Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft (1581-1647) Knight in the Order of Saint Michael, was a Dutch historian, poet and playwright from the period known as the Dutch Golden Age. He was often known as P.C. Hooft, the son of the mayor and was also the uncle of Cornelis and Andries de Graeff. He founded the Muiderkring, a literary society located at his home, the castle of Muiden in which he lived due to his appointment as sheriff of Muiden. Among members were the poets and playwrights G.A. Bredero and Joost can den Vondel. As a poet he was influenced by his Renaissance contemporaries in France and Italy. In 1647 he died at the age of 66 in the Hague.