56 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



olas states that there was no place of that name on the sea 

 coast of England, nor in any part of the territories of Edward II., 

 and he identified it with a small seaport, since called " Crow- 

 don," in Brittany, lying on the extreme part of the Point du 

 Raz, about eight leagues west of Quimper, where he shows 

 that the fleets returning to England with wines frequently 

 took shelter. 1 If this explanation be correct, it would extend 

 the "sea of England" more than 120 miles south of the Lizard, 

 which, however, is still well within the limits which were 

 claimed for it by Selden (see p. 19). Although, according to 

 the English record, the Flemish envoys themselves described the 

 sea off Craudon as part of the sea of England and under the 

 jurisdiction of the king, it is evident that this admission would 

 facilitate redress from England, and standing alone it is not 

 of much weight. The whole value of the admission, moreover, 

 depends on the position of the " Craudon " of the record ; and 

 it is remarkable, if it was really the Crowdon referred to by 

 Nicolas, that that fact was unknown to Selden, to whom it 

 would have furnished a very strong argument for his case. 



1 That " Crowdon " was in Brittany appears from a letter, dated from Plymouth, 

 9th December 1402, from Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Lincoln, the Earl of Somerset, 

 and the Earl of Worcester, who were sent to escort Joan of Navarre, Duchess of 

 Brittany, the second wife of Henry IV., to England. "Et par fin force pur un 

 temps nous faut demurrer en Bretaigne car la ou nous avoioms envoie au dite 

 nostre treshonuree et tresredoutee dame pur venir, noz niefs ne poiont ne osent 

 aler en le temps dyver. Et faut qele eit un leisir pur venir pardevers nous, dont 

 le havene que nous pensoms aler ove leide de Dieu est Crowdon." Proceedings 

 and Ordinances of the Privy Council of England, i. 190. 





