按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
1/2d。 was disbursed for guns and grindstones。 This sum must be
multiplied by about four； to give the proper present value。
Popenruyter seems to have been the great gunfounder of the age；
he supplied the principal guns and gun stores for the English
navy； and his name occurs in every Ordnance account of the
series； generally for sums of the largest amounts。
Henry VIII。 was the first to establish Royal dockyards； first at
Woolwich； then at Portsmouth； and thirdly at Deptford； for the
erection and repair of ships。 Before then； England had been
principally dependent upon Dutchmen and Venetians； both for ships
of war and merchantmen。 The sovereign had neither naval arsenals
nor dockyards； nor any regular establishment of civil or naval
affairs to provide ships of war。 Sir Edward Howard； Lord High
Admiral of England； at the accession of Henry VIII。； actually
entered into a 〃contract〃 with that monarch to fight his enemies。
This singular document is still preserved in the State Paper
office。 Even after the establishment of royal dockyards； the
sovereignas late as the reign of Elizabethentered into formal
contracts with shipwrights for the repair and maintenance of
ships； as well as for additions to the fleet。
The King； having made his first effort at establishing a royal
navy； sent the fleet to sea against the ships of France。 The
Regent was the ship royal； with Sir Thomas Knivet； Master of the
Horse； and Sir John Crew of Devonshire； as Captains。 The fleet
amounted to twenty…five well furnished ships。 The French fleet
were thirty…nine in number。 They met in Brittany Bay； and had a
fierce fight。 The Regent grappled with a great carack of Brest；
the French； on the English boarding their ship； set fire to the
gunpowder； and both ships were blown up； with all their men。 The
French fleet fled； and the English kept the seas。 The King；
hearing of the loss of the Regent； caused a great ship to be
built； the like of which had never before been seen in England；
and called it Harry Grace de Dieu。
This ship was constructed by foreign artizans； principally by
Italians； and was launched in 1515。 She was said to be of a
thousand tons portage the largest ship in England。 The vessel
was four…masted； with two round tops on each mast； except the
shortest mizen。 She had a high forecastle and poop； from which
the crew could shoot down upon the deck or waist of another
vessel。 The object was to have a sort of castle at each end of
the ship。 This style of shipbuilding was doubtless borrowed from
the Venetians； then the greatest naval power in Europe。 The
length of the masts； the height of the ship above the water's
edge； and the ornaments and decorations； were better adapted for
the stillness of the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas； than for
the boisterous ocean of the northern parts of Europe。＇7＇ The
story long prevailed that 〃the Great Harry swept a dozen flocks
of sheep off the Isle of Man with her bob…stay。〃 An American
gentleman （N。B。 Anderson； LL。D。； Boston） informed the present
author that this saying is still proverbial amongst the United
States sailors。
The same features were reproduced in merchant ships。 Most of
them were suited for defence； to prevent the attacks of pirates；
which swarmed the seas round the coast at that time。
Shipbuilding by the natives in private shipyards was in a
miserable condition。 Mr。 Willet； in his memoir relative to the
navy； observes： 〃It is said； and I believe with truth； that at
this time （the middle of the sixteenth century） there was not a
private builder between London Bridge and Gravesend； who could
lay down a ship in the mould left from a Navy Board's draught；
without applying to a tinker who lived in Knave's Acre。〃＇8＇
Another ship of some note built at the instance of Henry VIII。
was the Mary Rose； of the portage of 500 tons。 We find her in
the 〃pond at Deptford〃 in 1515。 Seven years later； in the
thirtieth year of Henry VIII。's reign； she was sent to sea； with
five other English ships of war； to protect such commerce as then
existed from the depredations of the French and Scotch pirates。
The Mary Rose was sent many years later （in 1544） with the
English fleet to the coast of France； but returned with the rest
of the fleet to Portsmouth without entering into any engagement。
While laid at anchor； not far from the place where the Royal
George afterwards went down； and the ship was under repair； her
gun…ports being very low when she was laid over； 〃the shipp
turned； the water entered； and sodainly she sanke。〃
What was to be done？ There were no English engineers or workmen
who could raise the ship。 Accordingly； Henry VIII。 sent to
Venice for assistance； and when the men arrived； Pietro de
Andreas was dispatched with the Venetian marines and carpenters
to raise the Mary Rose。 Sixty English mariners were appointed to
attend upon them。 The Venetians were then the skilled 〃heads；〃
the English were only the 〃hands。〃 Nevertheless they failed with
all their efforts； and it was not until the year 1836 that Mr。
Dean； the engineer； succeeded in raising not only the Royal
George； but the Mary Rose； and cleared the roadstead at
Portsmouth of the remains of the sunken ships。
When Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1558； the commerce and
navigation of England were still of very small amount。 The
population of the kingdom amounted to only about five
millionsnot much more than the population of London is now。
The country had little commerce； and what it had was still mostly
in the hands of foreigners。 The Hanse towns had their large
entrepot for merchandise in Cannon Street； on the site of the
present Cannon Street Station。 The wool was still sent abroad to
Flanders to be fashioned into cloth； and even garden produce was
principally imported from Holland。 Dutch； Germans； Flemings；
French； and Venetians continued to be our principal workmen。 Our
iron was mostly obtained from Spain and Germany。 The best arms
and armour came from France and Italy。 Linen was imported from
Flanders and Holland； though the best came from Rheims。 Even the
coarsest dowlas； or sailcloth； was imported from the Low
Countries。
The royal ships continued to be of very small burthen； and the
mercantile ships were still smaller。 The Queen； however； did
what she could to improve the number and burthen of our ships。
〃Foreigners；〃 says Camden； 〃stiled her the restorer of naval
glory and Queen of the Northern Seas。〃 In imitation of the
Queen； opulent subjects built ships of force； and in course of
time England no longer depended upon Hamburg； Dantzic； Genoa； and
Venice； for her fleet in time of war。
Spain was then the most potent power in Europe； and the
Netherlands； which formed part of the dominions of Spain； was the
centre of commercial prosperity。 Holland possessed above 800
good ships； of from 200 to 700 tons burthen； and above 600 busses
for fishing