THE FIRST DUTCH WAR 383 



$h nation, and the ships of all other nations in acknowledgment 

 of that dominion had been accustomed to take down their flags 

 " upon sight " of the Admiral of England, and not to bear them 

 in his presence. Blake was therefore, to the best of his powers, 

 and " as he found himself and the fleet of strength and ability," 

 to do his utmost endeavours to preserve the dominion of the 

 sea, and to cause the ships of all other nations to strike their 

 flags and keep them in in his presence, and to compel such as 

 were refractory, by seizing their ships and sending them into 

 port, to be punished according to the " laws of the sea," unless 

 they submitted and made such reparation as he required. At 

 the same time, although the dominion of the sea was so ancient 

 and indubitable, and it concerned the honour and reputation 

 of the nation to uphold it, Blake was not to imperil his fleet 

 over it in the expedition on which he was employed. If he 

 was opposed in the question of the flag by a force so consider- 

 able as to prove dangerous, he was not to press it, but to note 

 who they were that refused, so that they might be forced to 

 strike at some better opportunity. 1 



Such were the instructions of the Government to the English 

 naval commanders, and they were soon to bear bitter fruit. 

 At this period the Dutch men-of-war apparently did not 

 show unwillingness to salute the English flag, even sometimes 

 in distant seas. Peiin notes in his journal, on 13th September 

 1651, that on meeting with the Dutch Admiral with his vice- 

 and rear-admirals between Cape Trafalgar and Cape Sprat, 

 they struck their flags to him and saluted; but they then 

 hoisted them, which would have been contrary to the custom 

 in the narrow sea, and Penn thereupon called his captains 

 together for advice, but they said the Dutch " had done enough." 

 A little later he records that young Tromp, convoying thirteen 

 merchantmen, came into Gibraltar Road, where Penn was 

 lying, with his flag in the main-top. The English Admiral, 

 however, did nothing, since Tromp was in a port of the King 

 of Spain. Shortly afterwards in the same place eight sail of 

 Hollanders, four of which were men-of-war, all struck their 

 flags and saluted the English fleet. 2 



The claims of England to the sovereignty of the seas were 



1 17th January 1650. A Collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe, i. 134. 



2 Penn, Memorials, i. 365, 379. 



