Fact check: It should also be noted that the English parliament paid the Spanish to harass Scottish ships in the Caribbean. They actively sabotaged the Darien scheme.

1. Summary of the results

The original statement contains both supported and unsupported claims. While there is strong evidence of English interference with the Darien scheme, the specific claim about the English parliament paying the Spanish to harass Scottish ships is not substantiated by any of the provided sources.

The evidence shows that the English actively undermined the Scottish venture through several means:

• The English East India Company lobbied against the venture and threatened impeachment ^[1]
• King William instructed Dutch and English colonies to withhold supplies from the Scottish settlement ^[2]
• English and Dutch investors were forced to withdraw their support ^[3]
• The English ambassador threatened to embargo merchants trading with the Scottish company ^[1]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are missing from the original statement:

• The role of the East India Company was significant in opposing the scheme, suggesting this was not just a government action but also driven by commercial interests ^[1]
• The opposition was multinational, involving both English and Dutch authorities ^[2]
• The motivation for non-assistance was partly to avoid upsetting Spanish interests in their silver mining operations in the area ^[4]
• The withdrawal of English and Dutch investors left the Scots as the sole investors, significantly weakening the venture's financial foundation ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement contains several problematic elements:

• It overstates the direct English-Spanish connection by claiming payment arrangements that aren't supported by any sources
• It simplifies a complex multinational situation into a simple English vs. Scottish narrative
• It ignores the commercial aspects of the opposition, particularly the role of the East India Company

Those who might benefit from this narrative include:

• Scottish nationalist groups seeking to emphasize historical grievances
• Those arguing for Scottish independence by highlighting historical English interference
• Historical revisionists seeking to simplify complex colonial-era relationships

The reality appears to be that while English opposition to the Darien scheme was real and significant, it operated through diplomatic and economic channels rather than through direct payment to the Spanish for harassment.