Need of a strong navy--Insecurity of seas from pirates--Violations of King’s Chambers and ports by Dutch and Dunkirkers--Proclamation concerning same and claiming sovereignty of sea--Charles’s private policy to recover the Palatinate--Negotiations for alliance with Spain against the Dutch--Pretexts for creating a fleet--The ship-money writs--Feeling in Holland--Coke’s despatch on the dominion of England in the seas--The first ship-money fleet, under the Earl of Lindsey--His instructions--All hostilities in narrow seas to be prevented--Previous instructions to Pennington compared--The king’s private instructions--Their object--Lindsey’s queries--Proceedings of the fleet--Rumours in London--Friction with the admiral--Fails to meet the French fleet--Richelieu’s strategy, and proposals as to salute--Licenses for Dutch herring-busses--Lindsey quits the fleet--Discontent at his failure--The question of the salute becomes very prominent--Doubts and queries as to the custom in enforcing it--Practice on foreign coasts--Between ships and forts--Arrogance of English captains--Usual compliance of the Dutch--British merchantmen the worst offenders 246 CHAPTER VIII. CHARLES I.--_continued_. THE NAVY. The second ship-money fleet--Placed under the Earl of Northumberland--What was to be done with it?--Opinion of Admiralty as to convoying foreign merchant vessels and preventing foreigners from fishing without license--The instructions to Northumberland--The proceedings of the fleet--Cruise in Channel--Royal proclamation forbidding foreigners from fishing without license in British seas--Northumberland goes in quest of Dutch herring-busses--Licenses forced upon them--English men-of-war left to “guard” them--Anxiety in the United Provinces--Mission of van Beveren--States of Holland resolve to equip a fleet to protect their fishermen from molestation--Mission of Joachimi--Intervention of Queen of Bohemia--Northumberland’s fleet goes to the Yarmouth fishing--Licenses again forced on the Dutch fishermen--The amount of the “acknowledgment money” received--Misrepresentations on the subject--Renewed excitement in Holland--Proceedings of Admiral Van Dorp--Another change in the king’s policy--Arundel’s mission to Vienna--Negotiations with the Prince of Orange--Terms of a proposed treaty--Charles tries to get his licenses secretly accepted in Holland--Third ship-money fleet--Tortuous action of Charles--Captain Fielding sent in a merchant vessel to offer licenses to Dutch fishermen--Dutch men-of-war interfere and prevent licenses being taken--The story leaks out, and is to be “cried down” and another story told--National discontent and domestic troubles--The “Sovereign of the Seas”--The question of the salute--Increasing strength and boldness of Dutch fleet--Arrest and search of English ships--Tromp and Pennington--The battle in the Downs--Action of English