290 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



same as those given to Lindsey in the previous year. In the 

 clause referring to hostilities in the presence of the king's ships, 

 the phrase, "in any part of the Narrow Seas," in Lindsey 's 

 instructions, was replaced by the words "in any part of his 

 Majesty's seas," an alteration of some importance in view of 

 Coke's description of the extent of them ; and the same change 

 was made in the title of his instructions. 1 The king also gave 

 the Earl private and verbal commands, particularly as to the 

 operations to be conducted against the Dutch herring-busses. 

 The fleet mustered in the Downs, the Earl embarking in the 

 Triumph on 14th May. Leaving some of the ships to convoy 

 merchant vessels and guard the Straits of Dover, he hoisted 

 sails on the 20th, and stood away westwards in search of the 

 French fleet. It was known that a large number of ships had 

 been equipped by France and lay at Rochelle ; and Pennington 

 had reported at the end of February that twenty-four States' 

 men-of-war were at Amsterdam, ready to come out and join 

 the French, and that they were to wear French colours. It 

 was believed that the intention of the allies was to lay siege to 

 and blockade Dunkirk, and Northumberland was ordered to 

 keep a watch on them and to force them to strike. On leaving 

 the Downs he passed over to the French coast, sailing along it 

 within sight of Calais, Boulogne, and Dieppe, and then stood 

 over for the English coast. On 26th May he was at Portland ' f 

 thence he passed westwards to the Lizard, and cruised between 

 it and Ushant and within sight of the French coast till llth 

 June, when the fleet put into Plymouth. During all this time 

 they got no glimpse of the fleet for which they were seeking, 

 but they had frequent reports from passing vessels that it was 

 at the Isle de Rhe", and numbered between forty and fifty sail, 

 most of which were small and unprepared to put to sea. With- 

 in ten days of leaving the Downs, Northumberland had 

 apparently satisfied himself that they would see nothing of the 

 French that summer ; he thereupon reminded the Admiralty 

 that the fishing season was approaching, and requested to know 

 the king's pleasure as to whether he should go northwards. 

 On the 14th, the Admiralty informed him that as the season 



1 "Instructions for our very good Lord, the Earle of Northumberland, Admirall 

 of his Majesty's fflete in his Majesty's ship the Triumph, prepared for this present 

 Expedicion for guard of his Majesty's Seas." State Papers, Dom., clvii. fol. 141. 



