cognisance of things don contrarie to this Truce and pass their Judgments according to the Law or Custom of Merchants and the Form of Sufferance After a revolution of som years wherein this kinde of Truce took place and somtimes not a League was made in the year of our Lord MCCCIII which is the one and thirtieth of Edward the first The first Article of that League is that those Kings should not onely bee at amitie with each other but also that they should defend one another in all manner of Rights against any others whomsoêver except the Church of Rome and on the part of the King of England his son in law John Duke of Brabant but on the part of the King of France Albertus King of the Romans and John Earl of Henault But the third Article thereof for the first and third is of singular use in that Libel or Bill of Complaint as will appear by and by is this Item il est accorde qe l'un ne receptera ne sustendra ne confortera ne fera confort ne aide as Enemies de l' autre ne soffera qu' ils eient confort souccors ne aide soit de gent d' armes ou de vitailes ou d' autres choses queles q' eles soient de ses terres ou de son poiar mais adiondera sur peine de forfature de corps d' avoir empeschera à tot son poair loiaument en bon foi qe les dits enemies ne soient resceipts ne confortes es terres de sa seignurie ne de son poiar ne q'ils en aient confort soccours ne aide soit gents d' armes des chevaux d' armeures de vitails ou d' autres choses queles q' eles soient which is in English to this effect that according to this contract of amitie they were neither of them in any wise to cherish the enemies of the other nor suffer any kinde of aid or relief to bee afforded them in their Territories The war beeing thus at an end becaus there arose very many complaints concerning injuries don up and down as well in the more open as in our own Sea during the special Truce afore mentioned but also it was probable that others of that kinde might arise perhaps after the League was made especially by reason of the differences at that time betwixt the French King and the Earl of Flanders therefore Commissioners were appointed by both Princes to hear and decide them And those at that time on the behalf of the King of England were Robert de Burghershe Constable of Dover Castle and John de Banquell Steward of Pontoise Baraldus de Sescas and Arnaldus Ayquein Knights on the French King's behalf were appointed the Lord Saquilly Mittonius Blanvillius Bertrandus Jordanus and Gulielmus Ralastansius Knights also To the end that they might take cognisance so it is in the King of England's Commission des enterprises mesprises forfaites en Treve ou en Sufferance entre nos le dit Roy de France d' un part d' autre es costeres de la mer d' Engleterre autres per deceâ— ausint per devers Normandie autres costeres de la mer per de la that is of encroachments injuries and offences committed on either side in time either of the League or Sufferance or of the Truce agreed on between Us and the said King of France for freedom of Commerce onely either upon the Sea-Coasts of England or any other neighboring Coasts of the Sea either towards Normandie or others more remote But the aforesaid parties were autorised by two Commissions in such manner that the one Commission contained four and the other also four an equal number beeing appointed by both the Kings They both bear date the last day of June MCCCIII To these Commissioners or others of that kinde the Libel was jointly exhibited by Procurators on the behalf of the Prelates and Peers of England also of the high Admiral of England yea and of the Cities and Towns throughout England and lastly of the whole English Nation and others subject to the King of England and how this could bee don otherwise than by autoritie of the Estates in Parlament is not to bee imagined With these in like manner were joined the Procurators of most Nations bordering upon the Sea throughout Europe as the Genoëses Catalonians Spaniards Almains Zelanders Hollanders Friâ—slanders Danes and Norwegians besides others under the Dominion of the Roman German Empire All these together instituted an Action or Complaint against Reyner Grimbald who beeing Governor of the French Navie had during the war between King Philip of France and Guie Earl of Flanders intercepted and spoiled Merchants of their Goods in this Sea that were bound for Flanders And all these Complainants jointly say that the King of England and his Predecessors have time out of minde without controversie enjoied the Soveraigntie and Dominion of the English Sea and the Isles of the same by right of their Realm of England that is to say by prescribing Laws Statutes and Prohibitions of Arms and of Ships otherwise furnished than with such necessaries as belong to Merchants and by demanding suretie and affording protection in all places where need should require and ordering all other things necessarie for the conservation of Peace Right and Equitie between all sorts of people passing through that Sea as well strangers as others in subjection to the Crown of England Also that they have had and have the Soveraign Guard thereof with all manner of Conisance and Jurisdiction in doing Right and Justice according to the said Laws Statutes Ordinances and Prohibitions and in all other matters which may concern the exercise of Soveraign Dominion in the said places To wit such matters as concern'd the office and jurisdiction of the Admirals that were wont to bee appointed by the Kings of England Then adding the first Article afore-mentioned of the League made but a little before whereby both Kings were obliged to defend one another's right they proceed in their Accusation against Grimbald saying That hee is onely Master of the Navie of the King of France but call's himself Admiral of the said Sea and pretend's that hee was autorised under that title by the King of France upon occasion of his making warr against the Flemings And that after the making of the said League and contrarie to the intent and meaning of the same hee had for above a years time unjustly assumed aâ—d usurpâ—d the office of Admiral in the said Sea by autoritie of the King of France his Commission taking the People and Merchants of England and other Nations passing through that Sea imprisoning and spoiling them of their Goods and delivering them up to the King's Officers as Goods forfeited and confiscate And whereas hee hath in a very insolent manner justified these actions of his in writing as don by autoritie of the King his Master's Commission as also according to
before been made Commander of the Fleets And hee was the first for ought wee know that was created in this manner But in the next Form of Commission the name of Picardie was left out So indeed in the fourth year of Henrie the Sixth or Anno Dom. MCDXXVI John Duke of Bedford was by Commission made Admiral of England Ireland and Aquitain That Form continued about 88. years or throughout the Reigns of Henrie VI Edward IV Richard III Henrie VII and the three first years of Henrie VIII And about that time ten others were in like manner made Admirals for the most part perpetual of England Ireland and Aquitain the last of which was John Earl of Oxon who was Commissionated in that Form in the first year of Henrie the Eight But there followed another alteration or addition of Titles in the fourth year of that King Anno Dom. MDXIII At that time Sir Edward Howard Knight son of Thomas Earl of Suâ—â—ie afterwards Duke of Norfolk was made Admiral of England Wales Ireland Normandie Gascoign and Aquaitain To which words Calais and the Marches thereof are added in the Commission of William Fitzwilliams who also was Earl of Southampton beeing appointed Admiral in the twentie eight year of King Henrie the Eight This Form of Commissions held in use afterward through the whole Reign of that Henry adding according to antient Custom the clauses touching Jurisdiction But in the beginning of Edward the Sixt Thomas Baron Seymour of Sudeley brother to Edward Duke of Somerset was made Admiral almost in the same words as that William Earl of Southampton inserting after the name of Calais Boloign and the Marches of the same After him followed John Earl of Warwick who was created by Edward the Sixt in the third year of his Reign our Admiral of England Ireland Wales Calais and Boloign and our Marches of the same of Normandie Gascoign and Aquitain as also Governor general over all our Fleets and Seas And in the same Commission hee is styled afterwards Great Admiral of England and Governor of our Fleets and Seas But after a while the name of Boloign being omitted the next high Admiral of England was created in the very same Form of words as is mentioned before in the beginning of the Chapter For in the same Form was William Baron Howard of Effingham Son of Thomas Duke of Norfolk made Admiral in the beginning of Queen Marie or Anno Dom. MDLIII And the Command or Government of those Seas as the principal charge of that Office or Dignitie is more notably expressed there as you may see than in the Commission of the Earl of Warwick From that time forwards the very same Form was kept alwaies as in the Commission of the high Admiralship granted to Edward Baron Clinton afterwards Earl of Lincoln in the Reign of Philip and Marie also in the Commission of Charls Baron of Effingham afterwards Earl of Nottingham in the time of Q. Elizabeth and of Charls Duke of York in the time of King James besides George Duke of Buckingham who enjoied the same Office or Command in the same words in the Reigns of James and Charls So that for above eightie years or thereabout that is from the beginning of Q. Marie the whole form as it is set down in the beginning of this Chapter was ever expressly reteined in the Commissions of the high Admiralship of England so far as they denote either the Countries or the Seas or the Dominion of the same But therein the Admiral is styled Governor General over all our Fleets and Seas just as John Earl of Warwick was likewise expressly appointed in general tearms under Edward the sixt or over our Seas aforesaid But what were those Seas or the Seas aforesaid They are in the fore-going words expressly called the Seas of our said Kingdoms of England and Ireland our Dominions and Islands of the same That is in plain tearms Mer d' Engleterre d' Ireland Gales or the Sea of England Ireland and Wales after which manner the Seas belonging to the Dominion of England are sometimes also described in our Laws which are called likewise now and then by our Lawyers Les quatre Miers d'Engleterre or the four Seas of England divided according to the four Quarters of the World So that in the most received form of this Commission after the beginning of Queen Marie's Reign out of which also the sens and meaning of former Commissions is to bee collected wee have a continual possession or Dominion of the King of England by Sea pointed out in express words for very many years And what wee have alreadie spoken by way of Collection out of these that followed the beginning of Marie touching the sens or meaning of former Commissions wherein a positive Command of the Sea is not expressed is truly to omit the thing it self which sufficiently intimate's as much of its own nature not a little confirmed upon this ground that hee also who before any express mention of our Seas took place in the form of the Commission of the high Admiralship was next preferr'd to the same dignitie was immediately after his Creâtion according to the whole Title of his Office as beeing the same title which indeed alwaies belonged to the Admirals of England styled Great Admiral of England and Governor General of the Navie and our Seas So verily Thomas Baron Seymour whom I mentioned before is styled Admiral of England in the Patent Roll granted to him by Edward the sixt It is proved by words plain enough in the form of the Commissions for the Government or command of the high Admiral of England from antient to the present time that the Sea for whose guard or defence hee was appointed by the King of England as Lord and Soveraign was ever bounded towards the South by the shore of Aquitain Normandie and Picardie CHAP. XVII BUT in the Form alreadie shewn which hath continued in use for so many years you see mention is made onely of the Seas of our Kingdoms of England and Ireland our Dominions and Islands belonging to the same as the Province for whose guard or defence the Admiral was appointed that is as wee have told you the English Irish and Welch Sea all which is conteined under the name of the British as it hath been observéd at the beginning of this Book Yet the names of Normandie Gascoign and Aquitain besides Calais are added which are Provinces seated upon the shore over against us As to what concern's them in this place they are either to bee considered in the same manner as if they had been alwaies held in subjection by the English from the time of the first mention of them in the Commission or as they have alreadie for som Ages past been out of their Jurisdiction But suppose in the first place that they had alwaies remained in the Jurisdiction and Possession of the English Questionless
oppose the Dominion of the King of England by Sea CHAP. XVIII THat there were Admirals also constituted by the French King upon the opposit Shore of France is known to everie man And as there is an Admiral appointed in Gallia Narbonensis to over-see maritim Affairs there so also on the opposite Shore there are distinct Offices of the Admiral of Aquitain Bretaign and Normandie and the adjoining Coasts But the French Lawyers of late are wont to call their Admiral in Latine Praefectus Maris Governor of the Sea as if the Sea were subject to him also as a Governor whereas notwithstanding if the thing bee rightly consider'd that Government of the Sea by what name soëver it bee called doth not signifie as among the English any Dominion of one having command in any nearer part of the Sea for wee speak not of the Sea of Marseille which hath no relation hereunto but onely of their Naval Forces in any Sea whatsoëver together with the Government of the Sea-men and Jurisdiction over their persons and moveables which may fall under the determination of a Judg pour raison ou occasion as they say de faict de la mer that is by reason or upon occasion of any suit or controversie arising about Sea-Affairs For the more plain understanding whereof wee must make farther enquirie In the more antient times there were indeed Admirals or Governors of Sea affairs among the French yet so that their Writers do not a little differ about the original of the dignitie They for the most part say that Rotlandus is found to have been Governor of the Sea of Aremorica or Bretaign under Charlemaign whom they fetch out of Eginhartus who wrote the life of Charls at that time But in Eginhartus he is expressly called Governor not of the British Sea but onely of the Shore of Britaign as wee told you in the former Book In which name there is a description not of one that govern's the Sea as a Province but who command 's the Shore as the limit of his dignitie That is to say of the same kinde as those Counts or officers were who were deputed in that Age to guard the Sea Coast and secure it from the incursions of enemies by Sea There is also a nameless Autor of a Chronicle belonging to a Monasterie called Monasterium Besuense who write's that this guarding of the Shores under the Caroline Kings was given over a little after the time of Charlemaign But in the following Ages the Kingdom of France beeing divided as it wereby piece-meals into several principalites that which a long retained this name of the Kingdom of France was reduced into so narrow a compass that the Province of Narbon was held by Sovereign Earls of its own Aquitain or the Western Shore which lie's more Southerly with Normandie by the English Bretaign either by Kings or Dukes of the same aud Flanders by Earls So that whilst the whole Sea-Coast except Picardie remained separate from that Kingdom there was Sea little enough lying before it Yea and the Naval Forces were small enough of which before the accession of a larger Sea-Coast to the French Kingdom there was most use in the expedition of the holy War Nor was any other Governor wont to bee appointed there by the name of Admiral then hee who as occasion required was put in Command over the Navie and Militarie Affairs by Sea yea and was borrowed from som Nation bordering upon the Sea as the Genoeses or others of that kinde But the Kings themselvs had at that time no Command over the Sea as it is expressly written by Johannes Tilius a Clark of the Parlament of Paris His words are these After that the Kingdom of France was lessen'd by divisions and the Kings confined to more narrow Dominions becaus they had potent Vassals who enjoied Feuds with absolute Soveraigntie if you except their homage for the King of England held the Dutchies of Normandie and Aquitain Britain had a Duke of its own and slanders Tholouse and Provence had their Earls the Kings of France for a long time had no command over the Sea and therefore had no need of Admirals until they undertook the Expedition for the holy Land at which time they made use of Genoeses whom they hired with Spaniards or other of their neighbors that were well skill'd in Sea-affairs to under-take the care of transportation having no office appointed for that purpose and by this means they had many Admirals in one single Expedition But after that the English had quitted Normandie and the Kingdom of France had gotten ground upon the Sea-Coast the use of Sea-Affairs also was somwhat augmented That is to say about the times of John and Henrie the third Kings of England So that the first Admiral that they reckon in the Catalogue of French dignities of whom any memorie is left to posteritie was Enguerandus Coucaeus in the time of Philip the Bold King of France or about the year 1280 as it is related by Joannes Feronius And what kinde of dignitie his was appear's sufficiently thence that his next Successors Matthew Momorancie and John Harcourt were onely upon a particular occasion put in command over the Sea-Forces by Philip the fair as wee understand by their Commission Yea and they are mentioned by William de Nangis by the title of Admirals as others also are by Joannes de Beka in the time of Philip the fair Although Joannes Tilius reckon's Amaurius Viscount of Narbonne to bee the first that bare the dignitie of Admiral in France as a constant setled Office over the Affairs of the Sea to wit in the time of John and Charls the fift Kings of France that is about the year 1300 whilest others are too busie in summing up divers other particulars touching the Antiquitie of this command among the French Afterwards Aquitain was added to the Dominion of the King of France in the year 1453. Henrie the sixt of England beeing driven out But in the year 1481. the Province of Narbonne in the year 1491. the Dutchie of Bretaign and lastly in the space of som years all that the English held in Picardie was added also So all the Sea-Coast except Belgium returned into the Patrimonie of the Kingdom of France Hereupon it came to pass that four Sea-Governments or Admiralships were afterwards in use therein notwithstanding that somtimes one and the same person held several together But of these the Government that belong's to the shore of Normandie and Picardie is at this day usually called the Admiralship of France becaus before that the Province of Narbonne Aquitain and Bretaigne were annexed to the patrimonie of the Crown the onely Maritim Government in the Realm of France was that of Picardie whereto Normandie was added afterward as the next Province the other three beeing denominated from their respective Provinces The whole matter is very well set forth by Renatus Choppinus
those Islands that lie before the shore of France For 't is generally known that after King John and Henrie the third were driven out of Normandie it self that the Isles Caesaria and Sarnia which wee call Jersey and Garnesey Aureney and som other Neighboring Isles lying near the shores of Normandie and Bretaign yea and situated within that Creek of Sea which is made by the shore of Bretaign on the one side and that of Normandie on the other have in the following Ages both now and heretofore remained in the Dominion of England But by the sentence passed against K. John as Duke of Normandie for the murther of his Nephew Arthur the French would have him deprived of all the Right hee had to Normandie And afterwards Henrie the third resigned his Right to Normandie But suppose wee grant what is commonly received that these Islands were of the Norman Jurisdiction or belonging to the Dutchie of Normandie yet truly even so they neither could bee taken away by the sentence nor did they fall to the French by Resignation forasmuch as the possession of the Sea and so of the Islands placed therein was still reteined after the same manner almost as manie Priories were in England it self who though they were belonging to the Norman Government in Church-matters yet even as they were of the Government of Normandie they ever remain'd under the Dominion of England as long as the Privileges of Monasteries were in force among the English as beeing situate within the undoubted bounds of the English Empire Nor is it easily understood wherefore the Islands could have been so reteined unless they also had been seated within the bounds of the English Empire in the Sea But the thing chiefly to bee consider'd here is that verie manie Foreign Nations as well as the Estates of England did in a Libel or Bill of Complaint publickly exhibited in the time of King Edward the First and King Philip the Fair before a Court of Delegates specially in that behalf by them appointed in express terms acknowledg that the King of England hath ever been Lord not onely of this Sea but also of the Islands placed therein par raison du Roialme d' Angleterre upon the account of the Realm of England or as they were Kings of England Which truly is all one as in most express terms to ascribe this whole Sea unto them as far as the Shores or Ports lying over against us But concerning that Libel I shall add more by and by Nor is it to bee omitted that the addition of a Shore larger than that of Picardie to the Kingdom of France hapned first at that time wherein those Isles were so reteined by the English after they were outed of Normandie For before the Shores of Aquitain Bretaign and Normandie were in the possession of other Princes that of Aquitain and Normandie beeing possest by the English and that of Bretaign by the Duke or Earl of that Countrie So that the French King had neither any shore almost nor any considerable use of Sea-affairs at that time by which means also the English did with the more ease retain the aforesaid antient possession of the Sea and the Isles after they were deprived of the Norman Dutchie And this sufficiently appear's also by that Sea-Fight perform'd between the French Fleet commanded by Eustachius the Monk in the time of Philip Augustus King of France and the English Fleet under the Command of Philip de Albenie Governor of the aforesaid Islands and John Marshal who both carefully guarded the passages of the Sea in the beginning of the Reign of Henrie the Third That is to say a French Fleet of about 80 Sail was designed to transport Auxiliarie Forces out of France for Lewis afterwards the Eight of that name that was King of France who through the Treason of som Conspirators made War upon the English King in England This of the French was assailed by an English Fleet of 40 Sail. But Roger of Wendover and Matthew Paris tell us that part of the French who had not been used to Sea-Fight was in a short time wholly defeated Observ here they say that hitherto the French were not accustomed to Fights by Sea But of the English they say the English being warlick and skill'd in Sea-Fight galled them with Darts and Arrows ran them through with their Lances did execution with their Swords sank their Ships and them with Lime which they did by throwing the Powder of Lime into the Aër so it might bee driven by the winde into the French-men's eies They were deprived also of all hope of relief and succor and know not which way to slie The English at that time time beeing expert in Sea-Fight did by this means make good the possession of their Sea and the Isles also that are situate therein For even this Fight relate's to the second year of Henrie the Third or the year of our Lord MCCXVIII that is at the same time almost when the English were first deprived of Normandie But as to that which is commonly said that these Islands first belonged to the English Norman right or by the right of the Dutchie of Normandie it is as easily denied as affirmed by any Nor is there any weight in this Reason that becaus those Islands have and ever had certain Customs like the Norman therefore they do belong to Normandie For the Norman Customs are often used in England as the Roman are somtimes by other Nations yet everie man know's this can bee no ground for such an Argument Nor is it any more to the purpose that those Islands were within the Diocess of the Bishop of Constances in Normandie until that in our Grand-father's daies they became subject to the Bishop of Winchester Their Ecclesiastick Government was a long time derived out of Normandie with more convenience indeed becaus of the nearness of the place which began as it is to bee supposed in those daies when the English possessed the Shores on both sides But it doth not follow thence that those Islands belong'd to the Dutchie of Normandie any more then that the many Priories heretofore in England who were of foreign Jurisdiction in Ecclesiastical matters did therefore belong to the Dominion of foreign Princes and not to that of the English Kings as Kings of England That is every jot as weak also which they use to allege about the Norman Languages beeing in use among the Inhabitants of those Islands The people of Cornwâ—l in England have alwaies used the Welch Tongue at least with a little alteration in the Dialect as the Bretaigns do also in France In like manner the Inhabitants of the Isle of Man use the Irish Tongue yet no man will conclude thence either that this paie's obedience to the Kings of England as Lords or King of Ireland or that the other are subject to their Princes by any right of the Welch Principalitie Wee know indeed that
worthie of observation that this kinde of Letters were usually superscribed and directed by our Kings to their Governors of the Sea Admirals Vice-Admirals Sea-Captains to wit the Commanders appointed by the King to take care of his Territorie by Sea whereas notwithstanding wee finde no mention at all of any such Commanders in those Passports of that kinde which were granted heretofore by the French King to the King of England when hee was to cross over into France Letters of that kinde were given to our Edward the second by King Philip the Long superscribed onely thus Phelip par la grace de Dieu Roy de France A touz noz Justiciers subgies salut Philip by the grace of God King of France To our Judges and Subjects greeting But the reason is evident why the K. of England was wont to direct his Letters to his Commanders of the Sea and the French King at that time onely to his Judges and Subjects in general To wit becaus the King of England had his Sea-Commanders throughout this whole Sea as Lord of the same and therefore when hee crost over it was not reasonable that the French K. should secure him by Sea it beeing within the bounds of the English Territorie And yet the King of France might perhaps have an Admiral at that time but onely upon the shore of Normandie and Picardie For that of Aquitain Bretaign and Narbonne were not as yet added to the patrimonie of that Crown And it was about that time or a little before that they are placed who are first ranked in the Catalogue of the Admirals of France But of later time it is true indeed that in those Passports or Letters of safe Conduct which have been granted even by the French King and other Princes bordering upon the Sea Admirals are usually named in express terms among the other kindes of Roial Officers to the end that they to whom the Passports are granted may bee secured in every place and part of their Dominion But as touching the English Command over such as pass or sail through their Sea there are many other Arguments taken as wee shall shew by and by from the manner of our King 's prescribing limits to such as sail in this Sea as also from those passages which wee have alreadie cited out of Records concerning the Tributes or Customs imposed by the English upon such as passed through the Sea And truly it is very considerable also that the Kings both of Denmark and Sweden together with the Hans-Towns very often and earnestly begg'd of Queen Elisabeth that they might have free passage through the English Sea with Provisions towards Spain during the Warr betwixt her and the Spaniard I know indeed that such a Licence was denied them not onely in respect of the Dominion of the Sea but chiefly to prevent the conveying of Provisions to the Enemie For which caus also divers Ships belonging to the Hans-Towns laden with Corn were taken by English men of Warr in the very Streights of Lisbon without the Sea-Territorie of England which went by the Scotish Sea and the West towards Portugal which was don doubtless that they might not presume to use the English Sea without the leav of the Queen But the Hans-Towns cried out thereupon that the Laws of Nations Commerce and Leagues were violated becaus their ships were so taken by the English onely upon this account that they carried Provisions to the Enemie that is in a Territorie where the English did not in the least pretend to any Dominion And concerning this particular there is a notable Question controverted by very Learned men How far they that are not enemies or would not bee called enemies may by the Law of Nations afford supplies unto an enemie But som years before the taking of these ships when the Hamburgers who in the name also of the rest of the Hans-Towns desired leav to pass through this Sea to Portugal and Spain were more than once denied any kinde of libertie to transport either Corn or Warlike necessaries they did not at all suggest that their Petition at that time was grounded upon the Law of Nations or Commerce nor that the Queen's denial was contrarie to this kinde of Law That is to say they were by her first Answer enjoined to abstein from transporting Arms with other Warlike Necessaries and Corn but saith the Queen in transporting other commodities wee shall not hinder you at all but shall with all favour permit the ships of your Subjects to abide and pass after the accustomed manner that they may perform their Voiage This Answer they did not seem to take amiss But two years after they sent into England Sebastian à Berghen their Ambassador with Petitionarie Letters desiring that the Exception in the Licence formerly granted might bee taken away and a freedom to transport all kindes of Merchandise permitted Their Petition was denied again and this moreover added That such as should presume to do the contrarie should for their bold presumption suffer the loss of all their Goods and Merchandise so carried against her Majestie 's will and pleasure if they fell into the hands of her Men of Warr or any other of her Majestie 's Subjects Thus they ever addressed themselvs by Petitions and the Queen gave Answers according to her pleasure They did not so much as pretend the Laws of Nations or of Commerce before that they understood their ships were seised in another Sea to wit that of Portugal which they conceived free for themselvs by the Law of Nations and Commerce without leav from the Queen of England Then it was they began to plead that Libertie ought not by any Law to bee denied even these men who but som years before had humbly Petitioned the Queen of England more than once for free passage through the English Sea So that that principal point as som would have it of the Law of Nations that relief ought not to bee conveyed to Enemies by a Friend was not onely the ground either of the Hans-Town's Petition or the Queen's denial but her right of Dominion by Sea was concerned also which the Hans-Towns well knew they should violate if they should pass the Queen's Seas without her leav Hereunto for the same reason those particulars relate which wee finde concerning this matter in those points that were to bee insisted on in the year MDXCVII by Witfeldius and Bernicovius Ambassadors from Christiern the fourth King of Denmark to the Queen of England Wee were say they strictly enjoined by our King to mediate with her Majestie that our Countrie men may bee permitted a freedom to transport Corn or Provision towards Spain even as wee have don formerly and do now again with all earnestness desire especially since it is supposed that the same Licence of transporting Corn is granted somtimes both to English and Dutch that our Countrie-men may not bee used in a wors manner than your own
to bee presented touching that business unto the King as hee was at that time King of France but onely as King of England that is as Lord of the whole Sea flowing between And it is very improbable and not in reason to bee admitted that they would so upon deliberation for both Lords and Commons use to debate such matters a long time before they pass a Bill that they would I say so upon deliberation require an imposing of Customs by the Act of an English Parlament in a place that was not subject as a part of the Roial patrimonie to the King of England as King of England From hence it was also that our present King Charls did this last year declare that himself and his progenitors the Kings of England have in all times hitherto by an antient and most just title been Lords of this Sea to wit in his Letters Patents sent to the Maritim Counties of England whereby ship-monie was imposed for the defence of his Dominion by Sea Add moreover hereunto that in the agreement made betwixt our Edward the first and Guie Earl of Flanders about the wearing of Colors or Flags in every ship and punishing offendors by Sea William de Leyburn is called Admiral de la mier du dict Roy d Engleterre or Admiral of the Sea of the said King of England Other Testimonies of the same kinde there are in Records touching the Dominion of the Sea as it hath been received and acknowledged according to the Common Law and Custom of our Countrie which I shall discours of in the next place and after that concerning the Testimonie of Foreiners Of divers Testimonies in our own Law-Books and the most received Customs whereby the Sea-Dominion of the King of England is either asserted or admitted CHAP. XXIV THE seventh of those Heads according to the former Division which manifest the aforesaid Dominion of the Kings of England relate's to our Law-Book's and the received Customs therein which prove it from the most antient times There are also in them many Particulars that may relate hereunto which are explained now and then touching the Guard of the Sea the English Admiraltie and other things alreadie handled But in this Chapter wee shall use either the determinations and Commentaries of our own Lawyers or chiefly such Court-Records as explain their opinions I confess indeed in som of the Authors of our Law who wrote above CCCL years ago or thereabout after they had as the manner then was read through the Civil Law also they were so strict in following those determinations word for word which they found concerning the Sea in that Law that when they treated de acquirendo Rerum Dominio of the manner of acquiring the Dominion of things they tranferr'd them into their own writings From thence it is that Henry Bracton who was a very famous Lawyer at the later end of the reign of Henrie the Third saith Naturali jure communia sunt omnia haec aqua Profluens aër Mare litora Maris quasi Maris accessoria By the Law of Nature all these things are common running water the Aër and the Sea and the shores of the Sea as accessories or dependants of the Sea Also aedificia si in mari five in litore posita fuerint aedificantium sunt de Jure gentium If Buildings bee raised in the Sea or upon the shore they becom theirs that build them by the Law of Nations And a little after Jus piscandi omnibus commune est in portu in fluminibus a Right of fishing is common to all in a Haven and in Rivers Which wee finde likewise in som other of our Law-Books of that Age as a passage that fell from som Writers of whom I spake at large in the former Book that were more affected than was meet with the words of Ulpian and Justinian in the general division of things But these very men in other places shewing the Customs of our Countrie do sufficiently admit the King's Dominion by Sea For Bracton himself afterward speak's of them that by the King's grace and favor quieti sint de Theolonio consuetudinibus Dandis per totum regnum Angliae in terrâ mari per totum Regnum tam per terram quà m per mare Were exempted from paying Tolls and Customs throughout the whole Kingdom of England in the Land and in the Sea and throughout the whole Kingdom both by Land and by Sea And in the same King's time a freedom from som paiments was granted to the Citizens of London per totum Regnum tam per mare quà m per terram throughout the whole Kingdom as well by Sea as by Land And so Bracton when hee return's to speak of the Customs of our Countrie acknowledged that the Dominion of the Sea belong'd to his King no less then the Land And hence it came to pass also that inter Capitula Coronae as they call them that is to say those Articles or chief Heads whereof enquirie was to bee made according to the usual custom by Judges delegated throughout England for the conservation of the publick peace wee finde this also de Purpresturis factis super Dominum Regem sive in Terrâ sive in Mari c. Of Pourprestures made upon our Lord the King either on Land or in the Sea or in sweet waters either within the Libertie or without or in any other place whatsoëver And it is placed among the Articles of this kinde recited by Bracton himself and in the Autor of the Book called Fleta But in the language of the Law wee call those things Pourprestures whereby detriment is don to any publick place belonging to the Patrimonie of the Crown as a publick thorow-fare a River and the like So that according to the nature of this ordinarie Article touching Pourprestures in the general form of enquirie the Dominion or Ownership of the Sea is ascribed to the King no less than of the Land or of publick Road or thorow-fare and River agreeable hereto is that Article about any kinde of salt-waters beeing inclosed by any subject or possessed in any other manner which in the antient Records of our Court of Admiraltie is said to bee don to the disherison of the King The words are there Item soit enquis de ceulx qui acrochent à eulx eaves salees en desheretison du Roy. And at this day enquirie is wont to bee made about that business by Autoritie of the high Admiral Robert Belknap also an eminent Judg in the time of Richard the Second saith that the Sea is subject to the King as a part of his English Kingdom or of the Patrimonie of the Crown His words in the Norman tongue run thus Le Mere est del ligeans del Roy come de son corone d' Angleterre Hee added to his words in a remarkable way as belonging to the Crown of England or as belonging
that Libel by so many Nations Moreover truly it is worthie observation that about the very same time to wit a little before the making of the League the King of England did homage to the French King for the Dutchie of Aquitain the Earldom of Pontois and other Provinces that hee held in France that hee was also wholly deprived of them som time before by decree of the Parlament of Paris yea and that about one hundred years before King John was outed of Normandie and yet afterward that the King of England now and then regained a possession of it and that before the time of the League and of the publication of this Libel which serv all to this end that wee may observ that when the aforesaid famous controversie arose about the use and Soveraigntie of the Sea flowing between France and Britain and the absolute Dominion thereof was asscribed by so many Nations upon a Title derived time out of minde to the King of England and his Predecessors yet in the mean time no title at all was pretended in right to their possession either of Normandie or Aquitain whereupon a Dominion of any part of the Sea might in any sort bee grounded but claimed upon the sole right of the English Empire And it appear's evident by the thing it self that the things complained of by those Nations in the Libel were don by that Governor of the French Navie chiefly in the Sea near the shores of France and Flanders which were in hostilitie with each other And so certainly they all unanimously affirm that the whole Sea whereof they speak is under the Dominion of the King of England and that upon the sole Account and right of the English Empire And as for Grimbald hee did not defend himself either by a pretence of any Dominion of the King of France or by disproving of that Prescription whereupon the English Title depend's as a thing not declared according to Truth or antient Right nor did hee at all pretend that the Right which the Kings of England had in the Sea borde ring upon France did belong to them either upon the account of Normandie or any other French Province whatsoêver as Fiduciarie Clients or Vassals of the King of France though it had been convenient and very seasonable for him to have alleged all these Particulars if the Truth had been so indeed Whereby also that is not a little confirmed whereof wee discoursed before about taking the names of the shore over against us in the later Commissions of the Office of high Admiral of England for limits onely of the Sea-Dominion of the Kings of England and of the Province thereof under their protection Moreover also about seven years before the exhibiting of the aforesaid Libel to the Commissioners when as the King of France by reason of divers heinous injuries don to his Subjects by the English in this Sea required that the King of England as hee was the Fiduciarie Client or Vassal becaus of Aquitain and other Provinces that hee held under him in France should bee questioned not onely for wrong don but also for his right to those Lands which hee held and bee summoned to appear in the Parlament of Paris the matter beeing set down at large in the Letter of Summons hee inserted nothing therein whereby hee might seem to arrogate any Sea-Dominion at all to himself or diminish that which belong'd to the King of England as you may see in I lorilegus who hath set down an entire Copie of them in his Annals The same Autor also speaking of the same Time saith At that time there was neither Lord nor Law over the Sea men but what every man was able to catch or snatch hee called his own which plainly denote's an extraordinarie Licence or of Depredation and infesting the Sea yet so to bee understood that in the mean time the incomparable power of the English in Shipping which guarded their Dominion by Sea according to the Custom of their Ancestors was chiefly signified thereby the King very freely permitting his Subjects to use depredations by Sea as long as the war continued For Florilegus himself relate's that great numbers both of French and Spaniards were then taken at Sea by the English Yea and about that time Thomas of Walsingham write's that either a French or Norman Navie of two hundred Sail which roved about this Sea to rob the English were overcom by a Fleet of sixtie English Ships and brought into England There is also another antient Autor of the same time when these affairs were acted who saith That in the Month of May MCCXCIV there fell out a Quarrel between the Sea-men of the Cinque-Ports of England and the Sea-men of France and it was determined by a fight at Sea wherein the English with a Fleet of one hundred Sail took two hundred Ships of France and drowned or killed almost all the Sea-men of France for which caus Philip King of France endeavored to take away Gascoign from the King of England Others there are likewise that have other expressions touching these things whereby it is easie to collect what is meant by that of Florilegus when hee saith that there was neither Lord nor Law over Sea-men at that time that is to say the King of England had let the reins loos to his Subjects as Moderator of this Sea and this hee did that they might not onely restrain his enemies but them also that should reliev his enemies in any manner whatsoêver or that should use the Sea otherwise than at his pleasure who was Lord thereof But as concerning the like acknowledgment made singly and apart by the Flemings of the Dominion of the Kings of England over the Sea I shall Treat by and by after that I have in the next place set before you the Libel it self in its own that is the Norman Tongue as it stand's recorded in the Tower of London A Copie or Transcript of the Libel or Bill of Complaint mentioned in the former Chapter CHAP. XXVIII IN the Archives of the Tower of London where Records of above four hundred years are kept there is a bundle of Parchments which contein som affairs relating to the times of Henrie the Third and of Edward the First and Third The first contein's an agreement made between Edward the First and Guy Earl of Flanders touching their Ships bearing of Colors about this Sea to the end that they might bee the more easily known Then there are annexed three either Originals or Copies of the said Libel written at the same time For as it seem's the several Procurators of those Nations that were parties in the Complaint had their several Libels though expressed in the name of all together So that one is endorsed thus De Baiona as if that Libel had been exhibited singly by the men of Bayonne but the title run's thus De Superioritate Maris Angliae Jure Officii Admirallatûs in eodem
him out of the Catalogue of the Admirals of France yet Joannes Tilius placing him among the Governors of the French Navie call's him Roverius Grimaldus Hee also is that Admiral of the King of France who as Joannes de Beka saith had command of three hundred and fiftie Gallies that were sent by Philip the Fair in the year MCCCIV to aid the Hollanders against the Flemings There are also several particulars in the Records of France which relate to the differences then on foot between the English and French And although that Libel or any Copie of it bee not found therein if wee may credit Tilius who set forth a Catalogue of that kinde of Records yet there is that Commission among them whereby the aforesaid Auditors or Commissioners were autorised to determine of things don contrary to the League It is described by Tilius after this manner Pouvoir donè par le Roy Edovard à deux nommez accordez de sa part pour avec les deux eleuz de la part du dit Roy Phelippe d' enquerir amendir les forfaictes durant lour trefue le Dernier Juin MCCCIII Ou tresor layette Procurationes posse potestates Angliae K. Power was given by king Edward to two persons named and appointed on his part to meet with two persons chosen on the behalf of the said king Philip to make enquiry and give remedy touching Injuries committed during the Truce betwixt them the last of June MCCCIII in the Treasury in the Box intituled Procurationes posse potestateâ—s Angliae K. The Commissions bear date the same day and year whereby these Auditors or Commissioners were appointed for this purpose as wee observed before out of our own Records Nor is it of any force here to the contrarie that Commissioners were somtimes deputed in the same manner by the Princes of the shores on both sides of the Sea as also by the aforesaid Kings to determine complaints about robberies and other injuries usually don by private persons to one another by Sea and Land For if any one will collect thence that the Princes which deputed them had both an equal right in the Sea it may as well bee concluded upon the same ground that they were but part-owners of their own Countries and had an equal interest in each other 's Land Besides in such a kinde of deputation as that there is more regard had of the persons offending that are to bee tried than of the Dominion of Territories which truly is wholly to bee discovered som other way A Recognition or acknowledgment of the Sea-Dominion of the Kings of England made by the Flemings in an Ambassy to Edward the Second CHAP. XXIX TO these let us add now the assent and voluntarie acknowledgment of the Flemings in the Parlament of England in the Reign of Edward the Second When as the Ambassadors of Robert Earl of Flanders complained of the taking of their Goods away at Sea imploring remedie of the King of England they said more than once that they were taken upon the English Sea towards the parts about Crauden within the power of the King of England and brought into England but that it appertained to the King of England to take cognisance of the crime for that hee is Lord of the said Sea and the aforesaid depredation was committed upon the aforesaid Sea within his Territorie and Jurisdiction which are the words of the Record but I shall set down the whole so far as it relate's to this business Memorandum That whereas for the reformation of certain injuries in an amicable way don by the Subjects of the Earl of Flanders to the Subjects of the Kingdom of England and by the Subjects of the said Kingdom to those of Flanders since the time that our said Lord the king undertook the Government of his kingdom several Treaties had been held between the Council of our said Lord the king and the Ambassadors of the said Earl often sent into England upon the aforesaid occasion which Treaties by reason of som impediments that happened did not aâ—tem the desired effect at length in the Parlament of our said Lord the king held at Westminster in ocâ—abis Sancti Michaâ—lis in the fourteenth year of his Reign there appeared certain Ambassadors of the said Earl to treat about reforming the aforesaid injuries in the form aforesaid And when as the said Ambassadors had been admitted by our said Lord the king to treat anew of this kinde of Iniuries these Ambassadors as other Ambassadors of the aforesaid Earl in the aforesaid Treaties did among other particulars that they required before all things make supplication That the said Lord the king would at his own sâ—â—t by virtue of his Roial Autoritie caus enquirie to bee maâ—â— and do Justice about a certain depredation laâ—ely made by the Subiects of England as they said upon the English Sea of Wines and divers other Merchandises belonging to certain men of Flanders towards the parts about CRAUDEN within the Territorie and Jurisdiction of our said Lord the king alleging that the aforesaid Wines and Merchandises taken from the said Flemings were brought within the Râ—â—â—m and Jurisdiction of the said Lord the king and that it belong'd to the king himself so to do for that HEE IS LORD OF THE SAID SEA and the aforesaid depredation was made upon the said Sea within his Terrâ—â—orâ—â— and Jurisdiction In conclusion after diligent consideration had of the Premisses in the same Parlament with the Prelates Earls Barons and other Peers of the said Realm beeing there present it was concluded upon their advice by the said Lord King that to preserv the benefit of Peace between the Subjects of England and â—landers the said Lord king do by his Roial Autoritie caus enquirie to bee made about the Goods taken at that time upon the aforesaid English Sea towards the said place of CRAUDEN and brought within the said Realm in those places where the Malefactors went with the goods so taken to the said Land of England and caus the same depredation to bee heard and determined according to Law and Reason and that the Owners of the Ships who had a hand in the said depredation and others who knowingly received the said Offendors with the Goods so taken in whole or in part may bee charged and punished thereupon as partakers of the aforesaid depredation So far that Record And Commissioners were appointed with power of Jurisdiction by the King's Commission through most of the Maritim Counties to make reparation of damages But becaus there are upon the shores over against us especially those of Zealand and there are also upon other neighboring shores besides Inlets of Rivers very many windings and turnings of the Sea flowing in whereby the land is so interwoven up and down that it cannot well bee but that the Sea also which flow's in and oftentimes remove's Banks and make's Harbors there in the same manner almost
our Isles of Gernesey Jersey Serk and Aureney in the Sea between Easter and Michaelmas is according to the Custom of those places acknowledged to belong unto Us at a reasonable rate to bee paid therefore and that the said Fishermen are bound to carrie all the Fish by them taken between the Times aforesaid unto certain places in those Isles appointed that the Officers under our Governor of the aforesaid Isles may take thence for our use at what price they shall think fit and reasonable Nor is that to bee slighted which wee finde in the Chronicles of the Abbie or Monasterie of Teuxburie concerning Henrie Beauchamp Duke of Warwick who was invested by Henrie the sixt with the Title and Dignitie of King not onely of the Isle of Wight but also of Gernesey and Jersey whereunto the other Isles in this Tract do in a civil sens belong The same thing is recorded of the Isle of Wight by that Learned man William Camden and that out of the same Book The Book it self speak's after this manner But the noble Lord Henrie Duke of Warwick and first Earl of England Lord Le Dispenser and de Abergeveney King of the Isles of Wight and Gardsey and Jardsey Lord also of the Castle of Bristol with the appurtenances thereunto belonging died 3 Idus Junii Anno Dom. 1446. in the twentie second year of his Age at the Castle of Hanley and was buried in the middle of the Quire at Teuxburie And a little before it is said of the same man that hee was Crowned King of Wight by the King 's own hand no express mention beeing made in that place of the other islands but they reckoned in the same condition with this as they were part of the patrimonie of the Kings of England But it is not to bee believed that those Isles which lie before the shore of Normandie had been so turned into a Kingdom though subject to the Crown of England unless even they also who made them a Kingdom had conceived that they possessed them before by a Title superior to that of the Dutchie that is to say by a Kingly Title As King Richard the second when hee had determined that Robert Earl of Oxford who also was Marquiss of Dublin and Duke of Ireland should bee creâted King of Ireland questionless did not doubt but that hee himself in the mean time possessed that Island by no less a Title and Dignitie than of King although the name of Lord was wholly used there at that time in stead of King as also until the latter end of the Reign of Henrie the eight So it is conceived upon good ground that those Isles and the Sea lying about them did though they used different Customs constitute one entire Bodie of Empire with the Kingdom of England Whereunto also that special privilege of theirs doth relate whereby through the favor of the Kings of England they enjoie the benefit of freedom from hostilitie by Sea though there bee a Warr on foot between the Neighbor-Nations round about but of this more hereafter And in their Court-Records which contain the Acts or Decrees of the aforesaid Justices Itinerant wee very often finde Pleas of the Crown which phrase is an Evidence of the English Government Also in their Trials those Forms In contempt of our Lord the King his Crown and Dignitie and Our Lord the King was seised of the aforescid Advousen in time of Peace as of his Fee and in Right of his Crown and others not a few of that kinde wee meet with which savor not of any Right of the Dutchie Add moreover that the King of England so held the Right heretofore not onely of the Isles over against the shore of Normandie but of those also which are opposite to Aquitain as a pledg or concomitant of his possession of that Sea so far as it belong'd to the patrimonie of the Kingdom of England that though our Henrie the third renounced his claim to no small part of Aquitain yet that Isle lying before it called Oleron no less famous in the West for Naval Laws than Rhodes was of old hee granted to his eldest son Edward to bee held in time to com as a perpetual Appendant of the English Crown For this Claus was added to the Grant so that the said Isle may alwaies remain to the Crown of England and never bee alienated from the same Also in his Letters granted to the Inhabitants of Oleron hee saith Wee will not in any wise sever you from the Crown of England Som years before also hee in like manner made a Grant of Gascoign or those parts which lie upon the shore of Aquitain near the Sea to Prince Edward upon condition it should remain entirely and for ever to the Crown of England So without doubt his intent was that both the Sea-Coasts and this Isle should in a special manner bee possest by the said Prince but by no means bee disjoined from the English Empire any more than the Sea its self which washt their shores And although after a while both this and som other neighboring Isles did many Ages since for divers reasons follow the fate of those French shores which lie next to them yet in the mean time the Dominion of the Sea remained entire as it did before to the Kings of England as it sufficiently appear's by those other passages which wee have shewn The Dominion and possession of the Sea asserted on the behalf of the Kings of England from that leav of praeter-Navigation or passage which hath been usually either granted by them to Foreiners or desired from them CHAP. XX. THose things which wee have hitherto alleged concerning this possession and dominion are confirmed by several Passports that have been obteined from the Kings of England for leav to pass through this Sea whereof wee have clear Testimonies in Records that is to say granted at the intreatie of Foreiners Our Henrie the fourth granted leav to Ferrando Urtis de Sarachione a Spaniard to fail freely from the Port of London through our Kingdoms Dominions and Jurisdiction to the Town of Rochel It is manifest that in this place our Dominions and Jurisdiction do relate to the Sea flowing between And when Charls the sixt King of France sent Ambassadors to Robert the third King of Scots to treat about the making of a League they upon request made to the same Henrie obteined Passports for their safe passage par touz noz povoirs destrois Seigniories par Mer par Terre that is through all places under our Power Territories and Dominions as well by Sea as by Land There are innumerable other Letters of Passport called safe Conducts in the Records especially of Henrie the fift and sixt whereby safe Port and Passage was usually granted as well by Sea as by Land and Rivers that is to say throughout the whole Dominion of him that made the Grant And it is