sentences:  In spite of his immigrant background De la Court was able to penetrate the social elite of Holland.He became a close friend of Johan Eleman, who was a member of Leiden's governing council and a relative of Johan de Witt (1625-72), the de facto leader of the Dutch Republic between 1653 and 1672.In 1657 De la Court married Eleman's sister in law, Elisabeth Tollenaer, who died only one year later in childbirth.