majesty's sovereignty in the seas (one of the most precious jewels of the crown, and) the principal means of the trade, wealth, and safety of this nation, and which all true Englishmen, with the hazard of their lives and fortunes, are obliged to preserve and maintain; for Imperator Maris est Dominus Terræ *.

And, as they have denied his majesty's sovereignty, so they have, by their artifice, supplanted the trade and traffick of his subjects, which are the only pillars of riches and safety to this nation.

Consult the Muscovia +, Turky, &c. companies, enquire at the Exchange, they will all tell you, It is gone, whither I know not, but into Amsterdam and the United Provinces.

The English are as active and industrious a people as any, but (of a more generous and noble alloy) they abhor to have trade by those base practices, or to gain it by those sordid means, as the Hollanders do. I doubt not but the English nation, being sensible of the injuries and oppressions done them by these men, will, in a short time, by their sword and valour, reduce them to reason,

And, as they have supplanted the trade of his majesty's subjects, so they have endeavoured to make a diminution of his own glory, by abusive pictures and false libels, not only in their own territories, but in most of the dominions of the kings and princes of Europe, where the name of the king of Great-Britain is renowned. "Reputation abroad, and reverence at home, are the pillars of "safety and sovereignty."

By these arts they have endeavoured, not only to lessen his ma jesty's reputation abroad, but to bring contempt upon him, even amongst his own subjects at home. Without doubt, his majesty's good subjects have a great sentiment of these indignities, and will not only carry an antidote in their ears against the poison of these libels, but, with their swords, lives, and fortunes, will vindicate his dignity, and bring these ungrateful miscreants to justice.

The States having put so many scorns and indignities upon his majesty, and abuses upon his subjects in their trade, for which his majesty was more troubled, than for the indignities done to himself, he was resolved to have satisfaction of them. But they, to give his majesty disquiet in his own dominions, and for a diversion to him, made their addresses to some persons of the Scotish nation with them for their brotherly assistance, promising them they should be furnished with men, arms, and money, what they pleased. But the Scots, too well remembering their late sufferings and calamities, and having as great a sense of loyalty and duty for their king, as any people in the world, with the greatest scorn and ab. horrence rejected their most impious and rebellious motion.

Not prevailing there, they set upon some factories of sedition in England, and, by their emissaries here, endeavoured to work upon an honest party in this nation, though differing, in some minute ceremonies, from the church; but they looked upon it, as

* i. e. Whoever is emperor of the sea, is also lord of the land adjoining thereto.

the greatest injury and indignity that could be done them, to tempt them from their loyalty to so good and gracious a king.

And, certainly, his majesty had a very good esteem for them, or else he would never have granted them that act of indulgence; an act so transcendent, and exceeding the bounty and grace of all former kings, that it could not be obtained of them, though there had been many hundred thousand pounds offered for the purchase of it. But, as his majesty hath granted them liberty of conscience, so, there is no doubt, they will make conscience of their liberty.

His majesty of Great-Britain, and the most christian king, of all princes in Europe, have most studied and endeavoured, for the good of their subjects, to advance trade and commerce; yet their subjects cry out they have no trade, and well they may, when the Hollanders are the great supplanters of trade, and obstructors of commerce, to all others but themselves, in the world. And no wonder, for it is a prime principle of their state, "That they "must not be like the jackall, which provides food for the lion; "but they must imitate the prudent cat, who mouses only for " itself."

Nothing can be more becoming the majesty of two such potent kings, not only out of charity to deliver the distressed Dutch, an industrious and well-meaning people of themselves, from the ty ranny and oppression of those insolent states; but, out of piety towards God, to settle peace in Christendom; which is only by the power of those two great kings to be effected, and to which all kings and princes are obliged to contribute their assistance.

For, let it be soberly considered, if these men (if we may so call them) since the revolt from their prince, have not made greater distempers and confusions, and caused more effusion of blood, and expence of treasure, in Europe, than the Great Turk hath done for these five-hundred years.

And, as they are more powerful by sea, so they are much more dangerous in their practice; for the Turk is a prince who, with all potentates, doth exactly observe his leagues, and keeps his faith; but it is an apophthegm in their state, that "It is for kings and "merchants to keep their word and faith, but, for States, no lon66 ger than it is subservient to their interest."

And, how exactly they make this good in their actions, I appeal to all the kings and princes of Europe, if ever they kept one article, or their faith in any thing, where it was their interest to break it. Certainly these men live, as if great sins would merit heaven by an antiperistasis.

And it is very well becoming the gravest judgments to consider, if these men may not prove, in a short time, a greater terror and plague to Christendom, than the Turk himself; insomuch as his arms are at a great distance, and only land-forces, but these men are seated in the center of Europe, and, being so potent at sea, and rich in treasure, may cast an army, and, with that, blood and confusion, into any prince's dominion, whom they please to disquiet (especially being first reduced to poverty, which they labour to

effect in all their territories, by obstructing of trade.) And they can more speedily and powerfully offend any kingdom by sea, in one month, than the most puissant army is able to march through,

in a year.

Well, it is time to reduce these men to justice and reason; prudence teaches us to set limits to that power, which deservedly may be suspected. For, as they grow in puissance and strength; so the more formidable they will render themselves to all kings and princes. From one great king * they have taken so much blood, that he is fallen into a deep consumption; and it is adjudged, by some wise physicians of state, that he will hardly recover.

Did they not lately break the heart of one potent king †, and almost the back of another Do they not privately engage prince against prince, and, by that means, bring misery and calamity to them both; and, out of their ruin, create riches and plenty to themselves? Do they not undermine the trade of all Europe, and send nothing but poverty, misery, and complaints into all princes dominions?

How dangerous and fatal their grea'ness will, in a few years, prove to all the kings and princes of Europe, and to their subjects, if not timely prevented, a weak statist, without the help of Galileo's prospective-glass, may easily see. Yet there are a people in the world, which contribute their assistance to them; but let them be assured, that, if these States, by their arts, can extri. cate theinselves from the destruction and calamity which now threaten them, they must, for all their friendly assistance, expect nothing but Polyphemus's courtesy, to be the last that shall be swallowed up. This is too evident by their ingratitude and insolencies to the kings of Great-Britain, and to the English

nation.

Nothing can give a check to their growing power, but the naval forces of the king of Great-Britain, whose situation, ports, strength of shipping, courage of people, and experience in sea-fights have always made him very formidable: And that Henry the Eighth understood so well, that he assumed to himself that motto, Cui adhereo, pree t..

This naval power of the king of Great-Britain is the security and safety of Europe; for, if that were broken, they would look upon all the other as inconsiderable, because they are so far separate, that they might be destroyed before they could unite; and, in case they did, the issue would be very doubtful.

Then they would sacrifice one prince after another, and bring nothing but confusion, poverty, and misery to prince and people. And, whether this be not more than conjectural, look into their practices in the East-Indies; observe their arts and methods, by which they have reduced so many great kings, with their subjects, vassals, and slaves, to their vast ambition.

I have done; yet I cannot but drop a few tears for some hones

* King of Spain.

↑ King of Sweden.

+ King of Denmark.

people amongst them, who must be inwrapped in the punishment, though innocent as to the guilt.

Now the most formidable and potent kings in Christendom are drawing their forces against them, all their trade is gone by sea, nothing but horror and confusion in their land; none of their allies durst appear for them. A mournful tragedy! Methinks, like wise patriots, they should seize upon their States, whom they may thank for all their calamities and miseries, and yield them up to justice; set up their prince, whose ancestorshave spent so much blood and treasure to vindicate their rights and liberties, and not to serve their ends of him (as all wise men think the States do at this juncture of affairs;) for it is an adage amongst them, that Leo vinciri liber pernegat.

And the States do as certainly hate a prince, as a prince doth a free State.

Discite Justitiam moniti, &c.

A JUSTIFICATION OF THE PRESENT WAR AGAINST THE

UNITED NETHERLANDS.

Wherein the Declaration of his Majesty is vindicated, and the War proved to be just, honourable, and necessary; the Dominion of the Sea explained, and his Majesty's Rights thereunto asserted; the Obligations of the Dutch to England, and their continual Ingratitude:

In Answer to a Dutch Treatise, intitled,

Considerations upon the present State of the United Netherlands,

BY AN ENGLISHMAN.

Pompeii omne consilium Themistocleum est; existimat enim, qui mare teneat, eum necesse rerum potiri. CICERO AD ATTICUM, lib. x. ep. 7.

Pudebat nobilem populum, ablato mari, raptis insulis, dare tributa quæ jubere

consueverat,

LUCIUS FLORUS.

London: Printed for Henry Hills and John Starkey, and are to be Sold at the Bell in St. Paul's Church-yard, and the Mitre within Temple-Bar, 1672. Quarto, containing eighty-eight Pages.

The Author to the Reader.

SINCE the Author of the Considerations is pleased to conceal his name, and suffer his book to pass as the work of a private person; it seems requisite, that I do declare this ensuing Treatise to proceed from an hand, not less private, if not more; and this I am the more obliged to own, lest by any mistake of mine, through haste, ignorance, or misinformation, some prejudice might be created

pro

against the just and unquestionable rights of his Majesty. The interests of Princes are not proper subjects for ordinary pens; yet in this juncture of our affairs, in these times of universal danger, I hope my attempt shall not be liable to misconstruction, since it hath no other source and original, than the service of my King and native country; and I do profess, that I have not, to my knowledge, made use of any officious untruths, nor in any allegation, or asseveration, imposed upon the credulons reader; nor have I asserted the less bable opinions at any time, out of compliance with the present exigencies of state, in opposition to those which are strengthened with greater authority and reason. I have thoroughly convinced myself in the first place, and there fore hope the discourse may prove more satisfactory unto all others. The infant republick of the United Netherlands, after that it had got some considerable strength by the assistance of England, began to be sensible of the advantages they drew from navigation, and how necessary it was for them, not only to open the commerce unto both Indies, but to secure themselves of the fishing in the British seas. The death of Queen Elisabeth (who would otherwise have been jealous of their growing power, and tender of her own rights) together with the peaceable disposition of King James, seemed to make way for their ambitious designs; and the cabal of Holland, whereof Grotius was one, did publish an anonymous Treatise, called, Mare Liberum,' wherein the freedom of the sea, to navigate, or fish in, was maintained as a due right of mankind, according to the law of nature and nations; which foundation they esteemed more suitable to their ends, than it they should depend upon a revocable privilege, or tacit permission. The book was the less resented at that time, because it was in appearance levelled against the Spanish Indies, and the prohibition of commerce there; and then all Europe was willing to see the pride and power of Spain abated by any means. Howsoever, King James was angry at the pretended liberty of fishing, and his ambassador Charleton complained thereof to the States; but they never avowed the principies, but owned the rights of King James, though indeed slighted them, and usurped upon the fishing, in such manner, as I have shewed in this Treatise. That single book hath occasioned a multitude of discourses upon that subject; Mr. Selden defended the English dominion over the British seas: Others that of Venice, and Genoa: The Dutch advocates undermining by their writings all the regali ies of Princes, as their masters have done by their actions. After that the troubles of Scotland and England had disabled King Charles the First, from attending unto the dominion of the sea, according as he most generously purposed, the Dutch thought that the English, being weakened with the civil wars, and distracted with intestine factions, by reason of the alteration of the government, could not resist their ambition, should they usurp the universal dominion of the seas; and to secure themselves therein, they sent Van Tromp to destroy the English navy, without declaring any war; but neither did that attempt, nor the war ensuing thereupon, prosper, as they hoped they would., But ever since that fierce war, they have determined upon the ruining the English navigation, and not only to exclude the English from the East-India trade, but to expel them from, and deprive them of the dominion of the British seas. It is a received aphorism amongst the Hollanders, that the flourishing condition of England is a diminu tion of their glory; also, that trade, and the repute of strength, are insepara bly linked together, and hereupon they have so many ways contributed to the embroiling of our kingdoms, and omitted nothing that might represent us as ridiculous and contemptible unto foreign Princes. After they had usurped the fishery, they began to assume a freedom to act all manner of hostilities upon our allies (if at enmity withi them) not only upon our seas, but in our ports; and hereof there are many instances, besides the destruction of the Spanish fleet, in 1639. After this, their pride increasing with their power, they refu sed to strike sail to our ships of war; now they will allow it to be but a ceremony and civility, and dispute the paying thereof, unless we come up to such terms as are insupportable. Thus by degrees they have reduced the nation to the present weakness and contempt; nor can any concessions, any indulgence, satisfy their arrogance and covetousness: They who covet all will not acquiesce in any grants, that are not answerable to their desires, how unjust or vast sɔever they be: And their friendship is sooner purchased by a brisk opposition, than complaisance. If we look upon the number and quality of the injuries