THE FISHERIES 71 



usual conditions. Although the Duke of Burgundy was also 

 Count of Holland and Zealand, these states were not specifically 

 included in this treaty, which was renewed in 1442 for other 

 five years, and again, at Calais, in 1446, for a term of twelve 

 years, in precisely the same terms, and the commonalties of 

 Ghent, Bruges, Ypres, and of the French dominions promised 

 to observe it. 1 In the renewal of the treaty of intercourse 

 at Brussels, in 1468, by Edward IV. and the Duchess of Bur- 

 gundy on behalf of her husband, Duke Charles, in addition to 

 the mention of Brabant, Flanders, and Mechlin, words were 

 added 2 which brought Holland and Zealand into the treaty, 

 and thus formally gave them that liberty of fishing on the 

 British, or at least the English, coast which they struggled so 

 hard and so successfully to retain in the seventeenth century. 

 The article on the fishery also declared that the fishermen 

 should be at liberty to fish without being required to obtain 

 any license, permission, or safe -conduct, 3 which appears to 

 indicate that the practice of obtaining such letters for their 

 security had been previously in vogue. In 1468, in the treaty 

 of peace, at P^ronne, between Louis XI. of France and Charles, 

 Duke of Burgundy, a similar clause was inserted providing for 

 the freedom of the herring fishery ; * and in the ten years' truce 



1 Fcedera, x. 730, 736, 761, 791. The article on the fishery was as follows : 

 " Que tous pescheurs, tant d'Engleterre, d'Irlaude, et de Calais, comme des paiis 

 de Brabant et de Flandres, pourront paisiblement aler par tout sur mer, pour 

 peschier et gaignier leur vivre, sans empeschement ou destourber de 1'une partie ne 

 de 1'autre. Et avec ce, se fortune ou autre aventure chassoit ou amenoit les diz 

 pescheurs de la partie d'Engleterre, en aucun des ports, havres, destrois, et daugiers 

 des dites paiis de Brabant ou de Flandres, ou les diz pescheurs des elites paiis de 

 Brabant et de Flandres en aucuns des dites ports, havres, destrois, ou daugiers du 

 royaume d'Engleterre, Yrland, et de Calais, que ilz y soient paisiblement et 

 franchement receuz et traictiez raisonnablement d'une coste et d'autre, en paiant 

 aux lieux, ou ils arriveront, les toulieux et devoirs accoustumez, et d'illec puissent 

 liberalment retourner a tout leurs nefs, applois, et biens sans destourbier, arrest, 

 ne empeschement ; pourveu que, par les diz pescheurs, d'un coste et d'autre, ne 

 soit commise aucune fraude, ou fait dommaige." Intercursus coutinuandus pro 

 patio duodecim annorum inter Anglos et Flandros, Gandanos, Iperos et civitatis 

 de Brabant. Ibid., xi. 143. 



2 " Et pur toutz sez autres paiis et seigneuries. " 



" Et sans qu'il leur soit bosoigne sur ceo requirer ne opteiner ascune license, 



congie, ou saufconducte. " 5 Jan. ^. Ibid., xi. 591, 592, 595, 609. Duinont, 



op. cit., III. i. 592. 

 4 Dumont, III. i. 400. 



