men of invention and industry-第2章

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of　the　Roses。　　The　population　was　very　small；　and　had　been　kept

down　by　war；　pestilence；　and　famine。＇3＇　The　chief　staple　was

wool；　which　was　exported　to　Flanders　in　foreign　ships；　there　to

be　manufactured　into　cloth。　　Nearly　every　article　of　importance

was　brought　from　abroad；　and　the　little　commerce　which　existed

was　in　the　hands　of　foreigners。　　The　seas　were　swept　by

privateers；　little　better　than　pirates；　who　plundered　without

scruple　every　vessel；　whether　friend　or　foe；　which　fell　in　their

way。



The　British　navy　has　risen　from　very　low　beginnings。　　The　English

fleet　had　fallen　from　its　high　estate　since　the　reign　of　Edward

III。；　who　won　a　battle　from　the　French　and　Flemings　in　1340；　with

260　ships；　but　his　vessels　were　all　of　moderate　size；　being

boats；　yachts；　and　caravels；　of　very　small　tonnage。　　According　to

the　contemporary　chronicles；　Weymouth；　Fowey；　Sandwich；　and

Bristol；　were　then　of　nearly　almost　as　much　importance　as

London；＇4＇　which　latter　city　only　furnished　twenty…five　vessels；

with　662　mariners。



The　Royal　Fleet　began　in　the　reign　of　Henry　VII。　　Only　six　or

seven　vessels　then　belonged　to　the　King；　the　largest　being　the

Grace　de　Dieu；　of　comparatively　small　tonnage。　　The　custom　then

was；　to　hire　ships　from　the　Venetians；　the　Genoese；　the　Hanse

towns；　and　other　trading　people；　and　as　soon　as　the　service　for

which　the　vessels　so　hired　was　performed；　they　were　dismissed。



When　Henry　VIII。　ascended　the　throne　in　1509；　he　directed　his

attention　to　the　state　of　the　navy。　　Although　the　insular

position　of　England　was　calculated　to　stimulate　the　art　of

shipbuilding　more　than　in　most　continental　countries；　our　best

ships　long　continued　to　be　built　by　foreigners。　　Henry　invited

from　abroad；　especially　from　Italy；　where　the　art　of　shipbuilding

had　made　the　greatest　progress；　as　many　skilful　artists　and

workmen　as　he　could　procure；　either　by　the　hope　of　gain；　or　the

high　honours　and　distinguished　countenance　which　he　paid　them。　

〃By　incorporating；〃　says　Charnock；　〃these　useful　persons　among

his　own　subjects；　he　soon　formed　a　corps　sufficient　to　rival

those　states　which　had　rendered　themselves　most　distinguished　by

their　knowledge　in　this　art；　so　that　the　fame　of　Genoa　and

Venice；　which　had　long　excited　the　envy　of　the　greater　part　of

Europe；　became　suddenly　transferred　to　the　shores　of　Britain。〃＇5＇



In　fitting　out　his　fleet；　we　find　Henry　disbursing　large　sums　to

foreigners　for　shipbuilding；　for　〃harness〃　or　armour；　and　for

munitions　of　all　sorts。　　The　State　Papers＇6＇　particularize　the

amounts　paid　to　Lewez　de　la　Fava　for　〃harness；〃　to　William　Gurre；

〃bregandy…maker；〃　and　to　Leonard　Friscobald　for　〃almayn　ryvetts。〃



Francis　de　Errona；　a　Spaniard；　supplied　the　gunpowder。　　Among　the

foreign　mechanics　and　artizans　employed　were　Hans　Popenruyter；

gunfounder　of　Mechlin；　Robert　Sakfeld；　Robert　Skorer；　Fortuno　de

Catalenago；　and　John　Cavelcant。　　On　one　occasion　2；797L。　19s。　4

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；　of　from　100　to　200　tons。　　Amsterdam　and　Antwerp　were

in　the　heyday　of　their　prosperity。　　Sometimes　500　great　ships

were　to　be　seen　lying　together　before　Amsterdam；＇9＇　whereas

England　at　that　time　had　not　four　merchant　ships　of　400　tons

each！　　Antwerp；　however；　was　the　most　important　city　in　the　Low

Countries。　　It　was　no　uncommon　thing　to　see　as　many　as　2500　ships

in　the　Scheldt；　laden　with　merchandize。　　Sometimes　500　ships

would　come　and　go　from　Antwerp　in　one　day；　bound　to　or　returning

from　the　distant　parts　of　the　world。　　The　place　was　immensely

rich；　and　was　frequented　by　Spaniards；　Germans；　Danes；　English；

Italians；　and　Portuguese　the　Spaniards　being　the　most　numerous。　

Camden；　in　his　history　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　relates　that　our

general　trade　with　the　Netherlands　in　1564　amounted　to　twelve

millions　of　ducats；　five　millions　of　which　was　for　English　cloth

alone。



The　religious　persecutions　of　Philip　II。　of　Spain　and　of　Charles

IX。　of　France