THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS 421 



to whom the dominion and sovereignty of the British sea 

 belong." By this article the whole of the Dutch fleet would 

 be bound to strike to a single ship in the English service 

 anywhere on the sea, and, what was a far more serious 

 matter, to submit to be visited and searched. A stipulation 

 of that kind was unacceptable. Tromp's fleet had been 

 fitted out before the war expressly to prevent the visitation 

 and search of merchant vessels ; if no conflict had occurred 

 with Blake about the flag, it would almost certainly have 

 happened on this other point. 1 And now the States were 

 asked to confirm in a formal treaty the right claimed by 

 England ; and above all to make it applicable to their ships 

 of war. Another article with reference to the measures to 

 be taken against pirates embodied the old doctrine attributed to 

 the Plantagenets. The Commonwealth of England, it stated, 

 had declared their resolution "to put upon these seas a con- 

 venient number of armed ships, for the defence and safeguard 

 thereof, and to maintain ,and preserve all lawful navigation, 

 trade, and commerce therein, against pirates and sea-rovers." 2 

 Another article which raised the strongest objections provided 

 that the Dutch fleet passing through the British seas should 

 be limited to a certain number, to be agreed upon in the 

 treaty, and that if the States had occasion for a larger number 

 to pass than that agreed to, they should first give the Common- 

 wealth three months' notice and obtain their consent. The 

 article also provided that Dutch merchant vessels should be 

 allowed freely to navigate the British seas, as if the right of 

 permitting or forbidding navigation there belonged to England. 2 



1 Gardiner, Letters and Papers, i. 49, 170. 2 Art. xvi. Verbael, 203. 



3 Art. xiv. " That the inhabitants and subjects of the United Provinces may, 

 with their ships and vessels, furnished as merchantmen, freely use their navigation, 

 sail, pass and repass in the seas of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Isles within 

 the same, (commonly called the British Seas) without any wrong or injury to be 

 offered to them, by the ships or people of this Commonwealth, but on the contrary 

 shall be treated with all love and friendly offices ; And may likewise with their 

 men of war not exceeding such a number as shall be agreed upon in this treaty, 

 sail, pass and repass through the said seas, to and from the countries and parts 

 beyond them : but in case the States-General shall have occasion to pass the said 

 seas with a greater number of ships of war, they shall give three months before 

 notice of their intentions to the said Commonwealth, and obtain their consent for 

 the passing of such fleet, before they put them forth upon these seas, for prevent- 

 ing all jealousies and misunderstandings between the States by means thereof." 

 Verbael, 202. 



