Parliament is very unenthusiastic about a new …

Years: 1671 - 1671
August

Parliament is very unenthusiastic about a new war.

The king therefore tries to incite the public opinion in England against the Dutch by creating a serious incident.

Lord Arlington puts it this way: "Our business is to break with them, yet to lay the breach at their door".

He had on August 24, 1671, let the royal yacht Merlin, with Temple's wife Dorothy Osborne aboard, sail through the Dutch fleet at anchor off Den Briel for maintenance.

The Dutch ships had duly struck their flag in salute first, as is mandatory under treaty, but had refused to salute firing white smoke, because they were doubtful the Merlin counted as a real warship.

Charles now orders the intriguer George Downing, the new ambassador in The Hague, to demand that the admirals responsible be severely punished, which the States-General of the Netherlands refuse.

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