De Verhemelde Geest Van den Doorluchtigen Oranje-Martelaer Henry de Fleury, heer van Buat, etc.

Title

De Verhemelde Geest Van den Doorluchtigen Oranje-Martelaer Henry de Fleury, heer van Buat, etc.

Subtitle

Ritmeester ten dienste de Vereenighde Nederlanden, Aensprekende de Rampsalige Geesten van Mr. Jan de Wit, Gewesen Raed-Pensionaris, en Groot Zegel-Bewaerder van Holland en West-Vriesland, ende Mr. Cornelis de Wit, Ruard van Putten, Oud-Burgermeester der Stadt Dordrecht, beyde varende in Charons Boot naer het Helsche Rijck, op den 20 Augusti 1672.

Translation: The spirit in heaven of that illustrious Orange-martyr, Henry de Fleury, lord of Buat, etc.

Synopsis

Cavalry captain in the service of the United Netherlands, addressing the miserable spirits of Mr Jan de Wit, who was Grand-Pensionary and Great Seal-Keeper of Holland and West-Frisia, and Mr Cornelis de Wit, Ruard of Putten, former Burgomaster of the City Dordrecht, both sailing in Charon’s boat to the Kingdom of Hell, on the 20th of August 1672

Digital Object

Image notice

Full size images of all song sheets available at the bottom of this page.

Image / Audio Credit

Pamphlet: Lbl KB Wouters 04053 (liedtekst), Wouters/Moormann, Meertens Instituut, Amsterdam. Nederlandse Liederenbank

Set to tune of...

geen wijsaanduiding

Transcription

WIE heeft gints Charon doch? sijn schuyt die schijnt te sincken;

Voorwaer een sware vracht! Soo dese niet verdrincken,

Soo heeft het Helsche Rijck voorwaer een schoone buyt;

Verraet en Schelmery sien haer ten oogen uyt.

Droom ick, of ben ick blindt? het zijn die valsche tongen,

Die eens den Rechter tot mijn doodt soo haestigh dwongen,

Die om mijn kleynen Baes my brachten in het graf,

Die stoffe gaven dat men my het Hooft sloegh af.

Die lange Vlegels zijn 't, ey! siet haer eens ter degen,

Die Hydraes hebben nu verdienden loon gekregen,

En soo ick haer bemerck, oor, neus, voet, vinger, hand,

Zijn haer bey af gesneen; sou 't zijn voor 't Vaderland?

Neen voor haer Schelmery; dat is volkoom gebleken,

Schoon door haea kuypery een vonnis is gestreken,

Die Caesars Wet verdoemt; een vonnis van het Hof,

Dat yder Practisijn tot lacchen nu geeft stof.

Ick spreeck die twee nu aen, vervloeckte wreede Pesten

Die onder vryheydts schijn verswackt 't gemeene besten

En hebt u selven van de Leeuw soo vet gemest,

Gelijck Venetien getuyght, of dat gewest.

Die den Oranje-Vorst socht in de wiegh te smooren,

En hadt den Fransman voor uw Opper-heer verkooren:

Meyneedigen, die met noch anderen hebt benijt

Den Stam, wiens Boom den Thuyn bewaert heeft langen tijdt,

Door Godes oordeel wierdt u glas dus uyt-gelopen;

Op ongehoorde wijs hebt ghy 't moeten bekopen,

Dat ick onschuldige, die nergens van en wist,

Ontfongh voor seven jaer, alleenlijck door uw list.

Het helsch gebroed, doen sy de tijdinge ontfongen,

Dat gy haest komen soudt, van vreugde alle sprongen,

't Was dubbel kermis daer: denckt nu eens wat een feest

Men houden sal, wanneer haer toekomt uwen Geest:

Den Ruard sullen sy tot een ontbijt daer braden,

Om dat hy niet en sal de Hel als 't Landt verraden:

En u, ontrouwe Jan, met Cromwel, Bradshauw, Jeems,

Of Meester Pieter, die den Baes was aen de Teems,

Doen rollen soo een Steen als Sysiphus moet rollen,

Om dat ghy hebt de Leeuw gemaeckt aen Suysebollen.

Vorst Pluto heeft oock hoop op Mombas en de Groot,

Want in den Hemel zijn sy niet te gast genoot.

Men hoopt'er noch op meer: de vryheydt kan niet leven,

Of dier-gelijcke meer moeten door 't swaert noch sneven.

Ick gae, Verraders bey, de wraeck my nu voldoet,

Voorts laet ick eeuwigh u een knagende gemoet.

Who does Charon have there? His ship seems to be sinking,

Indeed a heavy cargo! this one does not drown

So the Kingdom of Hell has a good loot indeed

Betrayal and roguishness has a lot to look at

Am I dreaming, or am I blind? It’s those false tongues

Who once hastily forced the judge to [order] my death

Who because of my little Boss brought me to the grave

Who provided the means with which they severed my head

They are tall boors, ey! See them clearly for once

Those Hydras have now gotten what they deserved

And so when I see them, ear, nose, foot, finger, hand,

They are all cut off; would it be for the Fatherland?

No for their roguery, that has completely been revealed

Because of their intrigue, the have been sentenced

Which condemns Caesars’ Law; a sentence of the Court,

Providing material for laughter for every Practitioner.

I now speak to those two, cursed, cruel Pests

Who, under freedom’s illusion, weakened the commonwealth

And have fattened themselves so much of the Lion,

Befitting Venice, or that region

Which sought to smother the Lord Orange in his crib

And had chosen the Frenchman as their overlord

Perjurers, who together with others, have envied

That lineage, whose Tree guarded the garden for a long time

By God’s judgement, then, your hourglass ran out;

In an unheard of way you had to pay,

That I, an innocent, who knew of nothing,

Burned for seven years, only because of your deception.

The hellish spawn, who at the time ignited,

That you would almost leap all leaps of joy,

It was double carnival there: think now what festivities

They will have when your soul is due to them.

That Ruard they will fry into a breakfast,

So that he will not betray Hell like he did the Land:

And you, disloyal Jan, with Cromwell, Bradshaw, James,

Or Master Piet, who was the Boss on the Thames,

Have to roll such a stone like Sisyphus must roll,

Because you made the Lion dizzy.

Lord Pluto also hopes for Mombas and de Groot,

Because they are not invited as guests in heaven.

They hope for more: the freedom cannot live,

Or such has to be killed by the sword.

I leave, both Traitors, my vengeance now contented,

Now I will leave you with an eternally gnawing conscience.

Translation by Rena Bood
 

Gender

Date

Notes

TranslationsNotes:
1 In Dutch, it is implied that the judge signed the order for his death.
2 ‘Stam’ carries more weight in Dutch. It refers only to the core of a fully grown tree, not its branches, and suggests strength and lineage. It is closely related to a family tree (‘stamboom’).
3 The use of ‘stam’ and ‘boom’ in the same sentence is quite poetic as ‘stam’ in a different context can also mean ‘tree’ and ‘boom’ in this context actually means ‘tree.’
4 ‘Suysebollen’ can refer to dizziness, but also a continuing noise in your head, or being unbalanced (at risk of losing the righteous path).

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De verhemelde geest van Doorluchtig.jpeg

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Citation

“De Verhemelde Geest Van den Doorluchtigen Oranje-Martelaer Henry de Fleury, heer van Buat, etc.,” Execution Ballads, accessed November 6, 2024, https://omeka.cloud.unimelb.edu.au/execution-ballads/items/show/1224.

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