400 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



have it discussed in the negotiations in London. But if the 

 Dutch had no clear idea as to what they were to do about 

 the flag on meeting the English fleet, the English commanders 

 had no doubt about their own line of action. Their instructions 

 were explicit. They were, by force if necessary, to compel 

 the ships of all nations to this acknowledgment of England's 

 sovereignty of the sea. 



Tromp proceeded to his cruising station off the coast of 

 Flanders, between Dunkirk and Nieuport, and while riding 

 at anchor there a strong north-east gale set in, which damaged 

 some of his vessels, and on the evening of the 18th May he 

 crossed over to the English coast for shelter and repairs. 

 At this time Bourne was lying in the Downs with eight 

 Parliamentary ships, and Tromp sent two of his captains to 

 him to explain the accidental cause of his coming, the ships 

 conveying them saluting Bourne's flag. One of the officers, 

 according to Bourne's account, said that Tromp himself 

 would have gone into the Downs "but that he was not 

 willing to breed any difference about his flag, forasmuch 

 as he had not orders to take it down " ; to which Bourne 

 replied that he "presumed there would be no new thing 

 required of them, and neither more nor less would be ex- 

 pected from them but what they knew to be the ancient 

 right of this nation " ; and he added that the reality of the 

 explanation given for their presence "would best appear by 

 their speedy drawing off" from this place." l According to 

 Tromp's account of the interview, Bourne merely thanked 

 him courteously for the message. 2 



At all events, the Dutch fleet passed along the English 

 coast in all its bravery, the admiral's ship with his flag on the 

 main-top-mast head, the rest with "jacks and ancients" flying, 

 and about seven in the evening they cast anchor off Dover, 

 within little more than gunshot of the castle. Here they 

 remained till the following afternoon with all their flags dis- 



1 Bourne's letter in The Ansiver of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Eng- 

 land to three Papers delivered to the Council of State by the Lords Ambassadors 

 Extraordinary of the States- General of the United Provinces: and also a Narrative 



517 k 15 

 of the Late Engagement, &c., Brit. Mus., '-^ p. 12. 



2 Letter to States-General, May 30. Hollantschc Mercurius, May 1652. The 

 Answer of the Parliament. Geddes, 209. Tideman, 130. 



