172 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FIS PI FRIES. 



the king's officers by his orders demanded of Dutch fisher- 

 men a tax or retribution of one angelot, or a barrel of 

 herring and twelve cod-fish for every vessel fishing in the 

 British seas. The tax was paid by most skippers until two 

 of the convoying men-of-war's captains interceded and 

 reported matters home. Bitter remonstrances from the 

 States to the king ensued, but the tax was appointed to be 

 levied again in 1617. This time, however, the officer en- 

 trusted with the duty met with a flat refusal, in the name 

 of all the Dutch fishermen, at the hands of the captain of 

 one of the convoying ships. Having so far executed his 

 orders, the British officer was about to leave the Dutch 

 herring fleet, when Captain John Albertsz, of the convoying 

 vessel from Enkhuizen, one of those who had parleyed with 

 the English officer in the preceding year, alleged orders to 

 arrest him, and carried him to Holland. Two Dutch 

 captains were instantly taken by the English, and kept as 

 hostages. The States and Stadtholder hastened to utterly 

 disavow Captain Albertsz' rash act, turn him out of office, 

 and release the captured English officer. Still King James's 

 wrath required further satisfaction, and the Dutch hostages 

 were not returned until one of the guilty Dutch commanders, 

 Tlieff (Albertsz being retained by sickness), had been sent 

 to England and had been rebuked by the king in person 

 with such asperity as might be expected in such a cause. 



Scarcely had the quarrel been thus adjusted upon the 

 offender's back, when complaints of ill-treatment by the 

 Dutch were heard from some Scotch fishermen. A fresh in- 

 terpellation from the British Ambassador at the Hague gave 

 rise to an examination of sundry fishing skippers, which 

 of course led to no result. The States, however, emitted 

 a sharp edict against ill-treatment of Scotch fishermen,* 



* Gr. PL Boek) i. p. 707. 



