"I went last night with Van Vreeswijck to hear Brauws speak at Diligentia," said Van der Welcke, one morning. "The fellow's inspired. He speaks extempore and magnificently; he's an orator. A splendid fellow, the way he spoke: it was astounding . . . I knew him years ago at Leiden. He was a queer chap even then. He did not belong to any particular club, not to ours either: his family is nothing out of the way. His father has a factory, I believe, somewhere in Overijssel. He himself has nothing of the tradesman about him. He used to coach us dull beggars and help us get up our examinations. I should never have passed without him. He knows about everything, he's not only good at law. He's read everything; he has a tremendous memory. He's travelled a lot and done all sorts of things, but I can't find out exactly what. Now he's lecturing. This evening, he's lecturing in Amsterdam. I asked him to dinner, but he refuses to come, says he's shy with ladies. Silly fellow!"
The newspapers printed lengthy reports of Brauws' speeches on Peace. He spoke in all the large Dutch towns and in many of the smaller ones. When he was to speak at the Hague for the second time, Van der Welcke said, excitedly:
65
