CHARLES I. : THE NAVY 257 



object of the fleet was not calculated to allay anxiety. In 

 the spring of 1635, a little before the Earl of Lindsey hoisted 

 his colours on the Merhonour, Coke wrote a long and re- 

 sounding despatch to Boswell, the English ambassador at 

 The Hague, explaining the reasons for the naval prepara- 

 tions. " First," he said, " we hold it a principle not to be 

 denied, that the King of Great Britain is a monarch at land 

 and sea to the full extent of his dominions, and that it con- 

 cerneth him as much to maintain his sovereignty in all the 

 British seas as within his three kingdoms ; because without 

 that these cannot be kept safe, nor he preserve his honour 

 and due respect with other nations. But, commanding the 

 seas, he may cause his neighbours and all countries to stand 

 upon their guard whensoever he thinks tit. And this cannot 

 be doubted, that whosoever will encroach upon him by sea, 

 will do it by land also when they see their time. To such 

 presumption," he added, "Mare Liberum gave the first warn- 

 ing-piece, which must be answered with a defence of Mare 

 Clausum: not so much by discourses, as by the louder lan- 

 guage of a powerful navy, to be better understood when 

 overstrained patience seeth no hope of preserving her right 

 by other means." The innuendo against the United Provinces 

 was still further developed. They had impeached the king's 

 dominion in his seas for a long course of years. They had 

 been permitted to gather wealth and strength in our ports 

 and on our coasts by trade and fishery, for which they had 

 " sued to King James for license," granted under the great 

 seal of Scotland ; and when they had possessed themselves 

 of our fishings "by leave or by connivance," and obtained a 

 great trade by our staple, they so increased their shipping 

 and naval power that now they would not endure to be 

 kept at any distance. " Nay," exclaimed Coke, " to such 

 confidence are they grown, that they keep guard upon our 

 seas," and prohibit us free commerce within them ; they take 

 our ships and goods unless we conform to their placarts. Be- 

 sides all which, " what insolencies and cruelties " they have 

 committed against us in the past, in Ireland, in Greenland, 

 in the Indies, as known to all the world ; care would be taken 

 to refresh their memories on these wrongs "as there should 

 be cause." After a preamble of this sort one might expect 



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