374 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



rights. He concludes his famous book in the following words 

 "It is certainly true, according to the mass of evidence se 

 forth above, that the very shores or ports of the neighbourin 

 sovereigns on the other side of the sea are the bounds of 

 the maritime dominion of Britain, to the southwards and 

 eastwards; but in the open and vast ocean to the north and 

 west they are to be placed at the farthest extent of the 

 most spacious seas which are possessed by the English, Scots, 

 and Irish." 



It may be added that Mare Clausum became in a sense a 

 law-book, an authoritative work to which eminent lawyers, 

 as Lord Chief -Justice Hale and Hargrave, appealed as proving 

 the existence and the legality of the rights of the crown of 

 England to the dominion of the British seas. Even as late 

 as the year 1830 this doctrine held its place in certain recog- 

 nised treatises on the law of England, together with Selden's 

 definition of the extent of those seas. (See p. 580.) 



As was natural, the appearance of Selden's book created 

 anxiety in Holland. Its very title was a challenge to the 

 much-cherished principles in Mare Liberum, and the circum- 

 stances connected with its birth heightened its political im- 

 portance. It was felt to be almost equivalent to a declaration 

 of the king himself. The simultaneous measures for the 

 formation of an English fleet of unexampled strength made 

 the Dutch fear for even more than their herring fishery. 

 Their interest in the book was shown by the fact that within 

 a year of its publication no less than three editions were 

 brought out in Holland. 1 It was promptly brought before 

 the States of Holland, on llth December 1635, and remitted 



1 (1) loannis Seldeni Mare Clavsvm sev de Dominio Maris Libris Dvo. Quorum 

 argumentum pagind versd. Juxta exemplar Londinense. Will. Stanesbeii pro 

 Richardo Meighen, ClQlQcxxxvi. (12); (2) with the same title and the follow- 

 ing addition : Accedunt Marci Z-oerii Boxhornii Apologia pro navigationibus 

 HoUandorum adversus Pontvm Hevtervm et Tractatvs Mvtvi commercii et naviga- 

 tionis inter Henricvm VII. Regem Anglice et Philippvm Archidvcem Austria:. 

 Londini, juxta exemplar Will. Stanesbeii pro Richardo Meighen, MDCxxxvi. (8) ; 

 (3) with the title as in the original London edition, and Lvgdvni Batavorvm apud 

 Joannem et Theodorvm Maire, 1636 (4). The original London edition was a 

 small folio. In all the Dutch editions the plates are badly copied. No. 1 is 

 sometimes referred to by English writers as the original edition. No. 2 is the 

 one alluded to by Charles in his proclamation of 15th April 1636. 



