selves had kindled, tuning their merry harps, when others were weeping over a kingdom's funeral. In England, there being nothing but confusion and ruin, nothing to be seen but the convulsions of a dying state, his now sacred majesty, for his own safety and security, withdrew himself out of England, and resolved to live for some time, in his solitudes, in the Belgick provinces. But the states were so far from affording him any comfort, as a distressed prince, or yielding him any kindness, as their best friend and greatest patron, that, if his majesty had not had timely notice of it, it is credibly said, that he had been delivered up, in their territories, as a sacrifice to the fury of his cruellest enemy.

His majesty, anno 1660, being restored to his kingdoms, forgetting all their former unkindnesses and ingratitudes, his care was to conclude a strict league with the said states. But no sooner was it concluded, but they return to their usual practice of breaking articles, who expect an exact observance of them from others, but perform none themselves. Thereupon his majesty, 1664, was stirred up by the complaints of his people, and the unanimous votes of both houses of parliament, to defend the rights of his crown, and the liberties of his people, which the states had most notoriously invaded; yet his majesty, to prevent the cffusion of blood (as ty. rants shed blood for pleasure, kings for necessity), spent the whole summer in negotiations to bring them to reason, but all his endeavours proved ineffectual.

Thereupon, anno 1665, ensued the war, and continued to the year 1667, wherein his majesty obtained so many signal victories, that, by their humble supplications and addresses to his majesty for peace, he was induced to a treaty; and, his majesty having the guaranty of the most christian king, and of the said states, that no act of hostility, during the said treaty, should be attempted by them against his majesty, or any of his dominions, thereupon his majesty did forbear to equip his fleet. Yet the said states, con

trary to their faith, during the said treaty, with their fleet, though not half manned or victualled, for any time, most treacherously invaded his majesty's dominions, burnt and committed destruction upon several of his majesty's navy royal in his own ports and harbour. Whereas, if his majesty had set forth his fleet, they had not been able to have put to sea, that year, for want of mariners, and other discouragements upon them, having received so many memorable defeats by the valour and courage of his subjects.

No sooner was there a peace concluded, but every article was broken by them; and no wonder, for it is a maxim of their state, that all alliance as to them is inconsiderable; the foundation of their greatness and safety consists in their own power and strength;' therefore, to keep any article is of no consideration to them.

Now they invade his majesty's fishing upon the British seas, without his royal license; they refuse to strike sail, and dispute the sovereignty of the British seas. Affronts so high, and indignities

At Chatham in the River Medway.

so transcendent, that no king or potentate, except these men, did ever so much as question any of them.

It doth appear by the records in the Tower*, and the munici pal laws of this nation, that the kings of England have had ever from the time of the Romans an absolute and uninterrupted right, and exclusive property in the sovereignty in the British seas, in the passages and fishing thereof; and have power to make laws, and exercise supreme jurisdiction over all persons, and in all cases, within or upon the said seas, as it was agreed, 26 E. I. by the agents and ambassadors of Genoa, Catalonia, Spain, Almaine, Zealand, Holland, Friesland, Denmark, Norway, and divers other places in the empire. And by all the states and princes of Europe, in a case then in question between the king of England and his most christian majesty, concerning Rayner Grimbold, his admiral, exercising some jurisdiction upon the British seas.

The laws of Olleron which, after the Rhodian laws were antiquated, have now near five-hundred years been received by all the christian world for regulating sea-affairs, and deciding of maritime controversies, were first declared by King Richard the First, at his return from the Holy Land, and by him caused to be published in the Isle of Olleron, as belonging to the Dutchy of Aquitain.

If the subjects of any king or prince have a right to fish in the British seas, I do desire to be satisfied, what should be the reason that all neighbour princes have by treaty obtained license from the kings of England, for their subjects to fish in those seas, and have paid tribute, as it doth appear by the licenses granted by Henry the Fourth unto the French; by Henry the Sixth unto the Duchess of Burgundy; to those of Brabant and Flanders by Edward the Fourth; to Francis, Duke of Bretagne, for his subjects; Philip the Second, king of Spain, in the first year of Queen Mary, obtained a license for his subjects to fish upon the north-coast of Ireland, for the term of twenty-one years, paying yearly for the same a thousand pounds, which was accordingly paid into the exchequer of Ireland.

And the precedents, in R. I. King John, Edw. III. and other kings, are almost infinite.

And, if any king, or prince, could pretend to any right, certainly his most christian majesty hath as good a pretence as any. But that king, by the special license of the kings of England, and not otherwise, hath fished upon the British coasts, with a set and limited number of boats; and that for his own family, and being likewise to observe the laws and orders of his own fishermen; for breach whereof, divers of his subjects have been taken and imprisoned in Dover-castle, and elsewhere, as doth appear by many precedents in the times of Edw. III. H. IV. II. VII. &c. in the Tower.

Neither is this singular in the King of England only; for, in Russia, many leagues from the main, fishermen do pay for their

26 Edw. de Superioritate Maris Anglici.

fishing great taxes to the emperor of Russia; and, in most places, other nations are prohibited to fish.

The king of Denmark doth the like, and taketh great tribute, both at Wardhouse and the Sound.

And the like he doth now for Norway.

All the bordering princes of Italy do the like within the Medi

terranean seas.

The states do take an imposition upon fish which is taken upon the British seas, and within the streams and dominions of other

princes.

The Hollanders do allow the tenth fish, both in Russia, Lappia, and other places, or pay a composition for the same; and do also pay a tribute in the Sound, for passage to fetch the said fish.

But I shall not give myself any trouble in a point so clear. I would desire to know of the Hollanders, By what right or title they fish upon the British seas? If they have a right, Why did the Earls of Holland, and themselves after the said earls, take licenses from the Kings of England, for their subjects to fish and pay tri. bute? As they have done, as it appeareth by many ancient precedents in the Tower.

But now, I remember, it is a principle of their state, "That, if they get the possession of any thing, never to dispute the right, so it be of conveniency or profit to them to keep it." The next is the striking of the sail, which is nothing, but an humble acknowledgment of his majesty's sovereignty of the Bri tish seas, and a grateful submission for their liberty to pass upon them. For strangers (by the law and custom of the British seas) being to pass those seas, either in coming to England, or going to any other place (without so much as touching upon any of his majesty's dominions), have used to take safe conducts and licenses of the Kings of England, to secure and protect them in their passage*. The precedents are exceeding many amongst the records in the Tower. The striking of the sail is one of the ancientest prerogatives of the crown of England; for, I observe, in the second year of King John, it was declared at Hastings by the king, with the advice of his lords temporal, for a law and custom of the sea, That, "if a lieutenant, in any voyage, being ordained by the king, doth "encounter upon the sea any ship or vessel, laden or unladen, "that will not strike, or vail their bonnets at the commandment "of the lieutenant of the king, or of the admiral of the king, or "his lieutenant, but will fight against them of the fleet; that, if "they can be taken, they be reputed as enemies, and their ships, ❝vessels, and goods taken and forfeited, as the goods of enemies. "And that the common people, being in the same, be chastised, "by imprisonment of their bodies for their rebellion. Inter Leges Marinas, anno secundo Johannis Regis, amongst the records ❝ of the Tower."

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The Hollanders, therefore, refusing to strike sail, do deny his

See Rot. Francis 11 Hen, IV. de salvo Conductu.

majesty's sovereignty in the seas (one of the most precious jewels of the crown, and) the principal means of the trade, wealth, and safety of this nation, and which all true Englishmen, with the hazard of their lives and fortunes, are obliged to preserve and maintain; for Imperator Maris est Dominus Terræ *.

And, as they have denied his majesty's sovereignty, so they have, by their artifice, supplanted the trade and traffick of his subjects, which are the only pillars of riches and safety to this nation.

Consult the Muscovia +, Turky, &c. companies, enquire at the Exchange, they will all tell you, It is gone, whither I know not, but into Amsterdam and the United Provinces.

The English are as active and industrious a people as any, but (of a more generous and noble alloy) they abhor to have trade by those base practices, or to gain it by those sordid means, as the Hollanders do. I doubt not but the English nation, being sensible of the injuries and oppressions done them by these men, will, in a short time, by their sword and valour, reduce them to reason.

And, as they have supplanted the trade of his majesty's subjects, so they have endeavoured to make a diminution of his own glory, by abusive pictures and false libels, not only in their own territories, but in most of the dominions of the kings and princes of Europe, where the name of the king of Great-Britain is renowned. "Reputation abroad, and reverence at home, are the pillars of "safety and sovereignty."

By these arts they have endeavoured, not only to lessen his majesty's reputation abroad, but to bring contempt upon him, even amongst his own subjects at home. Without doubt, his majesty's good subjects have a great sentiment of these indignities, and will not only carry an antidote in their ears against the poison of these libels, but, with their swords, lives, and fortunes, will vindicate his dignity, and bring these ungrateful miscreants to justice.

The States having put so many scorns and indignities upon his majesty, and abuses upon his subjects in their trade, for which his majesty was more troubled, than for the indignities done to himself, he was resolved to have satisfaction of them. But they, to give his majesty disquiet in his own dominions, and for a diversion to him, made their addresses to some persons of the Scotish nation with them for their brotherly assistance, promising them they should be furnished with men, arms, and money, what they pleased. But the Scots, too well remembering their late sufferings and calamities, and having as great a sense of loyalty and duty for their king, as any people in the world, with the greatest scorn and abhorrence rejected their most impious and rebellious motion.

Not prevailing there, they set upon some factories of sedition in England, and, by their emissaries here, endeavoured to work upon an honest party in this nation, though differing, in some minute ceremonies, from the church; but they looked upon it, as

i. e. Whoever is emperor of the sea, is also lord of the land adjoining thereto,

the greatest injury and indignity that could be done them, to tempt them from their loyalty to so good and gracious a king.

And, certainly, his majesty had a very good esteem for them, or else he would never have granted them that act of indulgence; an act so transcendent, and exceeding the bounty and grace of all former kings, that it could not be obtained of them, though there had been many hundred thousand pounds offered for the purchase of it. But, as his majesty hath granted them liberty of conscience, so, there is no doubt, they will make conscience of their liberty.

His majesty of Great-Britain, and the most christian king, of all princes in Europe, have most studied and endeavoured, for the good of their subjects, to advance trade and commerce; yet their subjects cry out they have no trade, and well they may, when the Hollanders are the great supplanters of trade, and obstructors of commerce, to all others but themselves, in the world. And no wonder, for it is a prime principle of their state, "That they "must not be like the jackall, which provides food for the lion; "but they must imitate the prudent cat, who mouses only for "" itself."

Nothing can be more becoming the majesty of two such potent kings, not only out of charity to deliver the distressed Dutch, an industrious and well-meaning people of themselves, from the ty ranny and oppression of those insolent states; but, out of piety towards God, to settle peace in Christendom; which is only by the power of those two great kings to be effected, and to which all kings and princes are obliged to contribute their assistance.

For, let it be soberly considered, if these men (if we may so call them) since the revolt from their prince, have not made greater distempers and confusions, and caused more effusion of blood, and expence of treasure, in Europe, than the Great Turk hath done for these five-hundred years.

And, as they are more powerful by sea, so they are much more dangerous in their practice; for the Turk is a prince who, with all potentates, doth exactly observe his leagues, and keeps his faith; but it is an apophthegm in their state, that " It is for kings and "merchants to keep their word and faith, but, for States, no lon than it is subservient to their interest.”

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And, how exactly they make this good in their actions, I appeal to all the kings and princes of Europe, if ever they kept one article, or their faith in any thing, where it was their interest to break it. Certainly these men live, as if great sins would merit heaven by an antiperistasis.

And it is very well becoming the gravest judgments to consider, if these men may not prove, in a short time, a greater terror and plague to Christendom, than the Turk himself; insomuch as his arms are at a great distance, and only land-forces, but these men are seated in the center of Europe, and, being so potent at sea, and rich in treasure, may cast an army, and, with that, blood and confusion, into any prince's dominion, whom they please to disquiet (especially being first reduced to poverty, which they labour to