DOMINIUM MARIS 77 
the dominion of the sea,” that he could say little on the 
subject. At the same time, he felt that both English and 
Dutch would soon be so much occupied with matters of greater 
importance, that they would tacitly leave the matter as 
it stood. He himself “ would advise a silence of this business 
on all hands, and not to interrupt businesses with moving 
a question about that which will necessarily do itself without 
questioning.” + To this Elizabeth replied, putting the atti- 
tude of the States simply as one in which they were well 
content to leave the matter alone, ‘‘so the king forgets it, 
and speaks no more of it, which she tells them she is con- 
fident he will not, having things of greater importance 
to do now.” ? Swayed by all these considerations, then, 
both sides were unwilling to force matters to extremities, 
although the Dutch still held to their theory of Mare Liberum, 
and the king still maintained his hereditary right to 
Dominium Maris. 
Having no intention of going to war, Charles now essayed 
the subtle paths of diplomacy. Early in 1637, licenses 
were sent to Sir William Boswell, then at the Hague, to 
be distributed among the Dutch fishermen ; at the same 
time, Charles attempted to force the situation by con- 
cluding a secret treaty with the Spaniards, by which it 
was arranged that each holder of a license from the king 
of England was to receive a pass from the Spanish authorities, 
entitling its possessor to a voyage to and from the fishing 
ground safe from molestation from the Dunkirkers, who 
were ‘‘ to take care not to disturb such of the Hollanders, 
though then their enemyes, as had ye King’s license.” 3 
This secret treaty fell through, owing to “ the perverseness 
of the Spanish Ministers,” and the Hollanders accordingly 
refused to accept the licenses from the King of England. 
1Qal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 348, No. 62. 2 Ibid. vol. 351, No. 1. 
3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339 (“A Collection of divers particulars, 
etc.”’). 
4Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 363, No. 21. 
