UNDER THE TUDORS 109 



at Finmark, or elsewhere in his dominions than at Bergen, 

 against which the English petitioned Henry VI. ; 1 and in 1490 

 an important treaty was concluded between Henry VII. and 

 King John II. of Denmark and Norway, by which English 

 subjects were granted liberty to sail freely to Iceland for 

 fishing or trading on paying the usual customs, provided that 

 they obtained a renewal of their license to do so every seven 

 years. 2 This treaty was renewed in 1523 between Henry VIII. 

 and Christian II., 3 but disputes frequently arose later, and 

 several embassies were charged with composing the differences. 

 Apparently the English fishermen did not always conduct 

 themselves with propriety. They were accused of committing 

 various wrongs and injuries on the inhabitants, and in 1585, 

 on the complaint of the King of Denmark, Queen Elizabeth 

 issued an Order in Council reproving them for their excesses, 

 and intimating that if they were continued the King of Den- 

 mark would interdict their fishing, and " punish such as shall 

 without his license repair thither, and confiscate their ships 

 and goods." The king, she said, had promised that if the 

 English fishermen abstained from committing outrages and 

 behaved themselves, and paid the customary duties, he would 

 allow them to enjoy the liberties they had formerly possessed ; 

 and she commanded the principal officers at her ports to take 

 bonds from all those going to Iceland or Wardhouse for their 

 good behaviour. 4 But the disputes and difficulties continued. 

 The English fishermen omitted to renew their licenses sep- 

 tenially, in 1592 it was said they had not been obtained 

 for twelve years, and the stipulation had been forgotten by 

 those in authority, 5 and the Danes began about 1593 to 

 interrupt them in their fishing at Westmoney and in the sea 

 off Iceland, and to seize their vessels. On complaint being 

 made to the King of Denmark, he declared his willingness to 

 allow the Englishmen to fish at Iceland under license, except 

 at Westmoney (small islands on the south coast), where the 

 fishing was reserved for his court. 6 At the close of the century 



1 Rot. Parl, iv. 348, 378. 8 Hen. VI., c. 2. 



2 Pcedera, xii. 381. 3 Ibid., xiii. 798. 

 4 State Papers, Dom., Elizabeth, clxxx. 26, 15th July 1585. * Ibid., ccxlii. 92. 

 * Fadera, xvi. 278. A license granted in 1570 to an Englishman, one Raymond 



Binge, for fishing at Iceland for seven years, gave permission for his boats to be 



