dedarywasanold
oneforyearsthesailorsoftheerfronthadtalkedaboutitintheeightiesofthesixteenthcentury,theruurtookadefiniteshapeacrdingtopilotswhohadbeeninlisbon,allthespanishandportuguesewharveswerebuildingshipsandinthesoutheherlandsinbelgiubr >thedukeofparingalargeexpeditionary
forostendtolondonandaterdabr >
assoonasthefleetshouldarrive
intheyear1586thegreatardasetsailforthenorthbuttheharboursofthefleshastkadedbya
dutchfleetandthechannelheenglish,and
thespaniards,accustodtothequieterseasofthesouth,didnotknoonavigateinthissquallyandbleaknorthecliteadaonceittacked
byshipsandbystorineednottellyouafewships,bysailingaroundireland,escapedtotelltheterriblestoryofdefeattheothersperishedandlieatthebottofthenorthsea
tuaboutisfairplaythebritishnodthedutchprotestantsnoy
beforetheendofthean,hthehelpofa
booklettenbylinschotenahollanderwhohadbeenintheportugueseservice,hadatlastdisveredtheroutetotheindiesasaresultthegreatdutcheastindiapanyaticheportugueseand
spanishloniesinasiaandafricawasbeguninallseriousnessithisearlyeraoflonialnquestthata
curiouslaoutinthedutchurtsearlyin
theseventeenthcenturyadutchcaptainbythenaofvanheekerk,anadehielffausasthehead
ofanexpeditionriedtodisverthenortheastepassagetotheindiesandaeronthefrozen
shoresoftheislandofnovazela,hadcapturedaportugueseshipinthestraitsoflaberthat
thepopehaddividedtheotwoequalshares,oneofothespaniardsandtheothertothe
portuguesetheportuguesequitenaturallyregardedtheerheirindianislandsaspartoftheir
oont,theyatwar
edthatthe
captainofaprivatedutchtradingpanyhadnorighttoentertheirprivatedoinandstealtheirshipsandtheybroughtsuitthedirectorsofthedutcheastindiapanyhiredabrightyounglaeofdegrootor
grotius,todefendtheircasehedetheastonishingpleathattheoceanisfreetoallersonceoutsidethedistancethelandcanreach,theseais
oracrdingtogrotiusoughttobe,afreeandopenhighwaytoalltheshipsofallnationsitethatthis
startlingdoctrinehadbeenpubliclypronouncedinaurtoflaheotherseafaringpeopleto
unteraouspleaforthe``re
liberuor``opensea,johnselden,theenglishn,oustreatiseuponthe``reclausur``closed
seareatedofthenaturalrightofasovereigntoregardtheseasryasbelongingtohisterritory
intionthisherebecausethequestionhadnotyetbeendecidedandduringthelastsof
difficultiesandplications
toretutotheweenspaniardandhollander
andenglishn,beforetost
valuableloniesoftheindiesandthecapeofgoodhopeandceylonandthosealongtheastofchinaandevenjapanwereinprotestanthandsin1621apanywas
foundedericabuilt
afortresscallednieusterdattheuthoftheriverheyear1609
thesenehenglandandthedutch
republictosuchanextentthattheyuldhireforeignsoldierstodotheirfightingonlandselves
tortheprotestantrevoltant
independenanyotherpartsof
europeitantasuccessionofhorrorsparedtohelastildexcursionofkindlysundayschoolboysthethirtyyearsheyear1618
andoustreatyofphaliain1648
heperfectlynaturalresultofacenturyofeverincreasingreligioushatrediterriblewareverybody
foughteverybodyelseandthestruggleendedonlywhenallpartieshadbeenthoroughlyexhaustedanduldfightnolonger
inlessthanagenerationittuednypartsofcentraleuropeintoahehungrypeasantsfought
forthecarcassofadeadhorsehtheevenhungrierwolffivesixthsofallthegetoroyed
thepalatinate,inany,wasplundered
tesandapopulationofeighteenllion
peopleillion
thehostilitiesbeganalstassoonasferdinandiiofthehouseofhabsburghadbeenelectedeerorhewastheproduostcarefuljesuittrainingandost
obedientanddevoutsonofthechurchthevohhehaddeasayoungn,thatheeallsectsand
allheresiesfroisdoins,ferdinandkepttothebestofhisabilitytion,hischiefopponent,
frederick,theprotestantelectorofthepalatinateandasoninlaesiofengland,hadbeendekingof
bohea,indirectviolationofferdinandswishesatoniathe
youngkinglookedinvainforassistanidable
enethedutchrepublihelp,but,
engagedinadesperatesohthespanishbranch
ofthehabsburgs,itulddolittlethestuartsinenglandoreinterestedinstrengtheningtheiroepowerathothanspendingneyandnuponaforloadventureinfaraiaafterastruggleofafeonths,
theelectorofthepalatinateains
othecatholichouseofbavariathishebeginningofthegreatwar
thenthehabsburgares,undertillyandein,
foughttheirany
untiltheyhadreachedtheshoresofthebalticacatholicneighbourantseriousdangertotheprotestantkingofdenrkselfbyattacking
hiseneesbeforetheyhad
