72 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



security. The war with Sweden (1656-60) did not directly 

 affect the herring fishery, as hostilities were carried on in 

 the Baltic, far from the herring seas. It appears, however, 

 that English privateers, sailing in English vessels under 

 Swedish commission, in the summer of 1659, took occasion 

 from this war to annoy the Dutch herring fleet ; and the 

 Republic's ambassador was ordered to intercede with the 

 British Government to obtain the cessation of this abuse.* 

 Fresh complaints of violence suffered from the English 

 occurred in October 1660, and Charles the Second's dis- 

 pleasure being soon after aroused by negotiations between 

 the Republic and France, by which the States aimed at a 

 reciprocal guarantee of free fishery all over the sea, the 

 Dutch ambassador to the British Court was not successful 

 in his endeavours to obtain redress of his country's fishing 

 grievances.! The conclusion of the eventful alliance with 

 France on April 2/th, 1662, by which the fishery were 

 promised the desired reciprocal protection, and the short- 

 lived treaty between the States and England, of September 

 14 of the same year, could not long shield the Dutch 

 herring trade against the inevitable consequences of the 

 profound divergence between Charles the Second's political 

 notions and de Witt's government by an aristocracy. In 

 the course of 1664 both rival countries captured several 

 of each other's vessels ; and on January 26th, 1665, even 

 before England had openly declared that war which already 

 existed de facto, the States-General for the first time 

 prohibited all ships from sailing from the United Provinces, 

 whether for trade or fishery .J England at the time 

 proffered passports or " actes de suretf to the Dutch 



* Res. Holl. 1659, p. 261. 



f Ibid. 1660, p. 749 ; 1661, p. 181. 



\ Groot Placaetboek. iii. 291. 



