(a) Thurloe,

vol. i. p. 316.

(6) Id. p.

359.

rendered their memories dear to all true lovers of their country. The particulars are to be found in most of our common hiftories, and thither I must refer the reader defirous of information on this fubject. Whilst the war was carrying on in a manner glorious to the English commonwealth, the parliament omitted nothing which might make it terminate in fuch a manner as to prevent all future difputes between the two nations. With great diligence and dexterity they got intelligence of the molt private defigns and refolutions of the enemy, and took as much care as poffible to conceal their own; nor would they abate the leaft in their propofals for peace, though applied to moft fubmiffively by ambaffadors fent from the flates for that purpose. The following extracts will abundantly confirm and explain what is here mentioned.

.

The Dutch ambaffadors, in a letter to N. Ruysch, dated Westminster, July 4, 1653, N. S. fay, We are obliged to advise their high and mighty lordships that men here have full knowledge, with all the circumftances of the resolutions taken upon the fifth of June (a). In a letter of intelligence from the Hague, dated the 28th of the fame month, we read what follows: What I have always feared is now come to pass, that intimation should be given here of the good intelligence you have there of the affairs here. Our deputies there have written hither to these states, that they have affurance from their friends in England, that all the fecret actings here, and were it poffible, the very thoughts of these ftates are moft exactly and weekly presented in writing to the councel of state ⚫ there. This was hotly debated in the affembly, every one asking the other, who betrayed them; and fome quarrels were like to arife, but a fort of compofure was made, and orders given for ftrict fecrefy in all their proceedings; fo that much difficulty will be in furnishing you; however I fhall attempt always to ferve you as long as I can. But if you have not fecrefy, you are not worthy of the profit thereof, Our deputies there begin to give very good intelligence from London, however they get it (b). The 18th of this month, we find the following fhort letter written by

339.

Beverning, one of the ambaffadors, to Mr. Gerard Cinque at Goude. Sir, I dare not write much news. All our actions are spied. We have spies set to watch us in our houses. We cannot be certain of any thing that we do, that it fhall not be either known or miscarry. If you please to have any thing fent you from hence, that this country affords, pray let me know (Thurloe, vol. i. p. it (c).'We are not however to suppose but fome intelligence was gotten by thefe ambaffadors. Money does wonders, and flattery is all powerful. They who can dextrously apply the one and the other, need not fear of fome fuccefs. The following paffage will fhew that they were ordered to be on the look out, and that they had not been idle. It was written from the Hague, October 31. N. S. and feems to come from the fame hand which fent that of the 28th of July just mentioned.

Since my last to you, the poft immediately before this, great diligence is used and secret enquiry made, 'how your council of ftate comes by the fecret refolutions of this state, and the letters of their public minifters abroad; and our deputies who are gone to England have in charge to do their utmoft there, whatever it cofts to find it out. Of which I advertize C you very seriously, to the end hereafter these secrets be not read in open council, and that prevention may be, leaft the deputies might learn, from them, that told to them part, how to discover the whole. But I hope ⚫ and believe I am not betrayed, so as to be known by name or description to any of the council, fince fome of them are so kind as to tell all they know to the • Dutch deputies, to their advantage. I can fwear the two deputies ftanding there did write at full, what I gave you in my laft; but this notwithstanding, all the chief of their bufinefs fhall be had one way or other, (d) Id. p. • if you do not spoil all there, as well was attempted (d).' -And how much the parliament were concerned for the honor and intereft of the nation appeared from their demanding as preliminaries to a treaty, that the Dutch fhould call back their fhips; make reparation for damages, and fatisfaction for the expences England had been put to defend herself and maintain her rights (e).' (e) Id. p.

-Among

549.

291.

(f) Stubbs's

Among the articles infifted on by the English was the following. That the fhips and veffels of the faid • United-Provinces, as well men of war, as others, be they fingle fhips, or in fleets, meeting at fea with any of the fhips of war of this ftate of England, or in their fervice and wearing the flag, fhall ftrike the flag, and lower their topfail until they be paffed by, and fhall likewife fubmit themselves to be vifited if thereto required, and perform all other refpects due to "the faid commonwealth of England, to whom the do• minion and fovereignty of the British feas belong.' To this article, the Dutch ambaffadors, November 22, 1653, did not make any exception, either to the ftriking of the flag, or the fovereignty of the sea; but they protefted against the vifiting their fhips, as • repugnant to the practice of their country, and fubject to a thoufand diforders and difputes, and injuries to their ftate; befides the vifiting is not to be reciprocal. Whereupon Cromwell in the name of the commiffioners replied, that the searching of their ships was no new thing; but an undoubted right which naturally followed from the fovereignty of the fea, the which did appertain to England: it was likewise an • efflux of the fame dominion, for the English to pre• fcribe to them, with what number of fhips of war they 'fhould pass the British feas: that they ought to be much

more zealous now for the afferting of the faid antient • dominion of the sea in all its branches; because it had been fo lately and so notoriously disputed and invaded. And whereas the ambaffadors had somewhat boaftingly faid in their memorial, that their people were of fuch generofity that they would never endure fuch terms: to this Cromwell faid he would reply no more, than that we were Englishmen, and had not farther Juf-loft our courage (f). The parliament infifted likewife that the Dutch fhould pay for licence to fifh upon the British coafts, and fufpended the treaty, on account of their unwillingness to agree thereunto, though 'tis afferted they offered 300000l. to procure amity and g) Id. p. 65. friendship with England (g). These demands of the parliament may feem high, but they endeavoured to

tification, p.

59, 60.

justify

2

juftify themselves to the world, by caufing Selden's Mare Claufum feu de Dominio Maris' to be tranflated into English, by Marchamont Nedham. This, by fpecial command, was published in November 1652. In a fine and fpirited dedication to the fupream authority of the nation, the parliament of the commonwealth of England,' the tranflator obferves, it is a gallant fight to fee the fword and pen in victorious equipage together; for this fubdues the fouls of men by reason, that only their bodies by force. The pen it is which manifefts the right of things; and, when that is once cleared, it gives fpurs to refolution, because men are C never raised to fo high a pitch of action, as when they are perfuaded, that they engage in a righteous caufe; according to that old verficle,

• Frangit & attollit vires in Milite caufa.

• Wherefore, seeing you (right honourable) have had 'fo frequent experience of the truth of this in our late

wars, wherein the pen militant hath had as many < sharp rencounters as the fword, and borne away as many trophies from home-bred enemies, in prose'cution of your moft righteous caufe by land, certainly you will yield it no lefs neceffary, for the inftruc'tion of this generous and ingenious people, in vindicating your just rights by fea against the vain pretences and projects of encroaching neighbours. For, what true English heart will not fwell, when it shall ⚫ be made clear and evident (as in this book) that the • fovereignty of the feas, flowing about this island, hath, in all times, whereof there remains any written testimony, both before the old Roman invasion and since, ⚫ under every revolution, down to the prefent age, been held and acknowledged by all the world, as an infe• parable appendant of the British empire; and that, by. 'virtue thereof, the kings of England fucceffively have had the fovereign guard of the feas; that they have ⚫ impofed taxes and tributes upon all fhips paffing and fifhing therein; that they have obftructed and opened the paffage thereof to strangers, at their own pleasure,

and

defigns (NN), and fuch as would carry them

to

and done all other things that may teftify an abfolute fea-dominion; what English heart (I fay) can confider these things, together with the late actings of the Netherlanders, fet forth in your publick declaration, and not be inflamed with an indignation anfwerable to • their infolence; that these people, raifed out of the duft at first into a ftate of liberty, and at length to a high degree of power and felicity, by the arms and benevolence of England; or that they, who, in times paft, durft never enter our feas to touch a herring, without licence firft obtained by petition from the governor of Scarborough-caftle, fhould now presume to invade them with armed fleets, and, by a most unjust war, bid defiance to the united powers of these three nations (i)?'But, whilft the parliament were thus Du-Gard, labouring for the public welfare, they were difpoffeffed pointment of of their power by Cromwell, and deprived of a glory the Council they well deferved, that of finishing a fuccefsful, wellconducted war, by a fafe and advantageous peace.

(i) Of the

Dominion or Owner

fhip of the
Sea. Folio.

London:
Printed by
William

by the ap

of State.

(NN) Vaft defigns were imputed to the commonwealth.] Nothing can give us a better idea of the light in which England was viewed abroad, than the following paffages from Sorbiere. They are taken from a letter written by him to the celebrated M. de Courcelles, at Amfterdam, dated Orange, July 1, 1652. The English republicans took things exactly right; and that, in order to the accomplishing of a defign, that would • take up all their life-time (for fuch fort of men ought never to conceive mean ones, after the execution ⚫ whereof they must be put to the trouble of projecting a new, or live lazily, and be exposed to conspiracies against them) they thought it would be their best way to begin with the ruin of the United Provinces, which lay next their coafts, and flourished in trade above C any other country in the world; and, when once they had effected this, they were in hopes they fhould eafily remove any obftacle in their way to attain the

• do