21

a consequence of the invasion of Frisia, in 1500, by Albert, Duke of Saxony,

which, as already related, caused many o^ the gentry of Western Friesland, in which lay the manor of Swartewoude, to leave their despoiled seats of habitation and found homes elsewhere in that province.

At that time the different classes of manufacturers and artisans in Groningen largely contributed to further its importance as the chief centre of industrial enterprise in Eastern Friesland ; the city having been admitted in the fourteenth century into the famous Hanseatic League. The special interests of the local industries were the care of the popular and powerful guilds, which, as early as the year 1436, had begun to influence the administration of the affairs of the place.

From manuscripts and other records of the sixteenth century, preserved in the Old Archive of Groningen, is derived the information that certain citizens surnamed Swartwolt were then engaged there in the highly respectable busi ness of brewing beer, universally considered at that time a pure and wholesome beverage and generally drank at meal-time as now are tea and coffee. They all were honored members of the Brewers’ Guild (Broinucrsgildc), one of the most flourishing and wealthy of any of the other industrial societies in the city.

Arent Swartwolt was admitted a member of the guild in 1546, and elected, in 158 1, a courtier (Jioveling) to represent the interests of the corporation in the General Council of the Guilds {Gemeenc Gilden). In 1557 Herman Swartwolt was enrolled a member of the guild; in 1587, his son Egbert; in 1594, Bastiaen Swartwolt, and, in 1599, his son Herman; in 1599, Johan Swartwolt; in 1602, Nicolaas Swartwolt ; and, in 1612, Herman Swartwolt, who was elected a courtier in 1625, 1628, and 1631, and held the office of president (oldewnan) of the association in 1632, 1634, 1638, and 1641.

The earliest information respecting the exercise of any political authority over the inhabitants of Groningen is that elicited from the fact that in the year 1013 a certain person named Werner was Count of Groningen (gracf yon Groningen). After the city was given to the church of Utrecht, in 1040, by Henry 111., Emperor of Germany, there were episcopal officers having the title of prefects or burggraves, who were recognized as empowered to exercise a moderate degree ofauthority in the administration of the government of the city. This privilege was retained by them until the year 1 143, when Herbert, Bishop of Utrecht, deprived the Lord of Groenenberg of it, and gave Groningen as a hereditary possession to his (the bishop’s) brother, Leffert, and to his other brother, Ludolph, the hereditary guardianship of Coevorden and the bailiffship of Drenthe.

Groningen had as early as the year 1245 a municipal form of government,

22 THE SWARTWOUT CHRONICLES.

and used a seal for the certification of the papers issued by its officers. A body of its citizens, which exercised legislative functions, was known as the Council (de Raad). In 1425 the custom of annually selecting from ten of the twenty members of the Council four burgomasters was inaugurated.

The peculiar designation, the Wisdom of the City (de Wijsheid der Stadt), which gave local distinction to another body of citizens, is traceable in old documents as far back as the year 1324. This college of venerable men bore, in 141 7, the name of the Sworn Commons (de Gezzvorene Meeiite). It was then composed of twenty-four members, half of whom yearly, by expiration of their terms of office, gave place to their successors. Three of the oldest of the commoners presided at their meetings as speakers (taalmanueii).’

Eligibility to the Sworn Commons required a candidate to have been born free and legitimate, to have maintained an unblemished reputation, to be dissociated from the service and pay of a foreign prince, and to have no father, brother, nor son a member of the Sworn Commons at the time he became or was a member of that body.

The special and important service of the commoners in determining the eligibilityof the citizens to be annually elected members of the Gczworene Mccntc and those to be chosen members of the Raad caused them to be debarred from holding any other office solely for the purpose of enabling them to perform wisely, faithfully, and promptly the duties incumbent upon them.

In 1580, when Johan Swartwolt was elected to serve as a member of the Sworn Commons, the high jurisdiction (de hooge ampteii) of the city was exercised by Georg van Lalaing, Count of Renneberg, and governor (stadhouder) of Friesland, Overijsel, and Groningen.

The Raad at that time was composed of four burgomasters (burgemeesters) and twelve councilmen (raads/ieeren). The burgomasters were : Albert Rolteman, Joachem Übbena, Harmen Wijfrink, and Jacob Hildebrand ; the councilmen : Christoffel van Deest, Tjaetho Nansum, Rembertz Ackema, Siger Sijghers, Roelof Battink, Luilof Roelofs, Everda Simons, Joost van Cleve, Harmen Gerritts, Frederik Mojestein, Albert Horenken, and Harmen Koenink.

The members of the Gezworcne Mcente were : Remmert Entens, Egbert Koenink, Hano Wijnge, Johan Isebrands, Hendrik Buttel, Barend Hondebeke, Harmen Mensens, Johan Papink, Johan van Goor, Hendrik Hendriks, Laurens

Eijssens, Luitzen Hiddinge, Hendrik Helminks, Rijcke Rijckens, Govert Everts, Lambertus van Wullen, Harmen Peters, Johan Egberts, Johan Swart1

Tcgcnwnordigc staat der Vereenigde Neclcrlandcn. Stad en Lande. 1793. Ecu en twintigsie dccl; t’t’rste stick.pp. 101-142 ; 96-98, 141.

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THE SWARTWOUT CHRONICLES.

wolt, Wigbold Frcriks, Jan Bruins, Johan Clood, Haijo Eppens, and Roclof

Robers. 1

The political affairs of the Netherlands were at that time perilously complicated. The Prince of Parma, appointed governor-general of the Low Countries by Philip 11., King of Spain, and William the Silent, Prince of Orange, upholding the cause of the United Provinces, were waging a war which gave little promise of speedily ending in a permanent peace. At the beginning of the year 1580, the Prince of Orange was directing his energies, as he had been since the Pacification of Ghent (signed Novembers, 1576), to get the Netherland provinces to maintain peaceable relations with one another. The Union of Utrecht, ostensibly framed, on January 29, t 5 79, for the protection of the provinces against the attempts of the Spaniards to separate and dismember them and to bring them into subjection, explicitly provided that the provinces should not interfere with one another in matters of religious belief but should respect the right of all the inhabitants to exercise without molestation the faith espoused by them.

Notwithstanding the fact that the Count of Renneberg, the chief magistrate of Friesland, Overijsel, and Groningen, had accepted the Union of Utrecht, a part of Friesland and the entire province of Overijsel were still unbound by the compact. The watchful care which the Prince of Orange bestowed upon the provinces united to oppose the machinations of the Duke of Parma fortunately led him to suspect that the Count of Renneberg was conspiring to transfer the northern provinces to the control of the Spanish governor. Aware that the count had not the means at his command to accomplish this intention, the Prince of Oraneet> made overtures to have a conference with the disaffected stadtholder, and sent to him certain of his loyal acquaintances to urge him to visit Utrecht, and to renew there his fealty to the States-General.

These emissaries endeavored to convince him that the King of Spain could not put him in possession of any more property than that which he then owned ; that his authority could not be made more extensive and important ; that no province in all the Netherlands was comparable to that of Groningen, of which he was then governor. They further argued that the province, besides having “so many fair towns, was also enriched with five great and as many small seaports, whereby it was impossible for it to be wholly lost or taken from him by the warres, for that ifit so fall out that the country should be overrun, yet these townes would be able to maintaine themselves by traffique at sea, whereas, to the contrary, the places under the king’s command must in the end, by force, be constrained to yield : for that their champaign country

1 Vide: List of officers of the city of Groningen in 1580 in the Appendix. Document No. 3.

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THE SWARTWOUT CHRONICLES.

being” spoiled, all their hope and traffique were gone for want of havens to bring in necessary provision ; saying that the king could give nothing but bare titles that were no better than smoke and cleare honors without profit. And that if the Catholicke religion moved him thereunto, he might well suppose that he should bring no more to pass by force, and with his owne overthrow, than the kings of Spaine and France by so many fires, executions, and mine, of places had done ; and therefore they gave him counsell to keepe that he had, and so quench the fire that the houses of Lalain had begun to kindle, remembering their device, Dc Lalain sans rcfirocke, and to remain in the Union with the prince and their associates; and that, ifhe did to the contrary, it was to be feared that he should find himself ruined when he least suspected it.

The count all this while hearkened unto the said counsell with great patience, oftentimes changing colour, and at the last made answere withgriefe, in such sort that the teares fell from his eyes, and said that he was desperate, complaining of the obstinacie of the Frieslanders making show as then as ifhe would be constant unto the States-General.

“After that it fell out that the States-General sent letters and commissions unto Abel Frankena, doctor of both the lawes, who had gone to Groningen about the States-General’s affaires, which letters the Count of Renneberg had caused to bee taken away from the post as he entered Groningen, in which letters he found the commission that the States-General had sent for Bartel Entens to command over his regiment, which grieved him much : for which cause he sent for Frankena and caused him to be kept prisoner in a chamber, although it was told him by divers [persons] that it was against the lawes of all nations to shew any such rigor to an embassador ; but not long after Frankena got out at a window and so escaped away, by which dealing the said count sufficiently disclosed his intention.

For which cause, amongst others, Captain Johan Cornput (who was also of the said count’s regiment) secretly counselled some of the magistrates and bourghers of Groningen (especially the bourger, Jacob Hildebrand, and others of the Reformed religion,) to make themselves masters of the city before their adversaries should attempt it, offering to be their leader and to put the count in safe keeping. But they made answer that as yet there was no need to do it, and that they were the strongest party, and would bee carefull enough thereof. Whereupon he protested that he had given them sufficient warning, and so should be discharged of their imminent mine, and that if they would not do it, he said he would not hazard his life any longer in that place, and so went out of the city.

The count for his part knew so well how to flatter them of Groningen,