260 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



depredations committed at sea . . . and for sundry reasons anc 

 considerations of state best known to ourselves." 1 



In the official instructions from the Lords of the Admiralty 

 issued on the day after the secret agreement with Spain hac 

 been drawn up, the Earl was ordered principally to guard the 

 narrow seas and the king's subjects and allies trading through 

 them, and so to dispose his ships that " all parts of the seas, as 

 well from the Start westward as the rest of the Sleeve from the 

 Start to the Downs, and from thence northward, might be 

 secured from men-of-war, pirates and sea-rovers and of picaroons 

 that interrupt the trade and commerce of his Majesty's domin- 

 ions." It was to be his principal care to preserve the king's 

 honour, coasts, jurisdiction, territories, and subjects within the 

 extent of his employment, " that no nation or people whatso- 

 ever intrude thereon or injure any of them." If he met " in his 

 Majesty's seas" any fleet or ships belonging to any foreign 

 prince or state, he was to expect that the admiral or chief of 

 them, in acknowledgment of his Majesty's sovereignty there, 

 should perform " their duty and homage in passing by " ; if they 

 refused and offered to resist, he was " to force them thereunto, 

 and to bring them in to answer this their high contempt and pre- 

 sumption according to law." He was to suffer no dishonour to 

 be done to the king or derogation to his power or sovereignty 

 in those seas. If English ships so far forgot their duty as not 

 to strike their top-sails in passing, the commanders were either 

 to be punished on the spot or reported to the Admiralty, who 

 would punish them exemplarily. When he met with foreign 

 men-of-war or merchant vessels, either at sea or in any road " or 

 other place," he was to send to them to discover if any English 

 subjects were serving on board ; and if so he was " to cause them 

 to be taken forth and committed," to answer their contempt 

 of the king's proclamation forbidding such service, and also 

 to caution the commander of the vessel in which they were 

 found not to receive English subjects again ; but the Earl was 

 expressly forbidden to send any of his men on board the foreign 

 vessels to search for English subjects. 



The most remarkable part of the instructions issued to the 

 first ship-money fleet referred to the hostilities between the 

 ships of other nations, not merely in the King's Chambers, but 

 1 The king to the Earl of Linclsey, State Papers, Dom., cclxxxviii. 84. 





