To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.
EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.
EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).
The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.
Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.
Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.
Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.
The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.
Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).
Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.
CHARLES the ſecond by the Grace of GOD King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland Defender of the fayth G
HIS Majeſties Propriety, AND DOMINION ON THE Brittiſh Seas ASSERTED: Together with a true account of the Neatherlanders Inſupportable Inſolencies, and Injuries, they have committed; and the ineſtimable Benefits they have gained in their Fiſhing on the Engliſh Seas.
As alſo their Prodigious and Horrid Cruelties in the Eaſt and Weſt-Indies, and other places.
To which is added an Exact Mapp, containing the Iſles of Great Brittain, and Ireland, with the ſeve
LONDON; Printed for Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Brittain, 1672.
Eaſt and Weſt-Indies, which being as
Engliſh, Scottiſh, and the Iriſh Seas: A truth as Antient, as it is Eminent, and not only held forth and atteſted by the Laws of our Land, and the Records of the Tower, and the High Courts of Parliament, but heretofore confeſſed alſo by divers of their own NaHollanders (without examining the Lawfulneſs of the Act) to put their Oares into every Boat, where Gain and Profit doth appear. It was this, that tempted them to invade the Iſlands of Moluccos, Lantore, and Polleroon, which in the Name of the Crown of England the Engliſh for ſome years had poſſeſſed, neither did they entertain the leaſt jealouſie of oppoſition from the Hollanders, who they knew heretofore had been oblidged to them for many antient good Offices in a time, when their greateſt ſafety did depend upon them, and who lately were conjoyned with them in
Eaſt-Indie-Trade, in the year 1619. Neither did they fear the Natives, whom they found to expreſs a greater IncliHollanders, for the Engliſh aimed at noDutch; And though in ſome places the Engliſh had erected ſome Forts, and ſetled ſome Strength, yet it was not by any Force or Violence, nor againſt the good will of the People of the Country, but with their own good liking, and conſent, for the better ſecurity of their Trade, and upon the voluntary ſubmiſſion of the Natives to the Obedience and Soveraignty of the Crown of England, in which ſubmiſſion the Antient Laws and Liberties of the ſaid Natives, and all their own Immunities were comprehendEngliſh did conceive themſelves to be ſeDutch (who would be no better Neighbours to us in the Indies then in Europe) began to quarrel with us, and to hinder us in our Trade to free Places, the which the better to obtain, they oftentimes ſeized upon our Ships, and
Engliſh Forts, and laying violent hands on the Engliſh themſelves, who made not the leaſt Reſistance; they have tyed them to ſtakes with Ropes about their Necks; they have ſeized upon their Goods, they have Impriſoned their Perſons, they have Whipped them at the Poſt in the open Market Place, and having waſhed their torn and wounded Bodies with Vinegar and Salt, they have again doubled their ſcourges to multiply their Torments; they have dragIndies they have aſſumed a Power to themſelves in the deciding of the controverſies between the
Engliſh and the Indians for matters paſſed quite out of their juriſdiction, and when Law and Right have pleaded againſt them, they have Executed their Decrees by violence. Theſe be they who have laid a claim to His Majeſties Intereſts on his own Brittiſh Seas, and rather then allow them proper unto Him, they have declared them common unto All: At the firſt they begged leave for their FiſhEngliſh Seas, which being grantEngliſh ſhal Sell no white Herrings, nor other Fiſh there upon penalty of Confiſcation; They are FiſhEngliſh Seas from June unto November, and ſeem there to dwel amongſt the Fiſh for 26 weeks together, in which time the havock which they make in destroyDee, almost one hundred years ſince,his Brittiſh Monarchy, pa. 44.
Thames, and other Rivers belonging to this
2000 Cart-loads of freſh fiſh, which would have ſo proved to be Market-able, if they had not been deſtroyIt is probable, ſaith he, that in all England by the manifold diſorder uſed about the deſtroying of Fry and Spawn, there is yearly ſpoyled or hindred the Brood of 2000 Cart-loads of freſh Fiſh of middle Marketable-ſkantlin.
The value of which 2000 Cart-loads, do amount to 90000 Buſhels of freſh Fiſh, ſix Quarters going to a Cart-load, which one with another being rated at five ſhillings a Buſhel, doth amount in currant Engliſh Money, to the ſum of 20500l.
Which quantity of Fiſh alſo would maintain for one day, One thouſand thouſand, and eight hundred thouſand Men; or nine hundred thouſand Men two dayes; or three hundred thouſand Men ſix dayes, or a hundred thouſand, eighteen dayes, or fifty thouſand Men thirty ſix dayes, or five and twenty thouſand Men ſix and twenty dayes.
If by our own Neglect, ſo great a deſtructiEngliſh Seas, by thoſe whoſe buſineſs it is, to think all is Fiſh that comes to Net, and whoſe Trade to Plunder; The time of our patience hath been long, their promiſes of Redreſs numerous, and the daily Injuries we have received inſupportable: To give you in this place a more large AcFarewell.
Firſt, That the Sea by the Law of Nature and Nations is not common to all Men, but is capable of Private Dominion, as well as the Land.
The Second, Is, That the KING of GREAT BRITTAIN Is LORD of the SEA Flowing about, as an Inſeparable and Perpetual Appendant of the BritEmpire.
Before we ſhall inſiſt on theſe Pro
Other Objections are drawn from the Nature of the Sea it ſelf, for it is com
As to the firſt, It is eaſie to be proMoſaical Law,Numbers are expreſs; And let your Borders be the Great Sea; that is, ſay the Rabbins, the main Ocean, and its Iſles; And it is plainly to be proved, that a Private Dominion of the Sea no otherwiſe then of Land aroſe from humane Diſtribution: We read,Pompey the Great, being Maſter of a Huge Navy, had a Commiſsion given him from the Senate, as abſolute Lord of the Sea; The like had Mark Anthony ſome few years after him; And many of the Roman Hiſtorians have called the Sea, their Sea; becauſe it was wholly ſubdued to the Roman Power.
We might here alleage many ExLidians, the Phygians, the Rhodians, the Phaenicians, and many other Eaſtern Nations, one after another have been Lords of the Sea: Thy Borders are in the midſt or heart of the Sea ſaith the Prophet Ezekiel of the Tyrians: Quintus Curtius affirmeth, that the City of Tyre builded by Agenor,
p. 128.
Polybeius, and Appian afCarthaginians EnjoyVenice have enjoyed the Dominion of the Adriatick Sea for many Ages: The Tuſcans to this day have an Abſolute Dominion in the Tyrhene Sea, and thoſe of Genoa in the Lyguſtick; the like we may alledge of the Danes, the Swedes, and the People of Norway; And to conclude, that the Dominion of the Sea is admitted a
Now as to the Objection concernAriſtotle plainly and exBodine affirmeth, That it is law
As to that Objection concerning the uncertainty of the Sea, which (it is alGermane Empire, (according to the Civil Law) Rivers are all of them of Publick Uſe, yet for all that, they are reckoned in the EmFrance, Spain, Poland, and Venice, and, in a word, of all Nations whoſe Cuſtomes are known; ſeeing therefore that a DoTiberias by St. Luke
Aſphaltites is by Pliny, Solinus, and others, termed a Lake, but by Moſes in the Fourteenth of Geneſis, the Salt Sea, and by moſt of the late Writhe Dead Sea.
They indeed, who make uſe of ſuch frivolous ſubtilties, as theſe to oppoſe the Dominion of the Sea deſerve to be turned over to the Phyloſophers, Heraclitus and Epicharmus, who taught that every thing is ſo altered, changed, and renewed, that nothing in this World continues the ſame, as it was in the inſtant immediately going beSeneca) are hurried like Rivers; whatſoever thou ſeeſt, runneth with Time; Not one of all thoſe things that are viſible contin
As to that Argument, that the water is open to All, and therefore by Law, it muſt lye open at all times to all men, it is a very trifling Argument. Before the firſt Diſtribution of things, there was no Land which did not lye open unto All before it came under particuHollanders, they have in Delph-Land a Cuſtome, called, Jus Grutae, which hath ever been under the care of thoſe Officers, called in Dutch, Pluymgraven, whereby the Beer-Brewers are obliged to pay them the hundreth part for the uſe of the water.
Some men may here object that ſayAntonius,
I am Sovereign of the World, but the Law is Sovereign of the Sea.
Rhodian Law, is the Law of the Sea, becauſe by this Law Justice is adminiſtred on the Sea; thereEudaemon concernRhodian Law, ſo far as none of our Lawes doth oppoſe the ſame. There is no man unleſſe he will renounce his own Reaſon, who will affirme, that any Denial is made of the Dominion of the Sea in that Anſwer, or that the leaſt Tittle can be found in it againſt the Dominion thereof.
Having thus in general given you an account, that almoſt amongſt all NatiBrittains did Enjoy and Poſſeſſe the Sea as Lords thereof, before they were ſubjeRoman Power: It is upon good ground concluded, that the moſt AnBrittain, is not elder then the Time of Cajus Julius Caeſar,
Brittains Dominion of the Sea flowing about them, eſpecially the South and Eaſt part thereof, as a perpetual Appendant of the SovereignCaeſars firſt ArriCaeſar's Commentaries,Great Brittain being Invaded by the Emperour Claudius, and the Iſle of Wight ſurrenBrittiſh Sea, follow
From the Dominion of the Brittiſh Sea, as being continually United to the Iſland, or an Inſeparable Concomitant thereof, many remarquable paſſages have proceeded amongſt thoſe who have left unto Poſterity the AtchieveRomans, when they were
Roman Empire was declining, and they had ſcarce Forces enough to Guard the City it ſelf, The Brittains about the Year of our Lord,Roman GoSaxons Inhabiting the Shoar over againſt them, had a great and greedy mind unto it, who being a People extreamly given to PiRomans were accuſtomed to appoint an Officer to drive them away, called, The Count of the Saxon Shore throughout Brittain. Theſe Saxons being ſent for by the Brittains to Aſſiſt them againſt the Scots and Picts, did get at length the whole Power into their own hand.Saxons being Arch PiDanes and Normans, for theſe names being promiſcuouſly uſed, do often ſignifie the ſame Nation, as is ſufficiRegino, Dudo, the Monk of Malmesbury, and others: And
Saxons and Danes had a Dominion over the Sea, whileſt they Reigned in Brittain.
t. In BiEngliſh Saxons, we read in Aſſerius Biſhop of Sherburn, that Hengist being invited into England by the Perſwaſions of Vortigern, there came preſently afterwards to recruit him Octa and Ebiſſa, who putting PiGreek,
Pira, in the Greek Tongue ſignifieth Craft, or Art, and from this Art in Maritine Diſcipline they are now called Pirates which infeſt the Seas. But amongſt theſe Kings none was more Potent then King Edgar, who poſſeſsing an Abſolute Dominion of the Seas, ſayled round about it every Year, and ſecured it with a conſtant Guard. It is Recorded that theſe ſhips being very ſtout ones,Jorvaux, John Bramton by name, doth number them to be Four Thouſand, and Eight HunEdgar had, as Abſolute Lord of the Sea, appears in theſe words; I Edgar King of England,and of all the Kings of the Iſlands, and of the Ocean lying round about Brittain, and of all the Nations that are Included within the Circuit thereof Supream Lord and Governour, do render my thanks to Almighty GOD My KING, who hath Enlarged my Empire, and Exalted it above the Royal Eſtate of my Prog
England ever ſince Athelyet the Divine Goodneſs hath favoured me to Subdue all the Kingdomes of the Iſland in the Ocean with their moſt Stout and Mighty Kings, even as far as Norand the greateſt part of Ireland, together with their moſt Famous City of Du
After him King Canutus left a TeſtiSouthampton ſhoare, he is reported to have made tryal of the Obedience of the Sea in this manner; Thou, O Sea art under my Dominion, as the Land alſo which I ſit upon is mine; And there was never any that diſobeyed my Command without Puniſhment; Therefore I command thee not to aſcend upon my Land, nor do thou preſume to wet the Feet or Garments of Thy Sovereign: But although the Event did not anſwer his Expectation, yet moſt plain it is, that here he openly profeſſed himſelf to be Sovereign of the Seas, as well as of the Land.
From the Teſtimonies of the Saxons and Danes, we ſhall Deſcend to the Government of the Normans; where by many Notable and Cleer Proofs we ſhall finde; That
1. The Cuſtody, Government, or Admiralty of the Engliſh Sea did belong unto the King, together with the DoIſlands.
2. That the Leave of Paſſage through this Sea, was granted unto For
3. That the Liberty of Fiſhing, was upon Courteſie Allowed to For
4. That Laws, and Limits were Preſcribed to Forreigners; who being in Hoſtility the one with the other, but both in Amity with the Engliſh, made Prize of each other on the Sea.
5. The Records whereby this DoEngland.
As for the Firſt, There is nothing more Cleer, than that the Kings of
England, have been Accuſtomed to Conſtitute Governours, or CommanEngliſh Seas, and theſe were called Cuſtodes Navium, or Cuſtodes Maritimi. Theſe were the Officers that were calButſecarli, as may be gathered out of that Breviary of England, called Doomes Day:
Hen. 3.Thomas de Moleton, who is Stiled Captain and Guardian of the Sea; and Hugh de Cerquen; Afterwards the Title of GuarThomas Walſingham,
Edw. 1.Edward the Firſt. We finde that in the days of Edward the third; The Principal End of CalEngland. In the time of Richard the Second,Rich. 2.Hugh Calverley was made Admiral of the Sea, ſaith the ſame Author, and the Univerſal CuEngland.
And that the Dominion of the Seas, is properly in the Power and JuriſdiDanegeld, was paid in the Time of the Engliſh Saxons, which amounted to four ſhillings upon every Hide of Land, for the defending of the DoRoger Houerden affirmStephen. 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 eNorthern 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
Flanders into London. If a VeſHerrings, it payed the Rate of Six pence a week upon every Tun; London from New-Caſtle, paid it every three Moneths; But if a VeſNorth-wards, to Pruſſia, Scone, or Norway, or any of the Neigh
In this Place we ſhall give you the Copy of the uſual form of a CommiſſiRich. 2. part 2. Act 38.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 DoIſlands belonging to the ſame, alſo of our Town of Calais and our Marches thereof, Normandy, Acquitayn,
Gaſcoign; and we have Made, ApN. our Admiral of England, Ireland, and Wales, and our Dominions and Iſles of the ſame, our Town of Calais, and our Marches thereNormandy, Gaſcoign, and Aquitayn, as aEngland, 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 IuriſEngland and Ireland, and of the o
Thus we ſee we have a continual PoſEngland by Sea, pointed out in very
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 oEngland on thoſe Seas, ſubject unto them whom he puts in Command oEngliſh 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
England hath ever been Lord,Iſlands placed therein, Par raiſon du Royalme d' 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, whit 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 unFerrando Vrtis de Sarachione a Spaniard, to Sail freely from the Port of London through his Kingdomes, DomiRochel.
There are Innumerable Letters of ſafe Conducts in the Records,Hen. 4.Henry the Fifth, and Sixth, whereEngland have ſuch an abEngliſh 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 Wenhis 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 alRichard the Second, impoſed a Tribute upHenry the Sixth,Hen. 6.French, and other Forreigners, ſomeFrench, Dutch or others, ſhould Diſturb or Moleſt any of the Kings Subjects as they were Fiſhing, they were to looſe the benefit of their Li
But in the Eaſtern Sea which waſhYork-ſhire, and the Neighbouring Counties; It hath been an Antient Cuſtome for the Hollanders and Zelanders to obtain leave, by PeScarborough 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
Hollanders do make by this Fiſhing upon our Coaſt; Mr. Hitchock alſo, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, preſented a Book to the ParliaHollanders 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 apLondon. But the Reaſon why we do not ſo often meet with theſe Forms of Licences is, becauſe by the Leagues made with the Neight 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 beEngland and France, that the Subjects of both Kingdomes might freely Fiſh throughout that part of the Sea, whScarborough and Southampton, and on the other ſide by the Coaſt of Flanders, and the Mouth of the River of Sein; The time was alJanuary. And that the French might ſecurely enjoy the BeneEngland ſent Letters unto all his Sea CapFrench from that part of the Sea which lies towards the Weſt, and South-Weſt, as alſo that
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 calYarmouth; The Kings Letter for their Protection, runneth in theſe Words.
The King to his Beloved and Truſty,
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 Freiſwho 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 hav
Martins next enſuing.
Here you ſee, that the King granteth a Protection to Fiſh, and he Limits iGerman Coaſt, nor might the Fiſhermen uſe any other kind of VeſEdward the Third concerning the Laws of Fiſhing, which were direct
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 inNorfolk 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, alEngland; leaſt
Engliſh Right, which is a manifeſt Sign and Evidence of their Dominion, and Poſſeſſion of the place; And this may yet more clearly appear by the Laws and Limits uſually ſet by our Kings to ſuch Foreigners as were at Enmity with each other, but in Amity with the Engliſh: and to this effect, is the Proclamation of King James; who having made Peace with all Nations, did give equal Protection to the Spaniards, and the United Neatherlands, at that time exerciſing Acts of great Hoſtility one againſt another; Our Pleaſure (ſaith he) and ComSpaniard or Hollander neer to the Entry of any of our Coaſts or HaFrench ſhore, that all manner of Perſons, though Enemies to one another, ſhould ſecurely ſayle to, and fro, as it were, under the wings of an Arbitrator, or Moderatour of the Sea, and alſo freely ſhould uſe the Sea, according to ſuch ſpaces, and limits, as they were pleaſed at firſt to appoint, which without doubt is a clear Evidence of Dominion.
In this next place, I ſhall cite ſome of the Publick Records which are kept in the Tower of London, in which the Dominion of the Sea is expreſly AſEngland; We Read, that Edward the Third in his Commiſſions given to Geoffery de Say,
John de Norwich of the NorWe calling to mind, that our Progenitors, the Kings of England,
having before theſe times been Lords of the Engliſh Sea on every ſide, yea and Defendors thereof againſt the Invaſions of Enemies, do ſtrictly Require and Charge you by the Duty and Allegiance wherein you stand bound, that you ſet forth to Sea with the Ships of the Ports, and the other Ships that are ready, and that you Arreſt the other ſhips under our Command, and that with all Diligence you make ſearch after the Gallies and Ships of War that are abroad againſt Us, and that ſtoutly and manfully you ſet upon them if they ſhall preſume to bend their Courſe towards any part of our Dominions, or the Coaſts of Scotland, &c. Then followeth a Power to Preſs Seamen, and other matters of that kind.
We read alſo in the Reign of the ſaid King, in the preferring of a cerFrench are to this ſence in Engliſh;
The Nation of the Engliſh were ever in the Ages paſt Renowned for Sea-Affairs in all Countries near the Seas, and they had alſo ſo numerous a Navy, that the People
of all Countries Eſteemed, and called the K. of Engl. the K. or Sovereign of the Sea.
Another Teſtimony to the ſame EfHenry the Fifth, where the TeThe Commons do pray, that ſeeing our Sovereign Lord the King, and his Illuſtrious Progenitors have ever been Lords of the Sea,
and now ſeeing through Gods Grace it is ſo come to paſs, that our Lord the King is Lord of the Shores on both ſides of the Sea, ſuch a Tribute may be impoſed upon all Strangers paſſing through the ſaid Sea, for the Benefit and Advantage of our ſaid Lord the King, as may ſeem agreeable to reaſon, for the ſafegard of the ſaid Sea. The AnSoit a viſe par le Roy, which is, Let the King Himſelf be adviſed of it. For the King at that time Reſided in France, being Lord of that Country, as well by Conqueſt, as Inheritance; And Humphrey Duke of Gloceſter was then PreſiEngland, by whom as the Kings DeLe Roy S' adviſera, the King will Adviſe, was the Anſwer from the Antient, down to our preſent times, in ſuch Bills as were to be paſ
Neither hath the High Court of ParSupream and Sovereign of the Seas: But to confirme it, we ſhall produce the Teſtimonies of Robert Belknap,
Richard the Second, who affirmeth, that the Sea is Subject to the King, as a part of his Kingdom, or of the PatriThe Antient Superiority of the Sea, was a matter out of Queſtion amongſt all Lawyers of that Age, and Aſſerted by the Determina
Neither is this Truth confirmed onRoſe-Noble, which was ſtamped on the one ſide of it with a Ship, floting in the Sea, and a King Armed with a Sword and Shield, ſitting in the Ship it ſelf, as in a Throne, to ſet forth a RepreſenEngliſh K. by Sea: The firſt Authour hereof was Edward the Third, when he Guarded his own Seas with a Numerous Navy, conſiſting of Eleven Hundred ſhips, at which time, as at oFrance: But what need we labour to produce ſo many Teſtimonies at home from our Records in the Tower and other places, from our High Courts of Parliament, from our Laws, from our Coyns, & from our Hiſtories, to prove this Truth; ſince it is acknowledged even by Forreigners themſelves whom it moſt concerneth, by their uſual ſtriEngliſh King, but alſo in acknowledgement of His Sovereignty, and Dominion at Seas. The Antiquity of this Cuſtome, and that it hath been in uſe for above theſe Four Hundred years may appear by this following teAt Haſtings, a Town ſcituate upon the Shore of Suſſex, it was Decreed by K. John, in the Second Year of His Reign, with 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,
r. Comthat ſhall refuſe to ſtrike their ſayles at the Command of the Kings Governour or Admiral, or his Lievtenant, but make reſiſtance againſt any who belong unto his Fleet, that then they are to be reputed Enemies, and if they be taken, their Ships and Goods to be Confiſcated, 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 Rebellion. It was accounted Treaſon (ſaith Maſter Selden) If any ſhip whatſoever 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 Engin 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 NeighEdward 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,
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 AuthoEngland, 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.)
Genoeſes,
Catalonians,
Spaniards,
Almayns,
Zealanders,
Hollanders,
Freiſlanders,
Danes,
Noruegians,
Hamburghers, &c.
All theſe inſtituted a Complaint aReyner Grimbald who was GoFrench Navy,Philip King of France, and Guy Earle of Flanders; And all theſe Complainants in their Bill do joyntly affirm, that the King of England and his Predeceſſors have time out of minde and without Controverſie, Enjoyed the Soveraignty and Dominion of the Engliſh 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 of England; 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 NaEngland, made by the Flemmings themEngland, in the Reign of Edward the Second; the Records of the Parliament ſpeak it thus.
In the Fourteenth Year of the Reign of Edward 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 Engupon 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 that HE 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 Bu
Having given you thus (beſides the Atteſtation of our own Writers) the acknowledgment of Foreign Nations, that the King of England hath the DoNorthern Seas, which came unto the SubEngland, at
James of Bleſſed MeBrittanie 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 oNorway, 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 toNorway, are the Shetland Iſles in Number Eighteen, which are at this day Inhabited, and in ſubjection to the King of Scotland;
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
Daniſh King being willing to ConIſlands 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,
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 pecuWhales 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 diſcoEngland; Upon which ground it was, that King James in his Letters of Credence given to his AmHolland, 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 James, this Right was more ſtre
Although we do ſuffici
Whereas we have been contented ſince Our coming to the Crown, to tolerate an indifferent and promiſcuous kinde of liGreat Brittain, Ireland, and other adjacent Iſlands, ſo farr forth as the permisſion or uſe thereof might not redound to the impeachment of Our (PreGreat Brittain, as of Ireland, and the reſt of the Iſles adjaAuguſt next coming, no Perſon of what NaGreat 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 Vs, 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 of Scotland; which Licenſes Our intention is, ſhall be yearly demanded, for ſo many Veſſels and Ships, and the Tonnage thereof, as ſhall intend to Fiſh for that whole year, or any part thereof, upon any of Our Coaſts, and Seas as a
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 MaElizabeth, 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 ComHollanders InſoNaunton, and Sir Dudly Carlton Lord Ambaſſadour from the King, to the States of the United Provinces.
I Muſt now let your Lordſhip know, that the States Commisſioners and Deputies both, having attended His Majeſty at New-Market, and there preLondon on Saturday was a ſeTueſday had AuBining and me to attend His Majeſty for directions, what Reply to return to this Anſwer of theirs; which I repreſented to their Lordſhips yeſterday to this effect: That his Majeſty found it ſtrange, that they having been ſo often required by your Lordſhip His Majeſties AmbaſſaEaſt-Indies, and the Whale-Fiſhing, and to Regulate and ſettle a Joynt and an even Traffick in thoſe Quarters, but withal to take order for a more indifRight for the ſole Fiſhing upon all the Coaſts of his Three Kingdoms, into which they had of late times in
To the ſecond; Whereas they would decline all debate of the Fiſhings upon His Majeſties Coaſts, firſt by AllegatiEſmeute of their people, who aNaufrage, and is not yet altogether calmed; What is this but to raiſe an advantage to themſelves out of their diſadvantage? But afterSpain have ſought leave to Fiſh there by Treaty from this Crown; and that the King of France (a nearer NeighIune, ſent by your Lordſhip, ſeemed then to confirm their immemorial poſſeſſion (as they term it) with divers Treaties, as are of the year, 1550. and another between His Majeſties Predeceſſors and Charles the Fifth, as Prince of thoſe Provinces, and not by the Law of Nations. To which their laſt Plea, His Majeſty would have them told, that he being an Iſlander-Prince, is not ignorant of the Laws and Rights of his own KingGrotius, whoſe ill thriving might rather teach others to diſavow his Poſitions; and his honeſty called in queſtion by themſelves, might render his Learning as much ſuſpected to them, as his Per
Thus I have particulated unto you the manner of our proceeding with them; Let them adviſe to ſeek leave from His Majeſty, and to acknowledge Him, His Right, as other Princes have done, and do; or it may well come to paſſe, that they that will needs bear all the World before them, by their Mare Liberum, may ſoon come to have neither Terram & Solum, nor Rempublicam liberam.
WHether the final reſolution here will be according to His MajeOrange, by way of Diſcourſe when he took leave of me on Monday laſt, at his Departure; I ſuſpect it will not, in regard the Magiſtrates of theſe Towns of Holland, being newly plaGrotius, and the taking of John Brown the laſt year may teſtifie; yet this acknowledgment of a Right and a Due was no excluſion of Grace and Favour; and that the people of this Country paying that ſmall Tribute up
The Prince anſwered, that for himUtrecht, he would do his beſt endeavour to proHollanders would appreSound, where at firſt an eaDenmark, 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 mo
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 friendStates athey ſaid, they acknowCommiſſioners 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 con&c.
AS I had dictated thus far, I reStates-Commiſſioners here; That albeit their earneſt entreaScotland, 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 Ma&c. His Majeſty cannot forbear to tell them that he is ſo well perſwaded of the EStates, and of the HonouState
there, and to certifie His Majeſty of their An
Thus farr SecretaryNauntonto 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
States General to the States of Holland. The States of Holland take advice of a certain 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 thereCouncil 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 un
WHereas Our Father of Bleſſed Memory Kings James, did in the Seventh Year of His Reign of Great Brittain, ſet forth a ProclamaBrittain, Ireland, and the reſt of the Iſles adjacent, where moſt uſually heretofore Fiſhing had béen, until they had orderly demanded, and obtained Licenſes from Our ſaid Father, or His Commisſioners in that behalf, upon pain of ſuch chaſtiſement as ſhould be fit to be inflicted upon ſuch wilful Offen
And now finding by experience, that all the inconveniences which occaſioned that Proclamation, are rather increaſed then abated: We being very ſenſible of the pre
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 numerous and well-provided, that our Netherland Neighbours being touched with the apprehenſion of ſome great deſign in hand for the Intereſt of England by Sea, and of the guilt that lay upon their own Conſciences, for their bold Encroachments, ſoon beInſtar omnium, which may ſerve in ſtead of all; and it is an acute Letter of Secretary Coke's, that was written to Sir William Boſwel, the Kings Reſident then at the Hague, the Ori
BY Your Letters and otherwiſe, I perceive many jealouſies and diſ
Firſt, we hold it a principle not to be denied, That the King of Great Brittain, is a Monarch at Land and Sea to the full extent of His Dominions, and that it concerneth him as much to maintain His Soveraignty in all the Brittiſh Seas, as within His three KingMare liberum gave the firſt warning-piece, which muſt be anſwered with a defence of Mare clauſum: not ſo much by Diſcourſes, as by the louder Language of a powerful Navy, to be better underſtood, when overſtrained patience ſeeth no hope of preſerving her Right by other means.
The Degrees by which his Majeſties Dominion at Sea hath of latter years been firſt impeached and then queſti
Firſt, to cheriſh, and as it were to nouriſh up our unthankful Neighbors, We gave them leave to gather wealth and ſtrength upon our Coaſts, in our Ports, by our Trade, and by our PeoScotland, which now they ſuppreſſe. And when thus by leave or by conniScotland, but in Ireland and England, and by our Staple had raiſed a great ſtock of Placarts. What inſolencies and cruelties they have committed againſt us heretofore, in Ireland, in Greenland, and in the Indies, is too well known to all the world. In all which, though our ſufferings and their wrong may ſeem forgotten, yet the great intereſt of His Majeſties
So you ſee the general ground upon which our Counſels ſtands. In parti
THe Coaſts of Great Brittain do yield ſuch a continual Sea-har
The Summer-Fiſhing for Herring, beginneth about Midſummer, and laſtAugust.
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 and 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 ſeveBrittiſh 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 adHolland Buſſes, not far from Robinhood's Bay returned to Whitbie full fraught with Herrings, and report
Our Fleet of Colliers not many years ſince, returning from Newcastle, laden with Coals, about the Well, near Flanborough-Head, and Scarborough, met
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 perHollanders in our Coaſts, and thereby ſhew how by this means principally they have in
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 ſetEngland 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 Hun
For the Herring-ſeaſon, they have One Thouſand Six Hundred Buſſes at the leaſt, all of them Fiſhing onely upBoughonneſs 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 Num
Moreover, they have Four Hundred other Veſſels at leaſt, that take HerYarmouth, and there ſell them for ready money: ſo that the Hollanders (beſides Three Hundred ſhips beGreat Brittain, by which means principally Holland being not ſo big as one of our ſhires of England, conEngland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, and Ruſſia. And to this number they add every day, although their Country
Beſides theſe of Holland, Lubeck hath Seven Hundred great ſhips, Hamborough Six Hundred, Embden Fourteen HunBremer, 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 fiſhHolland there are built a thouſand ſayle at the leaſt to ſupply ſhip-wracks, and augment their ſtore, which as the Prince, and common Nurſery, is the chiefeſt means onely to encreaſe their number.
THe number of ſhips fiſhing on our Coaſts, as being aforeſaid Eight Thouſand Four Hundred. If we al
BY reaſon of thoſe multitude of Ships and Marriners, they have ex
From the Southern parts, as France, Spain, and Portugal, for our Herrings they return Oyles, Wines, Prunes, Honie, Wools, &c. with ſtore of Coin in Specie.
From the Straits, Velvets, Sattins, and all ſorts of Silks, Alums, Currans, Oyles, and all Grocerie-ware, with much monie.
From the Eaſt-Countries for our Herrings, and other French and Italian commodities before returned, they bring home Corn; Wax, Flax, Hemp, Pitch, Tar, Sope-Aſhes, Iron, Copper, Steel, Clap-board, Wainſcot, TimHungarie-Gilders.
From Germanie, for Herrings, and other ſalt Fiſh, Iron, Steel, Glaſs, Mil-ſtones, Reniſh-wines, Button-plate for Armour, with other MunitiFrankford-com
From Brabant they return for the moſt part ready mony with ſome TaBraſeil.
And that which is more ſtrange and greatly to our ſhame, they have four hundred Ships with Fiſh, which our men of Yarmouth, within ken almoſt at land do vent our Herrings amongſt us here in England, and make us pray for the Fiſh taken upon our own Coaſt ready mony, wherewith they ſtore their own Country.
BY this their large extent of Trade, they are become as it were CitiAmſterdam, Leyden, and Middleburgh having been lately twice enlarged and their ſteets and buildings ſo fair, and orderly ſet forth,
SUch being then the Number of the Ships and Marriners, and ſo great their Trade, occaſioned principally by their Fiſhing; they have not onely Strengthened, and Fortified themSpain; but have likewiſe ſtretched their power into the Eaſt and Weſt-Indies, in many places whereof, they are Lords of the Sea-Coaſts, and have likewiſe fortified upon the Main, where the Kings and People are at their devotion. And more then this, all Neighbour-Princes, in their differenEngliſh, they are now become the moſt re
MOreover how mighty the pubHollanders onely, whereto the tenth of other Nations being added, it a
We are likewiſe to know, that great part of their Fiſh is ſold in other Countries for ready monies, for which they commonly export of the fineſt gold, and ſilver, and coming home recoin it of a baſer allay, under their own ſtamp, which is not a ſmall means to augment their publick Trea
AS touching their private Wealth, if we conſider the abundant ſtore of Herrings, and other Fiſh by them taken, and the uſual priſes that they are ſold for, as alſo the multitude of tradeſmen & Artizans, that by reaſon of this their fiſhing are daily ſet on work, we muſt needs conclude, that the gain thereof made by private men, muſt of neceſſity be exceeding great, as by ob
During the Wars between the King of Spain, and the Hollanders before the laſt Truce, Dunkirk by taking, ſpoilHolland, and ſetting great ranſom upon their Fiper laſt, amounteth to Three Millions ſix Hundred Thouſand, and at ſixteen, twenty, thirty pound the laſt, they are ordinarily ſold, then tranſported into other Countries, it cometh at leaſt to Five Millions, Whereunto if we add the Herrings taken by other Nations, together with the Cod, Ling, Hake, and the Fiſh taken by the Hollanders, and other our Neighbours upon the Brittiſh Coaſts all the year long, the totall will evidently ariſe to be above Ten Millions.
The great Trade of Fiſhing imploy
AND to conclude, it is manifeſt that Holland only affording in it ſelf ſome few Hops, Madders, Butter and Cheeſe aboundeth notwithſtand
The premiſes conſidered, it maketh much to the ignominy and ſhame of our Engliſh Nation, that God and Na
By erecting Two Hundred and fifty Buſſes of reaſonable ſtrength and big
The Herrings taken by the Buſſes will afford His Majeſty two hundred thou
We have Timber ſufficient, and at reaſonable rates, growing in our own Kingdom for the building of Buſſes, every Shire affordeth hardy and able men fit for ſuch employment, who now live poorly and idle at home.
We have Victuals in great plenty ſold at eaſie rates without payment of Exciſes, or Impoſt.
Our ſhores and harbours are near the places where the Fiſh do haunt.
For drink, or nets, ſalting and packFrance, Spain, or Italy, before the Hollanders can arrive in Holland.
We have means to tranſport our Fiſhing into ſome Northern CounHollanders ſelHollanders, yet is there vent for all, or more, for in the Eaſt and Northern CounMichaelmas the Sound and Rivers are frozen up, ſo as no Herrings can be tranſported into twenty ſeveral KingJuly, which is for thirty weeks ſpace together; ſo that when Lent comes, there are few to be bought for money.
Laſtly, ſince by care and induſtry we gained from the Flemmings, doubt
But this we ſhall the better and ſooner do, if we conſider and endea
1. General liberty of eating Fleſh contrary to old cuſtom, and the Sta
2. Want of order and diſcretion in our Fiſhing, every man being left to himſelf and permitted to Fiſh as beſt liketh him: whereas amongſt the Hollanders two of the beſt experienced Fiſher-men are appointed to guide the reſt of the Fleet, all others being bound to follow them, and to caſt their lines according to their directi
3. The Hollanders and other Nations ſet forth with their Buſſes in June, to
November, whereas we ſtay till the Herring come home to our Rode-ſteads, and ſomtimes ſuffer them to paſs by ere we look out, our Herring-Fiſhing conteining onely ſeven weeks at the moſt, and theirs twenty.
4. The Hollanders Buſſes are great and ſtrong, and able to brook foul weather, whereas our Cobles, Cray
5. The Hollanders are induſtrious, and no ſooner are diſcharged of their lading, but preſently put forth for more, and ſeek for Markets abroad as well as at home; whereas our Engliſh after they have been once at Sea, do commonly never return again untill all the money taken for their Fiſh be ſpent, and they in debt ſeeking onely to ſerve the next Market.
Hollanders have certain Mer
Theſe and other effects would careHen. the eight, is plainly teſtified, which I have ſummarily here ſet down, to avoid the prolixity of the o
Becauſe the Engliſh Fiſher-men dwelling on the Sea-Coaſts did leave off their Trade of Fiſhing in our Seas, and went the half-Seas over, and therePickards, Flemmings, Normans, and Zelanders, by reaſon whereof many incommodities did grow to the Realm, viz. the decay of the wealth and proſperity as well of the Cinque-Ports, and Members of the ſame, as of other Coaſt-Towns by the Sea-ſide, which were builded, and inhabited by great multitudes of peoEngliſh, Denizens, or ſtrangers at that time, or aEngland, ſhould buy any Fiſh of any ſtrangers in
Flanders, Zealand, Picardie, France, or upon the Sea between ſhoare and ſhoare, &c.
This Act by many continuances was continued from Parliament to ParliaMarie, and from thence to the end of the next Parliament, and then expired.
For Concluſion, ſeeing, by that which hath formerly been declared, it evidently appeareth, that the Kings of England, by immemorable preſcripEngland, and that unto his Majeſty, by reaſon of his Sovereignty, the ſupream command and Juriſdiction over the paſſage, and Fiſhing in the ſame rightBrittiſh Iſle, and hath alſo enlarged his Dominions over a great part of the Weſtern Indies; by means of which extent of Em
And therefore the Sovereignty of our Seas, being the moſt precious JewEngliſh hearts and hands are bound by all poſſible means and diligence to pre
Thus you ſee what wonderous ad
There is alſo another Dominion of the Sea belonging to the King of Great Brittain, and that of a very large ExAmerica, as on the Virginian Sea, and the Iſlands of the Barbadoes and Saint Chriſtophers and maEngliſh Colonies Tranſported into America, have Poſſeſſed themſelves of the Sea there, is not exactly as yet diſco
AT this Convention the ComVenice, that Navigation indeed ought to be free, yet thoſe things at which his Imperial Majeſty found himſelf aVenetians for their own Reſpects, did uſe to do ſo in the Adriatick Seas which is under their Dominion, there being nothing more known then that the Common-Wealth of Venice were Lords of the Adriatick Sea, and do exVenetians were to have no leſs liberty in the Lands of the Auſtrians, then the Auſtrian Subjects in the Sea of Venice; And if his Imperial Majeſty within his own State upon the Land, will not permit that the Subjects of the Common-Wealth of Venice ſhall go which way they liſt, but doth conſtrain them to go by ſuch places onely where cuſtoms is to be paid, he cannot with Juſtice demand that his Subjects may paſſe by or through the Sea of the Republick which way they pleaſe, but muſt conVenetians likeVenetians tyAriſtotle, when he ſaid,Bern, he ſaid, was
Switzerland, and yet it hath as large a Teritory, as all the reſt of the twelve Cantons togeNorimburg is very great, and yet the Dominions and TeVenice it ſelf for many years was known to be without any poſſeſſion at all upon the firm Land. Upon the Sea likewiſe, certain other Cities of great Force and Valour have poſſeſſed a large quantity of it, and o
He added, that God did inſtitute Principalities for the maintenance of Juſtice, to the benefit of Mankind, which was neceſſary to be executed, as well by Sea as by Land; And St. Paul ſaid, that for this cauſe there were due unto Princes, Cuſtomes and ContriAffrica, and the Immenſe Vaſtities of the World but lately diſcovered; And as it is a gift of God that a Land by the Laws, and publiſht Power be Ruled, Protected, and Governed, ſo the ſame happeneth to the Sea; He ſaid, that thoſe were deceived by a
Rhine or the Po are the ſame Rivers now, as they were one Thouſand years agoe,Germans, if their pretence were that the Sea ſhould be left without ProGermany by a neceſſary Conſequence muſt acknowledge, that it ought to be kept Governed,Paul being clear in this particular, that all ſuch who are under Government and ProVenice were that Prince to whom it did appertain to Govern and Protect the Adriatick Sea, it of neceſſity muſt follow, that who
From hence he did proceed to ſhow that this Dominion over the Sea from time out of minde did belong to the Common-Wealth of Venice; And to prove this, he cauſed to be read out of an Abſtract which he had taken the oVenice had over the Sea, as of a thing moſt known, and of which even in their Times, the mind of man knew not the Contrary, ſome of them affirming that the Common-Wealth of Venice had no leſſe DomiVenice; Others maintaining that the Adriatick Sea is the Territory and the Demeans of the ſaid City; And to
Venetians have to eſtabliſh Laws oVenetians ▪
whereof they had poſſeſſion from time out of minde, before the age wherein thoſe Authors lived, yet he could not deny to receive them for the Teſtimonies of ſuch things, which they ſaw, and knew in their times, and to hold them as witneſſes far above all Exception, being all of them Famous men, though dead ſo many years agoe, and whoſe Impartial Pens could no ways be intereſted in the preſent Dif
Then Addresſing himſelf to the Judges, he deſired them to conſider, that notwithſtanding ſome of the above mentioned Authors do ſpeak in geneVenetians, neither taking care to declare the Quality or the Quantity thereof, yet others more expreſly do give it the Title of the Adriatick Sea, which evidently doth demonſtrate not onely the Scite, but alſo the Quantity of the Sea poſſeſſed, and hereupon he explained himſelf, that thoſe who ſpeak more preciſely ought to cleer the paſ
After the Declination of the Conſtantinopolitan Empire, the Adriatick Sea was found to be for many years abanVenetians, who to receive their lively-hood thereVenice, hath daily advanced by the keepVenice for more then three hundred years paſt, did receive Cuſtom of ſuch as ſail'd that Sea, and kept arm'd Veſſels in a readineſs to compell all ſuch ſhips ſo ſayling to go to Venice, teſtifying moreover, that even unto their preLions in the year, one thouſand two hundred ſeventy four, where the Abbot of Nerveſa being delegated by the Pope did Sentence, that the Venetians ſhould not be moleſted in the Defence, and Protection of the Adriatick Sea, againſt the Saracens and Pirats, neither ſhould they be Diſturbed by any from exactAdriatick Sea: But for the greater confirmation of all that had been ſaid, he remembred the yearly Ceremony uſed at Venice, where the Duke in the preſence of the AmGermany doth conſtantly uſe to Eſpouſe the Sea by caſting a Ring of Gold into it with theſe words, Deſponſamus te Mare in ſignum veri & perpetui Dominii: We do Marry thee O Sea, in ſign of our true and perpetual Dominion over it; Which Ceremony, as many Writers do affirm, had its beginning when Pope Alexander the third was in Venice, not
At the Concluſion he produced the Letters of many Princes and PotenFrederick to Giovanni Mocernigo Duke of Venice, where having acquainted him of a cerAdriatick Sea, he deſireth that he may be permitted to have a free paſſage, which will be to him a great pleaſure, and he ſhall acknowledge it with many thanks. Another Letter was from Beatrice Queen of Hungary to
Adriatick Sea, which could not be without his permiſMatthias King of Hungary to the Duke of Venice, where relating how the Common-Wealth of Venice was ac
Thus as in a Glaſs, you may ſee the Dominion of His Majeſty in His Brittiſh Seas clearly repreſented, aſſerted, and fully proved by that propriety of Title and Soverainty of Power which the Duke of Venice exerciſeth on the Adriatick Sea, which by the manner of preſcription, the conſent of Hiſtories, and even by the confeſsion of their AdGreat Brittain; But His Majeſty hath one Title more above all theirs, which is, the Title of Succeſsive Inheritance, confirmed as well by the Law of Nature, as of NatiBrittiſh Ocean in its Latitude and CircumfeVenice.
But in this great Diſputation (where were preſent the moſt Remarkable Wits of Italy and Germany,
Vide the Venetians Title unto the ſole DoAdriatick Sea.Stephen, Baron of Gourz Atteſted openly, that the Common-Wealth of Venice was Patron of the Adriatick Sea, and might impoſe what Cuſtoms they thought fitting, and that all other the Commiſſaries thought ſo in their ConEngland
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 particuSilvae, upIames 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 animos a Rege tuo, Quis det Iura Mari, which is in Engliſh, Take couFinis 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 un
But with what ingratitude have the Dutch Anſwered the many Royal FaEngland 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 acLow Countries, they Petitioned to the Majeſty of the Queen of England, whoſe Royal Heart and Hand being alwayes open to thoſe that were Diſtreſſed, eſpecially thoſe that were her Neighbours, upon the
Vide the Obſervations concerning the Affairs of Holland.
Thomas Greſham in the year, One Thouſand Five Hundred SeMorgan, Colonel Gilbert, Colonel Cheſter to AſNorth, 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 DuOrange 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;
England ſent over unto them Robert Duke of Leiceſter with great proviſion both of Men and MoEngland and the affairs of the Hollanders were doubtful untill the fatal Battel at Nieuport, yet Queen Elizabeth of ever Bleſſed Memory, out of her unſpeakHollanders 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 unEngliſh 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 to Warr at all, but onely for their Cauſe, and for taking their parts; for
Engliſh in the year, One Thouſand Five HunHollanders ObEngland, being the money deſigned from Spain to the Duke of Alva for the AdvanceSpaniſh 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 acceptHollanders do furEngland had the Cautionary Town of Brill, Fluſhing, and the other places delivered
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; whereEngliſh cloaths died, and dreſſed into Holland, and the adjoyning Provinces without ever maEngland or his AmbaſHague Privy there
And to make amends for this their Saucy and Inſolent Affront,Hollanders to the late Kings of England.
Iames himLennox, as Admiral of Scotland, had by order from the Majeſty of King Iames in the year, One Thouſand Six Hundred and Sixteen, ſent one Maſter Brown to deHollanders then fiſhing upScotland a certain an
And it is moſt obſervable, that the ſame Gentleman coming the year folHolland not to pay it unto the King of England any more; of which he took witneſs accordDutch, that before Maſter Brown had got off to his own Ship, the Maſter of another Ship of Holland came preBrown, 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, requiBrown 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 GenStockholme in Sweden, where he ſollicited for the payEngliſh Merchants, there was at the ſame time in the ſame City one Vandyke, who lying there as an Agent for the States of Holland,
Vide ObſerHolland.
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 ReArchibald 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 CommoTrain 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 an
And yet all this is but inconſiderable in regard of their uſage of our Nation in the East-Indies, where in open HoIndians, in ſuch a Contemptible and DiſEngliſh 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
Muſcovy, and other Countries of the Eaſt.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 Occa
Had it not been for their NeighbouEngliſh, 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 HumaniIndies, before their ſtuAmboyna, 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 inHollanders (to be the more ready to ſet the Engliſh at nought,) having by the Aſſiſtance of Sir Ralph Winwood got the CautioEngliſh 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 TreaLondon, and after that, another Treaty in the year, One thouſand ſix hundred and fifteen, at the Hague in Holland,
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 themIndies, that having driven from thence the Spaniards and Portugals, they at the laſt determined with themſelves by ſubtility as well as ſtrength, to force from thence the Engliſh alſo; In purAmboyna, they endeavoured to diſEngliſh of the Iſlands of Banda, Polleroone, and ſome others, famous for the Rich Spices of Nutmeggs, Cloves and Mace; and underſtanding by one of their Spies, that Captain Courtupe was gone from his Houſe and Factory in Polleroon to one of the adjacent Clove-Iſlands, called Lantore,
Engliſh that they ſhould take no more care for him, for he was dead, and he ſhould be buried; Although this was a great diſEngliſh that were there in their Occupation of MerchanLantore, amongſt whom was Maſter Woofe a Factor there,Vide, MaWoofes Diſcourſe on the Tyranny of the Dutch upon the Engliſh. pa. 10.
Dutch, inDutch, That as often as he thinketh of their unparralleld and barbarous Cruelty, he cannot but admire, and praiſe that Great God who ſo much ſtrengthened and inabled him to undergoe thoſe heavy Tortures and Preſſures which were loaden on him by thoſe bloody Patrons of Cruelty. The Dutch had no ſooner notice that the Engliſh had
Lantore, but ſayling from Iaccatra, now by them called Batavia, they importuned the Natives to ſurrender the Iſland inLondon, and a full Compoſition for the ending of all Controverſies, yet they informed the Natives, that alEngland, they need not to fear to diſclaim what they had done by maand 13.Engliſh had conditioned with them. The Natives of the Iſland being hereat in a
Engliſh, and deſired of them to be inEngliſh, that they expected a conſiDutch not long afterwards deſired of them after ſome flattering AſſeveratiA Seizin of Security; At which the Natives pretending IgDutch with as much Mirth as Confidence, having whiſpered amongſt themſelves, did after ſome delibera
The Natives having received this Anſwer, did ſuddainly acquaint the Engliſh with it, to whom they were more inclined then to the Dutch, as all the reſt of thoſe Nations are; and haDutch in plain terms, that their Demands were Impoſſibilities, for ſhould they recede from what already they had done, both God and Man might juſtly brand them with InfideEngliſh of what was their proper Title, which by no means they could be induced to conſent unto; At which the Hollanders being much incenſed, told them, that ſince no perſwaſions would allure them to a knowledge of their own HappiEngliſh ſtrength which could ſtand in no Competition with theirs, for they owned them but as a Handfull in compariſon with them
This Diſpute being fruſtrated, and the Dutch finding the Natives of the Iſland to be intractable to their DeFloat, and beſides her, they had in a readineſs other leſs Ships that lay aEngliſh Factory was; Having for two dayes planted their Batteries, and playEngliſh Factory to be, and finding the Event not to anſwer the expectation, on the firſt of March,
Japan being all armed with Guns like unto CulliHollanders, did ſuch ExecuEngliſh being but few in number were taDutch Ships, called the Holland, where they were laden with Irons, and tormented with variety of Tortures; Inſomuch,Lantore, and one of thoſe who did partake in theſe grievous torments, hath theſe exFor my own part, I ſeriouſly
protest, that if it pleaſed God, the great Determiner of all things, to command me to yield my Body to be Tortured, I had rather by far chooſe the Turkiſh then the Dutch Tormentors, for their Cruelties I am confident are far tranſcending the Turkiſh Extremities, and I know their viperous inclinations to the Engliſh will not be conſumated untill their compleated Iury ſhall ſurfeit it ſelf into an unparalleld Revenge.
Many dayes were they thus TorEngliſh Ships ſayling that way, and being informed what the Dutch had acted at Lantore, one of the Captains, Captain Fitz Herbert by Name, ſent to the Dutch to Demand the Priſoners, who being conveyed to his Ship, he wondered at their unPolleroon.
And here they continued not long, but the Dutch who would have no FaEaſt-Indies but their own, did again ſeize upon them, and having plundred them to their very ſhirts, they Impriſoned them in a Caſtle which was in that Iſland, where they continued enduring many Extremities until the noiſe of their ſufferings, and durance being again divulged, they were again relieved by ſome Engliſh ſhips that paſſed that way; And the reaſon why they uſed ſo much cruelty to the Engliſh, being demanded, no oDutch at their Diſcharge told the Priſoners, that in regard they were the firſt Engliſh-Men that ever they took buying of Cloves upon that Iſland, they were
Engliſh-Man in the ſame naEngliſh, they have been heard to ſpeak words to this Effect: Alas! what is England if compared to our High and Mighty States of the Neatherlands, we know that we have Ships enough to block up all the Engliſh, and if any difference ſhould ariſe, the proof ſhould manifeſt the truth, for they would ſhow us what the Dutch Men were, if ever they could find opportuI protest, ſaith he, and ſhall be ready at any time to juſtifie it with my life, that I have not expreſſed any thing but what is really correſpondent to the truth, and I am very much aſtured, that there be thoſe now living, who can teſtifie with me the many Tragical Deſigns, that have not onely been acted on us, but upon many others.
Neither was this their Arrogancy, and Cruelty expreſſed to the Engliſh aChina have had the ſad Experience of it, it being the common practiſe of the Dutch to ſeize upon their Veſſels as they came down to Traffique in thoſe Rivers, and and having plundered their ſhips, to drown the Men.
In the year, One thouſand ſix hunBanda Iſlands, made a Preſent to Captain Ball, at that time Preſident of Bantam, and beſought him that he would ſo far be pleaſed to compaſHollanders, whoſe practiſe it was, daily to exEngliſh Nation. To which Captain Ball replyed, that he much laDutch, it was not conſonant to Reaſon, that he ſhould take away that by force from the Dutch, which they had obtained by favour, he therefore deſired them to ceaſe their importunity; to which the Bandaneſes replyed, that if that were all the obſtacle, it might eaſily be removed, for they generally proteſted, they neHollanders to poſſeſs their Iſlands, but that they wilfully and violently entred upDutch had never received any aſſurance of ſubmiſſion from them, the unworthineſs of their ActiBandaneſes from condeſcending to their perſwaſiBall became
Indians.
Captain Ball continued Preſident not long after, for Captain Iourdan ArThomas Dailes Fleet, in the year, 1618. at what time Captain Ball was commanded home; howſoBandeneſes in many of their Iſlands ſtill continued, and grew to ſuch a height, that they hardly could be parallel'd, and for no other cauſe, but that their Affections were ſo generally, and ſo fervently expreſſed towards the Engliſh.
Mention hath already been made of the taking of the Chief Town in the Iſland of Lantore, and how barbarouſly the Dutch dealt with the Engliſh Factory there; It is worthy your obſervation, that the greateſt part of the Inhabitants flying for their ſafety into the higheſt Hills of that Iſland, were courted by the Dutch to ſubmit, and ſurrender themſelves, and that they ſhould be received into favour and protection; Hereupon they came down in great
Engliſh, there being none that deſired their ſafety and welfare more then themſelves, and that they would befriend them againſt all Oppoſers; they deſired that all differences whatDutch leading them to a window, told them, that they muſt walk to yonBandeneſes beO Apetow! which is in Engliſh, O what is this! ImIapan Slaves, the cruel Inſtruments of the Hollanders, they were cut aſunder in the middle alive, and their divided Quarters were ſent ſome of them to Lantore, ſome of them to Polleroon, and other Iſlands belonging unto Banda.
In the ſame year, they put to Death the Chiefeſt of the Inhabitants of Polleroon, amongſt whom was the Chief Prieſt of that Iſland, in whoſe ſide the Dutch having cut a hole, they com
It is very obſervable, that although theſe Inhabitants of Polleroon were unEngliſh Protection, yet their numbers being inconſiderable to the ſtrength of the Dutch, the Engliſh durſt
Engliſh perDutch were, and how incroaching upon them, and what were their cruelties which they practiſed at Amboyna, of which more in its due place; in the year, One thouſand ſix hundred and twenty two,Engliſh abandoned the Banda Iſlands, and the reaſon of it.Banda Iſlands which the Dutch have ever ſince poſſeſſed, and do ſtill wrongfully and unjuſtly enjoy, not permitting the Enliſh to have any Commerce with them.
And in this place I ſhall not forget to give you the memorable account of the innumerable Shoales of Mackerell which was the Chiefeſt thing that ſupEngliſh had left thoſe Iſlands, they did forſake them alſo, as places polluted with Blood, and Avarice, or
Engliſh had their Re
The Dutch Tyranny, pag. 64.Iourdan ſayling from Bantham with two Ships, the one called the Sampſon, the other the Hound, to the great Iſlands of Burnew, he diſcovered three or four Dutch Ships ſtanding in for the ſame Port, and being confident that they inDutch ſumEngliſh to deliver the Ships upon fair Quarter, but Captain Iourdan a well complexioned Man, who had a great heart in a little body, abſolutely refuſed to yield upon any Condition whatſoever. The Dutch pretending to be unwilling to ſhed blood, called out to the Engliſh, and told them, that they knew very well that little CapIourdan was there, and deſired them to perſwade him to Parley with
Iourdan being informIourdan (thinking that to ſpeak with them could not much prejudice him) did ſhow himſelf on the Quarter Deck, & after the exchange of ſome few words, told them, that he knew the Juſtice of his Cauſe, and the Injuſtice of Theirs, and was reſolved to fight it out: The Hollander alledging that their ſtrength was far greater then his, and it was raIourdan, who told them, he queſtioned not his own ſtrength, but was reſolved to fight it out, and to leave the ſucDutch finding him intractable to their Demands, did hold him ſtill in Diſcourſe, until a Muſquet Bullet from one of their ſhips laid him dead upon the Deck, as he was in ParEngliſh Ship called the Hound, was blown up, and many of our men morEngliſh were inforced to yield to the mercy of their Enemies, who having taken them, did cauſe them to be laden with bolts, and did not allow them ſo much favour as to the Heathen, for they were permitted to walk up and down with a chain of Iron, which is far more eaſie then to lye in bolts of Iron.
Thus may we obſerve, what injury and wrong we have all along ſuſtained by the Dutch, who have got many of thoſe Iſlands where now they have ſeated themſelves by cruelty and blood-ſhed, and by murthering the Engliſh and their Friends; Theſe inAmboyna.
Amboyna is an Iſland lying near unto Seran, fruitful of Cloves, for the buying and gathering whereof the Engliſh
Amboyna; but the Hollanders who had already diſpoſſeſſed them of their reſidence at Polleroon, and at Lantore, had a labouring deſire to heave them out alſo at Amboyna, and at Banda, ſeveral complaints and diſconIaccatra in the Iſland of Iava Major to the Council of Defence of both Nations there reſiding, who alſo not agreeing in points of differEurope to be decided by both Companies here, or if they could not agree amongſt themſelves, they ſhould then be deterDutch, would not admit of ſo delibeEngliſh Factories at Amboyna began to be rich, and were a great eye-ſore unto them who could not inFebruary, in the year, One thouſand ſix hundred and twenty two, a Iaponer who ſerved the Dutch as a SoulDutch, and adminiſtred them a ſubLaponers were examined and tortured; This Examination continued four dayes, during which time, diverſe Engliſh-Men that belonged to the Factory,
Caſtle, and egreſs from it, they heard of the torturing of the Japoners, and of the crime laid to their charge, never dreaAbel Price, an Engliſh Man, for threatning in a drunken humour to ſet a Dutch Mans houſe on fire: The Dutch being glad they had ſuch an Inſtrument to work on in their Cuſtody, they ſhowed him ſome of the Japoners whom moſt grieEngliſh had combined with them for the taking of the Caſtle; whereupon having put him alſo to the Torture, they enforced him to confeſs whatſoever they deſired of him; Immediately upon this, CapTowerſon and the reſt of the Engliſh that were in Amboyna, were ſent for to the Governour of the Caſtle: They in obedience to the command, did all of them repair unto him, one man exTowerſon, that he and many other of the
Engliſh Nation were Accuſed of a ConEngliſh Company was taken into the Dutch Cuſtody by Inventory; All their Cheſts, Boxes, Books, Writings, and whatſoever was of any Value in the Engliſh Houſe were ſeized on, CapTowerſon was committed to his Chamber, having a Guard of Dutch Souldiers; Emanuel Thomſon, one of the Chiefeſt of the Factors, was kept Priviz. John Beaumont, Edward Collins, William Webber, Ephraim Ramſey, Timothy Johnſon, John Fardo, and William Brown were ſent aboard the Ships of the Hollanders then in Harbour, ſome to one ſhip, ſome to another, and all made faſt in Irons: The reſt of the Engliſh that were in the other Factories in the ſame Iſland were apprehended; Samuel Colſon, John Clark, George Sharrock were found in the Factory at Hitto, and Edward Collins, William Webber, and John
Sadler in the Factory at Larica, who were all brought Priſoners to Amboyna. John Powel, John Weatheral, and Thomas Ladbrook were apprehended at Cambello, and Iohn Beaumont, William Griggs, and Ephraim Ramſey at Loho, and brought in Irons to Amboyna on the 20th. day of February.
In the mean time the Governour and the Fiſcal intend to loſe no opporIohn Beaumont, and Timothy Iohnſon are ſent for from aboard the Unicorn; Being come into the Caſtle, Beaumont was left with a Guard in the Hall, and Iohnſon was taBeaumont heard him to make a laAbel Price the ChyIohnſons heart being as ſtout as it was
Beaumont heard him to roar, and ceaſe from roaring, and then to roar out again, enough to ſoften the hardeſt ſtones into compaſſion; Having been a whole hour in this Purgatory of Fire and Water, they brought him forth wet all over, and burned in ſeverall places of his body, and ſo laid aſide in a by-place in the Hall, with a Souldier to watch him that he ſhould ſpeak to no man. After him Emanuel Tompſon was examined in a room adjoyning to that where Iohnſon had been Tortured, where being an hour and a half in his Examination, and his Torment, he was carried another way, and paſſed not through the Hall, where Beaumont attended, and every hour expected the dreadfull ſummons; At the laſt, Beaumont was called in, and with deep pro
The next day being Sunday, Robert Brown was called in, and being on the Rack, and the Torment of Water giEdward Collins called in, whoſe Hand and Feet being faſtned to the Rack, he prayed to be reTowerſon were not an Aſſociate in the Conſpiracy; He Anſwered, No; Whereupon the Fiſcal told him, that he lied, for ſaid he, Did not he call all of you of the Engliſh Factories unto him, and tell you, that the daily AfDutch had put a Plot into his head, and that he wantDutch Merchant ſtanding by ſaid; And did not you all ſwear upon the Bible to be ſecret to him? Collins with great Proteſtations replyed, that he knew nothing at all of it: Being then delivered again into the hands of the Executioner, the ſenſe of the late Torture ſo prevailed upon him, that he confeſſed all to be true which they had ſpoken. Being thus reſpited, he was demanded, whether the Preſident of the Engliſh at Iaccatra, or Maſter Welden Agent for the Engliſh at Banda were not privy to the buſineſs; to which he aCollins knew not what anſwer to make, he helped him to confeſs thoſe things which he thought moſt conducing to his purpoſe.
Next to him was Samuel Colſon brought in, who for fear of the pain when he ſaw Edward Collins come forth, choſe rather to deny nothing that was propounded to him then undergo the Torments of Fire and Water in the Atteſtation of his Innocence: But Iohn Clark was of another Reſolution, he was no ſooner brought in by the SoulNegroes, who carried him between them to a Dungeon, where he lay five dayes without any Chyrurgian to dreſs his wounds, untill his fleſh being putrified great Maggots creeped and dropped from him in a moſt loathſom, and noy
In the like manner, the reſt were all ExamiTowerſon himſelf being reſerved amongſt the laſt, untill the Torments of thoſe that were ExHolland, like another Council of Rehoboam ſate in Judgement upon Him, he deeply did proteſt his Innocence, to Encounter which they produced the Perſons and Confeſſions of
Samuel Colſon, William Griggs, and John Fardo, Samuel Colſon being told, that unleſs he would make good his former Confeſſion againſt CapTowerſon, he ſhould be commanded again to the Torture of Fire and Water, did coldly and faintly re-affirm what before he ſaid, and ſo was diſmiſſed; the other two being brought face to face before Captain Towerſon, he charged them, as they would Anſwer it at the dreadful Day of Judgement to ſpeak nothing but the truth, at which both of them trembled down upon their knees, and beſought him for GOD'S ſake to for
I do find this Torment was ſo terrible to Fleſh and Blood, that it even ſtartled the Courage of Captain Towerſon himſelf, who either to avoid the horrour of the Torment, or the infamy of it, confeſſed ſome words which the Factor of Cambello in the Iſle of Seran, Maſter John Weatherall ſhould ſpeak, who being ſent for, and ExamiWeatheral to ſpeak the truth, and nothing but the truth as God ſhould put it into his heart; Mr. Weatheral was in a great Amazement, and being ordered to underDutch, did ſtill anſwer yea unto all.
On the 26 of February old stile, the Priſoners were all brought into the great Hall of the CaTowerſon, was kept apart from the reſt, and ſo was Mr. Emanuel Tomſon, but ſome of them by writing found the opporTowerſon, who in the end of a Bill or Obligation wrote theſe words; Firmed by the Firm of me Gabriel Towerſon now appointed to die, guiltleſs of any thing that can juſtly be laid unto my Charge, God forgive them their guilt and receive me into his Mercy. Amen.
We whoſe Names are here ſpecified, William Griggs, alſo did leave a paper to be ſent to Mr. Welden Agent at Banda, which came af
John Beaumont, William Griggs, Abel Price, Robert Brown, Priſoners in the Rotterdam, being appreAmboyna, being adjudged to Death, were through Torment conſtrained to ſpeak that which we never meaned or imagined, the which we take upon our deaths and ſalvation, for they tortured us with that extreame torture of Fire and Water, that Fleſh and Blood could no wayes endure it; and this we take upon our deaths, that they have put us to death being guiltleſs of our Accuſation: So therefore we deſire that thoſe who im
Maſter Welden having peruſed this Letter, and obſerved the bloody and inveterate Malice of the Dutch againſt the Engliſh, did not long afBanda to the Dutch, and the Engliſh Factories in the Mollucco Iſlands did follow his Example.
Samuel Colſon, alſo in a Pſalter which he had, did leave this Atteſtation of his Innocence.
The
Japonerswere taken and brought to Examination, and being moſt Tyrannouſly Tortured were as ked if the Engliſhhad any hand in their Plot, which Torture made them ſay, yea; Immediately Mr.TomMr.ſon, Johnſon,MaſterCollins,andJohn Clarkwere Examined, and burned under the Arms, Arm-Pits, the Hands, and Soals of the Feet, with another most miſerable Torment, of Water; ſome of them being almoſt Tortured to Death, were forced to confeſs that which they never knew, by reaſon of the great Torment, which Fleſh and Blood is not able to endure. Then were the reſt of the EngliſhMen called, (amongſt whom I was one,) being wiſhed to confeſs, or elſe I muſt go to Torment; they withall cauſed Maſter Johnſon,who was before Tormented, to witneſs againſt me, or otherwiſe he ſhould be Tormentedagain, which rather than he would endure, he ſaid, he would confeſs whatſoever they would have him: And for my part, I alſo muſt confeſs that which I never knew, or elſe I must go to Torment, which rather than I would ſuffer, I confeſſed that, which (as I ſhall be ſa ved before Almighty God) is not True, being forced to it for fear of Torment. At the laſt they did make us to bear witneſs againſt Captain Towerſon,and by the ſame violence for fear of most Cruel Torments, they made CaptainTowerſonto confeſs the like, for which we all muſt dye. As I hope to have pardon for my ſins, I know no more than the Child unborn of this Buſineſs, for which we all must ſuffer. Written with my own hand the firſt of March,▪ Stilo novo.Samuel Colſon.
Other Atteſtations there are to the ſame efEngland of their Innocence, and that they died not like Traytors, but as ſo many Innocents
Hollanders, whom they prayed to God to forgive their blood-thirſti
It is obſervable, that being brought into the Yard, their Sentence was there read unto them from a Gallery, and from thence they were carJapons and one Portugal, whom their ſpeDutch and Amboyners, and the NaDutch over the Innocent and Condemned Engliſh. And it is not to be forgotten, that, on the day before, the Engliſh deDutch Miniſters, that they might all receive the Sacrament, as a Seal of the forgiveColſon ſaid unto them, You declare unto us the danger of diſſimulation in this Caſe; But tell us, if we ſuffer guiltleſs, being true believers in Chriſt Jeſus, what ſhall our Reward be? The Miniſter Anſwered, By how much the more Innocent you are, by ſo much the Glorious ſhall be your
Colſon imSir, God bleſs you, tell the Governour I freely forgive him, and intreat you to exhort him to repent of his Bloody Tragedy wrought upon us poor Innocent Souls, and proceeding in his Diſcourſe, he ſpake with a loud voice in theſe words, According to my Innocence in this Treaſon ▪ ſo O Lord pardon all the reſt of my ſins, and if I be guilty thereof more or leſs, let me never be partaker of thy Heavenly Joyes; At which words every one of the reſt cryed out, Amen for me, Amen for me, good Lord. This being ſaid, each of them knowGeorge Sharrock kneeled down to John Clark and craved forgiveHow ſhall I look to be forgiven of God, if I ſhould not forgive you, having my ſelf ſo falſely Accuſed Captain Towerſon and Others. This Maſter Colſon had contrived a Prayer in writing which he did read to his Fellows the night before their
Gabriel Towerſon,
Samuel Colſon,
Emanuel Tomſon,
Timothy Iohnſon,
Iohn Weatheral,
Iohn Clark,
William Griggs,
Iohn Fardo,
Abel Price,
Robert Brown.
They had prepared a Cloath of black Velvet for Captain Towerſon's Body to fall upon, after his Head had been ſevered from it, which beEngliſh Company and put it on their Account. They ſent the Mourning Cloath to the Engliſh, but the Scarlet of their Blood-Guil
Having thus given you an Account of the Barbarous Cruelty of the Dutch in the Eaſt-Indies, it is now high time to look to their ProWeſt-Indies, where we ſhall find their Cruelty as unparallel'd as their Avarice.
The Perfidiouſneſs and Ingratitude of the Hollanders to the Engliſh may be traced all along ever ſince the ſhook of their Obedience to the
Spain even unto this preſent time. But we will paſs from their Hypocriſie and Cruelty practiſed abroad, and look on their Actions at Home; How, almoſt but the very other day, did they labour to impoſe upon His Majeſty, and Sir George Downing, his Envoy Extraordinary, by delivering Papers to many Publick Miniſters of State at the Hague, as if His Majeſty and his EnEngliſh, and having ingaged, that better order ſhould for the future be obſerEast and West-Indies; WitHope-well, the Leopard, and ſome others in the Eaſt-Indies; And the Charles, the James, the Mary, the Sampſon, the Hopefull Adventure, the Speed-well on the Coaſt of Africa ▪
And after all theſe Acts of the Higheſt Injuſtice,
England, and by his Injunctions to Sir George Downing his Miniſter at the Hague hath given ſo maGeorge Downing exhibited to the States General, importing that in the ſpace of a very few years almoſt twenty Engliſh Ships with their whole Lading, to a very great value, have been ſeized upon in a horrible manner, and the Men in them moſt Barbarouſly, and moſt Inhumanely Treated, being put into ſtinking and naſty Dungeons, and Holes at Caſtel. del. Mina, where they did lye bedded and bathed in their own ExcreEngliſh Ships that have AnEngliſh Boats that would go on ſhore, and deprive them of all manner of Proviſion, nor ſuffer ſo much as freſh water to be brought unGeorge Downing, both in Publick Conferences with the Deputies of the Lords General, as alſo with thoſe of Holland in particular, hath at large ReDutch-Weſt-India Company by Fraud and TreaFantin by rewards and ſums of Money, and ſupCormantin in the West-Indies; ſo that an abſolute Neceſſity is impoſed upon his MaPolleroon hath been upon ſurrendring back to the Engliſh, ever ſince the year, 1622. at which, by a Solemn and ParticuEaſt Company of that Nation in the year, 1661. and again by another Treaty in the year follow
Now as for the buſineſs of the New-Neatherlands, as they are pleaſed to call it, It hath been abundantly elſe-where prov'd, that the ſaid Land is part of the Poſſeſsion of His Majeſties SubNew England, which their Charter plainDutch that have lived there heretofore, have liEngliſh, which hath been permitDutch not contenting themſelves therewith, have inEngliſh, imDutch had never been, whereupon they have been neceſDutch have made new Incurſions upon the Engliſh, and given them many new Provocations, and have ordained a Tryal of Cauſes amongſt themſelves, and a proceeding
Europe at all. And can any Prince then think it ſtrange, eſpecially the King of France, if His Majeſty of England ſuffer his Subjects to reſcue themſelves from ſuch continual Vexations, ſeeFrance himſelf hath been pleaCayen, which the French alledge hath been wrongfully kept from them by the Weſt-India-Company of the Neatherlanders. As for the buſiHolmes at Capo Verde in Guiney, a complaint was no ſooner made to His Majeſty, this laſt year, in the Moneth of June; But His Majeſty immediately returned Anſwer, that he had given no Order nor Direction therein to Captain Holmes, and that upon his Return, he would examine the buſineſs, and ſee that Right ſhould be done according to the nature of the Offence: In order whereunto, when CapHolmes was returned, His Majeſty ſent him to the Tower, and being afterwards allowed the liberty of ſome few dayes to follow his particuDe Ruyters leaving the Engliſh Fleet, when with United Councils and Forces, they were to Act againſt their Common Enemies, the Pyrats and Barbarians in the Midland-Seas. We may alledge their Inſtructions this laſt year given to Van Campen, at what time His Majeſty entertained not any open War againſt them; which Inſtructions was in down-right Terms, To Attach and Fall upon His Majeſties Subjects in the Weſt-Indies, and to carve out their own Satisfaction and Reparation.
The Diſcourſe of Sir George Downing.
The LOYAL MARTYROLOGY, Or brief Catalogues and Characters of the moſt Eminent Perſons who ſuffered for their ConDregs of Treachery: With the Ca&c. And are to be ſold by Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Brittain, 1665.