14 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



The Sovereigns of the Burgundian dynasty established, 

 or confirmed, a special tax, called last-money, to be paid by 

 Dutch herring fishermen as -a contribution towards the 

 equipment of the convoying ships provided for their pro- 

 tection. Another edict dating from the Burgundian period 

 prohibits herring caught by the Duke's subjects to be sold 

 in foreign ports ; and another was enacted against the 

 salting of herring in barrels before St. Bartholomew's Day, 

 or August 24th, and the use of salt other than of certain 

 prescribed qualities.* 



Besides this evidence of the herring fishery having had 

 considerable importance in the course of the fifteenth 

 century, the fact is established by a remonstrance, or 

 memorial, delivered to the Grand Council at Malines, by 

 the inhabitants of Brielle, in 1476. This document states 

 herring fishery to be one of the nation's principal 

 industries. An edict relative to trade in herring barrels, 

 dated June 24th, 1495, has also been preserved,! in which 

 an annual meeting of delegates of those concerned in the 

 herring fishery is ordered to take place at the Hague, to 

 confer on the trade's interests, as long as such conferences 

 shall be found necessary. Beyond such general indications 

 as these, however, no clue to the extent of the Dutch sea 

 fisheries in the course of the fifteenth century is to be 

 found. A placard emanated under the Emperor Charles 

 V., on May iSth, 1519,^ and "being very great," as its title 

 says, inaugurated systematical legislation on sea fisheries in 



* See Mr. van Limburg Brouwer's collection of Boergoensche 

 Charters, pp. 51, 57, 59, 82, (1439 an d 144)- 



f Eerste Memoriaelboek 's Hofs van Hollant, fol. 451. 



\ Placaet ende Ordonantie of V Stuk van den Haringvaert, '/ 

 branden van de tonnen en V zouten van den Haringh, wesende seer 

 groot. Derde Memoriaelboek van den Hove van Hollant, fol. 114, 

 verso). 



