l6o a. D. 1578. 



then next to the Englifli the beft fhips there ; that there were there aifo 

 20 or 30 {hips from Bifcay, to kill whales for train oil *. His friend, in 

 a letter from Newfoundland, is earnefl for the Englifh to fettle at the 

 ifle of Cape Breton, for the benefit of the fifhery, and in another ifle 

 at the mouth of the great river St. Lawrence. Hakluyt was in thofe 

 times a mofl indefatigable inquirer after new trades and difcoveries, 

 and was undoubtedly of great ufe to our adventurers, by giving them 

 much light into the nature and means of difcoveries, and feems to have 

 been a public blefling to England in thofe days. 



Queen Elizabeth's firft public treaty with the ftates-general of the 

 United Netherlands, after their revolt from Spain, was dated at Bruf- 

 fels, 7th January 1578. It is intitled, an offenfive and defenfive treaty 

 of peace with the Belgic ftates, therein ilyled the ' prelates, nobles, de- 

 * puties of cities, members of Brabant, Guelderland, Flanders, Artois, 

 ' Hainault, Valenciennes, Lifle, Dowai, Oxchies, Holland, Zeeland, 

 ' Namur, Tournay, Utrecht, Mechlin, Friefland, Overyfel, and Gro- 



nmgen. 



As this treaty was chiefly for the mutual fupport of each other againft 

 the exorbitant power of Spain, it is needlefs to be very particular in all 

 its articles. 



The firft article confirms all the treaties niade between England 

 and the houfe of Burgundy, unlefs otherwife to be ftipulated. 



No tranfaction of importance, relating to peace or war in the Ne- 

 therlands, fhall be concluded without the queen's participation, whofe 

 minifters fliall be prefent at all fuch deliberations. 



Mutual general afliftance to each other with equal military forces. 



All controverfies among the ftates fliall be referred to her arbi- 

 tration. 



If the queen fliall find herfelf obliged to fit out a fleet for guard of 

 the feas, the ftates, at her inftance, fliall join it with forty ftiips of 

 theirs, with failors, foldiers, and ammunition, to be under the queen's 

 command, and at her expenfe ; none of which fliips to be of lefs bur- 

 den than forty tons. 



Rebels or fugitives from England to get no protedion from the 

 ftates. 



The ftates to make no treaty nor alliance with any prince or ftate 

 whatever without her confent. 



The prefent and future governors in the Netherlands ftiall ratify 

 and confirm all the articles of this treaty, in the name and by the au- 

 thority of the catholic king. 



Whenever a treaty of peace fhall be concluded between the faid 



* There is no mention of whale fins (or whale whence it appears not to have been applied tc 

 J)rne) now iia fo much requeft for women's Hays; that ufe in thofe days. 



