seas, all their subjects will finally be debarred from any traffick or trade there.

Of what dangerous consequence this will prove, it is very well beseeming the wisdom of the greatest kings and princes to consider. For they are a generation which are born to be the plague, disquiet, and scourge of Europe; and they gladly sacrifice the publick peace of Christendom to their own private interest.

If we consider, how many brave and large dominions in the East-Indies were under the sovereignty of the kings of Great-Britain, what flourishing factories their subjects had there, how great kings they might have been in treasure and dominion, how rich their subjects, it cannot but discompose an English spirit, that this king should be outed of all those dominions, and his subjects devested of their riches and hopes, by a people who had nothing but the favour of the king of Great-Britain to support them, nor no fortress to defend them but that of Amboyna, and that built by the money of the English company.

Well, we may see what treachery and perfidiousness can do, being accompanied with ambition and industry; but they will, before long, find, that slippery are those foundations of might and greatness, which are not laid upon the principles of justice, and regulated by the maxims of christian piety.

And as America was the theatre where they acted these tragedies, and unparalleled insolencies; so they have not spared to manifest their ingratitude, affronts, and highest injuries against the kings of Great-Britain, and the English nation here in Europe.

*

Anno, 1639, when his Catholick majesty sent his Armado with some soldiers into Flanders, to strengthen his garisons there, but by cross winds were driven upon the English coasts; the states equipped out a great fleet of men of war, charged the Spanish Armado, ravished his ships out of the harbours of his late majesty at Dover, and destroyed most of that fleet, though in his majesty's protection and dominions, and against his majesty's express command; thereby usurping sovereignty to themselves, and giving laws to his majesty in his own dominions. A bold affront!

And, certainly, they could not think but his majesty did highly resent it. But, to keep him busied at home, and that his majesty might have no opportunity to bring them to justice for their insolence, there being, anno 1639, some distempers + in Scotland, they did greatly promote them, and contributed their assistance to them, in all manner of military provisions.

Monarchy, and with that the glory of the English nation, was now departed; the people model themselves into a commonwealth, they take a full prospect of the usurpations, injuries, and oppressions of the states, which had such a horrid complexion of injustice upon them, that the new commonwealth || denounce war against the old states §; they obtain many signal victories, and had

* King Charles I. tal. Disturbances.

* Of England.

In the time of the grand rebellion of 1641.

Of Holland.

much disabled their naval forces. Now, the states being not well able to contest with the English valour, they project how they might deliver themselves from the fury of these men. At last, they having by their emissaries first disseminated sedition amongst the people, whereby the commonwealth became a burthen to the nation, and wise men began to be troubled at the ill face of affairs, they adjudged the best expedient was to set up a single person, the states being now sensible of their former error, in not supporting the English monarchy, as their best safety and greatest protection. Oliver Cromwell, as the fittest person for such a bold-faced treason, by their underhand practice, and paying to him some hundred thousand pounds, is prevailed with to take upon him the government of the nation. The war is continued against them with great success, yet, by their interest, they obtained a treaty. And, thereupon paying a million of pounds to Oliver, a peace is concluded, but the most dishonourable and unjust that ever was to this nation. But such as it was, it continued till his majesty's * blessed restoration.

Anno 1641, there happening some difference betwixt his late majesty and his parliament, they sent over their rabbies of sedition here into England, and infused their antimonarchical principles and dangerous doctrines into some giddy heads of the English nation, who thereby became so intoxicated, that they were never at rest, till, like men infected with the plague, they infected others; and, thereby, a great part of the people became disobservant to the laws of the nation, and rebels to their king. An army of these men were raised, they having their chief officers and commanders, and all warlike provisions, out of the United Provinces, to bring destruction to the king, and desolation to the kingdom; thereby that great king being reduced to streights, notwithstanding the many obligations of the states to his majesty, they could never be induced to contribute any aid or assistance to redeem that excellent prince from so great an abyss of misery, or to preserve the kingdom from ruin and confusion, which with their assistance might have been easily prevented.

But the states were so far from any act of charity or piety, that Amsterdam was made the great emporium, or market for the rebels, to sell those rich and costly goods, which they had plundered from his majesty's best subjects in England, whereas no king or prince in Christendom would suffer them to make use of any of their ports for that purpose, and the best furniture that some of the states have in their houses, at this very day, are many of those stolen goods.

And by this means they brought poverty and misery to this nation, riches and plenty to themselves.

This unfortunate nation being thus in a combustion, and all befried, the Hogan Mogans with joy, as an ingenious man observed, did warm their hands at those unhappy flames, which they them

selves had kindled, tuning their merry harps, when others were weeping over a kingdom's funeral. In England, there being no thing but confusion and ruin, nothing to be seen but the convul sions 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 great. est 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 effusion of blood (as tyrants shed blood for pleasure, kings for necessity), spent the whole summer in negotiations to bring them to reason, but all his endeaYours 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, contrary to their faith, during the said treaty, with their fleet, thongh 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 municipal 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. L. 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 impri soned in Dover-castle, and elsewhere, as doth appear by many precedents in the times of Edw. III. H. IV. H. 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

96 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 Mediterranean 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 British 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."

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

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