bee sold to the Inhabitants of the same kingdome quhuiâ— by his Majesties custumes bee not defrauded and his Hienesse Lieges not frustrate of the commodity appointed to them by God under the paine of confiscation and tynsell of the Ueschelles of them that cumes in the contrair thereof and escheating of all their movable guddes to our Soveraigne Lords use In this condition were the Rights of the Fishing until the Dutch did advance themselves to that height and puissance that they esteemed themselves able to infringe them and such was their Covetousness which prompts them that are infected therewith to value the smallest and most unjust Gains that they determined to do it In the year 1594. Iames VI. King of Scotland apprehending the growth of these Netherlanders and their influence upon the English Nation by reason of the multitudes of our Nobility and Gentry which resorted thither into the Armies and being desirous to fortifie by all possible means His right of succession to the Crown of England invited the States to be God-fathers to his Son Prince Henry together with the Kings of France and Denmark and Queen Elizabeth they sent a splendid Embassy Walravius van Brederode being principal and so richly presented the Royal Infant that they much endeared themselves to King Iames and no less exasperated Queen Elizabeth in that they should dare to rival her at the Baptisme of the Prince and also demean themselves with so much munificence or rather prodigality King Iames either out of interest to ascertain himself of their Friendship or being captivated by their Presents and Flatteries granted but not by any Deed that I know unto the Dutch the Priviledges which had been formerly granted to the Belgick Provinces upon Leagues betwixt the House of Burgundy and England in reference to the Fishing whereby according to Articles made with Philip of Burgundy and with Charles V. they were to Fish in the Brittish Seas without any impediment or the sueing for a special License It was by vertue of the same Treaties and Confederacies with the House of Burgundy that Q. Elizabeth did permit them the Fishing of our English Seas for that Queen did alwaies pretend and declare that by reason of sundry Alliances betwixt England and the House of Burgundy she did aid and support the Netherlands At first the Dutch either out of pure respect a rare quality in that sort of people or because their Busses were not so very numerous as in the subsequent times did Fish at a good distance from the Land and leaving convenient space for the Natives of Scotland to pursue their small employment in the Fishery there was no notice or at least no complaints against them upon that subject But when a series of prosperous successes gain'd by the English and Scotch valour had raised the Dutch to a great power at home and renown abroad and that their Ships became exceeding numerous and their Fleets potent and Queen Elizabeths death had advanced a more peaceable Prince to the English Crown They began to encroach upon the English and Scottish shores to disturb the Natives in their Fishing not leaving them so much Sea-room upon their Princes Coast as to take any Fish but such as were the gleanings of the Hollanders Busses who driving at Sea do break the skull or shole of Herrings and then they flie near the shore and through the sounds I find King Iames to have complained against their insolence and the encroachments of the Dutch Fishermen upon His Seas and to the prejudice of His Subjects But that Prince dealt most in Remonstrances an ineffectual course with Hollanders and equipped out no Ships to assert his rights on the whole Brittish Seas at last in 1609. He established Commissioners for to give Licenses at London to such as would Fish on the English Coasts at Edinburgh for such as would Fish in the more Northern Sea and by Proclamation interdicted all un-licensed Fishers The Licenses were to be demanded yearly for so many Ships and the Tonnage thereof as should intend to Fish for that whole year or any part thereof upon any of the Brittish Seas and the Offenders against the King's Proclamation to undergo due chastisement But this Edict of his Majesty proved but a Brutum fulmen an insignificant noyse and thunder the Dutch contemned it and grew more pervicacious in opposition to His Majesties Officers which came to disturb their un-licensed Fishing The States did mingle their concerns with those of the Fishermen and sent Wafters or Men of War to protect their Busses against the Spanish Pirates and to awe the Kings Officers They refused to pay either the Assize-Herring or to take Licenses and in 1616. M. Brown being ordered by the Duke of Lennox who as Admiral of Scotland was commanded to vindicate the Kings's Rights in those Seas to insist upon the Assize-Herring which was the King's Old and indubitable Right they did contest about it and after much dispute paid it according to the Laws and Customes of Scotland But the next year being the year in which King Iames did gratifie that People with the Surrendry of the cautionary Towns the Busses obstinately refused it saying They were commanded by the States of Holland to pay it no more Mr. Browne wanting sufficient force to chastise their Wafters did only take witness of this their refusal whereupon the insolent Dutch seised the King of England's Officer and carried him into the Netherlands where He was detained a while The King repeats His Complaints at the Hague and to their Embassadors here at London the Dutch amused him with Treaties and sent Commissioners to London not to submit or adjust differences but to heighten them They pleaded A right of their own by immemorial prescription and confirmed it with divers Treaties viz. One of the year 1459 betwixt Philip of Burgundy and Henry the Seventh Another betwixt Charles V. as Duke of Burgundy and Henry the Eighth by both which it had been agreed that the Subjects of the Belgick Provinces should Fish in the English Seas without impediment and without License But what influence have those Treaties upon the Kingdom of Scotland Or how do they extend unto the Assize-herring For those Capitulations do not leave them at liberty as to this point any more than they absolve them from paying Customes To observe the Laws and pay the dues of a Country are no illegitimate impediments of Fishing To proceed Suppose we that the Subjects of the House of Burgundy had any such priviledges granted them by the said Treaties what doth this concern the Rebels of the House of Burgundy What doth it concern the States General of the United Netherlands who by their change of Government and rupture from the majority of the Provinces are no longer the same people They have nothing to pretend unto but the Connivance of Q. Elizabeth and the indulgence of K. Iames during the time of their distress nor doth the whole Age of their
A JUSTIFICATION OF THE Present War AGAINST THE United Netherlands WHEREIN The Declaration of His Majesty is Vindicated and the WAR proved to be Iust Honourable and Necessary The Dominion of the Sea Explained and His Majesties Rights thereunto Asserted The Obligations of the Dutch to England and Their Continual Ingratitude Illustrated with Sculptures In Answer to a Dutch Treatise Entituled Considerations upon the Present State of the United Netherlands By an English Man Cicero ad Atticum Lib. X. Ep. 7. Pompeij omne Consilium Themistocleum est Existimat enim qui Mare teneat eum necesse rerum potiri Lucius Florus Pudebat nobilem populam ablato mari raptis insulis dare tributa quae jubere consueverat LONDON Printed for Henry Hills and Iohn Starkey and are to be Sold at the Bell in St. Pauls Chuch-yard and the Mitre within Temple-Bar 1672. THE AUTHOUR UNTO THE READER SInce the Author of the Considerations is pleased to conceal his Name and suffer his Book to pass as the work of a private person it seems requisite that I do declare this ensuing Treatise to proceed from an Hand not less private if not more and this I am the more obliged to own lest by any mistake of mine through Haste Ignorance or Mis-information some prejudice might be created against the just and unquestionable Rights of his Majesty The Interests of Princes are not proper subjects for ordinary pens yet in this juncture of our Affairs in these times of universal danger I hope my attempt shall not be liable to mis-construction since it hath no other sourse and original than the service of my King and Native Country and I do profess that I have not to my best knowledge made use of any officious untruths nor in any Allegation or Asseveration imposed upon the credulous Reader nor have I asserted the less probable opinions at any time out of compliance with the present exigencies of State in opposition to those which are strengthned with greater Authority and Reason I have throughly convinced my self in the first place and therefore hope the Discourse may prove more satisfactory unto all others The infant Republick of the United Netherlands after that it had got some considerable strength by the assistance of England began to be sensible of the Advantages they drew from Navigation and how necessary it was for them not only to open the Commerce unto both Indies but to secure themselves of the Fishing in the British Seas the death of Queen Elizabeth who would otherwise have been jealous of their growing power and tender of her own Rights together with the peaceable disposition of King James seemed to make way for their ambitious designs and the Cabal of Holland whereof Grotius was one did publish an Anonymous Treatise called Mare liberum wherein the freedom of the Sea to navigate or fish in was maintained as a due right of mankind according to the Law of Nature and Nations which foundation they esteemed more suitable to their ends then if they should depend upon a revocable priviledge or tacit permission The Book was the less resented at that time because it was in appearance levelled against the Spanish Indies and the prohibition of Commerce there and then all Europe was willing to see the pride and power of Spain abated by any means Howsoever King James was angry at the pretended Liberty of Fishing and his Embassador Carleton complained thereof to the States but they never avowed the principles but owned the Rights of King James though in deed slighted them and usurped upon the Fishing in such manner as I have shewed in this Treatise That single Book hath occasioned a multitude of Discourses upon that Subject Mr. Selden defended the English dominion over the British Seas Others that of Venice and Genoa The Dutch Advocates undermining by their Writings all the Regalities of Princes as their Masters have done by their Actions After that the troubles of Scotland and England had disabled King Charles the First from attending unto the Dominion of the Sea according as He most generously purposed the Dutch thought that the English being weakned with the Civil Wars and distracted with Intestine Factions by reason of the alteration of the Government could not resist their ambition should they usurp the Universal Dominion of the Seas and to secure themselves therein they sent Van Tromp to destroy the English Navy without declaring any War but neither did that attempt nor the War ensuing thereupon prosper as they hoped they would But ever since that fierce War they have determined upon the ruining the English Navigation and not only to exclude the English from the East-India Trade but to expel them from and deprive them of the Dominion of the British Seas It is a received Aphorism amongst the Hollanders that the flourishing condition of England is a diminution of their glory Also that Trade and the Repute of strength are inseparably linked together and hereupon they have so many ways contributed to the embroiling of our Kingdoms and omitted nothing that might represent us as ridiculous and contemptible unto Foreign Princes After they had usurped the Fishery they began to assume a freedom to act all manner of Hostilities upon our Allies if at enmity with them not only upon our Seas but in our Ports and hereof there are many Instances besides the destruction of the Spanish Fleet in 1639. After this their pride increasing with their power they refused to strike Sail to our Ships of War now they will allow it to be but a Ceremony and Civility and dispute the paying thereof unless we come up to such terms as are insupportable Thus by degrees they have reduced this Nation to the present weakness and contempt nor can any concessions any indulgence satisfie their Arrogance and Covetousness They who covet all will not acquiesce in any grants that are not answerable to their desires how unjust or vast soever they be And their friendship is sooner purchased by a brisk opposition than complaisance If we look upon the number and quality of the injuries which we have received from the Dutch the Turks of Algiers and Tunis are less offensive and less perfidious If we consider the courses by which the Dutch attacque us the Algerines are the more supportable to an English spirit since they act by force and open piracy what the Hollanders do by finess and deceipt And since it is our unhappiness to have so ill neighbours that we must either fall by a lingring and inglorious death or hazard by War a more precipitate end I think hiâ— Majesty hath made that choice which is most conformable to the genius and temperament of his Subjects and instigated by his Honour Justice and Necessity put into the hands of the English an opportunity at least of perishing bravely But as we ought not in a righteous cause to distrust the mercy of God so upon so auspicious a beginning as the Lord of Hosts
Whosoever shall reflect upon the Ambitious designs joyned with the extraordinary power of Spain in those days The intentions of that Monarchy to reduce the Belgick Provinces under a more absolute obedience than the Brabantine Constitutions consisted with the obstinate humour of the Dutch in adhearing to their Priviledges how irrational soever Also the apprehensions which France Germany and England had concerning the excessive growth of the Spanish and Austrian power such a Considerer will not admire so very much that the rebellion of the Vnited Netherlands did continue so long and succeed so well nor discover such an extraordinary series of providences in the erection of their Republique And the most partial men must grant that 't is a most fallacious way of reasoning to argue from the happiness of the event unto the justice of the cause or peculiar favour of the divine Authour There is not any thing in this Dutch suggestion which might not have been more rationally alledged by a Goth or Mahometan since the juncture where in those Monarchies advanced themselves was attended with less favourable circumstances than I can observe in the revolutions of the Netherlands But I am confident no Goth or Sarracen would have so entitled to God the original of their successes as to exclude the intermediatt assistances which they received from others at any time Such ingratitude is singular in the Netherlanders and all this impudent harangue hath no other tendency then to elude the obligations which that unworthy people have to Q. Elizabeth and the Royal Progenitors of His Majesty Here is no mention made of any protection or aid given them by the English Queen but one Action related which as it seemingly carries with it somewhat of unkindness so it is insinuated meerly to this end that they may alienate the people from a Reverence and regard for our Nation It is not to be denied that Q. Elizabeth did contribute much to the first support of these Dutch giving them reception here in England when the fury of the D. of Alva enforced them as exiles to seek an habitation in forreign Countries this most gracious Queen compassionated their miseries and gave multitudes of them leave to fix at Norwich Colchester Sandwich Maydstone and Southampton A. D. 1568. Here the exiles had the advantage of a quiet life and the opportunity of pursuing their designs in order to the regaining of their Countrey Nor was it a small favour to the Prince of Orange and his Partisans that when they were ready to sink under their losses in Friezeland and elsewhere this Queen seised upon two hundred thousand Pistols of Gold which were transporting from Spain to the D. of Alva the detaining whereof as it was a great disappointment to the Duke who stood in great need of it for the reinforcing of his designs so it begat great animosities betwixt the Queen and Him the Merchants Ships on each side were seised upon Letters of Reprisall granted and the English estranged from the Spanish Netherlands by the translation of our Staple from Antwerp to Hambourgh It is manifest that our Queen did by that action and by the hostilities and contrivances of a new Trade which ensued thereupon contribute effectually to the fomenting of the Netherlandish discontents the D. of Alva was diverted from prosecuting the Gheusians with his former violence his subjects were exasperated by the dammage of the English Trade the English were by the removal of our Staple dis-engaged from all dependance on the Spaniards there by way of Commerce and inclined to abett and assist the distressed followers of the Prince of Orange And if the Dutch will not acknowledge these actions for a great assistance and courtesie to them the Spanish Embassador De-speci in his Remonstrance said they proceeded from some that bare no good will to the Spaniard and favoured the Rebels of the Netherlands After this the distressed Netherlanders betook themselves to practise piracy at Sea upon the Spaniards under the command of the Prince of Orange but were immediately under the conduct of William Earle Vander Marck and others and the Queen notwihstanding that She was resetled in a good correspondence and league with the Spaniards did permit them by connivence the free use of her Ports every where throughout England so as that they provided themselves here with Victuals and Munition upon all occasions and here they usually vended their prizes which they took upon the Vly Texel and the Ems. By which means these exiles sustained themselves well the Prince of Orange receiving the Tenths or Fifths of their Prizes gave much trouble to the Duke of Alva continued those discontents in their partisans which otherwise would in all probability have been extinguished by reason of the power and terror of the Spaniards and the weak and declined condition of the exiled Prince of Orange I would willingly understand from any ingenuous persons whether these actions did not highly contribute to the erection of this Republick and might not as well have been thankfully acknowledged as the subsequent decree of Queen Elizabeth is most ingratefully mentioned Viz. That William Earl of Marck Lord of Lumè Admiral of the Prince of Orange 's Navy was by a strict command from the Queen of England denied liberty to stay in her Countrey and also refused to supply his Seamen with necessaries whereupon ensued the taking of Brill as is specified The insinuation of this Edict is maliciously urged here thereby to extenuate the favors of the English Nation The Queen was engaged by Articles not to entertain openly any Rebels unto the Crown of Spain She could not harbour them any longer without a rupture with that potent Monarch and She was unwilling to involve Her self in so great a War for so weak Confederates Whereupon She by a strict Proclamation did forbid them the use of Her Ports and that Her subjects should sell them any Provisions after a certain time which was March. Whereupon they were necessitated to depart and seek some other receptacle and Providence cast them upon Brill But had not the Queen harbored them How had they ever imbodied themselves or encreased to the strength of Forty Sail of Ships most of them Fly-boats wherewith they possessed themselves of Brill and took two rich Ships by the way No sooner was Brill taken but Flushing in Zealand and some other Towns revolted to the Prince of Orange yet were his forces so small though joyned with those of Vander Marck as not to be able to subsist against the Spaniards but that the Queen permitted multitudes of English to repair thither The first that went was Sir Thomas Morgan who carried over Three hundred Men to Flushing the report of whose coming is said to have stayed the D. of Alva when he was in a readiness to recover that Town Afterwards through the procurement of Morgan arrived there Nine Companies of English under Sir Humphrey Gilbert With these aids and other Auxiliaries
from France though the Prince of Orange atchieved great things and reduced many Towns in Holland and Zealand unto his party yet such was their distress that An. Dom. 1575. they entred into a debate of putting themselves under the Protection of some Foreign Prince least through want of Money and of Soldiers and also the fickle inclinations of a discontented populace they should suddenly fall under the power of the Enemy And in the name of the States of Holland and Zeland and Prince of Orange was an Embassy sent into England to offer unto the Queen not only what was agreeable to equity reason and religion but to the exigency of their condition and what self preservation and extream necessity prompted them unto The Commission of the Embassadors was either to make a League with the Queen or to submit themselves under her Protection or if necessity required it to acknowledge her for their Princess and Soveraign Lady issued from the Earls of Holland and Zeland by the Lady Philip Daughter to William the third of that Name Earl of Henault and Holland c. The Queen thanked them for their good will towards her but fearing the enmity of Spain the envy of France and the charge of the War as also not being satisfied how she might with her honour and a safe conscience receive those offered Provinces into her protection much less possession she declined the Overture yet promised to intercede for them with Spain and in the mean space gave them leave to raise what Souldiers they could in England either from out of the English Scots or exiled Netherlanders and to furnish themselves with what provisions and Ammunitien they wanted and to transport them Notwithstanding this transcendent favour of the Queen's the ingrateful Zelanders the next year affronted her Majesty and seised upon sundry of her Merchants Ships upon various pretences whereupon she was so incensed that there had been an absolute difference betwixt them had not the Prince of Orange prudently composed all After this when Don Iohn became Governour of the Netherlanâ—â— and withall aspired to marry the Queen of Scots and render himself King of England the Queen enters into a more strict League and confederacy with them to aid them with men and money and 't was at her charge principally that Prince Casimire came to their aid with a German Army And out of England there went over the Seas to them the Lord North's eldest Son Iohn North the Lord Norris's second Son Iohn Norris Henry Cavendish and Thomas Morgan Colonels with very many Voluntiers and after that the Germans mutinously deserted the States the Queen furnished them readily with a great sum of money the ancient Jewels and rich Plate of the House of Burgundy being 〈…〉 ed unto her for it After this for several years the 〈…〉 erlands cast themselves under Arch-Duke Matthia 〈…〉 Duke of Anjou but with so ill success that they found themselves not able to continue long Antwerp and sundry other places being taken and William Prince of Orange murdered the French King not being able or willing to receive the Soveraignty of those Provinces so that they determined by a solemn Embassy to tender her Majesty the entire Dominion and Principality of the Netherlands They had treated with her before by I. Ortelius about protection but the Queen refused to espouse their quarrel except she might have cautionary Towns that her expences might be repaid at the end of the War But now that the desperate condition of their Affairs made any terms to be prudential they resolved to subject themselves unto her or contract any League for protection which she would enjoin them Upon the sixth of Iuly 1585. their Deputies came to London which were these For Brabant although by reason of the Siege of Antwerp not fully authorised was sent Iacques de Grise chief Bailiff of Bruges for Guelderland was Rutgert van Harsolt Burgomaster of Harderwick for Flanders although likewise not fully authorised Noel Caron Seignior of Schoonwall Burgomaster of Franc for Holland and Friseland was Iohn Vander Does Lord of Noortwick and Ioos Van Menin Counsellor of the Town of Dort and Iohn van Oldenbarnevelt Counsellor of the Town of Rotterdam Doctor Francis Maelson Counsellour of the Town of Enâ—khuysen for Zeland was Iacob Valck a Civil Lawyer and one of the Council of State for Vtrecht was Paul Buys Doctor for Friseland was Ielgher van Seytzma Counsellor of State Hessel Aysma President and Laest Ioughema They were kindly received by the Queen and nobly feasted at her cost upon the ninth of Iuly they were brought to their Audience at Greenwich the Audience was most solemn and publick the Queen being seated on her royal Throne and all the Privy Council attending on each hand of her Majesty The Deputies being introduced fell upon their knees before the Throne of the Queen and Ioos Van Menin with great reverence and submission made an Oration to her in the name of the Distressed States of the United Netherlands unto this purpose That the States of the United Netherlands Provinces humbly thanked her Majesty for the honourable and many Favours which it had pleased her to shew unto them amidst their extreme necessities having not long since received the testimonies of her Princely clemency when after the cruel Murther of the Prince of Orange it pleased her Majesty by her Ambassador Mr. Davidson to signifie unto them the great care she had for their defence and preservation and after that again by the Lord of Grise by whom she let them understand how much she was discontended to see them frustrated of their expectations reposed upon the hope they had in the Treaty with France adding that nevertheless her Majesties care for the support of the Netherlands was rather augmented than diminished by reason of the difficulties which multiplied upon them For the which not only the Provinces in general but every particular person therein should rest bound unto her Majesty for ever and labour to repay so transcendant obligations by all posâ—â—ble fidelity and obedience And therefore the Estates aforesaid observing that since the death of the Prince of Orange they had lost many of their Forts and good Towns and that for the defence of the said United Netherlands they had great need of a Soveraign Prince who might protect and defend them from the insolencies and oppressions of the Spaniards and their Adherents who sought daily more and more all the means they could with their Forces and other sinister Practices to spoil and utterly root up the foundation of the aforesaid Netherlands and thereby to bring the â—oor afâ—â—icted people of the same into perpetual bondage and worse than Indian slavery under the insupportable yoke of the most exeerable Inquisition Finding likewise that the Inhabitants of the said Netherlands were perswaded and had assured confidence that her Majesty out of her Princely inclination would not endure to see them
Image-worship cannot endure any Monarchs because they are as I may say visible Deities and Mortal representations of that One God who providentially rules the Vniverse nor can they tolerate their Usurpations upon the Rights of God Almighty who is alone Soveraign of the Sea If I were not in haste I would animadvert upon that passage of the Considerer whereby he intimates that All absolute Princes are Usurpers Governing their Lands and Territories per Gratiam Dei by which the King of England usurps the Dominion of the Sea In another place he intimates as if all Princes were Tyrants and all Monarchy Tyranny In a third he detracts from Monarchy alledging that Monarchs are generally swayed by their wills and lusts and that the most efficacious reasonings of Princes and Monarchs are their Arms Such insinuations as these ought to exasperate all Princes against them and indeed this other controversie about the Dominion of the Sea extends not only to the King of England but to the Kings of France Spain Portugal Sweden Denmark c. to the Republicks of Venice Genoa c. All which are no less notorious Usurpers than his Majesty of Great Britain and if the King of England be an Usurper upon the Rights of God by exercising a Soveraignty over the British Seas the Dutch have contributed very much to such Vsurpation by permitting him to continue it so long When they were the Distressed States and tendered the Soveraignty of their Provinces to Queen Elizabeth their Embassadors urged this unto Her as one inducement that Thereby She might ensure her self of the Dominion of the Great Ocean From whence any Englishman may collect How much it importeth Us that these Hollanders be rather Distressed than High and Mighty Concerning the Dominion of the Sea that we may the better understand the Controversie and the justice of his Majesties demands 't is requisite that we distinguish upon the word Dominion which is equivocal Dominion imports one thing in respect to Iurisdiction and Protection which the Doctors of the Civil Law call Soveraignty or Vniversal Dominion such is that of a Prince over the persons and estates of his Subjects And another thing in reference to Propriety which they term particular Dominion whereby any private person is invested in his Goods and Estate Thus the King of England hath an Vniversal Dominion over the British Seas whilst yet his Subjects retain their proprieties in their several Fisheries The effects of this Dominion Vniversal or Soveraignty which accrue to a Prince are these 1. Not only the Regality of the fishing for Pearl Coral Amber c. but the direction and disposal of all other Fish according as they shall seem to deserve the regards of the publick as in Spain Portugal c. is used 2. The prescribing of Laws and Rules for Navigation not only to his own Subjects but unto others Strangers whether they be Princes of equal strength and dignity with himself or any way inferiour Thus the Romans did confine the Carthaginians to equippe out no Fleets and forbade Antiochus to build any more than twelve Ships of War The Athenians prohibited all Median Ships of War to come within their Seas and prescribed to the Lacedemonians with what manner of Vessels they should sail All Histories are full of such Presidents which Princes have enacted either upon agreements enforced upon the conquered or Capitulations betwixt them and others their equals or inferiours for mutual conveniences 3. The power of imposing Customs Gabels and Taxes upon those that navigate in their Seas or otherwise Fish therein which they do upon several rightful claims As protecting them from Pyrates and all other Hostilities or assisting them with Lights and Sea-marks For which advantages common equity obligeth those that reap benefit thereby to repay it by some acknowledgment which ought to be proportioned to the favour received and the expense which the Prince is at to continue it unto them 4. As it is incumbent on a Prince duly to execute justice in his Kingdoms by land so the Sea being His Territory it is requisite and a necessary effect of his Dominion that He cause justice to be administred in case of maritime delinquencies 5. That in case any Ships Navigate in those Seas they shall Salute his floating Castles the Ships of War by loring the Top sail striking the Flag those are the most usual courses in like manner as they do His Forts upon Land By which sort of Submissions they are put in remembrance that they come into a Territory wherein they are to own a Sovereign Power and Iurisdiction and receive Protection from it These are the proper effects of a real and absolute Sovereignty over the Seas which how they are possessed by the Venetians this following account will shew The Gulf of Venice is nothing else but a large Bay or inlet of the Sea which entring in betwixt two Lands and severing them for many miles continuance in the end receives a stop or interruption of further passage by an opposite Shore which joyns both the said opposite Shores together It is called the Gulf of Venice from the City of Venice scituated upon certain broken Islands near unto the bottom thereof It is also called the Adriatick Sea from the ancient City Adria lying not far distant from the former From the entrance thereof unto the bottom it conteins about 600 Italian miles where it is broadest it is 160 miles over in others but 80 in the most 100. The South-West shore is bounded with the Provinces of Puglia and Abruzzo in the kingdome of Naples the Marquisate of Ancona and Romagnia in the Pope's State and the Marquisate of Trevisana in the Venetian State The North part of it or bottome hath Friuli for its bounds the North-East is limited by Istria Dalmatia Albania and Epirus whereof Istria doth not so intirely belong to the Venetians but that the Emperour as Arch-duke of Gratz doth possess divers maritime Towns therein In Dalmatia saving Zara Spalato and Cattaro they have nothing of importance the rest belonging to Ragusa and the Turks In Albania and Epirus they possess nothing at all it being entirely the Turk's So that he who shall examine the circuit of this Sea which must contain above 1200 miles shall find the shores of the Venetian Signory not to take up 200 of them omitting some scatter'd Towns and dispersed Islands lying on the Turkish side of the Adriâ—tick shore For the securing hereof from the depredation of Pirates and the pretenses of divers potent Princes as the Pope Emperour King of Spain and the great Turk who have each of them large territories lying thereupon also to cause all ships which navigate the same to go to Venice and there to pay Custome and other duties the Republick maintains continually in action a great number of Ships Gallies and Galliots whereto also they adde more as there may be occasion whereof some lye about the bottom of the Gulf in Istria