THE THIRD DUTCH WAR 501 



example of the kings of Denmark in dealing with the dues at 

 the Sound that is, in gradually raising the amount. 1 



Passing from this subject to the question of the flag, it was 

 soon apparent that the Dutch had been too sanguine in think- 

 ing there would be little difficulty in dealing with it. The 

 mediators, in drawing up a protocol of the English demands, 

 had modified the article put in concerning the flag. The Eng- 

 lish had confined themselves to the bare words "the right of 

 the flag " (" le droit du pavilion "), to which the Swedes added, 

 "in the manner your Excellencies (the Dutch ambassadors) 

 projected." The Dutch, in short, had expanded the meaning 

 of the nineteenth article of the treaty of Breda so as to omit 

 the troublesome and objectionable words "the British seas," 

 their proposed article being " that ships of the United Provinces 

 meeting British ships at sea should lower the top-sail and the 

 flag, in such manner as the same had ever been previously 

 observed." Jenkins and Williamson strongly opposed the 

 omission of the phrase " the British seas." They declared that 

 the King of England had a special right and immemorial pre- 

 rogative in those particular seas, but if he grasped at the same 

 honour in all places, not only the Dutch but all the world 

 besides would have reason to dispute it with him. They said 

 further that the king wished that yachts, by name, and all 

 vessels whatsoever in his service and carrying his colours, flag, 

 or jack, should have the same honour paid to them. They 

 also objected to the clause "in such manner as," &c., as being 

 vague and open to misunderstanding, and insisted that it 

 should be set down clearly what the Dutch were to do and 

 how they were to do it in the future. They wished, in short, 

 to bind the Dutch by an express stipulation to the view that 

 the meaning of the clause in the previous treaties was that 

 whole fleets should strike to any single vessel in the king's 

 service in the British seas, while leaving "the British seas" 

 undetermined ; and they tabled an article to that effect. Both 

 the Dutch and the mediators objected to this clause as assert- 

 ing positively that to have been the custom in former times, and 

 saying that to admit it would be to condemn themselves in what 



1 The ambassadors to the Earl of Arlington, Aug., ~f , g Sept., 



IB 



Oct. 1673. Life of Mr Ledine Jenkins, i. 68, 86, 87. 10P, 126, 133. 



