The Black Tulip · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas.

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Chapter 1
A Grateful People
The chapter sets the historical stage in 1672, detailing the political turmoil in the Dutch Republic. It describes the fall of the De Witt brothers, John and Cornelius, who are persecuted by an Orangist mob after the repeal of the Perpetual Edict and the rise of William of Orange. Cornelius is arrested, tortured, and sentenced to exile, while John resigns his office. The mob gathers at the Buytenhof to witness Cornelius's departure, incited by the informer Tyckelaer, but is held back by Count Tilly and his cavalry.
Chapter 2
II: The Two Brothers
John de Witt visits his brother Cornelius in prison, where Cornelius has been tortured but sentenced to exile. The mob outside clamors for their blood, and Count Tilly's dragoons hold them at bay. Cornelius reveals he entrusted a secret correspondence with France to his godson, Cornelius van Baerle, who is unaware of its contents. John urges that the letters be burned to prevent their ruin, but Cornelius insists Van Baerle does not know the secret. The brothers prepare to flee amidst the growing tumult.
Chapter 3
III: The Pupil of John de Witt
As the mob grows more violent against the De Witt brothers, John de Witt hastens his brother Cornelius's departure. Rosa helps the brothers escape through a secret passage, giving them a key and guiding them to a waiting carriage. Meanwhile, a mysterious young man (implied to be William of Orange) observes the crowd's movements and inquires about Deputy Bowelt. Rosa then hides her father Gryphus in a secret dungeon as the mob breaks into the prison, shouting for the traitors' deaths.
Chapter 4
IV: The Murderers
The chapter depicts the brutal lynching of John and Cornelius de Witt by an enraged mob in The Hague. William of Orange observes the scene from a window, showing cold detachment. The brothers are dragged from their carriage, beaten, stabbed, and finally hanged from a gibbet. Their bodies are mutilated and sold. William later departs, reflecting on the political implications.
Chapter 5
The Tulip-Fancier and His Neighbour
This chapter introduces the rivalry between Cornelius van Baerle, a wealthy and successful tulip-grower, and his neighbor Isaac Boxtel, a jealous and obsessive tulip-fancier. Boxtel's envy intensifies when Van Baerle builds a new story that blocks sunlight from his garden and reveals that Van Baerle has become a serious tulip cultivator. Boxtel's resentment grows as he foresees his rival's success, especially given Van Baerle's connection to the prominent Cornelius de Witt.

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A Grateful People

II: The Two Brothers

III: The Pupil of John de Witt

IV: The Murderers

The Tulip-Fancier and His Neighbour