DOMINIUM MARIS 73 
portion of the English fleet, was, in June, 1636, ordered to 
sail northwards towards the fishing grounds. A hundred 
licenses, signed by the king, had been prepared, which the 
Earl was ordered to procure at Deal Castle. These licenses 
he was to present to the Dutch fishermen, his instructions 
being to take ‘after the rate of 124 the ton of each vessel 
accepting the license”; any ship refusing to accept the 
license and pay the required tax was to be seized and sent 
into an English port.1 Shortly afterwards, another two 
hundred licenses were sent him, and with these he sailed 
north with a fleet of twelve vessels.” 
The “ Form of License for Fishing in English Seas,” had 
been drawn up in the following terms :— 
“We are gratiously pleased by these Presents to grant 
lycense to to fish with Men and Company 
belonging to a ship or vessel called ———————_ being of the 
Burthen of Tunnes, upon any of our Coastes or 
Seas of Great Brittaine and Ireland, and the rest of our 
islands adjacent, where usually heretofore any fishing 
hath been. And this our Lycense to continue for one whole 
year from ye Date hereof, willing and requiring as well 
all our Subjects as others of what Nation, Quality or Con- 
dition soever, that they give no Impeachment or molestation 
to ye said ———————— or his Company in the said Vessell, 
in the execution of this our Lycense, upon such Paines 
and Punishments as are to be inflicted upon the violaters 
of our Royall Protection, and the Willful Breakers of Our 
Peace, in our aforesaid Dominions and Jurisdictions, further 
requiring and comanding all our Admirals, Vice-Admirals, 
Rere-Admirals and Captnes of our ships, Castles and Forts. 
to protect and assist the said —-————— in ye quiet en- 
joying the benefit of this our Lycense.”’ ® 
1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 326, No. 32. 
2 Beaujon’s Essay, p. 176. 
3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 326, No. 32. 
