# John de Witt — The Black Tulip character guide > John de Witt in The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** John, Mynheer John, Mynheer John de Witt, the Grand Pensionary, the Grand Pensionary John **First appearance:** 0000-i-a-grateful-people ## Snapshot The Grand Pensionary of Holland, cool-headed even as the mob closes in, trying to save his brother with the last tools of a statesman. ## Who they are John de Witt has spent his career steering the Dutch republic through faction and foreign pressure, and now finds the streets of his own city turned against him. In the carriage with his brother he keeps thinking — testing gates, reading crowds, bargaining with a gatekeeper for one more chance — even as the noose tightens. His doomed composure in the early chapters sets the tone of political dread that hangs over the whole book. ## Relationships ### [Cornelius van Baerle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/cornelius_van_baerle) _professional_ Cornelius is a loyal godson and protégé of John de Witt, who entrusts him with the tulip bulbs before his political downfall. ### [Count Tilly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/count_tilly) _professional_ Count Tilly is a military officer who escorts John de Witt under orders, maintaining a formal and respectful professional demeanor. ### [Rosa Gryphus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/rosa_gryphus) _social_ John de Witt briefly interacts with Rosa as a prisoner's advocate, showing kindness before his own tragic death. ### [Craeke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/craeke) _professional_ Craeke serves John de Witt as a trusted messenger, helping to smuggle the tulip bulbs to Cornelius. ### [William of Orange](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/william_of_orange) _rivalry_ John de Witt and William of Orange are political rivals, with William orchestrating the downfall of the de Witt brothers. ### [Cornelius van Baerle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/cornelius_van_baerle) _professional_ Cornelius is a loyal godson and protégé of John de Witt, who entrusts him with the tulip bulbs before his political downfall. ### [Cornelius van Baerle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/cornelius_van_baerle) _professional_ Cornelius is a loyal godson and protégé of John de Witt, who entrusts him with the tulip bulbs before his political downfall. ### [Count Tilly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/count_tilly) _professional_ Count Tilly is a military officer who escorts John de Witt under orders, maintaining a formal and respectful professional demeanor. ### [Rosa Gryphus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/rosa_gryphus) _social_ John de Witt briefly interacts with Rosa as a prisoner's advocate, showing kindness before his own tragic death. ### [Rosa Gryphus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/rosa_gryphus) _social_ John de Witt briefly interacts with Rosa as a prisoner's advocate, showing kindness before his own tragic death. ### [Craeke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/craeke) _professional_ Craeke serves John de Witt as a trusted messenger, helping to smuggle the tulip bulbs to Cornelius. ### [William of Orange](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/william_of_orange) _rivalry_ John de Witt and William of Orange are political rivals, with William orchestrating the downfall of the de Witt brothers. ## In the story ### [A Grateful People](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/i-a-grateful-people) Resigned as Grand Pensionary; wounded in an earlier assassination attempt; hurries to meet his fate at the Buytenhof. ### [II: The Two Brothers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/ii-the-two-brothers) Visits his brother Cornelius in prison, having navigated through hostile crowds. He is anxious about the secret correspondence and urges its destruction. ### [III: The Pupil of John de Witt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/iii-the-pupil-of-john-de-witt) Organizes the escape of his brother Cornelius, expresses gratitude to Rosa, and departs with Cornelius to the Tol-Hek. ### [IV: The Murderers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/iv-the-murderers) Dragged from his carriage, beaten, stabbed, and finally shot in the face by the mob. ### [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) Mentioned as the sender of the correspondence and the master of Craeke; his political troubles loom over the chapter. ### [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 corpse is also gibbeted alongside his brother's; Cornelius prays for his soul. ### [XI: Cornelius van Baerle’s Will](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xi-cornelius-van-baerle-s-will) His servant Craeke delivered a paper to Van Baerle before his arrest; the paper is now missing. ### [XII: The Execution](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/chapters/xii-the-execution) Remembered by Cornelius as a friend who was murdered for politics. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters/john_de_witt - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_tulip_se/characters