Decay of English fisheries--Influence of Reformation--Rise of Dutch fisheries--The “Political Lent”--Cecil’s inquiries and proceedings--Legislation to protect the English fisheries and encourage the consumption of fish--First complaints against foreign fishermen on English coast--Hitchcock’s “Pollitique Platt”--His scheme of a national fishery association to compete with the Dutch--Proposals of Dr John Dee to tax foreigners fishing on British coasts--Claim advanced to the sovereignty of the sea--Supposed limits of British seas--Queen Elizabeth opposes all claims to _Mare Clausum_--Spanish and Portuguese pretensions to dominion on the great oceans--Negotiations with Denmark as to trading and fishing at Iceland and Norway--Queen Elizabeth’s exposition of the principles of the freedom of the seas--Further legislation to promote the fisheries--Failure of the policy of fish-days--The striking of the flag 86 CHAPTER IV. UNDER THE STUARTS. JAMES I. A NEW POLICY. Change of policy as to freedom of fishery--The “King’s Chambers” defined and described--Limited to questions of neutrality--Beginning of struggle with Dutch for commercial and maritime supremacy--Expansion of Dutch fisheries--English accounts of their extent--John Keymer--Sir Walter Raleigh--Tobias Gentleman--The Dutch great herring fishery along British coast--Its value and importance--English fishery trifling in comparison--English envy and jealousy of Dutch--Rival fishery schemes proposed--Plan of London merchants--Proposals to tax foreign fishermen--Complaints of encroachments of Hollanders in England and Scotland--Petition from Cinque Ports for protection--Privy Council consider unlicensed fishing by foreigners--Recommend proclamation restraining foreigners from fishing on British coasts without license from the king--Proclamation issued--Aimed against Dutch--Protest of States-General--Proclamation suspended--The “assize-herring”--Discussions with the Dutch ambassador--Dutch embassy of 1610--Fishery question postponed--Other fishery schemes--The queen’s proposals--Records to be searched to establish king’s jurisdiction at sea and right to the fishings 118 CHAPTER V. JAMES I.--_continued_. DISPUTES WITH THE DUTCH.