Dominium maris: or, The dominion of the sea. Expressing the title, which the Venetians pretend unto the sole dominion, and absolute sovereigntie of the Adriatick Sea, commonly called the gulph of Venice. Manifested in a pleading, or argument, betwixt the Republick of Venice and the Emperor Ferdinand. Whereby is sufficiently proved, that the sea as well as the land, is liable to the laws of proprietie, and may bee brought under the jurisdiction and protection of particular princes and states. Contrarie to the assertion of those, who affirm, the sea to bee free, and under the dominion of no man. Translated out of Italian.

An Advertisement to the Reader.

I Thought it fitting not to instruct, but ra∣ther to remember the Reader, that this Sea, over which the Venetians challenge Sovereigntie and Dominion, beeing com∣monly called the Gulph, is nothing els but a large bay or inlet of the sea, which entering in betwixt two lands; and severing them for manie miles continuance, in the end receiv's a stop or interruption of further passage, by an opposite shore, which join's both the said lands toge∣ther. It is called the Gulph of Venice, from the ci∣tie of Venice, situated upon certain broken Islands near unto the bottom thereof. It is also called the Adriatick Sea, from the antient citie of Adria, lying not far distant from the former. From the entrance thereof unto the bottom, it contein's in length about 600 Italian miles: where it is broadest it is 160 miles ever, in others but 80, in the most 100. The south∣west shore of it is bounded by the Provinces of Pugha, and Abruzzo in the kingdom of Naples, the Mar∣quisate of Ancona and Romagnia in the Pope's State,

and the Marquisate of Trevisana in the Venetian State. The North part of it, or bottom, hath Fri∣uli for its bounds, the North-East is limited by Istria, Dalmatia, Albania, and Epirus: whereof Istria doth not so entirely belong unto the Venetians, but that the Arch-Duke of Gratz of the Austrian family, who at this present is Emperor, doth possess divers Ma∣ritim towns therein. In Dalmatia, saving Zura, Spalato, and Cattaro, they have nothing of impor∣tance, the rest belonging to the Republick of Ragusa, and to the Turks. In Albania and Epirus, they pos∣sess nothing at all, it beeing entirely the Turk's. So that hee, who shall examine the circuit of this sea, which must contain above 1200 miles, shall finde the shores of the Venetian signorie, not to take up intire 200 of them, omitting som scatter'd towns and dispersed Islands, lying on the Turkish side of the Adriatick shore. For the securing hereof from the depredation of Pirates, and the pretenses of divers Potent Prin∣ces, as the Pope, Emperor, King of Spain, and the great Turk; who have each of them large territories lying thereupon, also to caus all such ships, as navigate the same, to go to Venice, and there to pay custom and other duties, the Republick maintain's continually in action a great number of ships, gallies and galliots,

whereto they also add more, as there may bee occasion, whereof som lie about the bottom of the Gulph in Istria, others about the Islands of Dalmatia, to clear those parts of Pirates, who have much infested those seas: others, and those of most force, have their stati∣ons in the Island of Corfu, and in that of Candie: in the first of which commonly reside's the Captain of the Gulph, whom they call by the name of Proveditor, or Provisor general, whose office it is to secure the Navigation of the Gulph not onely from the Corsari or Pirates, but to provide that neither the gallies nor ships of the Pope, the King of Spain, or great Turk, do so much as enter the same, without permission of the Signorie, or Republick, and upon such conditions as best pleaseth them; which they are so careful to effect, as in the year 1638 the Turkish fleet entring the Gulph without licens, was assailed by the Venetian General, who sunk divers of their vessels, and compelling the rest to flie unto Valona, hee held them there besieged, al∣though the same citie, and Port whereon it stand's, bee under the jurisdiction of the Grand Signor And not∣withstanding that a great and dangerous war was like∣ly to ensue thereupon, betwixt the Grand-Signor and the Republick, becaus the Venetian General, bee∣ing not content to have chaced them into their own

Ports, did moreover then that, sink their vessels, & land∣ing his men, slew divers of their mariners who had esca∣ped his furie at sea: yet after that a very honorable peace was again concluded betwixt them, wherein, amongst other things, it was agreed, that it should bee lawful for the Venetians, as often as any Turkish vessels did without their licence enter the Gulph, to seiz upon them by force, if they would not otherwise obey. And that it should likewise bee lawful for them so to do, within any haven, or under any fort of the Grand-Signor's, bordering on any part of the Venetian Gulph. Out of all which, when I considered the real and absolute sove∣reigntie, which this Republick doth actually enjoy over this sea, which they have ever defended, as well by the sword as the pen; and withal how that som neighbor∣ing Nations of late years, did seem to envie the title of England to the narrow seas, affirming in som of their writings, the Sea to bee free; that it neither ought, nor could bee under the jurisdiction of any; that it was a wilde beast which could not bee ruled; that, possessio beeing Pedis positio, there could no possession bee either taken or kept of it; that the limits thereof, beeing a fluent element, could not bee scored out, or certainly determined; that it was as free for all mankinde to use, & as common as the

aër, with many other things to that purpose; I chancing som years past to bee at Venice, upon consideration of the premisses, did labor with a great desire, to know the grounds of that title, whereupon the Venetians found∣ed their Dominion of the sea; and after much search, even to the despair of obteining of it, I happened upon this ensuing argument, containing a Plea or Dispute, betwixt the Austrians and Venetians, touching the Dominion of the Adriatick Sea, not fictitious or devi∣sed onely to color the caus, but faithfully transcribed from out the publick Registers of that citie, which I offer herewith to the Reader in English, and withall these two considerations.

First, that hereby it will appear, that the Common∣wealth of England's challenge to the dominion of the sea, is neither a Noveltie or singularitie; especially, when it is besides most apparant that the King of Den∣mark, doth not onely pretend to the Sovereigntie of the Sound, but causeth all such ships as pass through it, to pay what toll hee pleaseth. The great Turk prohibit's all Nations, saving his own vassals, to enter the black sea, or Pontus Euxinus; the like hee doth to the red sea, which contein's at the least 1200 miles in length, be∣ginning from the streits of Babelmondel, which give's entrance thereinto, and ending at the tower of Sues,

which is seated at the bottom thereof. The King of Portugal opposeth to the utmost of his power, any, but his own subjects to sail into the East Indies, affirming those seas to bee intirely under his dominion, as well by con∣quest, as the Pope's donation, insomuch, as the smallest vessel, even of the natives of those parts, cannot sail from port to port, without the passport of the Vice-Roy of Goa, or of som other by him deputed thereto, styling himself, amongst other his titles, to bee King of the conquest, navigation, and commerce, or traffick of Aethiopia, Arabia, Persia, India, &c. which hath been hitherto so punctually observed, as no Casti∣lian, or Spaniard, might at any time, or for any occasion, sail into the East Indies, though both those Nati∣ons were for many years together united under one King.

Secondly, if the Dominion of these seas do truely and properly belong to the Commonwealth of England (as hath been so sufficiently cleared and proved to the whole world, by that learned book entituled Mare Clausum) why may not, or ought not the People of England, by all lawful waies procure, that the Domi∣nion of these Seas that so justly appertein's unto them, may be secured from any force, violence, or opposition, how great soever, of their most powerful neighbors;

whenas wee see the Venetians to bee so jealous in pre∣servation of the title they pretend to their Seas, as ra∣ther then to suffer it to bee in the least sort questioned, they do upon all occasions oppose themselvs by force, or otherwise, against the most potent Princes of Europe and Asia. Vale.

CLAREAMONTOS.