478 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



lands and the subjects of the United Provinces near their 

 coasts ? " l 



The reference to the French and Spaniards was no doubt 

 meant to conceal the real significance of the inquiry. The 

 reply of the admiral seems not to have been preserved, 

 but a later memorandum of Jenkins answers the questions 

 as to the striking of the flag at Goeree, and in the other cases, 

 in the affirmative. The Trinity House, whose opinion was 

 also asked, said that it had been commonly received by them 

 from their predecessors that the British seas " extend to Cape 

 Finisterre, or the North Cape" (sic), and that the sea which 

 washes the coast of the Low Countries and France had 

 been always reputed part of the British seas. "To know 

 how far it does extend northwards," they ingenuously added, 

 " we desire you will please to consult those authors who have 

 treated on that subject, it not being known to a certain 

 by us." 2 They had been unable to meet with any persons 

 who knew about the alleged cases of striking, so that Jenkins 

 must have obtained the information about them from other 

 sources. 



There can be no doubt that Charles was advised by the 

 authorities he consulted on the ambiguous points in the article 

 of Breda that (1) any king's ship, however small, commissioned 

 for war, was a " man-of-war " in the sense of the treaty, and could 

 call upon the whole Dutch fleet to strike ; (2) that the British 

 seas included those washing the coasts of the United Provinces ; 

 and (3) with respect to the previous custom referred to in the 

 treaty, that the Dutch had struck on their own coasts. 



Thus fortified in law and precedent, the way was clear for 

 Charles to pick a quarrel with the States about the striking 

 of the flag, and he despatched, not a man-of-war, nor even a 

 frigate, but his yacht, the Merlin, for the purpose. Osten- 

 sibly it was sent to bring over Lady Temple, who had, by 

 his wish, remained in Holland since her husband's departure, 

 but with orders to pass through the Dutch fleet then cruising 

 in the Channel, and to fire at them until they struck their 

 flags or fired back at the Merlin. As the French ambassador, 



1 Sir Leoline Jenkins to Sir Thomas Allin, Admiral of the Blue Flag, 8th Oct. 

 1670. Life of Sir Leoline Jenkins, ii. 699. 



2 Brit. Mus. Add. MSS., 30,221, ff. 466, 486. 



