Le 20 aout 1672, la ville de la Haye, si vivante, si blanche, si coquette que l'on dirait que tous les jours sont des dimanches, la ville de la Haye, avec son parc ombreux, avec ses grands arbres inclines sur ses maisons gothiques, la ville de la Haye gonflait toutes ses arteres d'un flot noir et rouge de citoyens presses, haletants, inquiets, lesquels couraient, le couteau a la ceinture, le mousquet sur l'epaule ou le baton a la main, vers le Buytenhoff, formidable prison ou, depuis l'accusation d'assassinat portee contre lui par le chirugien Tyckelaer, languissait Corneille de Witt, frere de l'ex-grand pensionnaire de Hollande. Holland had reestablished the stadtholderate under the leadership of William of Orange. The former chiefs of the republic, Jean and Corneille de Witt, unjustly accused of betraying their country to France, had been forced to resign and sentenced to perpetual banishment. Corneille de Witt had also been falsely accused of planning to assassinate William of Orange, and had been thrown into prison and tortured. When the story opens Corneille is still in prison, awaiting his brother Jean, who is to accompany him into exile. The Orange party wished the death of the de Witts and had stirred up the populace, which was kept from breaking into the prison only by state troops under the command of Tilly. - Mort aux traitres cria la compagnie des bourgeois exasperee. Bah vous dites toujours la meme chose, grommela l'officier, c'est fatigant Et il reprit son poste en tete de la troupe, tandis que le tumulte allait en augmentant autour du Buytenhoff."