John made his chief residence at Schoonhoven, where he patronized French and Dutch poets. His court was the literary centre of Holland before the arrival of Albert of Bavaria. John was on good terms with Albert and represented him during his absence from Holland.[1] In 1362 and 1363, when John went on crusade in Prussia, he took with him his professional storyteller, Augustijnken.[2]
In 1371, Matilda's brothers, Dukes Reginald III and Edward, had died. John spent most of the rest of his life trying to seize Guelders from Matilda's nephew, William VII of Jülich, in the First War of the Guelderian Succession. William had the support of the Emperor Charles IV. In 1377, John was forced to abandon Arnhem, where he had set up his court. In 1379, he renounced his claim on Guelders in exchange for an annual pension from William.
John died at Valenciennes. He had no children with his wife. He had two sons by a mistress, Isabeau d'Isbergues: John, who became lord of Trélon, and Guy, lord of Heften in Zeeland.
Bouwmeester, Gerard (2014). "Interplay between Text and Text Collection: The Case of Augustijnken's Dryvoldicheit". Journal of the Early Book Society. 17: 242–253. ProQuest1674357474
van Oostrom, Frits Pieter (1992). Court and Culture: Dutch Literature, 1350–1450. Translated by Arnold J. Pomerans. University of California Press.
Warnar, Geert (2005). "Augustijnken in Pruisen: Over de Drijfveren van Een Middelnederlandse Dichter en Literatuur binnen de Duitse Orde". Jaarboek voor Middeleeuwse Geschiedenis. 8: 101–139.