128 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



statement was made b}^ another writer, Tobias Gentleman, who 

 published the best work on the subject, in 1614, and was 

 evidently well versed in the fisheries both of Holland and 

 England. He states that 1000 sail of Hollanders came every 



verbal differences, while the concluding sentence is omitted in the printed form 

 viz., "To conclude, England is a great and famous body and would be farr 

 greater, richer and stronger, if the ten fingers were rightly imployed." Further 

 proof exists that Keymer was the author of this much-discussed treatise. Its 

 object was to show how the trade and revenue might be greatly increased, and 

 the author begged the king to have a commission appointed to examine witnesses 

 as to his proposals. This commission was appointed two years later, as appears 

 from the following entry in the Grant Book in 1622 : "20 Dec. Coin to Charles, 

 pr. of Wales, John Bp. of Line., Ld Keeper of ye g. seale, Lewis Duke of Lennox, 

 Geo. Marquis Buck., &c. to hear the propositions which shall be made by John 

 Keymer and to consider whether they will tend to the good of ye King, and com- 

 monwealth as is pretended" (State Papers, Dora., Jas. I. (Grants), vol. 141, p. 352). 

 There does not appear to be any further mention of the matter. This John 

 Keymer is supposed to be the same as a person of that name who was licensed by 

 Raleigh about 1584 to sell wines at Cambridge. Among the MSS. at Hatfield are 

 letters from him, dated in 1598, to Cecil and the Earl of Essex, in which he speaks 

 of his services, of " his travels and labours to find out the practises used beyond the 

 seas to their advantage and our great danger and how to prevent the same," arid 

 of his works, one of which he said showed how to increase the Queen's treasure 

 above 100,000 a year. He also corresponded with Carleton in 1619. In his 

 address to the king, prefixed to the treatise of 1620, he mentions that "about 

 fourteen or fifteen years past " he had presented him with " a book of such extra- 

 ordinary importance for the honour and profit " of his Majesty and posterity, 

 which was doubtless the earlier tract referred to above, and would fix its date 

 about 1605 or 1606. He was also engaged on the fishery question about 1612 

 (doubtless in connection with the proposed society), because Tobias Gentleman, 

 whose work was published in the spring of 1614, tells us that he was visited " some 

 two yeares past " by " Maister John Keymar," who was collecting information 

 about the fisheries, with the view of placing it before the Council (England's Ways 

 to Win Wealth, 3). 



The copy of Keymer's tract, which is among the State Papers of 1623, is unsigned, 

 and is simply calendared as " Tract addressed to the King, consisting of observa- 

 tions made by the writer in his travels on the coasts," &c. ; but the person who- 

 calendared the paper has written on it, in pencil, " q. By Sir Walter Cope (ob. 1614). 

 See 1612, a letter or discourse to the King, to which this was attached," and has 

 added the name " Walter Cope" at the end. The paper referred to (State Papers* 

 Dom., vol. 71, No. 89) has written on it in the old hand, "Sr Walter Cope to K.," 

 and "Anno Domini 1612. A present for the Kinges most excellent Maiestie." 

 It is only mentioned here because the draft of it, which is the next paper in the 

 volume (No. 90) and has several corrections on the first page, bears the following 

 note in one of the corners, " Nota Mr Chancellor and Malynes wife (?) the of 



Maye, Ralegh." The meaning is obscure, but perhaps it may be surmised from 

 the contents that Malynes, who was at that time concerned with the fishery society 

 proposals, had submitted it to Sir Walter Raleigh, and that ultimately it was pre- 

 sented to the king by Sir Walter Cope, who was on intimate terms with him. 



