648 DUTCH MISSIONS TO ENGLAND IN I6S9 October treaty any more than he afterwards wanted to sign the treaty of alliance. The fullest account of his reasons is given in his autobiography of 1711 : Such an arrangement might in its torn work out to our disadvantage. If, for instance, Sweden and Denmark were at war and both parties wished to sail from our ports, the ships of both would, according to this precedent, be arrested (as happens now), although our forefathers practised the rule * Free ships, free goods '. As for the treaty, experience has since shown the harmfulness of seizing neutral ships and so aboUshing the old usage ' Free Ships, Free Goods '. Ultimately he was persuaded to sign by the reasons given in a letter of Heinsius,^ but this letter has unhappily been lost. It would have shown the English policy in contrast with the Dutch, for William and his little group of statesmen, Heinsius among them, with their one dominant idea of fighting France, had, not unnaturally, taken up the English policy. For them its political side was the main thing : there is no indication that they were enthusiasts for the balance of trade. William himself had had a conversation with Witsen about the question. Already there had been complaints from the Swedish ambassador, Oxen- stiem, about the detention of a Swedish ship in the Netherlands. Witsen explained to the king his doubts about the inclusion of Swedish and Danish ships in the prohibition, but the king would have nothing to do with them, although the execution of the treaty could easily have been delayed until it was a little more clear what were the chances of practical success.^ Witsen had earlier suggested to the king a treaty affecting only allied ships of third parties, that is imperial ships, and not neutrals, but the king wanted all to be included. Witsen then thought that it ought to be considered whether the signatories of the treaty should guarantee one another against the possible consequences of irritation among the third parties whose ships were taken, and this suggestion was adopted in the separate article supple- mentary to the treaty.^ The English policy was accepted in its completeness and without other additions. The treaty, dated 12/22 August, is short and downright.* The preamble recites that a state of war exists and that Great Britain and the states general have ordered their fleets to sail and blockade (bloquer) the French ports, stopping trade and supplies. The signatories agree neither to trade with the enemy in their own or in foreign ships, nor to carry French goods to any port nor any goods to French ports. All vessels of any » Witsen to Heinsiua, 13/22 August. • Ibid.
- Witsen to burgomasters, 2/12 July.
- Text in Dumont, vn. il. 238. It was actually signed on 13/23 August (Witsen
to burgomasters and secret dispatch on that day).
