The British Government, which was made responsible for these acts, would never have given its sanction to any one of them; mostly, it was unaware of the original facts.

The English military authorities dealt in absolute good faith, which makes the more shameful the conduct of those who wilfully led them into error.

Their one fault was not to realise that certain individuals were not fit to administer martial law.

In one particular district the man in authority seemed to have as the single aim of his life the punishment of anyone with Dutch sympathies or of Dutch blood.

It was useless to appeal to him, because whenever a complaint was brought by an inhabitant of the district he simply refused to listen to it, and poured a torrent of abuse at the head of the bringer.