3 7 4 COMMON COD FISH. Class IV. 



to fwarm on the coafts of Norway, in the Baltic, 

 off the Orkney and the Weftern IJles ; after which 

 their numbers decreafe, in proportion as they ad- 

 vance towards the fouth, when they feem quite to 

 ceafe before they reach the mouth of the Straits of 

 Gibraltar. 



Before the difcovery of Newfoundland, the greater 

 fifheries of cod were on the feas of Iceland, and 

 of? our Weftern IJles, which were the grand refort of 

 mips of all the commercial nations ; but it feems 

 that the greateft plenty was met with near Ice- 

 land. The Englijh reforted thither before the year 

 1415: for we find that Henry V. was difpofed to 

 give the King of Denmark fatisfaction for certain 

 irregularities committed on thofe feas by his fub- 

 jects. In the reign of Edward the IV. the Englijh 

 were excluded from the fifhery by treaty ; and for- 

 bidden to refort there under pain of forfeiture of life 

 and goods. Notwithftanding this, our monarch 

 afterwards gave licence to a fhip of Hull to fail to 

 Iceland, and there relade fifh and other goods, with- 

 out regard to any reftridtions to the contrary. 

 Our right in later times was far from being con- 

 firmed, for we find Queen Elizabeth condefcending 

 to afk permiflion to fifh in thofe feas from Chrifti* 

 an the IV. of Denmark, yet afterwards fhe fo far 

 repented her requeft, as to inftrucl: her embafiadors 

 to that court, to infill on the right of a free and 

 univerfal filhery *. How far fhe fucceeded, I do 



* Rymer's Feed. XVI. 275, 425. 



not 



