A. D. 1654. AC-y 



badnefs of trade at Archangel, partly occafioned by the Rufllans not 

 permitting any foreigners to trade up into the country from Archan<^el, 

 and partly becaufe of the Dutch fliips coming thither, which kept up 

 the prices of Ruflia goods, and partly alfo by the czar's war with Po- 

 land. ' 



Whitelocke, the Enghfh ambafllidor in Sweden, complained to that 

 court, that the Swedes had feized an Engliih Guinea company's fort on 

 that coaft. The Swedes, in excufe, alleged, that it was only a little 

 lodge with two chambers : and they infilled on a prior grant thereof 

 from the prince of that part of the country. [Thnrloe, V. ii, pp. 266, 

 280.] Whatever might be the ifTue of this trifling matter, it is plain 

 that Sweden at this time had fome trade to the coaft of Guinea, although 

 they at prefent have no fetdement any where v/ithout the Baltic fea. 



The war between the two repubUcs of England and Holland was car- 

 ried on in fuch a manner as rendered it abfolutely irapoffible for either 

 nation to hold it out much longer, without reducing one of the parties 

 to abfolute fubjedion. It was fo extremely vilible that England had the 

 fuperiority, that De Witt himfelf, though a foe to the Englifh name, 

 in his Interefl: of Holland, [p. 314] declares the great fuperiority of the 

 Englifh in flrength of fhipping, (for it was merely a naval war) and that 

 they VN^ere now become mafters of the fea. Not only men and money 

 muft: foon have been wanting, but one would think that even fhip-tim- 

 ber itfelf fhould foon have failed for fupplying the lofs of fo many large 

 fhips : fince, befide the many fhips of war deflroyed, the Dutch had 

 lofi: 700 merchant fhips in the years 1652 and 1653. NecefHry there- 

 for compelled them to fend ambafTadors to the protector to fue for 

 peace, and to accept fuch terms as he thought fit to grant. It was con- 

 cluded on the 5th of April 1654, whereby mutual friendfhip and com- 

 merce were re-eftabhfhed between them. The mofl remarkable com- 

 mercial articles were in fubftance as follows, viz. 



Article XIII) That the fhips of the Dutch, as well fhips of war as 

 others, meeting any of the fhips of war of the Englifh commonwealth 

 in the Britifh feas fhall flrike their flag and lower their topfail, in fuch 

 manner as hath ever been at any time heretofore pradiied under any- 

 former government *. 



XXVII) The ftates-general fhall fee jultice done on the authors and 

 abettors of the barbarous murders committed on the Englifh at Am- 

 boyna, anno 1622-3, if any of them be yet alive. 



XXVIII) Certain EngUfh fhips and goods having, by the influence of 

 the Dutch, been feized and detained within the dominions of Denmark 

 fmce May 1652, the ftates-general oblige themfelves to make rellitution 



* This was the firft formal eftabhfhment of the right of the flag. Perhaps the Englifh republic, 

 fufpedling that the Dutch might fcruple paying tlie honours to the flag of a commonwealth, which had 

 icen paid to that of a king, were the more determined upon making an exprefs article for u. yi. 



