46 THE SOVEREIGNTY OP THE SEA 



sovereign lordship of the sea of England and of the isles within the 

 same, by ordinance and establishment of laws, statutes, and pro- 

 hibitions of arms, and of ships otherwise furnished than merchant 

 vessels, and to take surety and afford safeguard in all cases where need 

 shall be, and by ordinance of all other actions necessary for the 

 maintaining of peace, right, and equity among all manner of people 

 as well of any other dominion as of their own passing thereby, 

 and by sovereign guard and all manner of cognizance and justice 

 high and low, concerning the said laws, statutes, ordinances, and 

 prohibitions, and by all other actions that may appertain to the 

 exercise of sovereign lordship in the places aforesaid. And A. de 

 B. 1 deputed Admiral of the said sea by the King of England, and 

 all other Admirals [appointed] by that same King of England and 

 his ancestors heretofore Kings of England, had been in peaceable 

 possession of the said sovereign guard with the cognizance and 

 justice and all other the aforesaid appurtenances, except in case 

 of appeal and complaint made of them to their sovereigns the 

 Kings of England of default of right or of wrong judgment, and 

 especially by putting hindrance (making prohibitions) and doing 

 justice, taking surety of the peace of all manner of people using 

 arms in the said sea, or carrying ships otherwise provided or furnished 

 than appertained to a merchant ship, and in all other points wherein a 

 man may have reasonable cause of suspicion towards them of robbery 

 or other misdemeanours. And whereas the masters of the ships of 

 the said kingdom of England in the absence of the said admirals had 

 been in peaceable possession to take cognizance and to judge of all 

 actions in the said sea between all manner of people according to the 

 laws, statutes, and prohibitions, franchises and customs. And whereas 

 in the first article of the alliance formerly made between the said Kings, 

 in the treaties upon the last peace of Paris are comprised the words 

 which follow in a schedule annexed to these presents. 



First, it is concluded and accorded between us and the messen- 

 gers and proctors aforesaid in the name of the said Kings that 

 the said Kings shall from this time forward be good, true, and 

 loyal friends, and be aiding to one another against all men saving 

 the Church of Rome in such manner that if any one or more, 

 whosoever they be, will disturb, hinder, or molest the said Kings 

 in the franchises, liberties, privileges, rights, dues, or customs of 



1 Coke (op. cit., 143) states that this refers to " De Botertort," who, he says, was 

 Admiral "of the sea coasting upon Yarmouth in Norfolk (right over against 

 France) and of that station in anno 22 Edw. I." Nicolas (op. cit., i. 270, 407) 

 states that Sir John de Botetourt was made commander of the northern fleet in 

 1293, and in the following year, when Edward divided his fleet into three squadrons, 

 the ships of Yarmouth and the adjacent ports were placed under his charge. 



