THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS 415 



In order to find some more satisfactory basis for the 

 negotiations, the States - General in June 1653, immediately 

 ifter the two days' battle, and when the English fleet was 

 blockading the Dutch ports, sent four deputies to London. 

 One of them, Hieronymus van Beverning, a trusty friend 

 of De Witt's and a representative of the States of Holland, 

 came on in advance, reaching London on June 17 ; the 

 others, Nieuport, van de Perre, and Jongestal, following a 

 few days later. 1 The deputies arrived at a time when 

 Cromwell, having dissolved the Long Parliament and the old 

 Council of State, was dictator, and the new Council was 

 composed of his own nominees; and Cromwell, as is well 

 known, had been against the war and was favourable to 

 peace. 2 Nevertheless, a stiff attitude was adopted towards 

 the envoys. To their request that negotiations might be 

 resumed on the basis of the thirty-six articles the Council 

 turned a deaf ear, putting forward the demands for reparation 

 and security, and refusing to proceed with the negotiations 

 until they had received a satisfactory answer. 3 Cromwell, 

 however, sent a private message to Nieuport, on 30th June, 

 that the Council would not insist on satisfaction and security. 

 He suggested that Tromp should be suspended for a few 

 months; that a binding treaty and alliance should be con- 

 cluded; and that for security two or three Englishmen 

 should sit in the States-General or Council of State in the 

 Netherlands, and the same number of Dutchmen in the 

 English Council. If these conditions were agreed to, little 

 difficulty would be made about the thirty-six articles, the 

 Dutch would be allowed to carry on their herring fishery 

 in the British seas, and a truce probably granted. 4 But by 

 the next day Cromwell, after discussion with the Council, 

 had changed his mind, and the debate went on about re- 

 paration and security. The deputies were told that the 



1 Geddes, i. 315. Gardiner, ii. 340. Verbael gehouden door de ffeeren H. van 

 Severningk, W. Nieuport, J. van de Perre, en A. P. Jongestal, als Gedeputeerden 

 en Extraordinaris Ambassadeurs van de ffeeren Staetcn Generael der Vereenigde 

 Nederlanden, aen de Republyck van Engelandt, i. 7, 12. 



2 Clarendon, The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars, vi. 607. Gardiner, 

 op. cit., ii. 111. 



3 Verbael of the Ambassadors, 10, 21, 35. 



4 Ibid., 84. Thurloe's State Papers, i. 394. 



