
Via ad pacem ecclesiasticam; quo tractatu continentur Bulla Pii Papæ IV. super formâ juramenti professionis fidei exhibitâ invictissimo Imperatori Carolo V. in comitiis Augustanis, 1530. Georgii Cassandri Consultatio de articulis Religionis inter Catholicos & Protestantes controversis. Hugonis Grotii Annotata ad Consultationem Cassandri, ejusdem disquisitio de dogmatibus Pelagianis, ejusdem baptizatorum institutio & de eucharistiâ; denique Syllabus auctorum, qui de conciliatione controversiarum in religione scripserunt.
Animadversiones in Andreæ Riveti animadversiones. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 12.
Votum pro pace ecclesiasticâ, contra examen Andreæ Riveti. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 12.
Rivetiani apologetici discussio. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 12.
De summo sacerdotio. See the Life of Grotius, B. 5. § 12.
De dogmatis, ritibus, & gubernatione Ecclesiæ Christianæ.
De dogmatis quæ reipublicæ noxia sunt aut dicuntur.
M. Annæi Lucani Pharsalia, ex emendatione & cum notis H. Grotii. Lug. Bat. 1614. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 5.
Dicta poëtarum quæ apud Joannem Stobeum extant, emendata & Latino carmine reddita ab Hugone Grotio: accesserunt Plutarchi & Basilii Magni de usu Græcorum poëtarum. Parisiis, 1622. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 14. B. 3. § 6.
Apologeticus eorum, qui Hollandiæ, Westfrisiæ, & vicinis quibusdam nationibus ex Legibus præfuerunt ante mutationem anni 1618. Parisiis, 1622. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 14. B. 3. § 4.
De Jure Belli ac Pacis Libri tres. Parisiis, 1625. The best edition of this celebrated work is that published at Amsterdam, in 1720, by John Barbeyrac, who has translated it so happily. At the end of this edition he subjoined a small tract of Grotius: De equitate, indulgentiâ, & facilitate, liber singularis. See the Life of Grotius, B. 3. § 9.
Excerpta ex tragoediis & comediis Græcis, tùm quæ extant, tùm quæ perierunt: emendata & Latinis versibus reddita ab Hugone Grotio, cum notis & indice auctorum ac rerum. Parisiis apud Nicolaum Buon, 1626. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 14. B. 3. § 6.
Grollæ obsidio, cum annexis anni 1627. Amstelodami, apud Guillelmum Blaeu, 1629. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 14.
Euripidis Tragoedia Phenissæ, emendata ex manuscriptis, & Latina facta ab Hugone Grotio. Parisiis, 1630. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 14. B. 3. § 7.
An Introduction to the Laws of Holland, in Dutch. Hague, 1631. See the Life of Grotius, B. 2. § 14. B. 6. § 14.
C. Cornelius Tacitus, ex J. Lipsii editione, cum notis & emendationibus H. Grotii. Lugduni-Batavorum, ex officinâ Elzevirianâ, 1640. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 3.
Florum sparsio in Jus Justinianeum, & in loca quædam Juris Civilis. Parisiis, 1642. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 10.
De origine gentium Americanarum dissertatio prior. Parisiis, 1642. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 13.
De origine gentium Americanarum dissertatio altera, adversùs obtrectatorem opaca bonum quem fecit barba. Parisiis, 1643. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 13.
Hugonis Grotii quædam hactenùs inedita, aliaque ex Belgicè editis Latinè versa, argumenti theologici, juridici, politici. Amstelodami, 1652.
Consilium juridicum super iis, quæ Nassavii in Juliacum & Geldriam competere sibi dicunt.
Epistola ad Car. V. an Provinciæ Foederati Belgii inferendæ sunt imperio Germanico.
F. Thomæ Campanellæ Philosophiæ realis pars tertia, quæ est de politicâ, in aphorismos digesta.
De pace Germaniæ epistola ad clarissimum virum N.P. An supposititia sit dijudicet sagax lector.
Hugonis Grotii responsio ad quædam ab utroque judicum consessu objecta, ubi multa disputantur de jure summarum potestatum in Hollandiâ Westfrisiâque, & Magistratuum in oppidis. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 14.
Historia Gothorum, Vandalorum, & Longobardorum; ab Hugone Grotio partim versa, partim in ordinem digesta, cum ejusdem prolegomenis, ubi regum Gothorum ordo & chronologia cum elogiis; accedunt nomina appellativa cum explicatione. Scriptores sunt Procopius, Agathias, Jornandes, B. Isidorus, Paulus Warnefridus. Amstelodami, 1655. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 7.
Annales & Historiæ de rebus Belgicis, ab obitu Philippi regis usque ad inducias anni 1609. Amstelodami, anno 1657. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 8.
Hugonis Grotii Epistolæ, quotquot reperiri potuerunt. Amstelodami, 1687. See the Life of Grotius, B. 6. § 15.