is the Title of Successive Inheritance confirmed as well by the Law of Nature as of Nations and is so much the more considerable in regard of the infinite Advantages of the profits of it as the Brittish Ocean in its Latitude and Circumference exceedeth the small Boundaries of the Gulph of Venice But in this great Disputation where were present the most Remarkable Wits of Italy and Germany and where the Imperialists themselves and amongst them one of the most Eminent Stephen Baron of Gourz Attested openly that the Common-Wealth of Venice was Patron of the Adriatitk Sea and might impose what Customs they thought fitting and that all other the Commissaries thought so in their Consciences There is enough as may be thought in Reason to convince all Opponents that may pretend to differ in Judgement from us Yet so it is that the Indulgence of the Kings of England to their Neighbouring Nations especially to the Hollanders by giving them too much liberty hath incouraged them to assume a Liberty to themselves and what at the first was but a License they improve into a Custom and make that Custom their Authority Insomuch that some of the most busiest of them have openly declared against the Kings Propriety on the Brittish Seas Amongst these is one Hugo Grotius a Gentleman of great Ingenuity but in this particular so inclined to obey the Importunities and serve the Interests of his Country-men that he disobliged himself of the Truth and moreover to speak the truth of his Conscience it self for it you look into his Silvae upon the first Inauguration of King Iames of ever Blessed Memory he is pleased to express himself in these words Tria Sceptra profundi in magnum Cojere Ducem which is that the Rights of the English Scottish and Irish Seas are united under one Scepter neither is he satisfied with this bare profession but he goes on Sume animas a Rege tuo Quis det Iura Mari which is in English Take courage from the King who giveth Law unto the Seas In the same Book in the contemplation of so great a Power he concludeth Finis hic est qui fine caret that is This is an end beyond an end a bound that knoweth no bound a bound which even the winds and the waves must submit unto But with what ingratitude have the Dutch Answered the many Royal Favours which the Kings of England have almost perpetually conferred on them If there be no Monster greater then Ingratitude what Monsters are these Men who of late are so far from acknowledging their thankfulness that like Vipers they would feed upon and consume those Bowells which did afford them Life and Spirit We may observe that in their Lowest Condition which is most sutable to the Name of their Abode called the Low Countries they Petitioned to the Majesty of the Qâ—een of England whose Royal Heart and Hand being alwayes open to those that were Distressed especially those that were her Neighbours upon the account of Religion she sent them Threescore Thousand Pound upon the account of Sir Thomas Gresham in the year One Thousand Five Hundred Seventy and Two and presently afterwards there followed Colonel Morgan Colonel Gilbert Colonel Chester to Assist them in their Wars who were the Commanders of so many Regiments of Men And after them the War increasing there were sent over Colonel North Colonel Cotton Colonel Candish and Colonel Norris and some other persons of an Eminent Name who for the Honour of the English Nation made there Excellent Demonstrations of their Valour and Redeemed the Dutch from the Power of those who otherwise would have brought them to a better understanding of their Duties Great supplyes of monies were sent over to maintain so great a charge At the last the Prince of Orange being slain presently after the Death of the Duke Alanson Brother to Henry the third of France who if the successe had Answered the Expectation was wisely enough made Duke of Brabant the Queen of England sent over unto them Robert Duke of Leicester with great provision both of Men and Money accompanied with diverse of the Nobility and Gentlemen of good account And although the said Earle not long afterwards returned into England and the affairs of the Hollanders were doubtful untill the fatal Battel at Nieuport yet Queen Elizabeth of ever Blessed Memory out of her unspeakable goodness to the distressed and to those that suffered for Religion did as long as she lived constantly Assist the Hollanders both with Men and Monies she gave them Hope in Despair she gave them strength being weak and and with the Charity of her Princely Hand did support them being fallen And although the Hollanders do ungratefully alledge that it was a Benefit great enough for the English to Assist them in reason of state because by so doing they kept out a War from their own Country It is most certain that at that time the English had need to fear no Warr at all but onely for their Cause and for taking their parts for it was for their Cause that the English in the year One Thousand Five Hundred and seventy one had seized upon the sum of Six Hundred Thousand Ducats on the West Coast of England being the money designed from Spain to the Duke of Alva for the Advancement of the Spanish Interests in the Neatherlands And although the Hollanders do further alledge in their own Excuse that they were so grateful as that they offered unto the Queen of England the Soveraignty of the Neatherlands which she would not accept and therefore it was not their fault that she obtained it not It is in reason truly answered That the Queen of England well knowing that she was in danger to draw a perpetual Warr upon her Self and her Successours by the accepting of such a Gift to which she had no Right did wisely refuse their Liberality And yet for all that she continued still to aid them without that chargeable obligation The Hollanders do further alledge that the Queen of England had the Cautionary Town of Brill Flushing and the other places delivered into her Hands It is true she had so and thereby enjoyed only the Benefit of being at more Expence both of Men and Money and let the Reader take notice that most certain it is that the Hollander had no sooner made a Truce with the King of Spain and the Arch-Duke Albertus but he began presently to set the English at nought and to take the Bridle out of their Hands whereupon immediately insued their Forbiding of the bringing of English cloaths died and dressed into Holland and the adjoyning Provinces without ever making the King of England or his Ambassadour Leiger at the Hague Privy thereunto And to make amends for this their Saucy and Insolent Affront in a more High and Peremptory way they demeaned themselves to King Iames himself for whereas the Duke of Lennox as Admiral of Scotland had by order from
time of Richard the Second Hugh Calverley was made Admiral of the Sea saith the same Author and the Universal Custody of the Sea was committed by our Kings to the High Admirals of England And that the Dominion of the Seas is properly in the Power and Jurisdiction of the King may appear by those Tributes and Customes that were Imposed and Payed for the Guard and Protection of them The Tribute called the Danegeld was paid in the Time of the English Saxons which amounted to four shillings upon every Hide of Land for the defending of the Dominion by Sea Roger Houerden affirmeth that this was paid until the Time of King Stephen Afterwards Subsidies have been demanded of the People in Parliament upon the same Account and in the Parliament-Records of King Richard the Second it is Observable That a Custome was imposed upon every Ship that passed through the Northern Admiralty that is from the Thames along the Eastern Shoare of England towards the North-East for the Maintenance of a Guard for the Seas Neither was this Imposed onely upon the English but also upon the Ships of Forreigners payment was made at the Rate of six pence a Tun upon every Vessell that passed by such Ships only excepted that brought Merchandize out of Flanders into London If a Vessel were imployed to Fish for Herrings it payed the Rate of Six pence a week upon every Tun If for other kind of Fish so much was to be payed every three weeks as they who brought Coles to London from New-Castle paid it every three Moneths But if a Vessel were bound North-wards to Prussia Scone or Norway or any of the Neighbouring Countries it payed a particular Custome according to the Weight and Proportion of the Freight And if any were unwilling it was Lawful to Compel them to pay In this Place we shall give you the Copy of the usual form of a Commission whereby the High Admiral of England is Invested with Authority for the Guard of the Sea it runneth in these Words VVE Give and Grant to N. the Office of our Great Admiral of England Ireland Wales and of the Dominions and Islands belonging to the same also of our Town of Calais and our Marches thereof Normandy Acquitayn and Gascoign and we have Made Appointed and Ordained And by these Presents we Make Appoint and Ordain â—im the said N. our Admiral of England Ireland and Wales and our Dominions and Isles of the same our Town of Calais and our Marches thereof Normandy Gascoign and Aquitayn as also General Governour over all our Fleets and SEAS of our said Kingdomes of England and Ireland and our Dominions and Islands belonging to the same And know ye further that we of our especial Grace and upon certain Knowledge do Give and Grant to the said N our Great Admiral of England and Governour General over our Fleets and Seas aforesaid all manner of Iurisdictions Authorities Liberties Offices Fees Profits Duties Emoluments Wracks of the Sea cast Goods Regards Advantages Commodities Preheminences Priviledges whatsoever to the said Officer our Great Admiral of England and Ireland and of the other Places and Dominions aforesaid in any manner Whatsoever Belonging or Appertaining Thus we see we have a continual Possession or Dominion of the Kings of England by Sea pointed out in very Expresse Words for very many years We may add to this that it can be proved by words plain enough in the form of the Commissions for the Command of High Admiral of England that the Sea for whose Defence he was appointed by the King of England who is Lord and Sovereign of it was ever bounded towards the South by the Shores of Aquitain Normandy and Picardy for although those Countries sometimes in the Possession of the English are now lost and for many years under the Jurisdiction of the French yet the whole Sea Flowing betwixt our Brittish Isles and the Provinces over against them are by a Peculiar Dominion and Right of the King of England on those Seas subject unto them whom he puts in Command over the English Fleet and Coasts that there remaineth neither Place nor Use for any other Commanders of that kinde And as for the Islands of Gernesey Jersey and the rest Mr. Selden affirmeth that before a Court of Delegats in France in expresse terms it hath been acknowledged that the King of England hath ever been Lord not onely of this Sea but also of the Islands placed therein Par raison du Royalmed ' Angleterre upon the Account of the Realm of England or as they were Kings of England And in the Treaty held at Charters when Edward the Third Renounced his Claim to Normandy and some other Counties of France that bordered upon the Sea it was added that no Controversie should remain touching the Islands but that he should hold all Islands whatsoever which he Possessed at that time whither they lay before those Countries y t he held there or others For Reason required this that he should maintain his Dominion by Sea And both Gernesey and Jersey as well as the Isles of Wight and Man in several Treaties held betwixt the Kings of England and other Princes are acknowledged not onely to lye neer unto the Kingdome of England but to belong unto it But to give a greater Light to this Truth we may from several Records produce many Testimonies that the Kings of England have given leave unto to Forreigners upon Request to passe through their Seas he gave permission to Ferrando Vrtis de Sarachione a Spaniard to Sail freely from the Port of London through his Kingdomes Dominions and Jurisdiction to the Town of Rochel There are Innumerable Letters of safe Conducts in the Records especially of Henry the Fifth and Sixth whereby safe Port and Passage was usually granted And it is worthy of observation that these kinde of Letters was usually superscribed and directed by those Kings to their Governours of the Sea-Admirals Vice-Admirals and Sea-Captains And to clear all at once the Kings of England have such an absolute Dominion in the English Seas that they have called the Sea it self their Admiralty And this we finde in a Commission of King Edward the Third The Title whereof is De Navibus Arrestandis Capiendis For the Arresting and Seizing of Ships The Form of it runs in these Words The King to his beloved Thomas de Wenlock his Serjeant at Armes and Lievtenant To our Beloved and Trusty Reginald de Cobham Admiral of our Fleet of Ships from the mouth of the River of Thames towards the Western parts Greeting Be it known unto you that we have appointed you with all the speed that may be used by you and such as shall be Deputed by you to Arrest and Seize all Ships Flie-Boats Barks and Burges of ten Tun burthen and upwards which may happen to be found in my foresaid ADMIRALTY that is in the Sea reaching from the Thames Mouth towards the South and West and
to bring them speedily well and sufficiently Armed to Sandwich c. All Officers also in the said Admiralty are Commanded to yeild Obedience and Assistance upon the same Condition Thus That the Sea it self was contained under the Name of the Admiralty is most clearly manifest by what already we have shown you And as a Freedome of Passage so also we do finde that a Liberty of Fishing hath been obtained by Petition from the Kings of England we have already made mention that King Richard the Second imposed a Tribute upon all persons whatsoever that used Fishing on his Seas We read also that Henry the Sixth gave leave to the French and other Forreigners sometimes for a Year sometimes but for six Moneths to go and Fish throughout his Seas provided that the Fishing-Boats and Busses were not above thirty Tuns And if any Forreigners whither French Dutch or others should Disturb or Molest any of the Kings Subjects as they were Fishing they were to loose the benefit of their Licence But in the Eastern Sea which washeth the Coasts of York-shire and the Neighbouring Counties It hath been an Antient Custome for the Hollanders and Zelanders to obtain leave by Petitioning to the Governour of Scarborough Castle It is worth the while saith the Reverend Mr. Cambden to observe what an extraordinary gain the Hollanders and the Zelanders do make by fishing on the English Seas having first obtained leave from the Castle of Scarborough For the English have ever granted them leave to Fish reserving always the Honour and the Priviledge to themselves but through a negligence resigning the Profit unto Strangers for it is almost incredible saith he to believe what a vast sum of Money the Hollanders do make by this Fishing upon our Coast Mr. Hitchock also in the time of Queen Elizabeth presented a Book to the Parliament written in the English Tongue concerning the Commodity of Fishing in which he specifies that the Hollanders and Zealanders every year towards the latter end of summer do send forth four or five hundred Vessels called Busses to Fish for Herrings in our Eastern Seas but before they fish they ask leave of Scarborough they are his very Words Care was also taken by K. James that no Foreigner should Fish on the English or Irish Seas without leave first obtained and every year at the least this leave was renewed from the Commissioners for that purpose appointed at London But the Reason why we do not so often meet with these Forms of Licences is because by the Leagues made with the Neighboring Princes a Licence or Freedom of that kinde was so often allowed by both parties that as long as the League was in Force the Sea served as it were a Common Feild as well for the Forreigner y was in Amity as for the King of England himself who was the Lord and owner of it But a remarkable Example of Fishing in this Nature we finde in the days of King Henry the Fourth An Agreement was made betwixt the Kings of England and France that the Subjects of both Kingdomes might freely Fish throughout that part of the Sea which is bounded on this side by the Ports of Scarborough and Southampton and on the other side by the Coast of Flanders and the Mouth of the River of Sein The time was also limited betwixt Autumn and the beginning of January And that the French might securely enjoy the Benefit of this Agreement the King of England sent Letters unto all his Sea Captains and Commanders By this we may plainly see that these Limits wholy excluded the French from that part of the Sea which lies towards the West and South-West as also that which lieth North-East of them as being so limited by our Henry at his own pleasure as Lord and Soveraign of the whole There is amongst the Records of Edward the First an Inscription Pro Hominibus Hollandiae c. For the Men of Holland Zealand and Friesland to have leave to Fish neer Jernemuth now called Yarmouth The Kings Letter for their Protection runneth in these Words The King to his Beloved and Trusty John de Buteturte Warden of his Port of Jernemuth Greeting For as much as we have been certified that many men out of the Parts of Holland Zealand and Freisland who are in Amity with us intend now to come and Fish in our Seas neer unto Jernemuth we command you that publick Proclamation be made once or twice every week that no Person whatsoever imployed abroad in our Service presume to cause any Injury Trouble Dammage Hinderance or Grievance to be done unto them but rather when they stand in need that you give them Advice and Assistance in such manner that they may Fish and pursue their own Advantage without any Let or Impediment In Testimony whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Pattents and to continue in Force until after the Feast of St. Martins next ensuing Here you see that the King granteth a Protection to Fish and he Limits it within the space of two Moneths He alone also Protected the Fishermen upon the German Coast nor might the Fishermen use any other kind of Vessels then what were Prescribed by our Kings Upon which Accounts all kind of Fishing was sometimes prohibited and sometimes admitted this Restriction being added hat they should Fish onely in such Vessels as were under the Burden of Thirty Tun And this appears by the Letters of King Edward the Third concerning the Laws of Fishing which were directed unto the Governours of several Ports and Towns on the Eastern Shoar the Words are these For as much as We have given Licence to the Fishermen of the Neighbouring Ports and to others who shall be willing to come unto them for the Benefit of Fishing that they may Fish and make their own Advantage with Ships and Boats under the burden of thirty Tuns any Prohibition or Commands of ours whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding we command you to permitt the Fishermen of the said Towns and others who shall be willing to come to the said places for the Benefit of Fishing to Fish and make their own Advantage with Ships and Boats under-thirty Tun without any Let or Impediment any Prohibitions or Commands of ours made to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding This is evident also in the Records of King Edward the Fourth for he invested three Persons with Naval Power whose Office it was to Protect and Guard the Fishermen upon the Coasts of Norfolk and Suffolk and the charges of the Guard were to be Defrayed by the Fishermen of the said Seas at the pleasure of the King of England although they have Letters of Publick Security and Protection from Foreign Princes Neither were any Persons admitted to a Partnership in this kind of Guard except those who were appointed by the King of England least by this means perhaps it might Derogate from the English Right which is a manifest Sign and Evidence of their
the Assent of His Peers That if the Governour or Commander of the Kings Navy in His Naval Expeditions shall meet with any Ships whatsoever by Sea either Laden or Empty that shall refuse to strike their sayles at the Command of the Kings Governour or Admiral or his Lievtenant but make resistance against any who be long unto his Fleet that then they are to be reputed Enemies and if they be taken their Ships and Goods to be Consiscated as the Goods of Enemies And that although the Masters or Owners of the Ships shall Alledge afterwards that the same Ships and Goods do belong to the Friends and Allies of our Lord the King yet the persons who shall be found in these Ships are to be punished with Imprisonment at discretion for their Rebeltion It was accounted Treason saith Master Selden If any ship what soever had not acknowledged the Dominion of the King of England in His own Sea by striking sayle and they were not to be protected upon the Account of Amity who should in any wise presume to do the contrary Penalties were also appointed by the Kings of England in the same manner as if mention were made concerning a Crime committed in some Territory of his Land But above all that as yet hath been said there can hardly be alledged a more convincing Argument to prove the Truth of all that hath hitherto been spoken then the Acknowledgement of the Sea-Dominion of the King of England by very many of our Neighbouring Nations At what time the Agreement was made by Edward the First of England and Philip the Fair of France Reyner Grimbald Governour of the French Navy Intercepted and Spoyled on the English Seas the Goods of many Merchants that were going to Flanders as well English as Others and not contented with the Depredation of their Goods He Imprisoned also their Persons and delivered them up to the Officers of the King of France and in a very insolent manner justified his Actions in Writing as done by Authority of the King his Masters Commission This being alledged to be done to the great Damage and Prejudice of the King of England the Prelats Peers and the rest of the Nation a Bill against Reyner Grimbald was exhibited and managed by Procurators on the behalf of the Prelates Peers and of the Cities and Towns throughout England and lastly of the whole English Nation by an Authority as I believe of the Estates Assembled in Parliament with these were joyned the Procurators of most Nations bordering upon the Sea throughout Europe Viz. The Genoeses The Catalonians The Spaniards The Almayns The Zealanders The Hollanders The Freislanders The Danes The Noruegians The Hamburghers c. All these instituted a Complaint against Reyner Grimbald who was Governour of the French Navy in the time of the. War of Philip King of France and Guy Earle of Flanders And all these Complainants in their Bill do joyntly affirm that the King of Englandand his Predecessors have time out of minde and without Controversie Enjoyed the Soveraignty and Dominion of theEnglish Seas and the Isles belonging to the same by Right of their Realm of England that is to say by Prescribing Laws Statutes and Prohibitions of Armes and of Ships otherwise furnished then with such necessaries and Commodities as belong to Merchants and by demanding Security and affording protection in all places where need should require and ordering all other things necessary for the conservation of Peace Right and Equity between all sorts of People passing through that Sea as well Strangers as others in Subjection to the Crown ofEngland Also that they have had and have the Soveraign Guard thereof with all manner of Cognisance and Jurisdiction in doing Right and Justice according to the said Laws Ordinances and Prohibitions and in all other matters which may concern the Exercise of Soveraign Dominion in the said places This is the Declaration of the Nations above named manifestly acknowledging the Sovereignty and Dominion of our Kings over the Seas and thereupon demanding protection for themselves But more particularly we do finde an acknowledgment of the Sea-Dominions of the Kings of England made by the Flemmings themselves in the Parliament of England in the Reign of Edward the Second the Records of the Parliament speak it thus In the Fourteenth Year of the Reign ofEdward the Second there appeared certain Ambassadours of the Earl of Flanders to Treat about the Reformation of some Injuries they received and as soon as the said Ambassadours had been admitted by our Lord the King to Treat of the said Injuries amongst other particulars they required that the said Lord the King would at his own Suit by Vertue of his Royal Authority cause Enquiry to be made and do Justice about a Depredation by the Subjects of England upon the English Seas taking Wines and other sort of Merchandizes belonging to certain Merchants of Flanders towards the parts of Crauden within the Territory and Jurisdiction of the King of England Alledging that the said Wines and other Merchandizes taken from the Flemmings were brought within the Realm and Jurisdiction of the King and that it belonged to the King to see Justice done in Regard thatHE IS LORD OF THE SEA and the aforesaid Depredation was made upon the said Sea within his Territory and Jurisdiction c. This we have Cited out of the Parliament Records which may Declare an Acknowledgement of the Sea-Dominion of our Kings made by those Foreign and Neighbour-Nations who were most concerned in the Business Having given you thus besides the Attestation of our own Writers the acknowledgment of Foreign Nations that the King of England hath the Dominion of the Seas we shall now come to give you an Account of those Northern Seas which came unto the Subjection of the Kings of England at what time King James of Blessed Memory by reducing the two Nations into one Great Brittanie United the Crown of Scotland to the Crown of England Odericus in his Ecclesiastical History informs us that the Orcades was subject heretofore to the King of Norway and that the people of the Orcades do speak the Gothish Language to this day these Isles are Numerous and onely Twenty Eight of them are at this day Inhabited Above One Hundred Miles beyond the Orcades towards Norway are the Shetland Isles in Number Eighteen which are at this day Inhabited and in subjection to the King of Scotland concerning which there hath been a great Quarrel in former Ages between the Scots and Danes but the Dane kept the Possession All these Islands did Christiern King of Denmark peaceably Surrender together with his Daughter in Marriage to James King of Scots until that either he himself or his Posterity paid to the Scottish King or his Successors the sum of Fifty Thousand Rhenish Florens which were never discharged to this day But afterwards when the Queen had been delivered of Her Eldest Son the Danish King being willing to Congratulate
his Daughters good Delivery did for ever Surrender his Right in the Islands of the Orcades Shetland the rest unto the Scottish King This was in the days of James the Third of Scotland in the Year 1468. A Claim was afterwards laid to Iseland by Q. Elizabeth And her Successor K. James the Sixth of Scotland and first of England hath a Dominion in the Sea which lieth farr more Northerly then Iseland which is that of Greenland For that Sea having never been entred by Occupation nor used in the Art and Exercise of Fishery was first of all rendered very gainful through a peculiar Fishing for Whales by those English Merchants of the Muscovie Company who first Sailed that way The use of a Sea never entred by Occupation and such a kinde of profit being first discovered doth according to the manner of the Claim give a Dominion to the Discoverer who claims it in the Right of another as here in the Name of the Sovereign of England Upon which ground it was that King James in his Letters of Credence given to his Ambassadour in Holland Sir Henry Wotton did very justly say that the Fishing in the North Seas was His onely and His by Right In the Seventh year of the Reign of King Iames this Right was more strenuously asserted by Proclamation and all persons excluded from the use of the Seas upon our Coasts without particular License the Grounds whereof you have here set down in the Proclamation it self A Proclamation Touching Fishing JAMES by the Grace of God King of Great Brittain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To all and singular persons so whom it may appertein Greeting Although we do sufficiently know by Our Experience in the Office of Regal Dignity in which by the Favor of Almighty God We have been placed and exercised these many years as also by the observation which We have made of other Christian Princes exemplarie actions how farr the absolutenesse of Sovereign Power extendeth it self and that in regard thereof We need not yield account to any person under God for any action of Ours which is lawfully grounded upon that Iust Prerogative Yet such hath ever béen and shall be Our care and desire to give satisfaction to Our Neighbour-Princes and Friends in any action which may have the least relation to their Subjects and Estates as We have thought good by way of friendly premonition to declare unto them and to whomsoever it may appertain as followeth Whereas we have been contented since Our coming to the Crown to tolerate an indifferent and promiscuous kinde of liberty to all Our Friends whatsoever to Fish within Our Streams and upon any of Our Coasts of Great Brittain Ireland and other adjacent Islands so farr forth as the permission or use thereof might not reâ—ound to the impeachment of Our Prerogative Royal nor to the Hurt and Damage of our loving Subjects whose preferâ—ation and flourishing Estate We hold Our self principally bound to advance before all worldly respects So finding that Our continuance therein hath not onely given occasion of over-great encroachments upon Our Regalities or rather questiening of Our Right but hath béen a means of daily wrongs to Our own People that exercise the Trade of Fishing as either by the multitude of strangers which do pre-occupie those places or by the injuries which they receive most commonly at their hands Our Subiects are constrained to abandon their Fishing or at least are become so discouraged in the same as they hold it better for them to betake themselves to some other course of living whereby not onely divers of Our Coast-Towns are much decayed but the number of Mariners daily diminished which is a matter of great consequence to Our Estate considering how much the strength thereof consisteth in the Power of Shipping and use of Navigation We have thought it now both just and necessary in respect that Wée are now by God's favor lineally and lawfully possessed as well of the Islands of Great Brittain as of Ireland and the rest of the Isles adjacent to bethink Our selves of good lawful means to prevent those inconveniences and many others depending upon the same In consideration whereof as We are destrous that the world may take notice that we have no intention to denie Our Neighbours and Allies those fruits and benefits of Peace and Friendship which may be justly expected at Our hands in Honour and Reason or are afforded by other Princes mutually in the point of Commerce and Exchange of those things which may not prove prejudicial to them so because some such convenient order may be taken in this matter as may sufficiently provide for these important considerations which do depend thereupon We have resolved first to give notice to all the world that Our Express Pleasure is That from the beginning of the Moneth of August next coming no Person of what Nation or Quality soever being not Our natural born Subject be permitted to Fish upon any of Our Coasts Seas of Great Brittain Ireland and the rest of the Isles adjacent where most usually heretofore any Fishing hath béen until they have orderly demanded and obtained Licenses from Us or such Our Commissioners as we have Authorised in that behalf viz. at London for Our Realms of England and Ireland and at Edenborough for Our Realm or Scotland which Licenses Our intention is shall be yearly demanded for so many Vessels and Ships and the 〈◊〉 thereof as shall intend to Fish for that whole year or any part thereof upon any of Our Coasts and Seas as aforesaid upon pain of such chastisement as shall be 〈◊〉 to be inflicted upon such wilful Offendors Given at our Palace of Westminster the 6. day of May in the 7 th year of Our Reign of Great Brittain Anno Dom. 1609. Notwithstanding this Proclamation the Netherlanders proceeded still in their way of encroachment upon our Seas and Coasts through the whole Reign of King James and were at length so bold as to contest with him and endeavour to quarrel His Majesty out of his Rights pretending because of the long connivence of Himself and Queen Elizabeth that they had a Right of their own by Immemorial Possession which some Commissioners of theirs that were sent over hither had the confidence to plead in Terminis to the King and his Council And though the King out of his tenderness to them insisted still upon his own Right by his Council to those Commissioners and by his Ambassadour to their Superiors yet they made no other use of his indulgence than to tire out his whole Reign and abuse his patience by their artificial Delays Pretences Shifts Dilatorie Addresses and Evasive Answers And all that the King gained by the tedious disputes overtures and dispatches to and again was in conclusion onely a Verbal acknowledgment of those Rights which at the same time that they acknowledged they usually designed to invade with much more insolence than before But you
of their Men of War which they yearly send out to maintain that by force which they may have of Courtesie The Prince answered that for himself at His Return from Utrecht he would do his best endeavour to procure His Majesty contentment but he doubted the Hollanders would apprehend the same effect in their payment for Fishing as they found in the passage of the Sound where at first an easie matter was demanded by the King of Denmark but now more exacted then they can possibly bear And touching their Men of War he said they must still be at the same charge with them because of the Pirates Withal he cast out a question to me whether this freedom of Fishing might not be redeemed with a summ of money To which I answered It was a matter of Royalty more then of Utility though Princes were not to neglect their profit And in another Letter of the said Lord Ambassadour from the Hague to Secretary Naunton of the 14. of January 1618. He gives him to understand That having been expostulated with but in friendly manner by certain of the States about his late Proposition as unseasonable and sharp they said they acknowledge their Commissioners went beyond their limits in their terms of Immemorial possession and immuable Droict de Gens for which they had no order Then saith he I desire them to consider what a wrong it is to challenge that upon right which these Provinces have hitherto enjoyed either by connivence or courtesie and yet never without claim on His Majesties side c. In another Letter of Secretary Naunton's to the Lord Ambassadour Carlton of the 21. of January 1618. we read thus AS I had dictated thus far I received direction from His Majesty to signifie to the States-Commissioners here That albeit their earnest entreaty and His Gracious consideration of the present trouble of their Church and State had moved His Majesty to consent to delay the Treaty of the great Fishing till the time craved by the Commissioners yet understanding by newand fresh complaints of His Martiners and Fishers upon the Coasts of Scotland that within these four or five last years the Low-Country-Fishers have taken so great advantage of His Majesties Tolleration that they have grown nearer and nearer upon His Majesties Coasts year by year then they did in preceeding Times without leaving any Bounds for the Country People and Natives to Fish upon their Prince's Coasts and oppressed some of His Subjects of intent to continue their pretended possession and driven some of their great Vessels through their Nets to deter others by fear of the like violence from Fishing near them c. His Majesty cannot forbear to tell them that he is so well perswaded of the Equity of the States and of the Honourable respect they bear unto him and to His Subjects for His sake that they will never allow so unjust and intolerable Oppressions for restraint whereof and to prevent the inconveniences which must ensue upon the continuance of the same His Majesty hath by me desired them to write to their Superiours to cause Proclamation to be made prohibiting any of their Subjects to Fish within Fourteen Miles of His Majesties Coasts this year or in any time hereafter untill order be taken by Commissioners to be authorised on both sides for a final setling of the main business His Majesty hath likewise directed me to command you from Him to make the like Declaration and Instance to the States there and to certifie His Majesty of their Answer with what convenient speed you may Thus sarr Secretary Naunton to the Ambassadour Now what effect the Ambassadour's Negotiation with the States had appears by a Letter of his from the Hague of the 6. of February 1618. to Kings James himself where among other passages he hath this I finde likewise in the manner of proceeding that treating by way of Proposition here nothing can be exspected but their wonted dilatory and evasive Answers their manner being to resey such Propositions from the States General to the States of Holland The States of Holland take advice of a 〈◊〉 Council residing at Delph which they call the Council of the Fishery From them such an Answer commonly comes as may be expected from such an Oracle The way therefore under correction to effect Your Majestiesintent is to begin with the Filhers themselves by publishing against the time of their going out Your resolution at what distance You will permit them to Fish whereby they will be forced to have recoursero their Council of Fishery that Council to the States of Holland and those of Holland to the States-General who then in place of being sought unto will for contentment of their Subjects seek unto Your Majesty A Proclamation by King Charles the First For restraint of Fishing upon His Seas and Coasts without Lisence WHere as Our Father of Blessed Memory Kings James did in the Seventh Year of His Reign of Great Brittain set forth a Proclamation touching Fishing whereby for the many important Reasons therein expressed all Persons of what Nation of Quality soever being not His Natural born 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were restrained from fishing upon 〈◊〉 the Coasts and Seas of Great Brittain Ireland and the rest of the Istes adjacent where most usually heretofore Fishing had been until they had orderly demanded and obtained Licenses from Our said Father 〈◊〉 Commissioners in that behalf upon pain of such â—â—â—â—…sement as should be fit to be inflicted upon such wilful Offendors since which time albeit neither Our said Father nor Our Self have made any considerable execution of the said Proclamation but have with much Patience expected a voluntary conformity of Our Neighbours and Allies to so just and reasonable Prohibitions and Directions as are contained in the same And now finding by experience that all the inconveniences which occasioned that Proclamation are rather increased then abated We being very sensible of the premises and well knowing how farr We are obliged in Honour to maintain the rights of Our Crown especially of so great consequence have thought it necessary by the Advice of our Privy Council to renew the aforesaid restraint of Fishing upon Our aforesaid Coasts Seas without License first obtained from Us and by these presents to make publick Declaration that Our resolution is at times convenient to keep such a competent strength of Shiping upon Our Seas as may by God's blessing be sufficient both to hinder such further encroachments upon Our Regalties and asâ—â—â—t and Proâ—â—â—â— those Our God Friends and Allies who shall henceforth by virtue of Our Licenses to be first obtained endeavour to take the benefit of Fishing upon Our Coasts and Seas in the places accustomed Given at our Palace of Westminster the 10 day of May in the Twelfth year of our Reign of England Scotland France and Ireland This Proclamation being set forth in the year 1636. served to speak the intent of those Naval preparations made before in the year 1635. which were so
his Majesty is resolved as to do no wrong so to do Justice both to his Subjects and Friends within the limits of his Seas And this is the real and Royal design of this Fleet whereof you may give part as you finde occasion to our good Neighbours in those parts that no Umbrage may be taken of any hostile act or purpose to their prejudice in any kinde So wishing you all health and happiness I rest Your Assured friend and Servant JOHN COOK White-hall 16. April 1635. our style The inestimable Riches and Commodities of the Brittish Seas THe Coasts of Great Brittain do yield such a continual Sea-harvest of gain and benefit to all those that with diligence do labour in the same that no time or season in the year passeth away without some apparent means of profitable imployment especially to such as apply themselves to Fishing which from the beginning of the year unto the latter end continueth upon some pat or other of our Coasts and therein such infinite sholes and multitudes of Fishes are offered to the Takers as may justly move admiration not onely to strangers but to those that daily be imployed among them The Summer-Fishing for Herring beginneth about Midsummer and lasteth some part of August The Winter-Fishing for Herring lasteth from September to the middle of November both which extend in place from Boughones in Scotland to the Thames mouth The Fishing for Cod at Alamby Whirlington and White Haven near the Coast of Lancashire from Easter untill Whitsontide The Fishing for Hake at Aberdenie Abveswhich and other places between Wales and Ireland from Whitsontide to Saint James-tide The Fishing of Cod and Ling about Padstow within the Land and of Severn from Christmas to Mid-lent The Fishing for Cod on the West-part of Ireland frequented by those of Biscay Galicia and Portugal from the beginnig of April untill the end of June The Fishing for Cod and Ling on the North and North-East of Ireland from Christmas until Michaelmas The Fishing for Pilchers on the West coast of England from Saint James-tide until Michaelmas The Fishing for Cod and Ling upon the North-East of England from Easter untill Midsummer The Fishing of great Staple-Ling and many other sorts of Fish lying about the Island of Scotland and in the several parts of the Brittish Seas all the year long In September not many years since upon the Coast of Devonshire near Minigal Five Hundred Tun of Fish were taken in one day And about the same time three thousand pounds worth of Fish in one day were taken at Saint Ives in Cornwall by small Boats and other poor provisions Our five-men-Boats and cobles adventuring in a calm to launch out amongst the Holland Busses not far from Robinhood's Bay returned to Whitbie full fraught with Herrings and reported that they saw some of those Busses take Ten Twenty Twenty four lasts at a draught of Herrings and returned into their own Country with Forty Fifty and an Hundred Lasts of Herrings in one Buss Our Fleet of Colliers not many years since returning from Newcastle laden with Coals about the Well near Flanborough-Head and Scarborough met with such multitudes of Cod Ling and Herring that one amongst the rest with certain ship-hooks and other like instruments drew up as much Cod and Ling in a little space of time as were sold well near for as much as her whole Lading of Cole And many Hundred of ships might have been there laden in two dayes and two nights Out of which wonderfull affluence and abundance of Fish swarming in our Seas that we may the better perceive the infinite gain which Forreign Nations make I will especially insist upon the Fishing of the Hollanders in our Coasts and thereby shew how by this means principally they have increased 1. In Shipping 2. In Mariners 3. In Trade 4. In Towns and Fortifications 5. In Power extern or abroad 6. In publick Revenue 7. In private Wealth 8. In all manner of Provisions and store of things Necessarie 1. Encrease of Shipping BEsides Seven Hundred Strand-Boats Four Hundred Evars and Four Hundred Sullits Drivers and Tod-boats wherewith the Hollanders Fish upon their own Coasts every one of those imploying another Ship to fetch Salt and carry their Fish into other Countries being in all Three Thousand Sayle maintaining and setting on work at least Four Thousand persons Fishers Tradesmen Women and Children They have One Hundred Doyer Boats of One Hundred and Fifty Tuns apiece or there abouts Seven Hundred Pinks and Well-Boats from Sixty to One Hundred Tuns apiece which altogether Fish upon the Coasts of England and Scotland for Cod and Ling onely And each of these employ another Vessel for providing of Salt and transporting of their Fish making in all One Thousand Six Hundred ships which maintain and employ persons of all sorts Four Thousand at least For the Herring-season they have One Thousand Six Hundred Busses at the least all of them Fishing onely upon our Coasts from Boughonness in Scotland to the mouth of Thames And every one of these maketh work for three other ships that attend her the one to bring in Salt from Forreign parts another to carry the said Salt and Cask to the Busses and to bring back their Herrings and the third to Transport the said Fish into Forreign Countries So that the Total Number of Ships and Busses plying the Herring Fare is Six Thousand Four Hundred whereby every Busse one with another imployeth Forty Men Mariners and Fishers within her own Hold and the rest Ten Men a piece which amounteth to One Hundred Twelve Thousand Fishers and Mariners All which maintain double if not treble so many Tradesmen Women and Children a land Moreover they have Four Hundred other Vessels at least that take Herring at Yarmouth and there sell them for ready money so that the Hollanders besides Three Hundred ships before-mentioned fishing upon their own shores have at least Four Thousand Eight Hundred ships only maintained by the Seas of Great Brittain by which means principally Holland being not so big as one of our shires of England containing not above Twenty Miles in length and three in breadth have encreased the number of their shipping to at least Ten Thousand sayle being more then are in England France Spain Portugal Italy Denmark Poland Sweden and Russia And to this number they add every day although their Country it self affords them neither materials or victual nor merchandise to be accounted of towards their setting forth Besides these of Holland Lubeck hath Seven Hundred great ships Hamborough Six Hundred Embden Fourteen Hundred whereunto add the ships of Bremer Biscay Portugal Spain and France which for the most part fish in our Seas and it will appear that Ten Thousand sayle of Forreign Vessels and above are employed and maintained by fishing upon our Coasts So that in Holland there are built a thousand sayle at the least to supply ship-wracks and augment their store which as the Prince and common Nursery
the Majesty of King Iames in the year One Thousand Six Hundred and Sixteen sent one Master Brown to demand of the Hollanders then fishing upon the Coasts of Scotland a certain antient Duty called Size Herring they began to contest with him about it and after a long Disputation they payed it as in former times it had been accustomed but not without some affronting terms that it was the last time it should be payed And it is most observable that the same Gentleman coming the year following with the same Authority and Commandment with one only Ship of His Majesties to demand the Duty aforesaid And with Order if he were denyed to take witness of the refusal in writing and so peaceably depart He came aboard one of their Ships and no sooner demanded the aforesaid Duty but by the Master of the Ship he was denyed it who as plainly as peremptority told him That he was commanded by the States of Holland not to pay it unto the King of England any more of which he took witness according to his Order from His Majesty This taking of witness did so startle the Dutch that before Master Brown had got off to his own Ship the Master of another Ship of Holland came presently aboard that Ship in which he was who demanding of Master Brown his Name he replyed that his Name was Brown Why then quoth he if you be the Man I have Order to Arrest you and to carry you into Holland whereof Master Brown gave notice to the Master of the Kings Ship requiring him to advertise His Majesty of this Insolency and Master Brown was in this manner Arrested and carried away Prisoner into Holland where for a while he was detained I do read that much about the same time one Master Archibald Ranthin a Scotch Gentleman and residing at Stockholme in Sweden where he sollicited for the payment of some sums of monies due to the English Merchants there was at the same time in the same City one Vandyke who lying there as an Agent for the States of Holland said unto some Principal Persons of the Swedes that they need not be so hasty in paying any Monies to the Subjects of the King of England or to give them any high Respect because the said Kings promises were not to be believed nor his threatnings to be feared for which Vile and Insolent Speeches bring afterwards challenged by Master Archibald Ranthin he had no better Excuse then to say he was drunk when he did speak those words for deny them he could not and by this means his Excuse of playing the Beast did excuse him for playing the Man Now from these Insolent Affronts by words let us proceed and come to what they have done by deeds where in the first place we may observe their rude demeanour to our English Nation in the Northern Seas on the Coasts of Greenland and those parts about the Fishing for Whales and the Commodity of Train Oyle where violently they have offered unpardonable abuses by giving of blows and chasing the English-men away and by procuring much loss and prejudice unto them their Pride of Heart was so high that it would not give their Reason leave to apprehend that Fishing at Sea is free for every Man where it is not upon the Coast of any Country unto which the Dominion of the Sea belongeth by antient Prerogative And yet all this is but inconsiderable in regard of their usage of our Nation in the East-Indies where in open Hostility they have as fiercely set upon them as if they had been most mortal Enemies having in several Encounters slain many of our Men and sunk sundry of our Ships And when they had taken our Men Prisoners they would use them in the sight of the Indians in such a Contemptible and Disdainfull manner as if at their own Home and in the Country of the Butter-Boxes the English in respect of them were but a sordid and a slavish Nation and the Hollanders were either their Superiours and might use them at their own pleasure or the English were so spiritless or so unpowerfull that they durst not be revenged but quietly must put up all the Affronts and Injuries which they received at their Hands And as for the Commodious Trade which the English have had in Muscovy for above these fourscore years and some other Countries that lye upon the East and North which the Hollanders have now gotten quite out of their Hands to the great Grief and Prejudice of many Merchants in this City What shall we say seeing not long since they have been acting the same again with our English Merchants in Turkey And it is a practise so usual with them to spoyle the Trade of other Nations that when they cannot find any Occasion to do it they will show a Nature so wretchedly Barbarous that they will not stick to spoyle one another so great is their Covetous and most Insatiable desire of Gain And yet all this proceedeth out of an ignoble and a sordid spirit for let them arrive to what Wealth they will they can never be the Masters of a Noble and a Generous Disposition Had it not been for their Neighbouring Nation of the English they had never arrived to the liberty of a Free State yet so ungratefull have they been that they have endeavoured to forget all the Obligations of Humanity and have digged into the very Bowels of those who did preserve them Many Examples of this may be instanced I shall look a little back again on the cruelty of their proceedings in the East Indies before their studied malice at Amboyna and afterwards of their horrid Massacre at Amboyna it self As their Avarice was unsatisfied so their quarrels with the English were many Covetousness and Ambition not long enduring a Co-partner Queen Elizabeth being translated into a better World and the Hollanders to be the more ready to set the English at nought having by the Assistance of Sir Ralph Winwood got the Cautionary Towns into their own Possession they presently began to appear in their true Colours by adding Cruelty to Hypocrisie and Avarice to Insolence The English that were Trafficking in the East Indies being sensible thereof and finding no redress preferred their Just Complaints to the Majesty of King Iames on which ensued the first Treaty in the year One thousand six hundred and thirteen in the City of London and after that another Treaty in the year One thousand six hundred and fifteen at the Hague in Holland which taking up much time to little effect there was a third Treaty which was held in London in the year One thousand six hundred and nineteen touching the Differences between the English and Dutch in the East Indies in which a full and solemn Composition was made and a fair Order set as to the Management of the Affairs for the Time to come but so restless were the Spirits of the Hollanders to make themselves the entire Masters of the