with British citizens, and prohibited foreigners from
importing into the Commonwealth other products than those of her own
soil or those the sale of which was established in the importing
country. Cromwell's idea was without doubt to attack Dutch commerce and
build upon its ruins a national British commerce. Holland opposed in
vain the act intended to break the friendly relations between the two
nations. Parliament was concerned only about British interests and
refused to revoke her laws to please her neighbor and ally. The war
between England and Holland became inevitable. Cromwell's squadron
triumphed and Dutch commerce had to give way to British.

This lesson was not lost upon France which was also haunted by visions
of colonial empire and was therefore interested in defending the
principle of monopoly. As early as the reign of Queen Isabella, French
ambition and desire for colonial possessions had become manifest. As
British vessels began to prey upon Spanish colonies, France followed
their operations with keen interest and at opportune moments managed to
acquire a slice of territory in the New World. In the year when the
British had taken possession of Barbadoes, France took half of San
Cristobal; when the British settled on the other half of that island,
the French took possession of Martinique, Guadeloupe and other small
islands. They founded a colony in Cayenne and assisted by corsairs got a
hold on the western part of Santo Domingo.

But the greed for territory once awakened, was not easily appeased, and
the courtiers of the Restoration, in need of new avenues of wealth to
carry on their wonted extravagance, were among the most rapacious
claimants of land in America. In the Spring of 1663, the province of
Carolina was established, extending from the thirty-sixth degree of
north latitude to the river San Matheo and some dissatisfied planters
from Barbadoes founded a settlement in the fall of the same year. Having
been included by the Spaniards within the limits of Florida, this
arbitrary act was bound not to pass unchallenged by Spain. In defiance
of the Spanish authorities at St. Augustine the Earl of Clarendon
obtained from the King in June, 1665, a charter granting him and his
partners all territory lying between the twenty-ninth and the
thirty-sixth degree of north latitude from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Not satisfied with these acquisitions, the British turned covetous eyes
upon Cuba. A letter writte