In recent times many studies have been dedicated to the fortunes of Machiavelli and his works. They have examined the sometimes fierce reactions to his opinions and they have elucidated the slow process by which his realistic views on the exercise of power in the state were assimilated into the political thought of early modern Europe. Little by little nearly every country has received its due attention as for instance in Felix Raab's admirable book on England. Whereas more generally oriented interest in Machiavelli's theories for a long time concentrated on what might be called the literature of the raison d'état, we are now, thanks especially to the work of J.G.A. Pocock, able to discern too how important and profound Machiavelli's influence as a republican has been in Europe and America. It is remarkable, however, that, at least until recently, nowhere in the surveys of Machiavelli's reputation as old Nick or as a republican has the Dutch Republic been taken into account.

We must ask ourselves why this has been the case. Did one of the most important republican states of Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries abstain from the discussion about Machiavelli? Did the special features of the Dutch state, so often emphasised by Dutch scholars, or the rather orthodox character of Calvinism practised in the country, perhaps prevent an open reaction?