THE FIRST DUTCH WAR 399 



earlier times for the States' ships, "particularly when they 

 were weakest," 1 to salute with guns and strike their flag on 

 meeting the English fleet. 2 The Government, however, thought 

 that the conditions had changed; but they failed to give the 

 admiral definite directions one way or the other as to how 

 he should act if he met the fleet of the Parliament. He was 

 merely told in general terms that he must so manage matters, if 

 he met with the English fleet, that the state should suffer no 

 affront (" geen cleynicheyt "), a decision which left everything 

 to his own discretion. There was the more risk in this course 

 as the English at this time were said to be jealous of Tromp, 

 owing to his reluctance to strike his flag to them. 3 



Later in the same year, the question was again raised by 

 Vice-Admiral Jan Evertsen, who was placed in command of a 

 squadron to cruise between Cape Ortegal, the Scillies, and 

 Ushant. Before his departure he endeavoured to obtain pre- 

 cise orders as to how he should comport himself if called 

 upon to strike, so that no " inconvenience " might be caused. 

 The States thereupon merely renewed the instructions they 

 had given to Tromp in March, and they ordered that copies 

 of Tromp's memorandum should be distributed to the other 

 commanders. 4 



No further directions on the matter were given to Tromp when 

 he took command of the fleet in 1652, though it ought to have 

 been evident to the States that in the delicate position of 

 affairs with England, and from the nature of the duties they 

 had laid upon their admiral, the risk of misunderstanding and 

 collision with the English fleet was great and imminent. They 

 hesitated to give decided orders to strike, apparently lest such 

 action might be construed into an acknowledgment of the 

 inferiority of the Dutch Republic to the English Common- 

 wealth, especially at a time when they believed themselves 

 to be superior to it in naval power; 5 and though alive to 

 the importance of the matter, they were very reluctant to 



1 "Souderlinge de awackste sijnde." 



2 Tideman, op. cit., 68. Resol. HoU., ^ March 1651. 



. * ffollanttche Mercuriut, April 1651, p. 49 : "Seer jaloure, oindat hij niet ter- 

 stond gere<lt was voor haar te strijcken." 



4 Retol. St. Qen., ^, ^ Oct. 1651. Aitzema, iii. 731. Tidenian, 68, 92. 



5 Add. MSS. Brit. Mut., 11,684, fol. 30.. 



