42 0 James I. Naval Expeditions, &c. of the English, Book Ill*

1608. In the Year, i6e8. King James pub-Trohibition liffied a Proclamation, prohibiting allof Fishery on jr ore jg n Nations to hill on the Coast ofCw7yt. ng 1 Cow/t Britain. This Prohibition, tho’The Dutch general, was designed against the Dutch ;

to pay And ; c occasioned a Treaty the YearTumfoTit. following, whereby they engaged topay an annual Sum, for Leave to fish:An evident Acknowledgment of theFoedera S English Dominion of the Seas. TheTom. XFI. King concluded, however, two Trea-p. 674.. Jeq. ties, this Year, with the States, whichbear Date, the six and twentieth ofTwo Trea- j un6t one G f Alliance, and the otherDutch. concerning the Payment of what wasdue to him.

ACommit- Several Complaints having been,About this Time, made, of great Abu-7 ng 7 (e r Jbu-fe$> Deceits, Frauds, Corruptions,Neg-fescfthe ligences, Misdemeanors, and Offences,Navy. committed in the Management of theNavy, and other Offices thereunto be-longing, and by the Officers, Soldiers,Mariners, and others belonging to, andserving in and under the Navy, HjsM ajesty thought it requisite; to appointa Committe of Enquiry consisting of se-veral Lords and others, to search into,examine and report the Grounds of suchComplaints. The Original Register ofthe daily Proceedings of this Committeeis yet preserved in the Cotton Library,and contains several curious'Enquiries,too long to find Place here; I ffiall,there-fore, only give my Readers a Copy ofthe Commission, as containing a Speci-men of the chief Matters they were di-rected to make the Subject of their En-quiry,

Msl. in Bibl. Cot. Julius, F, III. Folio 3,

" TAMES, by the Grace of Gon,J " King of England, Scotland," France and Ireland, Defender of the" Faith, ctse. To Our right trusty and" right well-beloved Cousins and Coun-" sectors. Henry, Earl of Northamp-ton, Lord Keeper of Our Privy Seal," and Lord Warden of Our Cinque“ Ports, and Charles, Earl of Notting-" ham, Lord High Admiral of England,te and to Our right trusty and well be-" loved Counsellors, Edward Lord“ Zouch, and Edward Lord JVotton,tc Comptroller of Our Houffiold ; And“ to Our trusty and right well-belovedCounsellors, Sir Julius Cæsar," Knight, Chancellor and Under-Trea-

" surer of Our Exchequer; And Sir 1608." Thomas Parry, Knight, Chancellor" of our Duchy of Lancafter, and to" Our trusty and well beloved, Sir" Edward Philips, Knight, and Sir" John Doderige, Knight, Our Ser-" jeants at Law, Sir Henry Hobart,

" Knight, Our Attorny General, Sir" Francis Bacon, Knight, Our Sollici-" tor General, Sir FNilliam JNoade,

“ Knight, Our Lieutenant of OurTow-" er of London, Sir Christopher Perkins,

" Knight, Sir Robert Cotton, Knight,

" Sir Thomas Crompton, Knight, and" John Corbet, Esquire, one of the" Clerks of Our Privy Council, Greet-" ing. Whereas We are informed,

" that very great and intollerable A-" buses, Deceits, Frauds, Corruptions,

" Negligences, Misdemeanors and Of-" fences have been, and daily are> per-c<r petrated, committed and done, a-“ gainst the continual Admonitions and" Directions of you, Our High Admi-“ ral, by other the Officers of and con-" cerning our Navy Royal, and by the" Clerks of the Prick and Check, and" divers other inferior Officers, Mini-" sters, Soldiers, Mariners and others,

" serving, working or labouring, in or" about Our said Navy, or otherThings" concerning the fame, to the great" Decay, Hinderance andWeakning of" Our said Navy Royal, and of Our“ Store and Provisions belonging to the" fame; Being, under Gods Provi-" dence, one of the principal Strengths" and Defences of Our Crown and" Kingdoms, We minding, that the" said intollerable Abuses, Frauds,

" Misdemeanors and Offences ffiall" forthwith be enquired of, the Of-" senders therein condignly punished,

" and also to provide a speedy Refor-" mation, of the same, for the Time to" come. And reposing assured Trust" and Confidence in your approved" Wisdoms, Fidelities and Circum-" spections, have assigned and appoint-" ed you to be Our Commissioners, and" do, by these Presents, give and grant" full and free Liberty, Power and“ Authority unto you, or any three or“ more of you, from Time to Time,

" to call before you, or any three or" more of you, as is aforesaid, as well“ the Treasurer, Comptroller, Survey-<c or, Clerk of the Navy, Purveyors,

" and other Officers of the Navy, what-" soever, that now are, as those that

" have