388 



THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA. 



only four of the forty days allotted by the Parliament 

 mained, the Dutch produced counter-proposals in the foi 

 of draft articles, thirty-six in number, which were paraphrc 

 from the Intercursus Magnus, the treaty with King James 

 of Scotland in 1594, the treaty of Southampton with Chark 

 in 1625, and the marine treaty with Spain in 1650. 



These articles had been submitted by Holland to the coi 

 vocation of the States-General on 15th May, and were unde 

 the consideration of the provincial states for nearly a montl 

 They provided for a "perpetual friendship, unity, correspond- 

 ence, and a further and nearer alliance, confederation, and 

 union" against all who should attempt anything derogatory 

 to the liberties of the two peoples, their commerce, and common 

 interests ; mutual defence and mutual assistance with men and 

 ships against " notorious or known " enemies of the other, and 

 the prohibition of assisting rebels. But there was no article 

 under which the royalists could be expelled from the United 

 Provinces, or which prevented the House of Orange from aiding 

 or harbouring declared rebels of England ; and it was expressly 

 stipulated that the States should in no way be drawn into tl 

 disputes and war between Scotland and the Parliament. Havii 

 thus whittled down the proposals of the Parliament for a ck 

 alliance directed against the royalists, the Dutch propounde 

 a whole series of articles providing for the freest commerci* 

 intercourse between the two countries, for freedom of na"\ 

 gation and of fishing. The trade to Virginia and the Caril 

 bean Islands, which had been closed by the Parliament, wt 

 to be thrown open to both nations; ships were to be free 

 anchor without seizure of goods ; the subjects of one state wei 

 not to be taxed higher in the territories of the other than tl 

 natives, and they were to be free to carry on their busine 

 or profession with the same liberty. A number of article 

 dealt with questions relative to the sovereignty of the seas, in 

 such a way as to show clearly that the design of the Dutch was 

 to render harmless a pretension which had caused them so much 

 trouble. They had not forgotten the declarations of Charles 

 sixteen years before, or the forceful operations of Northumber- 

 land against their herring -busses. With regard to fishing, 

 they wished the subjects of either state to be at liberty to go 

 to any part of the sea to fish for herrings and all other kinds 



