Background
He was born at Amsterdam and brought up a Mennonite.
He was born at Amsterdam and brought up a Mennonite.
He was baptized in 1646. Early civic fame as a poet came to him in Amsterdam, when he was rewarded by his with a laurel crown and a silver dish for a poem in honour of the foundation stone of the new town hall in 1648. In 1649 he travelled to Rome with Arnout Hellemans Hooft (1629-1680), the son of Professional Corporation Hooft.
They arrived in November 1651.
In 1655 he was presented to Queen Christina of Sweden, to whom he dedicated new poems. A poem entitled De Zweedsche Pallas ("The Swedish Pallas"), brought him a golden chain.
He died at Perugia.