Prominence of maritime affairs in English history--The meaning of the term Sovereignty of the Seas--Early appropriation of seas--Venice--Genoa--Denmark, Sweden, Poland--Spain and Portugal--Reasons for appropriation--Insecurity of sea in middle ages--Merchants associations--Origin of the English claims--Their nature--Became important under the Stuarts--James I.--Charles I.--The Commonwealth--Charles II.--Decay of the English pretension to the dominion of the seas--Extent of the “Sea of England” and of the “British Seas”--The “Narrow Seas”--The “Four Seas”--Selden on the British Seas--The territorial waters 1 SECTION I.--THE HISTORY OF THE CLAIMS TO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA. CHAPTER I. EARLY HISTORY. Alleged sea sovereignty exercised by ancient Britons, Romans, and Anglo-Saxons--King Edgar--Canute--Norman, Angevin, and Plantagenet kings--The Channel or Narrow Sea--The safeguarding of the sea--Admiralty jurisdiction--Impressment of ships--Liberty of navigation and fishing--The question of tribute--English kings as lords of the sea--King John’s ordinance as to lowering sail to a royal ship--The sovereign lordship in the so-called Sea of England--The roll _De Superioritate Maris Angliæ_--Complaint against Reyner Grimbald--Nature of jurisdiction exercised in Sea of England 25 CHAPTER II. THE FISHERIES. Importance of fisheries in middle ages--Ecclesiastical fasts--A great herring fishery--Foreign fishermen frequent British coasts--The question of freedom of fishing--Licenses to French to fish in the Channel--Treaties guaranteeing liberty for foreigners to fish on the British coasts--The “Burgundy” treaties--The _Intercursus Magnus_--Practice in Scotland differed from that in England--Waters reserved for natives, and foreigners excluded--Treaties with the Netherlands--Acts of the Parliament of Scotland 57 CHAPTER III. UNDER THE TUDORS.