 1613 may have carried some excitement but the end of the decade was one of the true zeniths (or nadirs, depending on one’s perspective) of Grotius’ life. A dispute between orthodox Calvinists and reformers over arcane theological matters which no longer seem important to us quickly assumed enormous political significance. Grotius, Oldenbarnevelt and other supporters of religious tolerance were aligned on the side with the reformers or “Remonstrants”; Maurice, the Calvinist establishment and other so-called “Contra-Remonstrants” were on the other. On 29 August 1618, Maurice and his allies staged a coup, overthrowing the States General (of which Grotius was a member by virtue of his position as Pensionary of Rotterdam) and imprisoning him along with Oldenbarnevelt and Rombout Hoogerbeets, the Pensionary of Leiden. Consolidating his grip on power, Maurice soon moved to eliminate the Remonstrants and their supporters in government; as part of this putsch, Oldenbarnevelt was executed and Grotius and Hoogerbeets were sentenced to life imprisonment. It would be overly dramatic to say Grotius languished there: he was allowed to correspond with outsiders; moreover, he had books and writing materials, and indeed he composed much important work during this time. But the cold and damp cell was far from pleasant and there was the looming danger that the authorities would revisit his case and impose an even harsher punishment. So in March 1621, Grotius and his wife Maria decided enough was enough. Placing himself in a large trunk that Maria had shipped to him, Grotius escaped prison by having the trunk carried out on the pretense that it contained a number of books. He fled to Antwerp and thence to Paris, where his family eventually joined him.