THE DUTCH WAR 83 



tion fell into the hands of these pirates, who were now so 

 active that English fishermen feared to put to sea.^ It 

 was estimated that the seizure of these vessels had caused 

 a loss to the Association of not less than £5000. To 

 recuperate them for this loss, the Earl of Pembroke and 

 his fellow adventurers asked the grant of a standing 

 lottery, such as had been granted to the Virginia Company 

 in 1612.2 They asked also that the statutes for the use 

 of fish should be enforced, and this especially against " all 

 sorts of victuallers, who may be enjoined to provide fish, 

 if not two days, at least one day a week, and the fines on 

 the trespassers to redound to the Royal Fishings."^ The 

 king willingly gave all the aid in his power, granted the 

 standing lottery asked for, and recommended the adventurers 

 to send an agent to demand satisfaction for the great 

 injuries inflicted by the Dunkirkers ; if satisfaction were 

 refused them, Charles declared himself wilhng to grant 

 them letters of marque against the privateers,* 



In spite of aU Charles' efforts on its behalf, however, the 

 Association did not prosper, and in this year, 1639, the king, 

 despairing of success, ordered a general enquiry into its finan- 

 cial administration and management. At the same time he 

 gave orders for an enquiry into the conduct of Peter Ricaut, 

 the treasurer of the Association, who had been guilty of 

 oppression towards various poor tradesmen dealing with him. 

 Enquiry was to be held also into the exact state of the 

 stock of the company, so that all reasons for the diminution 

 of stock might be ascertained. The affairs of the company 

 were then to be settled in the most advantageous manner 

 possible for the community at large. ^ 



Deep matters of state now engrossed the attention of the 

 king, and he had, perforce, to leave the adventurers of the 



1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 429, No. 65. 



2 Ibid. vol. 444, No. 68. 3 Ibid. vol. 438, No. 65. 

 -1 Ibid. vol. 444, No. 68. ^ Poedera, v. 20, p. 346. 



