JAMES I. : DISPUTES WITH THE DUTCH 



195 



great seal, commanded him to repair to the north seas, and there 

 "in his Majesty's name to ask, crave, receive, intromit with, and 

 uplift from those of Holland, Zealand, Hamburg, Embden, and 

 Rostock, and from all other strangers following the trade 

 of tishing in his Majesty's said seas this present year, his 

 Majesty's rent of assize arid teind of the whole fishes taken, or 

 to be taken by them in his Majesty's said seas and waters this 

 present year." The tribute levied by John Brown, in 1616, on 

 behalf of the Duke of Lennox, amounted to only one angel 

 (about ten shillings) or a barrel of herrings from each buss, or 

 twelve cod from a line-boat. But that claimed by the king 

 was now considerably greater. The " assize " was to be com- 

 muted at ten thousand herrings (which would be fully ten 

 barrels) for every buss that fished for herrings, and a last of 

 white fish for every buss that fished for white fish, that is to 

 say, cod and ling; or, if the fishermen preferred to pay in 

 money, they were to pay at the rate of 6, 13s. 4d. Scots for 

 every thousand of the assize-herrings, and at the rate of 50 

 for every last of the assize white fish ; and the same 

 equivalents were to be asked for each thousand "teind her- 

 rings," and for each last of " teind white fish," a new duty now 

 irst mentioned, "teinds" being the Scottish term for ecclesi- 

 astical tithes. The value of the assize-herrings to be levied 



rom each buss was thus about 5, lls. Id. sterling, and the 

 value of the assize white fish from each dogger about 4, 3s. 4d. 

 On the basis of two thousand Dutch herring vessels the total 

 duty would amount to the respectable sum of about 11,000, 



rhile the dogger-boats would yield some 1500 additional, 

 receiving payment Fenton was to give an " aquittance and 

 discharge," which would be as valid and sufficient as if given 



Estaitis may not alledge that no suche dewteis had bene demandit " a curious 

 statement in face of the fact that Brown had been carried to Holland the year 

 before. But the late Professor Masson, who was the editor of the Register of the 

 Privy Council, obligingly informed me that the documents are the original Acta 

 ad not copies ; and among the English State Papers is a letter dated from 

 Holyrood House, on 10th July 1619, in which it is stated that Captain Murray 

 had been sent to claim the assize-herrings from the " Flemings " fishing in the 

 northern seas, and that he was well equipped to secure his safety if his demands 

 vere refused (Raith to Abercromby, State Papers, Dom., cix. 127). The phrase 

 the king's letter may be explained by the fact that the duty in 1616 and 1617 

 vas demanded by the Duke of Lennox, to whom the assize- herrings had been 

 anted. 



