THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 325 



their own expense in 1570, and sued for a loan from the 

 States in 1571 in order to do the same during the fishing 

 season of that year.* 



Fresh taxes to the fisheries' detriment were exacted 

 under the terrible Duke's successor in 1575, when a 

 twentieth penny, or 5 per cent, duty, was ordered to be levied 

 on all fresh fish brought to market in the towns and town- 

 ships of Holland, and a new excise duty of Sixpence per 

 ton of salt fish was moreover established, to be paid by the 

 buyer during the four months succeeding the 1st of March.f 



Whatever may have been the fisheries' condition in 

 these times of violent warfare and constant danger, it is 

 evident that they were never entirely stopped, though it 

 may be readily assumed that many fishing vessels and 

 crews left the nearly unprotected trade and joined the 

 bold privateers, who, under the name of " Watergeuzen," 

 took a prominent share in the military events of the time. 

 Still, requests of the fisheries for either subsidy or pro- 

 tection are of annual occurrence even in this period, as 

 proofs of the fisheries' continuation ; and it is indeed a 

 strong instance of the trade's vitality that it was never 

 completely given up in years when fishing vessels were 

 constantly beset by many enemies, and never obtained 

 anything like efficient protection. 



The year 1575 marks the beginning of a new era for 

 the sea fisheries of Holland and Zealand. The sovereigns 



of the house of Austria and their several lieutenants had 



f 



generally considered fishermen and shipowners as subjects 

 from whom considerable sums might be extracted under 

 promises of protection which never was efficiently given. 

 No sooner, on the contrary, did the Prince of Orange take 



* Res. Holland, 1571, p. 555. 



f Ibid. i;75, PP- 88, 108, 113, 123. 



