UNDER THE STUARTS : JAMES I. : A NEW POLICY 147 



taken by the subjects of foreign princes and states to fish 

 upon the coasts of the King's Majesty, by which not only 

 the English fishermen received wrong in their fishing, but 

 the very coast towns were decayed ; they had also considered 

 the proclamation for the restraint of fishing, and had perused 

 the Burgundy treaties as required, and they were " of opinion 

 that the King's Majesty may without breach of any treaty 

 now in force, or of the law, upon the reasons specified in the 

 proclamation sent unto us, restrain all strangers from fishing 

 upon his coasts without license, in such moderation and after 

 such convenient notice given thereof by public proclamation, 

 as his Majesty shall think fit." 1 



It was on this extremely important deliverance that the new 

 policy of interfering with the liberty of foreigners fishing on 

 the British coasts was based. The cautious language of the 

 Privy Council indicates that they were conscious of the strength 

 of the case against them from the existence of the Burgundy 

 treaties ; but the committee professed to find that those treaties 

 were no longer in force, an argument which was made the 

 most of in the subsequent negotiations with the Dutch Re- 



1 Brit. Mus. Lansdowne MSS., 142, fol. 377. In Sir Julius Crcsar's hand- 

 writing, and endorsed, <: A copy of a letter from Mr Secretary Herbert, myself, 

 and others to the Lds of the King's P. Councell, touching the prohibition of 

 strangers fishing on the coasts of England," &c. This important paper reads as 

 follows : " Our humble duties dewe to yr good LLP 8 . We have according to 

 y commandement, considered of the liberty wch is taken by the Subiectes of forreine 

 Princes and States to fish vppon the kings Mat'es coasts by wch not onely the 

 English fishermen receive wrong in their fishing but the very coast townes them- 

 selves are much decayed for want of meanes to set their people on work ; and we 

 have considered likewise of the proclamation for the restraint of those many in- 

 conveniences depending vppon the excesse of such strangers fishing : We haue also 

 pervsed the treaties fro Henry the 7th time till this day betweene the Crowne of 

 England and the House of Burgundy, and we have considered of them, and of all 

 other thinges by wdi ( as we e conceave) the lawfulness or vnlawfulness may appeare 

 of this proceeding. And are of opinion, that the K Maty m ay wthout breach of 

 any treatyie nowe in force, or of the lawe, vppon the reasons specified in the 

 proclamation sent vnto vs, restreine all strangers fr5 fishing vppon his coast* 

 wthout license, in such moderation and after such convenient notice given thereof 

 by publik proclamation, as his Maty shall think fit. 



And so we most humbly take our leaves. 14 febr. 1606. 



Yo>" L d8hi P" humbly at commandment, 

 J. Herbert. Jul. Cicsar. Daniel Dun. Christoph. Parkins. Tho. Crompton. 



From the erasures and corrections (see Fig. 6) there seems little doubt that the 

 paper in the original draft. 



