▁as ▁they ▁made ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁more ▁vulner able ▁during ▁attacks . ▁ ▁French ▁invasion ▁▁ ▁Not ▁long ▁after ▁the ▁re building ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁mid - 1 7 th ▁century , ▁King ▁Louis ▁XIV ▁of ▁France ▁inv aded ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁This ▁invasion ▁was ▁during ▁the ▁Franco - D utch ▁War , ▁or ▁the ▁Dutch ▁War ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁commonly ▁referred ▁to . ▁This ▁War ▁was , ▁in ▁part , ▁started ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁Dutch ▁signing ▁an ▁al liance ▁with ▁the ▁Spanish ▁and ▁English ▁against ▁the ▁French ▁in ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁De volution ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 6 0 s . ▁King ▁Louis ▁XIV ▁saw ▁this ▁as ▁a ▁bet ray al ▁from ▁the ▁Dutch ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁in va de ▁the ▁Dutch ▁in ▁response . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁French ▁soldiers ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁castle ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 2 , ▁the ▁Van ▁Ark els ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁reg ain ▁some ▁of ▁their ▁prior ▁wealth . ▁As ▁the ▁French ▁made ▁their ▁way ▁through ▁the ▁Dutch ▁coun tr ys ide , ▁they ▁destroyed ▁numerous ▁cast les . ▁The ▁French ▁soldiers ▁also ▁threatened ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁Am mers o yen ▁Castle , ▁but ▁Thomas ▁Van ▁Ar kel ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁castle ' s ▁safety ▁from ▁the ▁French ▁by ▁offering ▁the ▁French ▁command ing ▁officer ▁ 7 0 0 0 ▁gu ild ers . ▁While ▁this ▁ens ured ▁the ▁castle ' s ▁safety , ▁it ▁left ▁the ▁Van ▁Ark els ▁in ▁a ▁severe ▁amount ▁of ▁deb t .