CHARLES I. I THE NAVY 295 



been remitted in April to Nicholas and Sir Henry Marten, and 

 on June 14th 'a hundred of them were sent to Deal Castle for 

 the Earl of Northumberland, with instructions from the Lords 

 of the Admiralty. The king, they said, had told them he had 

 already verbally given the Earl directions to charge the busses 

 which took the licenses at the rate of twelvepence a ton ; with re- 

 spect to such as might refuse to accept the license, he was " to 

 take order that they may not fish in the said seas ; and in case 

 they shall fish without license, he is to send their vessels and 

 fish into some of his Majesty's ports till further order." The 

 Admiralty left to his own discretion what ships he should take 

 with him, but they said he would require the bigger ships to 

 repel such force as he might encounter, and the smaller ships 

 to apprehend the fisher-boats. 



The fleet remained at the Downs, victualling, taking in 

 stores, and waiting for pilots acquainted with the northern 

 coasts, from 24th June to 19th July. The masters of 

 the ships were unwilling to risk the large vessels among 

 " the sands and flats " of the east coast, or where there were 

 no good harbours; and they were all of opinion that if they 

 went at all, they ought to leave before 12th July, in order 

 to fall in with the herring fleet north of Buchan Ness. In 

 any case they declined to go unless pilots were provided, 

 and these had to be obtained from the Cinque Ports and 

 Yarmouth. There was obviously much reluctance in the 

 fleet to go on this expedition. The objections and difficulties 

 were brought to the notice of the king, but Charles stood 

 firm, and expressed his " pleasure " that the northern voyage 

 should be undertaken ; and Northumberland before leaving 

 wrote to Windebank to assure him that the fleet would 

 decide the business they had in hand, for either the Dutch 

 would take the licenses and pay the acknowledgment, or 

 else the fleet " would put an end to that work." There 

 could be no doubt of success, because the men, he assured 

 Windebank, were full of resolution to do the king's service 

 and gain credit to themselves. At the same time, he asked 

 for further instructions with regard to his stay among the 

 busses those he had received, he said, being like oracles. 1 



1 State Papert, Dom., cccxix. 81 ; cccxxii. 40 ; cccxxvi. 32 ; cccxvii. 93 ; cccxxviii. 

 11, 41, 69. 



