, lord of Someldyck and Spyck, one of the most celebrated negociators
, lord of Someldyck and Spyck,
one of the most celebrated negociators of the United Provinces, was the son of Cornelius Aarsens, (who was greffier, or secretary of state, from 1585 to 1623,) and was
born at the Hague in 1572. His father put him under the
care of Duplessis Mornay at the court of William I. prince
of Orange. The celebrated John Barnevelt sent him afterwards as agent into France; and, after residing there
some time, he was recognised as ambassador, the first
whom the French Court had received in that capacity from
the United States; and the king, Louis XIII. created him
a knight and baron. After holding this office for fifteen
years, he became obnoxious to the French Court, and was
deputed to Venice, and to several German and Italian
princes, on occasion of the troubles in Bohemia. But such
was the dislike the French king now entertained against
him, that he ordered his ambassadors in these courts not
to receive his visits. One cause of this appears to have
been a paper published by Aarsens in 1618, reflecting on
the French king’s ministers. In 1620 he was sent as ambassador to England, and again in 1641: the object of this
last embassy was to negociate a marriage between prince
William, son to the prince of Orange, and a daughter of
Charles I. Previous to this, however, we find him again
In France, in 1624, as ambassador extraordinary, where
it appears that he became intimate with and subservient to
the cardinal Richelieu; who used to say that he never
knew but three great politicians, Oxenstiern, chancellor
of Sweden, Viscardi, chancellor of Montferrat, and Francis Aarsens. His character, however, has not escaped just
censure, on account of the hand he had in the death of
Barnevelt, and of some measures unfriendly to the liberties
of his country. He died in 1641. The editors of the Diet.
Historique attribute to him “A Journey into Spain, historical and political,
” published by De Sercy at Paris,