CHARLES I. I THE NAVY 323 



At the beginning of August 1637, Charles, conscious of the 

 ridicule that would ensue if the third ship-money fleet lay 

 at anchor all the year, and yet having nothing for it to do, 

 sent it to the west "to make one turn in an honourable 

 procession, to continue the boundaries of our master's dominion 

 in the sea," as Roe, with gentle sarcasm, described it. It got 

 as far as the Land's End, and returned to the Downs on 

 5th September, having "scarce seen a ship stirring on the 

 sea, except the poor fishers that dwell upon the shore." l 

 Windebank told Northumberland that the king was "very 

 sensible " of the story which was being told about the licenses, 

 and that he had been specially commanded to give the 

 refutation of it in charge of the Earl, "and that you should 

 do it in the same way that I have directed him (Fogg), 

 namely, that his being sent to the busses was to give them 

 notice of the forces prepared by the Dunkirkers to intercept 

 them in their return, and to offer them his Majesty's 

 protection, but no licenses; that of the licenses to be cried 

 down and the other to be advowed and reported through 

 the whole fleet." Fielding was to be admonished to be more 

 reserved in future "in such great services," and in the 

 meantime to "make reparation by divulging this and sup- 

 pressing the former report." 2 Captain Fogg readily agreed 

 to suppress " the false report," as he called it ; but what 

 Northumberland's answer was does not appear. He seems 

 to have received the king's commands only on returning 

 to the Downs, and he left the Triumph a few days thereafter. 

 What he thought is not doubtful : he was getting disgusted 



in the volume prepared for the ambassadors going to Cologne in 1673 (State Papers, 

 Dom.y Chas. II., 339, p. 519) : "This mentioned report appears by other letters and 

 passages of that time to have been really the truth, but of that disadvantage to hU 

 Maty* right and title, as it was thought fitt by all means to stiffle it, and give out 

 Captain Fielding went to ye Holland Busses onely wth notice of ye Dunquerqrs 

 preparations to intercept them in their return and to offer his Mamies protection." 



1 Windebank to Northumberland, 1st Aug., State Papers, Dom., Chas. I., 

 ccclxv. 5 ; Roe to Countess of Northumberland, 20th July, ibid., ccclxiv. 22 ; 

 Northumberland to Windebank, 1st Sept., ibid., ccclxviii. 1 ; Same to Admiralty, 

 6th Sept., ii>i<L, ccclxviii. 48. 



8 Aug. 10. Ibid., ccclxv. 53. The king's real feelings were shown in the instruc- 

 tions given to the Earl when he was ordered to the west on 1st August. " If any 

 of the fishers of Holland which have refused his Majesty's licenses shall be assaulted 

 by the Dunkirkers, his Majesty will in no wise that you protect them." Ibid., 

 ccclxv. 5. 



