46 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



The war, indeed, took manifold effect upon the herring- 

 fishery. Besides losses at sea and taxes ashore, the trade 

 had to bear the consequences of a prohibition to export 

 victuals, fish included, which was one of the most un- 

 popular measures adopted by the Earl of Leicester during 

 his short-lived and infelicitous administration of the United 

 Provinces. The interdiction was indeed, at the Herring 

 Commissioners' request, repealed in 1586 as regarded 

 exportation to neutral States ; * and traders managed to 

 get their produce carried to Germany by a circuit, the 

 Rhine being closed by the town of Nijmegen having 

 embraced the enemy's cause,! an d refusing to let any 

 merchandise pass out of the revolted provinces, even upon 

 the States' urgent request. Still the prohibition was 

 maintained as against exportation to the enemy's do- 

 minions, and sometimes enforced by the exporters being 

 obliged, upon their ships' return, to show an attest 

 mentioning the place where the herrings had been sold.J 

 It is a curious example of the political status of the 

 day, that an Englishman sent to govern the Republic 

 should have enforced a measure which closed the im- 

 portant markets of Belgium against the herring traders of 

 the country, while the States were at the same time 

 making considerable money sacrifices in the latter's 

 behalf. 



Among these sacrifices it is now time to mention the 

 immunity of excise duty on salt used in curing herrings at 

 sea, which was conceded to the Grand Fishery as a special 

 boon by the Prince of Orange, and ratified by the States- 

 General soon afterwards. This privilege is first mentioned 



* Res. HolL 1586, p. 308. 



t Ibid. 1585, p. 245 ; 1584, p. 538. 



'\. Ibid. 1585, p. 808, 



