UNDER THE TUDORS 11.3 



of inferior fish were " engrossed " by English merchants abroad 

 and brought into the realm, which was thus " furnished with 

 foreign fish and herrings," while the Iceland fishery declined 

 and the number of mariners available for the navy diminished. 

 The importation of foreign salted fish or salted herrings by 

 Englishmen or denizens was therefore prohibited ; such fish 

 were allowed to be brought by aliens alone, who were to pay 

 additional customs, but fish from Iceland, Shetland, Newfound- 

 land, and from the Scottish seas were still to be admitted. 1 

 But the attempt to keep out foreign fish failed in its object, 

 the restrictions were found to be otherwise injurious, and they 

 were repealed in 1597. "It had been hoped and expected," 

 it was said in the preamble of the repealing Act, 2 "that the 

 fishermen of this realm would in such sort have employed 

 themselves to fishing, and to the building and preparing of 

 such store of boats and shipping for that purpose, as that they 

 should long ere this time have been able sufficiently to have 

 victualled this realm with salted fish and herrings of their own 

 taking, without any supply of aliens and strangers, to the great 

 increase of mariners and maintenance of the navigation within 

 this realm. Notwithstanding it is since found by experience 

 that the navigation of this land is no whit bettered by means 

 of that Act, nor any mariners increased, nor like to be in- 

 creased by it ; but contrary wise, the natural subjects of this 

 realm being not able to furnish the tenth part of the same with 

 salted fish of their own taking, the chief provision and victual- 

 ling thereof with fish and herrings hath ever since the making 

 of the same Statute been in the power and disposition of aliens 

 and strangers, who thereby have much enriched themselves, 

 greatly increased their navigation, and (taking advantage of 

 the time) have extremely enhanced the prices of that victual 3 

 to the great hurt and impoverishing of the native subjects of 

 this realm, and yet do serve the markets here in very evil 

 sort," housing their fish till the price was raised to their liking. 

 Thus the merchants in England were hindered in their trade, 

 the navigation of the realm, " which was intended to be aug- 



1 23 Eliz., c. 7, 1580-81. Brit. Mus. Lansd. MSS., 14. a 39 Eliz., c. 10. 



3 The price of stock-fish had risen from 12 a last in 1584 to 18 and 20 in 

 1597, and the price of cured ling in the same time advanced from 3 to 5, 5s. 

 per cwt. State Papers, Dom., cclxv. 



H 



