WIT, John de, a celebrated pensioner of Holland,
and one of the greatest politicians of his time, was the
son of Jacob de Wit, burgomaster of Dort, and was
born in 1625. He became well skilled in civil law, po-
litics, mathematics, and other sciences; and wrote a
treatise on the Elements of Curved lines, published by
Francis Schooten. Having taken his degree of doctor
of law, he travelled into foreign courts, where he be-
came esteemed for his genius and prudence. At his re-
turn to his native country in 1650, he became pension-
ary of Dort, then counsellor-pensionary of Holland and
West Friesland, intendant and register of the fiefs, and
keeper of the great seal. He was thus at the head
of affairs in Holland; but his opposition to the re-
establishment of the office of stadtholder, which he
thought a violation of the freedom and independence of
the republic, cost him his life, when the prince of
Orange's party prevailed. He and his brother Cornelius
were assassinated by the populace at the Hague in
1674, aged 47.