the revenue department of a province.

DE WIT, JOHN, the famous pensionary, was born in 1625, at Dort; where he prosecuted his studies so diligently, that, at the age of 23, 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 distinguished himself very early in the management of public affairs. He opposed with all his power 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 peace 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 it was thought expedient, on Opdam's defeat and death, that some of their own deputies should command the fleet, he was one of the three put in commission; and wrote an accurate relation of all that happened during the expedition he was engaged in, for which, at his return, he received the solemn thanks of the states general. In 1667, he established the perpetual edict for abolishing the office of stadtholder, to fix the liberty of the republic, as it was hoped, on a firm basis; which produced seditions and tumults, that restored the office, on pretence that the De Wits were enemies to the house of Orange, and plundered the state. The pensionary begged diffusion from his post; which was granted, with thanks for his faithful services. But the invasion of the French, and the internal divisions among the Hollander themselves, spread everywhere terror and confusion; which the Orange party heightened to ruin the De Wits. Cornelius, the pensionary's brother, was imprisoned and condemned to exile; and a report being raised that he would be rescued, the mob armed, and surrounded the prison where the two brothers then were together, dragged them out, barbarously murdered them, hung the bodies on the gallows, and cut them to pieces, which many of them even broiled and ate 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. He observes, that when he was at the head of the government, he differed nothing in his manner of living from from an ordinary citizen. His office, for the first ten years, brought him in little more than 300l. and in the latter part of his life, not above 700l. per annum. He refused a gift of 10,000l. 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 18 years spent in their ministry, without any care of his entertainments or ease, and little of his fortune. A man of unwearyed 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 works already mentioned, he wrote a book containing those maxims of government upon which he acted; which will be a never-fading monument to his immortal memory. A translation of it from the original Dutch, entitled, The true interest and political maxims of the republic of Holland, has been printed in London; to the last edition of which, in 1746, are prefixed historical memoirs of the illustrious brothers Cornelius and John de Wit, by John Campbell, Esq.