pretend great kindness to their Neighbour Princes and enter into a League Offensive and Defensive with them And by that means get the favour of those Princes to have some Ports or strong Castles for Defence of their Trade as they pretend in their Territories When that is done they either make Wars themselves and so those Princes must aid them or else perswade the Princes his Allies to make War upon another Prince which they do and so fight one Prince against another and when they are sufficiently enweakned they Conquer them all 11. If they have any difference with any potent King or Prince they get time if it be for their advantage they give good words but part with no money That done they make their Addresses to some Favorite of that Prince which do all in the Court of the Indian Kings and so with small charges they effect great matters By these steps they have clim'd up to those immense Pyramids of Dominion and Power in the Indies that they are become formidable to the greatest Emperours and Princes there ever making good in their practice that Lemma of Loyola the Apostle of their State Cavete vobis Principes They have excluded the Subjects of all Kings and Princes in Europe from Traffick and Commerce where they have any Territories or Power And by reason of the Dominion they have in the South Seas and the Conquests and Fortifications they make upon the North Seas all their Subjects will finally be debarred from any Traffick or Trade there Of what dangerous consequence this will prove it 's very well beseeming the Wisdom of the greatest Kings and Princes to consider For there are a Generation which are born to be the Plague Disquiet and Scourge of Europe and they gladly sacrifice the Publick Peace of Christendom to their own private Interest If we consider how many brave and large Dominions in the East-Indies were under the Sovereignty of the Kings of Great Britain what flourishing Factories their Subjects had there how great Kings they might have been in Treasure and Dominion how rich their Subjects it cannot but discompose an English Spirit that his King should be ousted of all those Dominions and his Subjects devested of their Riches and Hopes by a People who had nothing but the Favour of the King of Great Britain to support them nor no Fortress to defend them but that of Ambâ—yna and that built by the Monies of the English Company Well we may see what Treachery and Perfidiousness can do being accompanied with Ambition and Industry But they will ere long find that slippery are those Foundations of Might and Greatness which are not laid upon the Principles of Justice and regulated by the Maxims of Christian Piety And as America was the Theatre where they Acted these Tragedies and unparallel'd Insolencies so they have not spared to manifest their Ingratitude Affronts and highest Injuries against the Kings of Great Britain and the English Nation here in Europe Anno 1639. when his Catholick Majesty sent his Armado with some Souldiers into Flanders to strengthen his Garisons there but by cross Winds were driven upon the English Coasts the States Equipped out a great Fleet of Men of War charged the Spanish Armado ravished his Ships out of the Harbours of his late Majesty at Dover and destroyed most of that Fleet though in his Majesties Protection and Dominions and against his Majestles express Command thereby Usurping Sovereignty to themselves and giving Laws to his Majesty in his own Dominions A bold Affront And certainly they could not think but his Majesty did highly resent it But to keep him busied at home and that his Majesty might have no opportunity to bring them to Justice for their Insolency there being Anno 1639. some Distempers in Scotland they did greatly promote them and contributed their assistance to them in all manner of Military Provisions Monarchy and with that the Glory of the English Nation was now departed the People model themselves into a Commonwealth they take a full prospect of the Usurpations Injuries and Oppressions of the States which had such a horrid complexion of Injustice upon them that the new Commonwealth denounce War against the old States they obtain many signal Victories and had much disabled their Naval Forces Now the States being not well able to contest with the English Valour they project how they might deliver themselves from the fury of these men At last they having by their Emissaries first disseminated Sedition amongst the People whereby the Commonwealth became a burthen to the Nation and wise men began to be troubled at the ill face of affairs they adjudged the best expedient was to set up a single Person the States being now sensible of their former errour in not supporting the English Monarchy as their best safety and greatest Protection O. as the fittest person for such a Bold-fac'd Treason by their underhand practise and paying to him some hundred thousand of pounds is prevailed with to take upon him the Government of the Nation The War is continued against them with great success yet by their Interest they obtain a Treaty And thereupon paying a Million of Pounds to O. a Peace is concluded but the most dishonourable and unjust that ever was to this Nation But such as it was it continued till his Majesties blessed Restauration Anno 1641. there happening some difference betwixt his late Majesty and his Parliament they sent over their Rabbies of Sedition here into England and infus'd their Antimonarchical Principles and dangerous Doctrines into some giddy heads of the English Nation who thereby became so intoxicated that they were never at rest till like men infected with the Plague they infected others and thereby a great part of the people became disobservant to the Laws of the Nation and Rebels to their King An Army of these men were raised they having their chief Officers and Commanders and all Warlike Provisions out of the United Provinces to bring Destruction to the King and Desolation to the Kingdom Thereby that Great King being reduced to streights notwithwithstanding the many Obligations of the States to his Majesty they could never be induced to contribute any Aid or Assistance to redeem that Excellent Prince from so great Abyss of Misery or to preserve the Kingdom from Ruine and Confusion which with their Assistance might have been easily prevented But the States were so far from any Act of Charity or Piety that Amsterdam was made the great Emporium or Market for the Rebels to sell those rich and costly Goods which they had plundered from his Majesties best Subjects in England whereas no King or Prince in Christendom would suffer them to make use of any of their Ports to that purpose and the best Furniture that some of the States have in their Houses at this very day are many of those stollen Goods And by this means they brought Poverty and Misery to this Nation Riches and Plenty
Sec Thurloe Sr Thes Gentlemen have a Petition for you to deliuer to the Council of State Hugh Peters Paulus Van der Parre The Humble Petition of the States Generall of the United Provinces Allard Peter Iongstall William Nieuport Hieronymus van Beverningk A Sherwin The DVTCH Vsurpation OR A Brief Vievv of the Behaviour OF THE STATES-GENERAL Of the United Provinces Towards the Kings of Great Britain With some of their CRUELTIES and INJUSTICES Exercised upon the Subjects of the English Nation AS ALSO A Discovery of what Arts they have used to Arrive at their late Grandeur c. By WILLIAM de BRITAINE Et genus humanum Mortalia temnitis arma At sperate Deos. Virg. LONDON Printed for Jonathan Edwin at the Three Roses in Ludgate-street MDCLXXII To His Royal Highness THE Duke of YORK SIR COuld I but use my Pen as You Your Sword I 'd Write in Blood and kill at every Word The Hogans then my Muse's Pow'r should feel And find my Verse as fatal as Your Steel But sure Great Prince none can presume to Write With such Success as You know how to Fight Who carry in Your Looks th' Events of War Design'd like Caesar for a Conquerour The World of Your Atchievements is afraid While Neptune's Watry Kingdoms You Invade And that much-courted Mistress th' Ocean 's now Not by th' Venetian-Duke Espous'd but You. And now Great Prince may You Victorious be Your Fame and Arms o'er-spreading Land and Sea May You our haughty Neighbours overcome And bring Rich Spoils and Peaceful Laurels Home Whilst They Their Ruine or Your Pardon meet Sink by Your Side or fall before Your Feet THE Dutch Usurpation THe Dominion of the Belgick Provinces being devolv'd to Philip the second King of Spain who designing to Himself the Western Monarchy and the best medium to that end was to reduce those Provinces to a Kingdom But they being fortified with great priviledges and many of them inconsistent with Monarchy 't was adjudg'd by sober persons ' twoud prove a work of great difficulty and that He would never effect that he aim'd at Besides the reformation of Religion which then began to grow to some strength mov'd the King to reduce them back to the Church of Rome by the power and terrour of the Inquisition Which when the people violently oppos'd the King then resolv'd to bring them by Spanish Rhetorick that is by Sword and Cannon to obedience To that end King Philip sends the Duke of Alva an old and expert Captain with a puissant Army to be his Vice-Roy amongst them No sooner was he settled in his new Government but he establish'd the Bloet-rod as they term it a Council of Bloud made up most of Spaniards Anno 1567. He took off the Heads of the Counts of Horn Egmont and of divers other persons of quality Citadels were erected and Taxes impos'd upon the people to support them The Political Government of the Countrey in many things altered and the people spoyl'd not of their priviledges only but of their liberties Amongst the reform'd he brought in the Inquisition and therein behav'd himself very tyrannically This powred Oyl on the fire formerly kindled and put all into a combustion about five thousand Families quitted their Countrey some flying into Germany others into France and most into England where they were received with all kindness and civility Churches were appointed them they being of the reform'd Religion and many Noble and great priviledges were bestowed upon them During those Troubles the Prince of Orange and Count Lodowick his Brother were very active and gave Duke Alva imployment All Holland except Amsterdam follow'd the Fortune and side of the Prince together with all the Towns of Zealand except Middle-burg Anno 1573. Duke Alva was recall'd afterwards Don Lewis of Requisens was appointed Governour After him the Prince of Parma who brought the Hollander into worse case then ever Yet Anno 1581. they declare that Philip of Spain was fallen from His Government they renounce and abjure Him for their Sovereign they break his Seals change the Oath of Allegiance and took a new Oath of the people never to return to the Spanish Obedience This done the States for so they call'd themselves ever after chose Francis Duke of Anjou to be their Prince during whose unfortunate Government the Duke of Parma prevailed in all places especially after the death of William Prince of Orange who was traiterously slain Anno 1584. Now were the Hollanders truely miserable desperate of pardon from their inraged Prince and having no person of courage to head them none of power to protect them but such as were likely to regard their own profit more than their Interest England was the only Sanctuary they had now left to which they sue offering the Queen the Soveraignty of their Provinces But that Heroick Queen not intending to Her self any thing saving the honour of relieving Her distressed Neighbours Anno 1585. took them into her protection and concluded amongst others of these Articles That the Queen should send them five thousand Foot and a thousand Horse into the Netherlands to fight for them That they should pay Her Ten Pounds per Cent. for all sums of money She should lend them or disburse for them And Interest upon Interest And likewise five pounds for every English Gentleman or Officer which should dye in their service All which sums of money were to be paid unto the Queen at the end of the War And that for the reimbursing of the said monies the Briel Flushing and Castle of Ramekins were to be delivered unto the Queen as Caution and Pledges The Queen in performance of Her Agreement sent them 5000 Foot 1000 Horse Money and a Governour The Earl of Leicester and had the Cautionary Towns delivered unto Her The renowned Sir Philip Sidney was the first Government of Flushing who died in their service Casimir also the Elector Palatines Son drew down to the assistance of the States an Army of fifteen thousand Horse and Foot at the instance and great charges of the Queen When the Earl of Leicester came to wait upon the Queen at his going over to be their Governour She strictly commanded the Earl that he should have a regard of the English Souldiers and that they served God and demean d themselves religiously Which they did with such exemplary zeal that a sober man might have thought that the United Provinces then stood in Christendom And that pious Queen did therein well for the Christian Religion was first planted in Holland Zealand and Friesland by Willibroad an English man the first Bishop of Vtretcht whence by degrees it gain'd on the rest of the Countries But since by the ill practices of some amongst them they are much fallen from the purity of it The Queen now resolveth to set all the Royal Signatures of Her favour upon the United Provinces and give them the most eminent demonstrations
owed Her And advised them for the future that they should not seek a remedy against growing danger from old acounts by compulsion but rather merit new favours by their gratitude and thanks for the former At these expressions of Her Majesty the poor distressed States thought themselves confounded both for their former and future charges Yet considering the name of Alliance with England was of exceeding advantage unto them they resolv'd to submit as they could not avoid it to such Conditions as Her Majesty should lay upon them The Queen again press'd them for the payment of Her Mony and for Peace but She could not incline them to peace being never disposed to pay Her Money which must be at the end of the War Yet in complyance with Her Majesty the Account was stated And the principal Debt besides Interest upon Interest and the loss of Her Subjects in their Wars did amount unto 8000000 Crowns and they did agree to pay Her Majesty during the War 100000 Pounds yearly and the remainder when peace was concluded and the Cautionary Towns surrendred and that in the mean time 1500 English Souldiers should remain in the Garrisons and that the States should pay them The Queen having Her Debts stated began to be more friendly to them and wished them to follow their Trade of fishing upon the British Seas which She gave them leave to do that they might be the better able to pay Her and support the charges of their War which they did effectually But I could never find that they ever paid unto Her Majesty any of the money they owed Her For it 's not to be conceived that those persons whom Her Majesty for so many years could not bring to an account would at the last pay Her any thing But Her Majesty being grown into years and those vigorous and great parts She formerly had somewhat declining they that the Queen might not exact of them the payment of Her money according to Agreement with Her continually by Emissaries which they had about Her Majesty and their Pensioners did infuse Jealousies into Her Head and what Plots and secret designs the Cing of Spain had against Her Majesty and Her Dominions which did so amuse Her that I do not observe Her Majesty ever pressed them after for the payment of any money But from time to time She supplied them with men as they desired and ever made good to them her own Motto Semper eadem And as Her assistance to them was the first so it continued to the last that is until April 3. 1603. at which time She died having lost not fewer than 100000 of Her Subjects in that War And having spent in Naval expeditions for their sakes against the King of Spain in America and elsewhere above a Million of money besides the Debt which the States owed Her King James being proclaimed King and the undoubted Heir and Successor to the Queen The States sent their Ambassadors to the King and after some Complements to Him they signifie to His Majesty That they had lost Her whose Goodness and Benefits to them were not to be expressed in words But they had found His Majesty as the Heir of Her Kingdom so the Imitator of Her Vertues and persuaded Him to a War with Spain and begged supplies of Him But King James being a wise Prince and not to be taken with their arts and cunning told them that He had no difference with the Spaniard and also that King Philip had voluntarily offer'd Him His assistance if any dispute should have arisen concerning His Kingdoms And for the Arch-Duke he made War with the Queen not with the Realm This highly discompos'd the States But King James treated withe Spaniards and concluded a League with them And the States such kindness had His Majesty for them were offered by King James to be comprehended in the Articles of the Treaty but they refus'd yet by the mediation of King James a Peace was propounded to the States from the King of Spain But they signified unto His Majesty that they would not treat with the King of Spain till they were declared by him Free States abstracted from all right and title unto any of the Provinces or Places by them possessed which He might pretend unto All which by the great endeavours of King James were granted unto them by the King of Spain And so Anno 1609. a Peace was concluded between the King of Spain and them The Provinces in the possession of the States at the time of the conclusion of the Peace were Holland Zealand West-Friesland Overyssell Groningland Vtrecht Zutphen three parts of Gelderland and so some frontier Towns and Place of contribution in Brabant and Flanders All which Provinces with their frontier Towns in Brabant and Flanders are not so big as York-shire one of our Counties in England And there may be a greater number of stout and gallant men for War raised out of that one County than they can raise out of all their Provinces Being now declared Free States and Peace concluded with the King of Spain yet for their own security they were enforced to maintain an Army in their Country The charge whereof could not amount to less than six hundred thousand Pounds yearly besides other vast expences as the preservation of their Dikes c. All or the greatest part thereof they raised out of the Fishing of the British Sear or on the people by Excise and taxes upon every Acre of Ground Which is such that the whole Country returns into their hands every third year and by other Impositions so insupportable in themselves and amongst men which would be thought to live in a Free State that should any Prince in Christendom lay but half so much upon their Subjects it would occasion a Revolt So that whereas one of the first causes of their falling off from their Prince was to free themselves from Taxes and Impositions illegally as they â—aid enforced upon them they have drawn upon themselves more arbitrary and illegal Payments than any Nation in the world So true it is that a Rebellion once suppressed the King is more King and the Subjects more subject But if it thrives and happen to be prosperum seelus and to advance it self to a Free State as they call it Tyranny and Oppression are the two Pillars which must support it The States being now absolute and having obtain'd a Sovereign Dommion only the Cautionary Towns stook in their Stomachs and might prove a curb to them But being unwilling to move the King concerning them by the great sums of money they then owed Him and being not well able to pay Him they would by some projection or other endeavour to gain them Thereupon they resolv'd as the best expedient not to pay the English Soldiers in the Cautionary Towns who being thereby put to distress and want would be enforced to borrow some monies for their present support
there the Ship and Goods were confiscated valued at one hundred thousand pounds The Dragon and Katherine two English Ships of Sir William Curâ—een valued at three hundred thousand pounds besides their Commanders and others who had very great Estates therein anno 1636. were set upon by seven Dutch Men of War as they past the Streights of Mallaca from China and by them taken The men tyed back to back and slung over bord the Goods being taken out of the said Ships were seised to the use of the States there and the Ships sunk that it might not be known who committed that cruel fact In Aru and Manueado in Sumatia an Oriental Island the English had several Factories there by the consent of the King and Natives but by the practise of the Hollanders anno 1625. they were all enforced to leave their Factories and the places In Pachane the chief City of Pachane one of the Kingdoms of Siain in India the English had several Factories there but by the unjust practices of the Hollanders they were compelled to quit the Country and their Factories to an unexpressable loss to the English Pachane being a great Country for Gold Silver Pearls Precious Stones and many other rich Commodities The Hollanders anno 1636. made War against the King of Bantam one of the Kings of Java major for that he had a great kindness for the English And for that he permitted them to have several Factories in Sunda and Jambe for Pepper And by this art would have driven the English from thence and their chief Pepper Trade And so would have shut them out both of the Streights of Sunda and Mallaca Which from these men we may learn That those which study to be great by any means must by all means forget to be good they must dismiss that puny thing Conscience for there is no such Remora to Grandeur as a coy and squemish Conscience And it's observ d by a learned Gentleman had Alexander boggled at invading other mens Kingdoms he had never wept for the scarcity of Worlds The oppressions and injuries of these men in India not only to the English but to the Subjects of many of the Kings and Princes in Europe are not to be express d and indeed they are fitter for our wouder than our words It were to be desired that they would set forth a Manifesto to the world of the particular losses they and their Subjects have sustained by the Insolencies and Usurpations of these men And then they would be as much scorned by every good man in Europe as they are now hated by the Indians in America For the Indians though they have no kindness for the Spaniard yet they look upon him as a Gentleman but the Hollanders they abhor for their sordid acts and unjust practises As they have made themselves Masters of the South Seas so having Anno 1662. taken Cochen from the Portuguez and other Ports upon the coast of Mallabar they have the sole command upon the North Seas from Mallabar to India Persia Arabia Red Sea Mosambique all along to Cabo de Bon Esperanza so they will in a short time restrain all the Kings and Princes in Europe and their Subjects to have a Trade or Commerce in those parts And whether it may not by the help of a little Logick be concluded out of their stile consider The States General of the United Provinces of Battavia Amboyna Tewan c Commanders of all the Seas of the world Protectors of all the Kings and Princes in Europe and Supreme Moderators of all the affairs of Christendom For so they stile and write themselves in the East Indies Now they are High and Mighty States indeed Ambition is never so high but she thinks still to mount that station which lately seem'd the top is but a step to her now and what before was great in desiring seem little being once in power The Method and Arts which the States have used in India to Inlarge their Dominions and to exclude others from Trade or Commerce there 1. THey are in a perpetual state of Hostility ever Warring upon some Prince or other and thereby gain either Tribute or Dominion 2. When they have to do with any King or Prince they order their Affairs so that he must perform first and when he hath done they are States and so are free 3. They encourage the Natives upon every small occasion of discontent to Arm against their Prince premising them their assistance which they exactly perform When they have Conquered the King and taken his Castles and Ports which they first secure making themselves Masters of the Seas and great Rivers then they subdue the Natives and so Vest in themselves Sovereign Dominion and make both King and Natives their Vassals 4. If the Natives take up Arms against their Prince as many times they do then they encourage him against his Rebellious Subjects and give him their assistance When the Natives are subdued then they conquer the King himself or else demand so much for their assistance that he is not able to pay and so he must submit himself and his Dominions to their boundless ambition 5. If there be any Wars between Prince and Prince they will be sure to fall in with one of them and give him their Aid and so make War in the other Princes Dominion When that Prince is subdued and themselves setled in his Dominions then they reduce the other Prince to their Obedience having some Castles or Ports in his Dominions which do command the whole 6. If they have any places of concern and the Subjects of any Prince in Europe have any Factories there which they cannot fairly dismiss then they lay such great Taxes and Impositions upon the Natives that they are enforced to Arms. When they are subdued then they charge the Subjects of that Prince as Conspirators and Abetters of the Natives and so seize upon all their Goods Factories and enforce them to quit the Country or else send them into some of their Islands to be Slaves 7. If any Prince in Europe make any Treaty or League with the States concerning any Affairs in India they send to the States of Battavia private Instructions contrary to their publick Agreement So that all Treaties and Leagues as to the Affairs of India are ineffectual 8. Where they have footing in any Island or Dominion they claim by Conquest and so lay what Taxes they please upon the Natives And being in by Conquest they are Proprietaries and so exclude the Subjects of any King or Prince from Trade there 9. If the Subjects of any King or Prince in Europe have Factories in the Dominions of any Prince there if they begin to be considerable they take some occasion to War against that Prince and upon Treaty charge those Subjects to be the cause of the War so if the Prince will have Peace he must seize their Factories and Goods and banish them his Country 10. They
to themselves This unfortunate Nation being thus in Combustion and all befry'd the Hogan Mogans with joy as an ingenious man observed did warm their hands at those unhappy flames which they themselves had kindled tuning their merry Harps when others were weeping over a Kingdoms Funeral In England there being nothing but Confusion and Ruine nothing to be seen but the Convulsions of a dying State His now Sacred Majesty for his own safety and security withdrew Himself out of England and resolved to live for some time in his Solitudes in the Belgick Provinces But the States were so far from affording Him any comfort as a distressed Prince or yielding Him any kindness as their best Friend and greatest Patron that if his Majesty had not had timely notice of it it is credibly said that he had been delivered up in their Territories as a Sacrifice to the fury of his cruellest Enemy His Majesty Anno 1660. being restored to his Kingdoms forgetting all their former Unkindnesses and Ingratitudes his care was to conclude a strict League with the said States But no sooner was it concluded but they return to their usual practise of breaking of Articles who expect an exact observance of them from others but perform none themselves Thereupon his Majesty 1664. was stirred up by the Complaints of his people and the Unanimous Votes of both Houses of Parliament to defend the Rights of his Crown and the Liberties of his People which the States had most notoriously invaded yet his Majesty to prevent the effusion of bloud as Tyrants shed bloud for pleasure Kings for necessity spent the whole Summer in Negotiations to bring them to reason but all his endeavours proved ineffectual Thereupon Anno 1665 ensued the War and continued to the year 1667. Wherein his Majesty obtained so many signal Victories that by their humble Supplications and Addresses to his Majesty for Peace he was induced to a Treaty And his Majesty having the Garranty of the most Christian King and of the said States that no Act of Hostility during the said Treaty should be attempted by them against his Majesty or any of his Dominions thereupon his Majesty did forbear to Equip his Fleet. Yet the said States contrary to their Faith during the said Treaty with their Fleet though not half mann'd or Victuall'd for any time most treacherously invaded his Majesties Dominions burnt and committed Destruction upon several Ships of his Majesties Navy Royal in his own Ports and Harbour Whereas if his Majesty had set forth his Fleet they had not been able to have put to Sea that year for want of Mariners and other discouragements upon them having received so many memorable defeats by the Valour and Courage of his subjects No sooner was there a Peace concluded but every Article was broken by them And no wonder for it 's a Maxime of their State That all Alliance as to them is inconsiderable the foundation of their Greatness and Safety consists in their own Power and Strength Therefore to keep any Article is of no consideration to them Now they invade his Majesties Fishing upon the British Seas without his Royal License they refuse to strike Sail and dispute his Sovereignty of the British Seas Affronts so high and Indignities so transcendent that no King or Potentate except these men did ever so much as question any of them It doth appear by the Records in the Tower and the Municipal Laws of this Nation that the Kings of England have had ever from the time of the Romans an absolute and uninterrupted Right and exclusive Property in the Sovereignty of the British Seas in the Passages and Fishing thereof and hath power to make Laws and exercise Supreme Jurisdiction over all Persons and in all cases within or upon the said Seas as 't was agreed 26 E. 1. by the Agents and Embassadors of Genoa Catoloigna Spain Almaine Zealand Holland Friesland Denmark Norway and divers other places in the Empire And by all the States and Princes of Europe in a case then in question between the King of England and his most Christian Majesty concerning Rayner Grimbold his Admiral exercising some Jurisdiction upon the British Seas See the Records in the Tower 26 E. 1. de Superioritate Maris Anglici The Laws of Olleron which after the Rhodian Laws were antiquated have now near five hundred years been received by all the Christian World for regulating Sea-Affairs and deciding of Maritine Controversies were first declared by King R. 1. at his return from the Holy Land and by him caused to be published in the Isle of Olleron as belonging to the Dutchy of Aquitane If the Subjects of any King or Prince have a Right to Fish in the British Seas I do desire to be satisfied What should be the reason that all Neighbour Princes have by Treaty obtained license from the Kings of England for their Subjects to Fish in those Seas and have paid Tribute as it doth appear by the Licences granted by H. 4. unto the French By H. 6. unto the Dutchess of Burgundy To those of Brabant and Flanders by E. 4. To Francis Duke of Britain for his Subjects Philip II. King of Spain in the first year of Queen Mary obtained a Licence for his Subjects to fish upon the North Coasts of Ireland for the term of one and twenty years paying yearly for the same 1000 l. which was accordingly paid into the Exchequer of Ireland And the Presidents in R. 1. King John E. 3. and other Kings are almost infinite And if any King or Prince could pretend to any right certainly His Most Christian Majestic hath as good a pretence as any But that King by the special Licence of the Kings of England and not otherwise hath fish'd upon the British Coasts with a set and limited number of Boats And that for his own Family and being likewise to observe the Laws and Orders of his own Fishermen For breach whereof divers of his Subjects have been taken and imprisoned in Dover Castle and elswhere as doth appear by many presidents in time of E. 3. H. 4. H. 7. c. in the Tower Neither is this singular in the King of England only for in Russia many Leagues from the Main Fishermen do pay for their fishing great Taxes to the Emperor of Russia And in most places other Nations are prohibited to fish The King of Denmark doth the like and taketh great Tribute both at Wardhouse and the Sound And the like he doth now for Norway All the bordering Princes of Italy do the like within the Mediterranean Seas The States do take an Imposition upon fish which is taken upon the British Seas and within the Streams and Dominions of other Princes The Hollanders do allow the tenth Fish both in Russia Lappia and other places or pay a Composition for the same And do also pay a Tribute in the Sound for passage to fetch the said Fish But I shall not give my self