THE STUARTS AND THE COMPANY 175 ever, that with so high a personage among them they would lose " the free election " of their own officers, who must in the end become the nominees of the king and court. They also feared being " drawn into actions of war " and costly enterprises of state. They thus avoided the rocks on which the French Companies after- wards suffered shipwreck, and humbly declined his Majesty's proposal. The kingcraft which James I naively professed, Charles I feebly practised. His release, in 1628, of the Dutch ships which he had promised to hold fast as the sole means of securing redress for Amboyna, came like a stab in the dark to the Company. Nor did his unprec- edented complaisance in sending the lords of his Coun- cil to Leadenhall Street to explain away the transac- tion avail more than to tinge resentment with contempt. The directors knew perfectly that it was the royal revenge for their Petition and Remonstrance to Parlia- ment in the preceding spring. But Charles, unlike James, kept his temper and did not use bad words. Swallowing his wrath at the directors' appeal to Parlia- ment, he assured them in July, 1628, that such was his love to commerce in general and to the Company in particular that he would not have them doubt of his protection, and meanwhile he would feel obliged for a loan of £10,000. As the loan was not forthcoming, he transferred his civilities to the Dutch. In the fol- lowing month he was said to have taken their bribe of £30,000, and he certainly let their ships go. Charles thus learned early in his reign that the Com-
