THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



In many instances peaceful merchant vessels suffered greatly 

 over this question of striking. During the cruise of Lindsey's 

 fleet, Dutch men-of-war, and also a Danish warship, struck 

 without hesitation, even at Calais. So also as a rule did the 

 merchant vessels ; but sometimes they transgressed the rule, it 

 might be from ignorance, and then they were exposed to harsh 

 treatment. Thus, three great ships of Amsterdam bound for 

 Pernambuco, on meeting the Constant Reformation off Ply- 

 mouth, did everything required of them ; but hoisting their sails 

 before they got clear of the Vanguard, the latter gave them 

 six pieces of ordnance, twice sending a cannon-ball through the 

 hull of one of them. Then for a similar reason, too great an 

 alacrity in re-hoisting her flag, another Hollander was shot 

 through with five pieces by the Rainbow. So anxious were 

 the English officers to compel the homage that they sometimes 

 demanded it at night. The Freeman, returning from convoying 

 merchant-ships to Dunkirk, met in the night-time a fleet of 

 Dutch merchantmen with one convoy accompanying them, and 

 shot to make them strike. In the darkness the traders took the 

 English ship for a Dunkirk privateer and made what haste 

 they could away. The States' man-of-war, coming up to the 

 rescue, approached so near the Freeman before she discovered 

 what she was (and then immediately struck) that a collision 

 occurred, the bowsprit of the English ship being broken, while 

 her anchor carried away the Dutchman's chains and stays. 

 The Dutch captain then came on board, humbly asked pardon 

 for what had happened, excused himself by the night and the 

 mistake, offered to go before the Lord Admiral, and paid for the 

 bowsprit and the shot. 1 



While the Dutch were thus forbearing, the Dunkirkers, the 

 proteges of Spain, for whom Charles was supposed to be 

 making sacrifices, were refractory. They refused to strike to 

 the Vanguard lying at anchor off Gravelines, although it fired 

 many times at them : before the anchor could be got up they 

 were off, and it was useless to follow. They sent a message 

 that they did not care for the English now, and would not 

 strike. On the other hand, just as Lindsey reached the Downs 

 at the beginning of October, Captain Stradling in the Swallow 



1 State Papers, 'Dom., ccxcv. 13 ; ccxcvii. 28 ; ccxcviii. 16. It was the usual 

 practice to make the offender pay for the shot. 



