PREFACE.

And of this I am completely assured by the most certain and infallible divine reason, so much so that I undertake to convince every Dutch patriot who loves equal freedom of it beyond doubt. In short, I want to see the Dutch government—and as it truly must be to exist—free and placed beyond the slightest fear. HE WHO CAN GRASP IT, LET HIM GRASP IT. Take then, all my heartfelt, equal-freedom-loving Dutch Patriots, this following necessary report with you as well, for even neater and clearer understanding of my actual, and most useful objective for the best of the Dutch people and, consequently, also for the Regents. And for this reason, I also earnestly advise and recommend to you, my Reader, to thoroughly penetrate both my Prefaces and Afterwords, the certain free proposals and requests, and what is appended to the end of the Book, such as the Chapter of the Lord of Aubeigne, a French Nobleman and former bosom servant of Henry the Great, Extracts, etc., and to use them as a primary Preface or introduction to this and the following parts, as well as that which is added there starting from page 28, regarding the destruction, etc., to page 33. And thus you, Reader, will be able to grasp and understand most clearly what I want; in a word, I want reformation or improvement of Holland's now completely languishing State and Church, and for which I intend to lay the actual and solid foundations here in this my first Part. In the second Part, I will present to you, without the slightest obfuscation or withholding, the actual and most pressing interests of the Dutch people and Regents in the clearest, shortest, and most concise manner, with an added concise indication of what I understand to be required for their necessary improvement. In the third Part, I will attempt to present, also in the shortest, clearest, and most concise manner, the main points upon which I believe Holland's cities' closest and unanimous unity should be built and strengthened invincibly. With also a proposal of how I understand that a significant city, well provided with at least a hundred thousand defensible men well-trained in arms, should be best laid out and governed for the preservation of equal freedom and the promotion of an ever-growing and flourishing people's prosperity, for invincible strengthening. And so, too, I will clearly show that in Holland, in less than a man's half-lifetime, some six or eight such prominent cities, promoted to continuous prosperity through wise management, can be brought to effect, and then, in addition, also proceed with no less powerful, free expansion of the people.