Cornelis Musch
Encyclopedia
Cornelis Musch was Griffier (Chief Clerk) of the States-General of the Netherlands
, the governing body of the Dutch Republic
, from 1628 till the start of the First Stadtholderless Period
. He was a byword for corruption in his lifetime.
of Waalsdorp. Lord of Waalsdorp was therefore the first aristocratic title Musch was able to use (1635). He later also acquired other lordships: Nieuwveen (1648), Carnisse (1649) and Opvelt and Muylstede (1650).
He married Elisabeth Cats, a daughter of Grand Pensionary
Jacob Cats
on June 9, 1636 when he was 44 and she 17. They had several daughters who married well. One was Elisabeth Maria who married the unlucky Henri de Fleury de Coulan
, better known as "captain Buat", who would lose his head in a treason affair, which bears his name. Her sister Maria Elisabeth married Matthijs Pompe, lord of Slingelandt, a prominent Dordrecht
Regent
. A third daughter, Anna Catharina, married Carel van den Boetzelaer, also a prominent Regent.
(1612), he rounded off his studies with a law degree from the University of Orléans
in 1617. In the sequel of the coup d'état by stadtholder
Maurice, Prince of Orange in 1618, which brought about the fall of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, he enjoyed the patronage of Francis van Aarssens
(one of the main enemies of Oldenbarnevelt). He became Advocat of the States-General, to fill a vacancy after the purge of the Oldenbarnevelt adherents. Equally, after the purge of the Rotterdam vroedschap
, he was appointed griffier (secretary) of that city in 1619.
In 1628 he was appointed griffier of the States-General in the same resolution which appointed his predecessor Johan van Goch thesaurier-generaal (treasurer) of the Union (April 27). Later historians complain about his longhand, which is far less legible than that of Van Goch. This makes the study of the registers of the States-General unduly onerous for the years in which Musch was chief clerk http://www.inghist.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten/BesluitenStaten-generaal1626-1651/inleiding#_ftnref1.
Besides this important office on the federal level, he also acquired offices on the local level, like hoogheemraad (a member of the governing body) of the polder
Delfland (1643)http://www.gevelstenen.net/kerninventarisatie/images/Delft/Oude%20Delft%20167%20Cornelis%20Musch.jpg and groot baljuw of Het Vrije van Staats Vlaanderen (an area in present-day Zeelandic Flanders; 1645).
As the salaried official of the States-General Musch was soon able to build an informal position of power. The presidency of the States-General rotated weekly, so that presidents hardly had time to get acquainted with affairs before they were already replaced. They tended to lean heavily on the Griffier. Also, in this period the Grand Pensionaries of Holland (who would normally perform a leading role in the affairs of the States-General) were selected for their incompetence and weakness, to protect the power position of the Stadtholder Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
. On the other hand, Musch became a favorite of Frederick Henry, and helped him manage the States-General.
Musch also made himself useful to foreign diplomats. King Louis XIII of France
acknowledged this when he created Musch an écuyer (squire
) in September, 1632, on the recommendation of Cardinal Richelieu, for services rendered to French diplomacy (i.e. the Dutch government had no secrets for the French one, thanks to Musch). When the Franco-Dutch alliance was renewed in 1636 all members of the commission of the States-General who negotiated the treaty received liberal gratuities from the French Crown, but Musch received the largest: 20,000 livres
.
Besides state secrets, almost anything was for sale, as far as Musch was concerned. He was accused of altering the resolutions of the States-General that he was supposed to enter in the register, presumably for a consideration. He also played a central role in the patronage system of the Republic. Offices and other favors could be obtained from the stadtholder and the States-General if Musch received the required consideration.
Such practices would be considered "corrupt" nowadays. In those days, however, they might be considered reasonable perks of the office, as long as they remained within certain bounds. By common consent, Musch went beyond those bounds, but because he was such an important part of the Orangist
regime under Frederick Henry and his son and successor William II, Prince of Orange
, Musch managed to get away with it to almost the end of his life.
However, he was known to have played an important role during the coup d'état of William II against the Holland Regents in August, 1650 http://www.digitalebibliotheek.be/tekst/cara002held01_01/cara002held01_01_0009.htm. When William suddenly died in October, Musch was exposed to the wrath of the newly resurgent Regents, who decided to make an example of him. He was made the subject of an investigation into the coup, and of his corrupt practices. This may have convinced him to take his own life on December 15 (though the exact circumsances of his death are unclear). His motivation would have been that a conviction would have brought confiscation of his fortune, which amounted to an estimated 2,000,000 gulders at his death. Thus, he protected his heirs.
After his death Joost van den Vondel
wrote the following satirical epitaph:
which amounts to an elaborate play on Musch' name (Sparrow) and how sparrows spoil food and dump on people's heads, while alluding to the fact that important Orangists like Van Aarsens profited from his corrupt practices.
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
, the governing body of the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, from 1628 till the start of the First Stadtholderless Period
First Stadtholderless Period
The First Stadtholderless Period or Era is the period in the history of the Dutch Republic in which the office of a Stadtholder was absent in five of the seven Dutch provinces...
. He was a byword for corruption in his lifetime.
Family Life
Cornelis Musch was the son of Jan Jacobsz. Musch, a rich Rotterdam herring merchant, and Maritge Cornelisd. Matelieff, a merchant of fishing tackle, and so rich in her own right that she was able to buy the HeerlijkheidHeerlijkheid
A heerlijkheid was the basic administrative and judicial unit in rural areas in Dutch-speaking lands before 1800. It originated in the feudal subdivision of government authority in the Middle Ages. The closest English equivalents of the word are "seigniory" and "manor"...
of Waalsdorp. Lord of Waalsdorp was therefore the first aristocratic title Musch was able to use (1635). He later also acquired other lordships: Nieuwveen (1648), Carnisse (1649) and Opvelt and Muylstede (1650).
He married Elisabeth Cats, a daughter of Grand Pensionary
Grand Pensionary
The Grand Pensionary was the most important Dutch official during the time of the United Provinces. In theory he was only a civil servant of the Estates of the dominant province among the Seven United Provinces: the county of Holland...
Jacob Cats
Jacob Cats
Jacob Cats was a Dutch poet, humorist, jurist and politician. He is most famous for his emblem books.-Early years:...
on June 9, 1636 when he was 44 and she 17. They had several daughters who married well. One was Elisabeth Maria who married the unlucky Henri de Fleury de Coulan
Henri de Fleury de Coulan
Henri de Fleury de Coulan, Sieur de Buat, St Sire et La Forest de Gay was a captain of horse in the army of the Dutch Republic, who became embroiled in a celebrated conspiracy during the First Stadtholderless Period to overthrow the regime of Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt in favor of future...
, better known as "captain Buat", who would lose his head in a treason affair, which bears his name. Her sister Maria Elisabeth married Matthijs Pompe, lord of Slingelandt, a prominent Dordrecht
Dordrecht
Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...
Regent
Regenten
In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the regenten were the rulers of the Dutch Republic, the leaders of the Dutch cities or the heads of organisations . Though not formally a hereditary "class", they were de facto "patricians", comparable to that ancient Roman class...
. A third daughter, Anna Catharina, married Carel van den Boetzelaer, also a prominent Regent.
Career
After studying at the Rotterdam Latin school and Leiden UniversityLeiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
(1612), he rounded off his studies with a law degree from the University of Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
in 1617. In the sequel of the coup d'état by stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
Maurice, Prince of Orange in 1618, which brought about the fall of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, he enjoyed the patronage of Francis van Aarssens
Francis van Aarssens
Baron Francis van Aarssens or Baron François van Aerssen , from 1611 on lord of Sommelsdijk, was a diplomat and statesman of the United Provinces....
(one of the main enemies of Oldenbarnevelt). He became Advocat of the States-General, to fill a vacancy after the purge of the Oldenbarnevelt adherents. Equally, after the purge of the Rotterdam vroedschap
Vroedschap
The vroedschap was the name for the city council in the early modern Netherlands; the member of such a council was called a vroedman, literally a "wise man"...
, he was appointed griffier (secretary) of that city in 1619.
In 1628 he was appointed griffier of the States-General in the same resolution which appointed his predecessor Johan van Goch thesaurier-generaal (treasurer) of the Union (April 27). Later historians complain about his longhand, which is far less legible than that of Van Goch. This makes the study of the registers of the States-General unduly onerous for the years in which Musch was chief clerk http://www.inghist.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten/BesluitenStaten-generaal1626-1651/inleiding#_ftnref1.
Besides this important office on the federal level, he also acquired offices on the local level, like hoogheemraad (a member of the governing body) of the polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
Delfland (1643)http://www.gevelstenen.net/kerninventarisatie/images/Delft/Oude%20Delft%20167%20Cornelis%20Musch.jpg and groot baljuw of Het Vrije van Staats Vlaanderen (an area in present-day Zeelandic Flanders; 1645).
As the salaried official of the States-General Musch was soon able to build an informal position of power. The presidency of the States-General rotated weekly, so that presidents hardly had time to get acquainted with affairs before they were already replaced. They tended to lean heavily on the Griffier. Also, in this period the Grand Pensionaries of Holland (who would normally perform a leading role in the affairs of the States-General) were selected for their incompetence and weakness, to protect the power position of the Stadtholder Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
. On the other hand, Musch became a favorite of Frederick Henry, and helped him manage the States-General.
Musch also made himself useful to foreign diplomats. King Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
acknowledged this when he created Musch an écuyer (squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
) in September, 1632, on the recommendation of Cardinal Richelieu, for services rendered to French diplomacy (i.e. the Dutch government had no secrets for the French one, thanks to Musch). When the Franco-Dutch alliance was renewed in 1636 all members of the commission of the States-General who negotiated the treaty received liberal gratuities from the French Crown, but Musch received the largest: 20,000 livres
French livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
.
Besides state secrets, almost anything was for sale, as far as Musch was concerned. He was accused of altering the resolutions of the States-General that he was supposed to enter in the register, presumably for a consideration. He also played a central role in the patronage system of the Republic. Offices and other favors could be obtained from the stadtholder and the States-General if Musch received the required consideration.
Such practices would be considered "corrupt" nowadays. In those days, however, they might be considered reasonable perks of the office, as long as they remained within certain bounds. By common consent, Musch went beyond those bounds, but because he was such an important part of the Orangist
Orangism (Netherlands)
Orangism is a monarchist political support for the House of Orange-Nassau as monarchy of the Netherlands. It played a significant role in the political history of the Netherlands since the Dutch revolt...
regime under Frederick Henry and his son and successor William II, Prince of Orange
William II, Prince of Orange
William II, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 14 March 1647 until his death three years later.-Biography:...
, Musch managed to get away with it to almost the end of his life.
However, he was known to have played an important role during the coup d'état of William II against the Holland Regents in August, 1650 http://www.digitalebibliotheek.be/tekst/cara002held01_01/cara002held01_01_0009.htm. When William suddenly died in October, Musch was exposed to the wrath of the newly resurgent Regents, who decided to make an example of him. He was made the subject of an investigation into the coup, and of his corrupt practices. This may have convinced him to take his own life on December 15 (though the exact circumsances of his death are unclear). His motivation would have been that a conviction would have brought confiscation of his fortune, which amounted to an estimated 2,000,000 gulders at his death. Thus, he protected his heirs.
After his death Joost van den Vondel
Joost van den Vondel
Joost van den Vondel was a Dutch writer and playwright. He is considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century. His plays are the ones from that period that are still most frequently performed, and his epic Joannes de Boetgezant , on the life of John the Baptist, has...
wrote the following satirical epitaph:
- GRAFSCHRIFT, OP EEN MUSCH
- Hier leit de Hofmusch nu en rot,
- Zij broeide slangen in haar pot;
- Lijcesters en Duc d'Alb's gebroed:
- Zij scheet de vrijheid op de hoed,
- De schoonste Steden op het hoofd,
- Zij schon en at al 't lekker ooft;
- Zij pikten, zonder schrik of schroom,
- De schoonste kerssen op den boom;
- Zij vroeg na kluit-boog, klap, noch knip;
- Zij kon den Moolek op een stip;
- Zij vloog de Meester van de hand,
- En speelde met de macht van 't Land;
- Zij bersten aan een Spinnekop,
- Dewijl zij dronk, en sprak; Dit sop
- Bekomt mij zeker niet te wel;
- De rest geeft Aarssen en Kapel.
which amounts to an elaborate play on Musch' name (Sparrow) and how sparrows spoil food and dump on people's heads, while alluding to the fact that important Orangists like Van Aarsens profited from his corrupt practices.