Cornelis van Aarsens
Cornelis van Aerssen (* 1545 in Antwerp, † March 22, 1627 in The Hague), Lord of Spijk (from 1611), was a Dutch statesman, diplomat and jurist.
Life and work
Cornelis van Aerssen was almost certainly the son of an Antwerp courtier who stood in the favor of the Brussels Court according Bijleveld. Van Aerssen even joined in 1574 to his position as city clerk of Brussels. The following year he was appointed Pensionaris the city. Although he was regarded as a tolerant man in religious matters, he was against a reconciliation with Philip II of Spain.
Cornelis van Aerssen was frequently traveling on the road; on the day of the murder of William of Orange, he was also present in The Hague. Van Aerssen made Orange's legendary last words publicized: " armies Godt Weest mijn siele, end dit poor multitudes ghenadich. "
In 1584 he was sent together with other deputies to France. The aim of this mission was to create a positive negotiation with the French king Henry IV over the sovereignty of the Dutch Republic. Cornelis van Aerssen was named in the same year for Griffier the Dutch States-General, but he continued to live in Brussels, which earned him the suspicion of conspiring with the Spanish. From then on he played a leading role in the oranisch -reformed party. When the Spanish Admiral Francisco de Mendoza lingered as a Dutch prisoner in Woerden and in The Hague after the Battle of Nieuport, and to establish peace negotiations on this occasion sought, van Aerssen was next to the Dutch country lawyer Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and sent by the Archduke Albrecht Franciscan Johan Meyen for Dutch negotiators were appointed. Van Aerssen negotiated with the Spanish ambassador in Billo, where he was on May 4, 1602 to make an 8- month ceasefire. Oldenbarnevelt, at the head of the peace party leanings took this positively, because he feared the growing power of the Dutch Stadtholder Maurice of Orange - Nassau. In this between Oldenbarnevelt and Maurice of Orange and more intense guided power struggle van Aerssen settled by his son François van Aerssen, which was one of the fiercest opponents of Oldenbarnevelt, pulled to the side of the Orange princes, whereby van Aerssen gave an ambiguous position.
Robert Dudley was also dependent on van Aerssens advice. Van Aerssen was subsequently suspected acts as a mediator for unfair business to have. It rose against him, the rumor of corruption, which could not be assuage by a declaration by Oldenbarnevelt in the States-General and the public return of gifts to a Brussels Messenger. Despite his defense by Oldenbarnevelt was Cornelis van Aerssen one whose fiercest accusers. In addition, he accused Johan van Oldenbarnevelt a political collusion between players with the Spaniards. In 1623, van Aerssen took his leave from the Hague policy.