purpose of seeking out and attacking the Spaniards whether in harbour or on the open sea.  The command was given to one of the most daring and experienced of Dutch seamen, Jacob van Heemskerk.  He found twenty-one ships still at anchor in Gibraltar Bay, ten of them large galleons, far superior in size and armament to his own largest vessels.  Heemskerk at once cleared for action.  Both Heemskerk and the Spanish commander, d’Avila, were killed early in the fight, the result of which however was not long doubtful.  The Spanish fleet was practically destroyed.  On the Dutch side no vessel was lost and the casualties were small.  Such a disaster was most humiliating to Castilian pride, and its effect in hastening forward the peace negotiations, which were already in progress, was considerable.

The initial steps had been taken by the archdukes.  Through the secret agency of Albert’s Franciscan Confessor, Father John Neyen, both Oldenbarneveldt and Maurice were approached in May, 1606, but without any result.  Early in 1607 however the efforts were renewed, and negotiations were actively set on foot for the purpose of concluding a peace or a truce for a term of twelve, fifteen or twenty years.  There were, however, almost insuperable difficulties in the way.  In the first place the stadholders, the military and naval leaders, the Calvinist clergy, and the great majority of the traders honestly believed that a peace would be detrimental to all the best interests of the States, and were thoroughly distrustful of the motives which had prompted the archdukes and the Spanish government to make these advances.  Oldenbarneveldt on the other hand thought that peace was necessary for the land to recuperate after the exhausting struggle, which had already lasted for forty years; and he found strong support among the burgher-regents and that large part of the people who were over-burdened and impoverished by the weight of taxation, and sick and weary of perpetual warfare.  There were, however, certain preliminary conditions, which all were agreed must be assented to, and without which it would be useless to continue the negotiations.  The independence of the United Provinces must be recognised, freedom of trade in the Indies conceded, and the public exercise of Catholic worship prohibited.  After some parleying the archdukes agreed to treat with the United Provinces “in the quality and as considering them free provinces and states,” and an armistice was concluded in April, 1607, for eight months, in order that the matters in dispute might be referred to the King of Spain and his views upon them ascertained.  Not till October did the king’s reply arrive at Brussels.  He consented to negotiate with the States “as free and independent” parties, but he required that liberty of Catholic worship should be permitted during the truce, and no mention was made of the Indian trade.  This was by no means satisfactory; nevertheless the influence of Oldenbarneveldt prevailed and the negotiations were