318 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



privateers. If the Government at Brussels would acknowledge 

 the validity of the licenses, or if the Cardinal Infant agreed 

 to back them with passports of his own, the offer, they said, 

 would be worth considering; but they could scarcely depend 

 on the protection of the English fleet alone. As a sign that 

 they were in earnest, they offered to place 2000 at Boswell's 

 disposal if he could get the matter settled in this way. This 

 sum, with the king's approval, was forwarded to the English 

 representative at Brussels, to be used in gaining over the 

 Spanish authorities. 1 The Dutch fishermen were a practical 

 race of men. They cared little for abstract questions about 

 the sovereignty of the sea. But they suffered much from 

 the Dunkirk privateers, and the burden of maintaining convoys 

 was a heavy one. Any reasonable scheme which promised 

 to free them from the attacks of their relentless enemy at 

 small cost was bound to be attractive. That the proposal was 

 seriously considered was also shown by a spontaneous applica- 

 tion made to the Secretary of the English Admiralty on behalf 

 of the fishermen of Schiedam. The agent in London, Mr 

 Brames, who supplied them with lampreys for bait, wrote 

 to Nicholas for a copy of the license granted in the previous 

 year, with a statement of the rates charged. If the fishermen 

 were pleased with the license and the price, they would, he 

 said, come themselves for them. Charles instructed Nicholas 

 to give the information wanted, but only " as from himself." 2 



An unexpected obstacle intervened to prevent the plan being 

 carried out. Gerbier, the British agent at Brussels, chiefly 

 by bribing the mistress of the Cardinal Infant, had secured a 

 promise that the passports would be granted ; but the Spanish 

 Admiral absolutely refused to be bound by them. He declared 

 he would not spare a single herring-boat, even if the Cardinal 

 went down on his knees to him. He would pay attention to 

 no passport that did not come direct from Madrid. 3 Thereupon 

 the Dutch fishermen refused to have anything to do with the 

 licenses which had been sent to Boswell "under the King's 

 hand and signet." * 



1 Gardiner, op. cit., 218. State Papers, Holland, Jan., Feb. 1637. 



2 March 19, 1637. State Papers, Dom., cccl. 34. 



3 Gardiner, op. cit. State Papers, Holland, Flanders. 



4 Windebank to Northumberland, July 3. State Papers, Dom., ccclxiii. 21. 



