UNDER THE STUARTS I JAMES I. : A NEW POLICY 155 



other foreign fishermen. Even Scottish fishermen who fished at 

 the North Isles were exempt ; and when an attempt was made 

 some years later to force them to pay, the burghs obtained a 

 decree of absolvitor from the court and the Privy Council, on 

 the ground that the tax could only be levied on "green" 

 or fresh fish landed, and not on herrings cured on board 

 (see p. 166). 



In the spring of 1610 James's proclamation was again taken 

 into consideration by the States of Holland and the States- 

 General, and it was resolved to send an embassy to London, 

 primarily to thank the king for his friendly offices in connection 

 with the conclusion of the truce with Spain, but in reality to 

 deal with the fishery question and some other matters. One of 

 the ambassadors was Joachimi, who afterwards represented the 

 States at the English Court for over twenty-five years. Another 

 was Elias van Oldenbarnevelt, a brother of the great statesman 

 who was then at the head of affairs in the Netherlands, and to 

 him the business of the fishing was specially committed. They 

 arrived in England on 14th April, and had an audience with the 

 king a few days later and another with the Privy Council. 

 They asked for an assurance that the king's proclamation was 

 not meant to extend to the United Provinces, since he was in 

 alliance with them, and treaties existed between the two 

 countries. But the Earl of Salisbury plainly told them that 

 the principal motive of the proclamation arose from the multi- 

 tude and disorder of their fishermen, " who had wholly drawn 

 the fishing to themselves, to the destruction of his Majesty's 

 people and coast-towns " ; and they were invited to further 

 conference. 1 



On the 6th May, exactly a year after the publication of the 

 proclamation, the ambassadors had a formal conference with 

 Sir Julius Caesar, Sir Thomas Parry, Sir Daniel Dunn, Sir 

 Christopher Perkins, Dr Henry Marten (Advocate-General), and 

 Levinus Muncke, a Fleming, and " clerk to his Majesty's Sig- 

 net." The English commissioners began the discussion by 

 justifying the proclamation on the grounds previously indi- 

 cated. The Dutch contended for complete freedom of fishing, 

 resting their case on arguments drawn from the civil law, on 

 immemorial possession, on the existence of treaties, and on 



1 Winwood, Memorials, iii. 105, 135, 146, 162. Muller, op. cit., 56. 



