>08 



THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



peace which the States - General had communicated through 

 the Spanish ambassador. At the same time he sent privately 

 for John Evelyn, who had been for some time engaged on 

 a history of the second Dutch war, and asked him to write 

 something "against the Hollanders about the duty of the 

 flag and fishery," no doubt with the intention and object 

 of influencing the opinion of Parliament. 1 Parliament acted 

 with promptitude. They passed a resolution, on 27th January 

 1674, recommending the king to make a speedy peace. Louis, 

 who saw how things were tending with the Parliament, having 

 advised the same course, Sir William Temple was summoned 

 from his orchards a few days later and requested to proceed 

 to The Hague to conclude the treaty. On the eve of his 

 departure, the Marquis de Frezno, the Spanish ambassador, 

 announced that he had received full powers from the States 

 to treat and conclude a peace. The negotiations were there- 

 upon conducted in London between Sir William Temple and 

 the Marquis, and they went on so smoothly and speedily that 

 the treaty was signed at Westminster on 9th February. The 

 two points that caused the greatest difficulty were the flag and 

 the recalling of the English troops from the French service : the 

 claim for tribute for liberty to fish was dropped altogether. 2 



The article relating to the flag differed from the corre- 

 sponding articles in the previous treaties. It was as follows : 



" The said States-General of the United Provinces, duly acknow- 

 ledging, on their part, the right of the above-mentioned most serene 

 prince, the King of Great Britain, to have honour paid to his flag in the 

 seas to be hereafter named, will and do declare and agree, that all and 

 singular the ships and vessels belonging to the said United Provinces, 

 whether ships of war or others, whether single ships or in squadrons, 

 which shall meet with any ships or vessels whatsoever belonging to the 

 most serene prince, the King of Great Britain, whether one orinore, 

 carrying his Britannic Majesty's ensign, or flag called the Jack, in any 

 of the seas from the Cape called Finisterre, to the middle point of the 

 land called van Staten, in Norway, the foresaid ships or vessels of the 

 United Provinces shall strike their flag and lower their topsail, in the 

 same manner and with the like testimony of respect, as hath been 



1 P. 513. 



2 Hume, loc. cit. Commons' Journals, ix. 299. Temple's Memoirs, i. 167-169. 

 Temple to the Prince of Orange, Feb. 1674. The same to the Duke of Florence, 

 llth Feb. 1674. Works, iv. 13, 16. 



