518 



allies in the great wars with France. There was thus little 

 room for serious disputes with them about the flag, the right to 

 the herring fishery, or the sovereignty of the sea, even if the 

 desire had existed. Against France, however, William made 

 use of the customary language as to the English sovereignty of 

 the sea. In the spring of 1689, after William had been pro- 

 claimed King of England, Louis XIV. foresaw the formidable 

 coalition that would be formed against him, and h& boldly 

 issued what was virtually a challenge to England on the 

 subject. He published an ordinance on 15th April in which he 

 not only prohibited his officers from giving the first salute to 

 ships of other nations carrying flags of equal rank to their 

 own, but ordered them to demand the salute from foreign 

 vessels on whatever seas or coasts they might encounter them, 

 and to compel them by force if they refused. 1 That this 

 challenge of Louis to dispute the sovereignty of the sea was 

 not too presumptuous was shown in the following year, when 

 the combined fleets of England and Holland were defeated by 

 the French off Beachy Head. In the declaration of war 

 against France, in May 1689, the ordinance of Louis was made 

 one of the reasons for hostilities. "The right of the flag," 

 said William, "inherent in the crown of England, has been 

 disputed by his orders, in violation of our sovereignty of the 

 Narrow Seas, which in all ages has been asserted by our 

 predecessors, and which we are resolved to maintain, for the 

 honour of our crown and of the English nation." 2 They were 

 strange words to come from the mouth of one who was Prince 

 of Orange as well as King of England, but the times were 

 changing and such phrases were soon to become merely empty 

 forms. 



With respect to this ceremony of the flag, which the English 

 professed to regard as an acknowledgment of their sovereignty 

 on the sea, it may be said that from this time on it ceased to 

 have much importance in international affairs. The instructions 

 issued by the Admiralty to the naval officers continued to be 

 explicit enough, and they indeed suffered but little change for 

 another century. The commander of one of his Majesty's ships, 

 on meeting with any ship or ships belonging to any foreign 

 prince or state within his Majesty's seas (which, it was explained, 



1 Valin, Nouveau Commentairc sur I'Ordonnance de la Marine, <L-c., ii. 689. 



2 Dumont, op. cit., VII. ii. 230. 



