CHARLES I. : THE NAVY 317 



their nets on shore, without the king interfering with them in 

 any way. 1 



This proposition, at first sight apparently favourable to the 

 States, was rejected by Van Beveren. Although it got rid 

 of the difficulty for the time, the question was sure to be raised 

 at i later period when the naval and military operations were 

 concluded ; its acceptance would, moreover, be equivalent to a 

 tacit acknowledgment that the king had the right to exclude 

 them from the fishery. The ambassador was afraid of a 

 precedent which bargained as a quid pro quo for what was 

 claimed as a right; and the negotiations went no further. 



But Charles, although unwilling to risk the success of the 

 treaty with France, from which great things were expected, 

 by openly insisting upon the acceptance of his licenses by the 

 Dutch fishermen, was reluctant to abandon his policy. From 

 the readiness with which the fishermen had taken the licenses 

 after they "understood" them (as Northumberland reported), 

 he was apparently led to believe that they really desired his 

 protection, and that the only obstacle in his way was the 

 opposition of the States' Government. He therefore decided 

 that instead of trying or at least before trying to enforce 

 the licenses by means of the fleet in the ensuing summer, the 

 attempt might be made secretly to induce the fishermen to 

 accept them in Holland before they left for the fishing. Bos- 

 well, the English ambassador at The Hague, was instructed 

 to try what could be done in this way, and so anxious was 

 Charles for such acknowledgment of his sovereignty of the 

 sea as acceptance of the licenses implied, that the ambassador 

 was authorised to reinforce his persuasion by bribing those 

 who were most influential among the fishermen. The fisher- 

 men, according to Boswell, were not averse to the proposal, but 

 they very naturally wished to know, first of all, how the licenses 

 of the King of England would protect them from the Dunkirk 



" Que durant le mSme temps lea Pescheurs et preueurs d'hareng, subjects de 

 leurs Seigneuries, pescheront librement et franchement, come ils ont tousiours 

 faict du temps de la Royne Elysabeth et du grand Roy Jacques tous deux de tres- 

 glorieuse memoire, s'approchants si pres des bords de mer, et rivages des royaulmes, 

 terres et ysles de sa Mate, q U e leur mestier, la course de poisson et hareng, et leur 

 proffit portera, voire jusques a seicher leurs filets sur terre, sans que sa Ma^ directe- 

 ment ou indirectement leur fera ou fera faire aucun dommage, destourbier, ou 

 empeschement en cela." Verbaal van Beveren. Muller, op. tit., 279. 



