104 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



the south coast of England and the north coast of France 

 Picardy, Normandy, and Brittany was under the Queen's " sea- 

 jurisdiction and sovereignty absolute," inasmuch as she was a 

 real monarch of France by direct inheritance and prior con- 

 quest, and therefore had right to the French coasts ; and this 

 " absolute sovereignty " served to " enlarge and warrant " the 

 Queen's " Jurisdiction Respective " in the ocean to the west of 

 France. So also the jurisdiction of the crown of England 

 extended into the main ocean to the west of England and 

 Ireland by reason of the possession of the shores; while the 

 ocean around Scotland, inasmuch as that country was (he 

 said) in olden times tributary to the English kings, yielded to 

 her Majesty "a mightie portion of Sea Sovereignty," as it 

 stretched away westwards to " that famous and very ancient 

 Platonicall or Solonicall Atlantis." For the same reasons Dee 

 claimed prerogative and jurisdiction for the Queen in the 

 northern ocean, and between Scotland and the opposite coasts 

 of Norway and Denmark, "at least to the mid -sea," and so 

 to the southwards "half seas over" between the east coast 

 of England and the coasts of Denmark, Friesland, and Holland, 

 to the Straits of Dover. 



Within the British seas as thus defined, Dee claimed that the 

 crown of England had first of all sovereign jurisdiction, over 

 foreigners as well as over subjects, 1 and part of the duty of the 

 Petty Navy Royal which, as stated, was to be maintained by 

 taxing foreign fishermen was to guard and protect foreign 

 ships passing through our seas. This doctrine he based upon 

 the law as laid down by the Italian jurists. Nor did he forget 

 the purely naval side. Quoting the old proverb, "A sword 

 keepeth peace," he argued that the presence of a fleet such as 

 he suggested would cause other nations to respect us more 

 than they did, and enable us to enjoy the royalty and 

 sovereignty of the narrow seas and of our other seas better 

 than the possession of Calais and Boulogne could do. 



Dee's work was premature. His proposals that Elizabeth 



1 "All those that pass within our sea jurisdiction (either absolute or respect- 

 ive) and therein commit any notable offence against us may lawfully by our 

 power be taken ; and the same offenders may as lawfully and justly be punished, 

 as if on our land territory an offence like, or of like degree of injury, were by them 

 against us committed." "Absolute" jurisdiction applied to the sea where both 

 coasts belonged to England ; " respective " where it terminated half seas over. 



