436 



THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



Comparison of the treaty as completed 1 with the original 

 draft shows how thoroughly the Dutch plenipotentiaries had 

 eviscerated the parts dealing with the sovereignty of the sea, 

 and stripped it of almost all the phraseology which might 

 imply such sovereignty. The articles imposing tribute for 

 the liberty of fishing ; stipulating for the visitation and search 

 of vessels ; restricting the number of their men-of-war in the 

 British seas ; the Plantagenet claim for the guarding of the 

 sea; the declaration that the dominion of the British seas 

 belonged to England, all had been wiped out. Cromwell 

 indeed succeeded in retaining the term "British seas" in its 

 original ambiguity; but both he and his commissioners ad- 

 mitted (verbally) that it meant, in reference to the salute, 

 only the narrow sea a statement which was in contradiction 

 to the instructions issued to the naval officers, and to the 

 practice both before and afterwards. The clause providing 

 for the striking of the flag was saved, but only in a mutilated 

 form. It ran as follows : " That the ships and vessels of the 

 said United Provinces, as well those of war as others which 

 shall meet any of the men-of-war of this Commonwealth in 

 the British Seas, shall strike their flag and lower the top-sail, 

 in such manner as the same has ever been observed at any 

 time heretofore under any other form of government." 2 



This, as the States-General took care to point out to their 

 fellow-countrymen, was no more than they had voluntarily 

 agreed to do, and had instructed Tromp to perform, previous 

 to the declaration of war. It was, however, the first time the 

 custom had been recognised in a treaty. 



After the conclusion of peace, the English naval commanders 

 took pleasure in vigorously enforcing their right to the " honour 

 of the flag," and, as above stated, notwithstanding the verbal 

 limitation made by Cromwell and Thurloe, they did not confine 

 the demand to the narrow sea. Within a few weeks of the 

 proclamation of the treaty, and before its details were known 



1 Dumont, Corps Diplomatique, VI. ii. 75. Vcrbael of the Ambassadors, 356. 



2 XIII. Item, quod naves et navigia dictarum Fccderatarum Provinciaruni, 

 tarn bellica et ad hostium vim propulsandam instructa, quam alia, quae alicui e 

 navibus bellicis hujus Reipublicso in maribus Britannicis obviam dederint, vexillum 

 suum e mali vertice detrahent, et supremum velum demittent, eo modo, quo ullis 

 retro teinporibus, sub quocunque anteriori regimine, unquam observatam fuit. 



