392 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



They were instructed to renew negotiations for a treaty 

 the basis of the thirty -six articles, to endeavour to get tl 

 Navigation Act repealed, the captured vessels released, ai 

 the letters of reprisal withdrawn, with compensation for tl 

 losses suffered by reason of them. The question of adding 

 another article to their instructions, about the striking 

 the flag, which had been omitted from the thirty-six article 

 had again been considered. But, for the same reason as befoi 

 it was withheld. "The carrying or striking of the flags 

 the one side or the other" was judged to be "very delicate" 

 and it was decided (on 10th November 1651) that the State 

 General should deliberate further on the matter, and senc 

 later to the ambassadors such instructions " as should be found 

 suitable for the removal of misunderstandings and hostilities." 1 

 We thus see that in 1651 the Government of the Unitec 

 Provinces was fully alive to the risks and difficulties aboi 

 the flag. But from their proceedings at this time it woulc 

 seem that they were unwilling to acknowledge unreservedly 

 the claim of the Commonwealth to the salute, which was 

 looked upon as a symbol of England's sovereignty of the 

 sea. The question was only rendered "delicate" because of 

 certain qualifications and conditions of reciprocity which the 

 desired to attach to it, and for which they struggled hai 

 with Cromwell during the subsequent negotiations for pe 

 The ambassadors had an audience with the Parliament 

 19th December, Cats treating the members to a long ai 

 flowery oration in Latin, and with the Council of Stat 

 on 1st January 1652 ; but it was not until the 16th ths 

 commissioners were appointed to deal with them. The Englis 

 commissioners 2 showed no anxiety to facilitate the negot 

 ations. The spirit with which they were animated wt 

 evident from their eagerness to bring forward all imaginabl 

 reasons for dispute, the interest taken by the Dutch in tl 

 fate of Charles I. ; the partiality of some of their ambassador 

 at foreign Courts ; their refusal to receive Strickland ; and so 

 forth. In the end, the Dutch ambassadors failed to get what 

 they wanted. The English refused to cancel or modify the 

 Navigation Act, to release the captured ships before the cases 



1 Tideman, op. cit., 96. Aitzetna, op. cit., iii. 696. 



2 They were Whitelocke, John Lisle, Bond, Scott, Viscount Lisle, and Purefoy. 



