CHARLES I. : FISHERIES AND RESERVED WATERS 225 



and general. It was, however, made clear that the king's 

 intention was that every member, or "brother," of the com- 

 pany should be free to fish " in places near and remote, where 

 common fishing is, or may be, used by any of his people," 

 this "mutual participation being the bond of union and sole 

 means to recover his Majesty's right and power at sea, and 

 to enrich all his subjects, and those chiefly where the great- 

 est fishings are." On the other points they said, in effect, 

 that the king would do what was best. 



A letter from the king to the Parliament was also read, 

 expressing his desire that the business should be advanced, 

 as it would be " a worke of great consequence for the generall 

 good of our whole kingdome, and more particularlie for the 

 benefite of that our ancient kingdome" by the improvement 

 of its trade and shipping. So anxious was Charles for the 

 success of his enterprise, that he added a postscript in his 

 own hand, in which he said : " This is a worke of so great 

 good to both my kingdomes that I have thought good by 

 these few lynes of my owne hand seriouslie to recommend 

 it unto yow. The furthering or hindering of whiche will 

 ather oblige me or disoblige me more then anie one busi- 

 ness that hes happened in my tyme." He also sent a letter 

 to the burghs to mollify them, saying that it was in no 

 ways iiltended that they should be wronged in their ancient 

 privileges or benefits ; and he requested Parliament to appoint 

 commissioners charged with absolute powers to settle the 

 matter with the English commissioners, so that there should 

 not be undue delay. 1 



The Parliament thereupon appointed commissioners, on llth 

 November 1630, to treat with those of England. 2 Nomin- 

 ally they were given full powers to treat, but their instructions, 

 dated 23rd December, were so detailed and remarkable that it 

 must have been obvious to every one that rapid progress was 

 not intended. Nothing was to be done prejudicial or deroga- 

 tory to the liberties and privileges of the kingdom, the crown, 



1 Acta Part. Scot., v. 228, 230. The Earl of Stirling's Register of Royal tetters, 

 ii. 478. 



2 The commissioners were the Earl of Morton (Lord High Treasurer), the Earl 

 of Mouteith (President of the Privy Council), the Marquis of Hamilton, the Earls 

 of Roxburgh and Carrick, Sir William Alexander, Mr John Hay, and Mr George 

 Fletcher. 



P 



