

JAMES I. : DISPUTES WITH THE DUTCH 191 



speech he declared that the king, who had " a legitimate title 

 and the exclusive sovereign right and propriety to the fishery 

 011 the coasts of his three kingdoms," would not any longer 

 permit the subjects of the United Provinces to encroach on his 

 rights, which were recognised by all other princes and states. 

 The condition of affairs, he said, had been brought to extremities 

 by the extravagant discourses of one of their politicians and 

 the violent conduct of the commanders of their ships. 1 Sweep- 

 ing aside the treaties and the claim to immemorial possession, 

 and using much the same language as the king had done as to 

 the hardihood of a young republic flouting the sovereign rights 

 of princes, he ended a long harangue by declaring that if there 

 was any further delay in dealing with the fishery question, 

 England would take measures to provide for her rights by 

 force of arms, "for such," he said, "was the demand of the 

 people, the advice of the Council, and the resolution of the 

 king." 



But all those strong speeches and brave words came to noth- 

 ing. The leaders in the States knew the character and difficul- 

 ties of James, and felt that the warlike threats of a monarch 

 whose greatest desire was that he should be known as Rex 

 pacificus 2 were not likely to be carried to the extremity of the 

 sword. A little more delay brought about a change in the 

 English attitude. In the Privy Council there were signs of 

 wavering and evident hesitation to recommend extreme meas- 

 ures against an allied and Protestant state. In the political 

 condition of Europe troubles in Bohemia, the King of Spain 

 threatening the overthrow of Venice, &c. it was urged that 

 harsh measures might drive the Dutch to have recourse to 

 France, which supported Barnevelt, the king's enemy. Above 

 all, it was feared that the Protestants throughout the world 

 would be unable to understand how the king could attack the 

 Dutch at that critical time over so small a matter. On the 

 whole, " for the sake of the peace of Christendom," it might be 

 better to "continue" the question to another time, and thus 

 avoid an immediate rupture. The faltering in the Council 

 coincided with a humbler tone on the part of the Dutch 



1 In apprehending Brown, p. 171. Grotius was then in prison, and known to be- 

 the author of Mare Liberum. 



2 State Papers, Dom., xc. 65. 



