306 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



her son in possession of the Palatinate. She was led to believe 

 that the States would aid in this project, and in her corres- 

 pondence with Sir Thomas Roe and Archbishop Laud she often 

 murmured gently against her brother's policy. When Joachimi 

 was hustled back to London, she wrote to Roe that the Dutch 

 were in great alarm about the herring-busses, and she breathed 

 the wish that "all might be laid aside at that time" when 

 they had so much need of the States; "the king," she said, 

 " might do it upon that consideration, and keep his claim still 

 good, to take it up again when he would." l Roe argued on 

 the other side. He thought it would show wisdom on the part 

 of Holland, and be greatly to her advantage, if, avoiding an 

 open breach with England, she acknowledged the right of the 

 king and accepted his protection for her fishermen. In this 

 way the States would reap all the advantages they already 

 had, and be relieved of the expense of maintaining a fleet to 

 protect the busses. The king, he felt sure, could not now re- 

 cede " without weakening or blemishing his right, or his power, 

 to all posterity " ; he was prepared to guard the Dutch fisher- 

 men and to fight for them as his own subjects ; and as for the 

 "acknowledgment," that would be really only a small thing 

 and would not burden the fishing which would never be 

 thought of. " I doe confidently affirme to your Majesty," con- 

 tinued Roe, " that this affair of ye king is a saf etye, an honour, 

 an happines, and utilitye to them, and will, if they know how 

 to use it as a medicine, heale all ulcerations and discontents 

 that have beene bred, or aggravated, by enemies of our mutuall 

 and necessarye amity e. . . . Therefore I beseech your Majestie 

 to inform the Prince of Orange clearely, there is noe other way, 

 if they desire to reconcile, and to oblige the king at once ; and if 

 our amity be to them of any value, lett them beginn to doe right 

 and honour to his Majestie," and they would get more than 

 they hoped for in other things. At all events, he said, Joachimi 

 had failed to get any satisfaction of his request to have the 

 " execution " on the second fishing suspended, for a new com- 

 mand had been sent to the Admiral to visit the busses again. 2 



This was indeed the case. Northumberland's success had 

 gratified the king, and yet it was felt it had fallen short of 



1 r 



1 Elizabeth to Sir Thomas Roe, Aug. 1636. State Papers, Dom., cccxxx. 38. 



2 Roe to Elizabeth, 19th Aug., 20th Sept. Ibid., cccxxx. 50 ; cccxxxii. 1. 



