366 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



part of the treatise is taken up with the fisheries, the infor- 

 mation being almost wholly derived from previous writers ; 

 the usual comparisons are drawn of the flourishing state of the 

 fisheries of Holland and the poor condition of those of England, 

 and the usual statements made as to the benefits that would 

 accrue to the kingdom if the fisheries were developed. 



Boroughs' treatise, however interesting from the historical 

 documents it contained, had serious defects when considered as 

 a formal justification to Europe of the policy of Charles. The 

 facts were not skilfully marshalled ; the deductions were bald 

 and crude ; and above all, it was destitute of arguments and 

 reasoning founded on law. Grotius was then the Swedish 

 ambassador at Paris, his works were well known and esteemed 

 throughout Europe, and it would have been indiscreet to 

 attempt to answer his elaborate arguments against such claims 

 to mare clausum by saying that these claims were self-evident 

 and that only an impudent person would deny them. 



Fortunately for Charles, Selden now came upon the scene 

 to vindicate and glorify his prerogative in the surrounding seas. 

 The distinguished author tells us that his great work, Mare 

 Clausum, was begun long before at the desire of King James, 

 and had been lying in an incomplete and imperfect form for 

 fully sixteen years. 1 It was presented to James in 1618, but 

 several reasons prevented its publication, one of the chief being 

 that the king was afraid that some passages it contained might 

 give offence to the King of Denmark, from whom he was then 

 endeavouring to obtain a loan of money. 2 At the request of 

 Charles, Selden now recast his treatise, added to it, and com- 

 pleted it. It was dedicated to the king and published by his 

 "express commands," as he explained a little later, "for the 

 manifesting of the right and Dominion of Us and our Royal 



1 Mare Clausum, in dedication to King Charles, " Divi parentis tui jussu tentata 

 olim adumbrataque, inter schedas sive neglectas sive disjectas per annos amplius 

 sedecim mecuin latuit ; ut iinperfecta minis sic etiam ceu intermortua." 



2 Vindicice Marts Clausi, p. 25. This was the explanation which Selden gave 

 when, in 1652, he was taunted by a Dutch writer, Graswinckel, with having written 

 his work to get out of prison. It is surprising that James, who was loquacious and 

 fond of displaying his knowledge, never lectured the Dutch ambassadors on the 

 themes in Mare Clausum as from the rolls of the Edwards ; nor was any use 

 made of its facts and arguments throughout the protracted negotiations in his 

 reign. 



