Черный тюльпан
Cornelius van Baerle’s Will
Thisargumentcappedalltheothers,and,inordersomuchthemoreeffectuallytodestroythegermofconspiracy,sentenceofdeathwasunanimouslypronouncedagainstCorneliusvanBaerle,asbeingarraigned,andconvicted,forhaving,undertheinnocentappearanceofatulip-fancier,participatedinthedetestableintriguesandabominableplotsofthebrothersDeWittagainstDutchnationalityandintheirsecretrelationswiththeirFrenchenemy.
Asupplementaryclausewastackedtothesentence,totheeffectthat“theaforesaidCorneliusvanBaerleshouldbeledfromtheprisonoftheBuytenhoftothescaffoldintheyardofthesamename,wherethepublicexecutionerwouldcutoffhishead.”
Asthisdeliberationwasamostseriousaffair,itlastedafullhalf-hour,duringwhichtheprisonerwasremandedtohiscell.
TheretheRecorderoftheStatescametoreadthesentencetohim.
MasterGryphuswasdetainedinbedbythefevercausedbythefractureofhisarm.Hiskeyspassedintothehandsofoneofhisassistants.Behindthisturnkey,whointroducedtheRecorder,Rosa,thefairFrisianmaid,hadslippedintotherecessofthedoor,withahandkerchieftohermouthtostiflehersobs.
Corneliuslistenedtothesentencewithanexpressionratherofsurprisethansadness.
Afterthesentencewasread,theRecorderaskedhimwhetherhehadanythingtoanswer.
“Indeed,Ihavenot,”hereplied.“OnlyIconfessthat,amongallthecausesofdeathagainstwhichacautiousmanmayguard,Ishouldneverhavesupposedthistobecomprised.
