210 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



protect the commerce and navigation of his friends and allies. 

 Foreign merchantmen might go on their way in security, undis- 

 turbed by fears of pirates or enemies, for " all men trading or 

 sailing within those his Majesty's seas do justly take themselves 

 to be in pace Domini Regis," under the peace of our Lord the 

 King. And as an external symbol and acknowledgment of 

 this absolute dominion, foreign vessels were "to perform their 

 duty and homage " on meeting his Majesty's ships by striking 

 their flag and lowering their top-sails. If they refused to do so, 

 they were to be attacked and taken or sunk ; the vessel was 

 liable to forfeiture as "good prize," and the offenders carried 

 into port to be tried for their high contempt. Moreover and 

 it looks but a small thing by comparison, no foreigners were 

 to be permitted to fish in British waters without first receiving 

 the king's license so to do, and paying to him a tax in acknow- 

 ledgment of the permission. In this way Charles hoped to re- 

 store the sovereignty of the King of England in the British 

 seas that " fairest flower of the imperial crown," as he described 

 it to " its ancient style and lustre." 



That a scheme so preposterous was seriously entertained and 

 for a time attempted to be realised showed the inherent incapa- 

 city of the king for rational government. He was no more 

 able to gauge his strength in relation to foreign Powers than he 

 was to foresee that the contest he had entered into with his 

 own subjects would end in rebellion and the scaffold. It was 

 ridiculous to suppose that other nations would tamely sur- 

 render their sovereign rights in the seas off their own coasts 

 and ports, abandon the protection of their commerce and 

 shipping and their rights as belligerents, simply because the 

 King of England wished to be lord of the sea. Had Charles 

 been able to give effect to his selfish and ambitious scheme, he 

 would soon have been confronted with an overwhelming 

 coalition of maritime Powers, to whom the free use of the sea 

 was as necessary as it was to England. As it happened, war 

 was averted by the dexterity of Richelieu and the prudence 

 and patience of the Dutch ; and also, it must be added, by the 

 vacillation of Charles himself, who was always trying to 

 arrange some new combination with Continental Governments 

 to carry out the only policy to which he was true the recovery 

 of the Palatinate for his nephew. 



