416 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



Council did not ask for a great sum, but that the " security " 

 meant "uniting both states together in such manner as 

 they may become one people and Commonwealth, for the 

 good of both," 1 a scheme apparently much the same as 

 St John had taken with him to The Hague. 



This extraordinary proposal for a union, closer even than 

 that which existed among the seven United Provinces them- 

 selves, astonished the envoys of the many-headed Government. 

 They pretended at first not to understand it, and went on 

 talking of "alliance" and the Intercursus Magnus; but the 

 Council pointedly declared that what they meant was not the 

 mere " establishing of a league and union between two sover- 

 eign states and neighbours, but the making of two sovereign 

 states one," under a joint Government, all the subjects to possess 

 equal privileges and freedom in either country " in respect of 

 habitations, possessions, trade, ports, fishing, and all other ad- 

 vantages whatsoever." 2 The deputies considered such a scheme 

 "absurd," nothing of the kind had ever been heard of in 

 history; it was opposed to the constitution of the United 

 Provinces and was impossible; and they hinted that if the 

 proposal was pressed they would have to return home. They 

 thought it was far better to take as a basis for the negotiations 

 the treaty of 1496, which was a perfect, true, and sincere 

 alliance, league, and confederation by land and sea. To this 

 the Council replied that they had desired a coalescence of the 

 two countries as the best security for the future of both, and 

 especially of the United Provinces; and that the deputies 

 offered nothing more than they did at first, by which they 

 demanded free trade to the English colonies and the suspension 

 of the Navigation Act ; " nay," the Council continued, " they do 

 in effect demand to share with this state in the sovereignty of 

 the narrow seas, and in their right of fishing," whereas these 

 advantages could only be obtained by such a coalescence as 

 had been proposed. 3 



The negotiations had now come to such a pass that the 

 Dutch commissioners judged it to be necessary to report verb- 



1 21st July 1653. Verbad, 53. 



2 25th July, Verbad, 56, 59, 62. Geddes, i. 341. Thurloe, i. 382. 



3 The Deputies to the Council, fl^jj^; reply of the Council, ^ August. 

 Verbad, 64, 66, 70. 



