# Cornelius de Witt — The Black Tulip character guide

> Cornelius de Witt in The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Cornelius de Witt, Mynheer Cornelius, Mynheer de Witt, Mynheer Cornelius de Witt, the unfortunate Cornelius de Witt, Poor Cornelius

**First appearance:** 0000-i-a-grateful-people

## Snapshot

The deposed statesman whose name is enough to condemn his godson, and whose last thoughts on the scaffold drift toward tulips and heaven.

## Who they are

Brother to the Grand Pensionary and godfather to Van Baerle, Cornelius de Witt has spent his life in the thankless business of governing, and the Orange mob has decided to make him pay for it. His dignity on the way to execution — calm, prayerful, almost serene — is the moral backdrop against which the novel's later cruelties are measured. His friendship is the inheritance that turns an obscure tulip-grower into a political suspect.

## Relationships

### [Cornelius van Baerle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/cornelius_van_baerle)

_friendship_

Cornelius de Witt is a close friend and political ally of Cornelius van Baerle, entrusting him with the tulip bulbs before his execution.

### [Cornelius van Baerle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/cornelius_van_baerle)

_friendship_

Cornelius de Witt is a close friend and political ally of Cornelius van Baerle, entrusting him with the tulip bulbs before his execution.

## In the story

### [A Grateful People](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/i-a-grateful-people)

Arrested, tortured, and sentenced to exile; steadfastly refuses to confess to the alleged plot against William of Orange.

### [II: The Two Brothers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/ii-the-two-brothers)

Imprisoned and tortured, but now sentenced to exile. He reveals he has hidden the correspondence with France with his godson Van Baerle, who is unaware of its contents.

### [III: The Pupil of John de Witt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/iii-the-pupil-of-john-de-witt)

Flees the prison with his brother John, thanks Rosa for her help, and gives her a Bible as a gift.

### [IV: The Murderers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/iv-the-murderers)

Struck with an iron bar, dragged into the crowd, and disemboweled before being hanged.

### [The Tulip-Fancier and His Neighbour](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/v-the-tulip-fancier-and-his-neighbour)

Van Baerle's godfather; mentioned as a prominent figure whose visit to Dort and political unpopularity are noted.

### [VII: The Happy Man Makes Acquaintance with Misfortune](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/vii-the-happy-man-makes-acquaintance-with-misfortune)

Visits his godson to deposit a politically sensitive parcel, showing fatherly affection and concern for his safety.

### [VIII: An Invasion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/viii-an-invasion)

Mentioned as having been arrested for high treason and later murdered by the Orange party.

### [IX: The Family Cell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/ix-the-family-cell)

His former cell is now occupied by Van Baerle; his corpse is gibbeted and displayed with an insulting placard.

### [XI: Cornelius van Baerle’s Will](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xi-cornelius-van-baerle-s-will)

The godfather of Van Baerle; his correspondence with France is the basis of the charge, and Van Baerle recounts how he received the parcel from him.

### [XII: The Execution](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xii-the-execution)

Cornelius's godson, also murdered, and his memory is invoked as Cornelius faces death.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/cornelius_de_witt
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters