THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS 417 



ally to the States, and Nieuport and Jongestal left for home 

 with this object on 3rd August. They did not return until the 

 end of October; and while the official conferences with the 

 Council were suspended in the interval, the two deputies 

 who remained in London carried on important private nego- 

 tiations with Cromwell, mostly through an intermediary. At 

 first Cromwell descanted on the advantages to the United 

 Provinces of the proposed coalescence, including the complete 

 liberty they would have of fishing on the British coasts. Later 

 he put forward the extraordinary schemes which remind one 

 of the dreams of Napoleon a confederation of the Protestant 

 states of Europe for the propagation of the Gospel; the par- 

 tition of the rest of the world, Asia to fall to the share of the 

 Dutch and America to England; a war of conquest against 

 Spain and Portugal, and then there would be complete freedom 

 of commerce and of fishery in all seas, without molestation or 

 disturbance. 1 A less extravagant alternative offered was an 

 alliance of the Protestant states, without the partition of the 

 globe or the war of conquest ; but this smaller scheme was not 

 to carry with it either freedom of commerce or liberty of fish- 

 ing. And now, for the first time since the negotiations began, 

 a formal stipulation was asked that all ships of war of the 

 Dutch Republic, on meeting "on the sea" with the ships of 

 war of the Commonwealth, should show them the same respect 

 and do them the same honour as had been practised in any 

 former time. 2 



The two deputies in London could do nothing with these 

 proposals until the States - General had decided about the 

 original project of coalition, with reference to which Nieuport 

 and Jongestal had gone to The Hague. But they expressed 

 their own opinion on the twelve articles which had been sub- 

 mitted to them ; and with regard to the striking of the flag, 

 they thought the word "respect" conveyed the impression of 

 too great a sovereignty on one side and of submission on the 



1 Verbad, 75, 142, 143, 150. Thurloe, i. 370, 417, 418. Geddes, i. 362. 

 Gardiner, ii. 350. 



2 Verbad, 155. "7. Dat alle schepeii onder het ressort van haer Ho. Mog. 

 t' buys behoorende, in alle rencontres in de Zee, aen Oorloghschepen van de 

 Republyck van Engelandt sullen draegen het selvige respect, ende deselve eere 

 doen, als sy ooit voor desen syn gewoon geweest te doeu." 



2D 



