THE FREE SEA

OR

A DISSERTATION ON THE LAW

WHICH GOVERNS THE BATAVIANS

IN THEIR TRADE WITH THE

INDIES.

CHAPTER I.

By the law of nations, navigation is free for all to all.

A decorative woodcut initial 'P' features scrolled foliage and floral motifs.It is our purpose to demonstrate, briefly and clearly, that the Batavians—that is, the subjects of the United Provinces of the Netherlands—have a right to navigate to the Indies as they are currently doing, and to carry on trade with those peoples. We shall build our foundation on this most certain rule of the Law of Nations, which is called the primary one, and whose reason is clear and immutable: it is permitted to any nation to approach any other nation and to trade with it. God speaks this through nature itself, since He does not wish for all things which life needs to be provided by nature in all places; furthermore, He grants that different nations excel in different arts. Why this? If not so that...