CHARLES I. : THE NAVY 283 



met the French Admiral, for whom the Earl had been search- 

 ing all summer, off Falmouth with two ships. He immediately 

 shot at him, and he struck his top-sails and saluted. But this 

 was on the English coast, and was not contrary to Richelieu's 

 instructions. The French, on their part, a week or two after- 

 wards forced an English merchant vessel to strike "for the 



o 



kin<j of France." 1 



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Perhaps the worst offenders of all were the British merchant- 

 men. Again and again the naval commanders complained to 

 the Admiralty of their remissness or neglect to strike, which 

 they said set a very bad example to foreigners. Pennington 

 reported to the king that they passed his ships in the narrow 

 seas, not only without speaking, but even "presumptuously 

 wearing their flag at the topmast head " until forced to take 

 it in ; and he recommended the king to issue a proclamation 

 commanding all ships to speak with the king's ships and give 

 an account of themselves, or be subject to fine and punishment. 

 Pennington asked what he was to do if any of the king's sub- 

 jects were so stubborn as not to strike their flag and top-sails 

 in due time : " I meane," he said, " soe soone as they come 

 within distance of our ordynaunce." On this Sir Henry 

 Marten recommended that when an English ship did not strike 

 in time, the naval captain should complain to his Admiral or 

 to the Admiralty. He was strongly of opinion that too much 

 discretion should not be left to the naval officers in this matter. 

 It was, he said, too much to hazard an English ship being sunk 

 or English lives last on a point on which a mistake might 

 easily be made. 2 The official instruction given to the officers 

 was either to punish the offenders themselves or to report them 

 to the Admiral or to the Admiralty. Neglectful merchant 

 vessels were sometimes severely punished. In April 1632, 

 when Lady Strange and a large party of Lords, with a great 

 retinue^ went on board Pennington's ship, the Convert foe, lying 

 in Tilbury Hope, a merchant ship, the Mattfiew of London, 

 passed up the river "in an insolent manner," not striking his 

 flag until he had come up with the Convert ive, and soon hoist- 

 ing it again notwithstanding the shots Pennington fired at 

 him. For this the master was lodged in jail, and was only 

 released on expressing his contrition to the Lords of the 



1 State Papers, Dvm., ccc. 43 ; ccci. 28 ; ccxcix. 21. 2 Ibid., cclxv. 49. 



