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this sovereignty—of the vail;^[1] of tribute;^[2] of licences to foreigners to fish;^[3] and of rules to the like effect enjoined by other States;^[4] of the King's opening and stopping the passage of his seas;^[5] and of wrecks and of 'royall fishes taken in our seas' as due by prerogative and sovereignty to the kings of England only or 'unto such unto whom by special charters they have granted the same'.^[6] He is contending, not for a technical claim merely, but for the practical interests of Englishmen against the pretensions and interests of the foreigner, and especially of the Dutch. 'Inestimable' are the 'riches and commodities of the British Seas.'^[7] Why not protect and conserve them for those to whom they should bring wealth and prosperity? In September not many years since 'upon the Coast of Devonshire neare Minigall' were not 500 ton of fish taken in one day?

'And about the same time three thousand pound worth of fish in one day were taken at St. Ives in Cornewall by small boates, and other poore provisions. Our five-men-boats, and cobles adventuring in a calme to launch out amongst the Holland Busses not far from Robin-hoods Bay returned to Whitby full fraught with herrings, and reported that they saw some of those Busses take 10. 20. 24. lasts at a draught of herrings and returned into their owne Country with 40. 50. and 100. lasts of herrings in one Busse.'^[8] 'Our Fleete of

1. pp. 62–4: 'all strangers even at this day Vaile Bonnet in acknowlegement of this Superioritie' in 'the Narrow Seas', p. 62.
2. pp. 64–73.
3. pp. 73–82. See 'Report of the Admiralty to Charles I as to the employment of the Ship-money Fleet in wafting and securing Foreign Merchants passing through His Majesty's Seas, and in protecting Foreign Fishermen who accept the King's License'.—State Papers, Dom., Charles I, vol. cccxiii, No. 24, February 5, 1635–1636. Fulton, Appendix i.
4. pp. 82–4.
5. pp. 84–9.
6. pp. 91–106.
7. p. 108: the heading of a section of the book.
8. pp. 112–14.