Chapter XIII: CHARLES II.--continued

THE THIRD DUTCH WAR.

Policy of Louis XIV.--The Triple Alliance--Secret compact of
Charles and Louis against the Dutch--Parliament deceived--Pretexts
for a fleet--Ill-feeling against Dutch fomented--Inquiries
by Sir Leoline Jenkins as to striking and extent of British seas--The
king’s yacht, _Merlin_, sent to pick a quarrel about the flag--The
scheme miscarries--Downing’s mission to The Hague--Capture
of Dutch shipping--Attack on Smyrna fleet--Declaration
of war--The dominion of the seas flouted--The English to
salute the French--The war and the fisheries--The Dutch sue
for peace--The terms offered--Tribute for fishing asked--Meeting
of Parliament--Shaftesbury on the sovereignty of the sea--The
war most unpopular--Attempts to arouse public feeling as to
dominion of the sea--Prynne--Smith--Roger Coke--Henry
Stubbe--Charles forced to negotiate for peace--The Congress
at Cologne--Prolonged discussions about the flag, the fisheries,
and the sovereignty of the seas--Charles requires the salute
between Cape Finisterre and the North Cape--Dutch assume
a firmer attitude--Refuse to ask for liberty to fish--Offer to
strike in all seas--Congress breaks up--Strong attitude of
Parliament in favour of the Dutch--Separate peace made in
London--Sir William Temple--The claim to the fishery dropped--Article
regarding the salute--A diplomatic triumph for the
Dutch--Disputes at sea about striking--The incidents of the
_Cleveland_, the _Charles_, the _Cambridge_--English commander condemned
to death for striking to the Spaniards--Masters of foreign
merchantmen prosecuted in Admiralty Court for refusing to strike--Works
on the sovereignty of the sea--Evelyn--Molloy--Further
schemes to promote the fisheries 474