DE WIT, John, the famous pensionary, was born in 1625, at Dort, where he prosecuted his studies so diligently, that, at the age of twenty-three, he published Elementa Curvarum Linearum, one of the profoundest books in mathematics at that time. After taking his degrees, and travelling, he in 1650 became pensionary of Dort, and early distinguished himself in the management of public affairs. He opposed with all his might the war between the English and the Dutch; and when the event justified his predictions, he was unanimously chosen pensionary of Holland. In this capacity he laboured to procure a peace with Cromwell, in which he succeeded; and a secret article was introduced by one side or other for the exclusion of the house of Orange. In the war with England after the king’s restoration, when, on Opdam’s defeat and death, it was thought expedient that some of their own deputies should command the fleet, De Wit was one of three put in commission; and he wrote an accurate relation of all that happened during the expedition he was engaged in, for which, on his return, he received the solemn thanks of [7:7:754]the states-general. In 1667 he established the perpetual edict for abolishing the office of stadtholder, and fixing the liberty of the republic, as it was hoped, on a firm basis; but this produced seditions and tumults, which restored the office, on pretence that the De Wits were enemies to the house of Orange, and plundered the state. The pensionary begged dismission from his post, which was granted, with thanks for his faithful services. But the invasion of the French, and the internal divisions among the Hollanders themselves, spread everywhere terror and confusion, which the Orange party heightened in order to ruin the De Wits. Cornelius, the pensionary’s brother, was imprisoned and condemned to exile; and a report having been raised that he would be rescued, the mob armed themselves, and having surrounded the prison where the two brothers were confined, dragged them out, barbarously murdered them, hung the bodies on the gallows, and cut them in pieces, some of which the assassins are said to have broiled and eaten with savage fury. Such was the end of one of the greatest geniuses of his age, of whom Sir William Temple, who was well acquainted with him, writes with the greatest esteem and admiration, observing, that when he was at the head of the government, he differed nothing in his manner of living from an ordinary citizen. His office for the first ten years brought him in little more than L.300, and in the latter part of his life not above L.700, per annum. He refused a gift of L.10,000 from the states-general, because he thought it a bad precedent in the government. With great reason, therefore, Sir William Temple, speaking of his death, observes, “He was a person that deserved another fate, and a better return from his country, after eighteen years spent in their ministry, without any care of his entertainments or ease, and little of his fortune. A man of unwearied industry, inflexible constancy, sound, clear, and deep understanding, and untainted integrity; so that whenever he was blinded, it was by the passion he had for that which he esteemed the good and interest of the state. This testimony is justly due to him from all that were well acquainted with him, and is the more willingly paid, since there can be as little interest to flatter as honour to reproach the dead.”

Besides the work already mentioned, he wrote a book containing those maxims of government upon which he had acted, and which will be a never-fading monument to his memory. A translation of it from the original Dutch, entitled The true interest and political maxims of the republic of Holland, was printed in London; and to the last edition are prefixed historical memoirs of the illustrious brothers Cornelius and John de Wit, by Mr John Campbell.