196 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



by his Majesty's comptrollers or ordinary receivers of his 

 Majesty's rents. 1 



In the particular instructions given to Fenton, 2 and which, 

 there are reasons for thinking, were essentially the same as 

 those previously given to Brown, he was enjoined to proceed 

 to the north seas in H.M.S. Charles, under the command of 

 Captain David Murray, and in the first place to inquire the 

 names of the admirals and vice-admirals of the Dutch fleet, 

 the names of their ships, to what towns and provinces they 

 belonged, and also the number of the convoys and busses sent 

 out to the fishing by every town, province, and state. This 

 having been done, he was " in fair and gentle terms and with 

 modesty and discretion " to demand from the admirals or vice- 

 admirals, and from two or three of the conveyers and busses 

 of each state, "his Majesty's rent of assize and teind" as speci- 

 fied. He was not to dispute with them as to the amount of 

 the duty. If they offered a smaller amount, " although it were 

 only an angel for every buss," he was to accept it, but not 

 less ; so also if he were offered fish instead of money. It was 

 left to his discretion to make a differential duty according to 

 the size of the busses, if that point was raised, and also to com- 

 pound with the admiral for the whole of the busses of a town, 

 state, or province. If payment of the duties were refused, 

 Fenton was merely "to take instruments upon the said re- 

 fusal without further contestation," and to report the result. 

 He was also to inform the Dutch of the oppressions made by 

 those landing from the fleet at Shetland, and to demand re- 

 dress and a promise that such conduct would not be repeated. 3 



A short time before this the Council, for the sake of economy, 

 had ordered the Charles to be disfurnished, but now, in view 

 of her important mission, they judged it to be " no ways meet 

 or expedient" that she should be made altogether empty of 

 her furniture and munitions of war, so that she might be able 

 to resist any sudden or secret onslaught by the Hollanders or 

 others. They therefore instructed that there should be left 



1 Reg. Privy Counc. Scot., xi. 605, 608. 



2 See Appendix G. Fenton was one of those who were on intimate terms with 

 Ben Jonson during the poet's visit to Scotland. Keg. Privy Counc. Scot., xi. 

 p. clxvii. 



3 Op. cit., 606. 





