OF THE NAVY OF ENGLAND.
[1577, Book II., Chapter 13; 1587, Book II., Chapter 17.]
There is nothing that hath brought me into more admiration of the power
and force of antiquity than their diligence and care had of their navies:
wherein, whether I consider their speedy building, or great number of
ships which some one kingdom or region possessed at one instant, it giveth
me still occasion either to suspect the history, or to think that in our
times we come very far behind them.[211]
* * * * *
I must needs confess therefore that the ancient vessels far exceeded ours
for capacity, nevertheless if you regard the form, and the assurance from
peril of the sea, and therewithal the strength and nimbleness of such as
are made in our time, you shall easily find that ours are of more value
than theirs: for as the greatest vessel is not always the fastest, so that
of most huge capacity is not always the aptest to shift and brook the
seas: as might be seen by the _Great Henry_,[212] the hugest vessel that
ever England framed in our times. Neither were the ships of old like unto
ours in mould and manner of building above the water (for of low galleys
in our seas we make small account) nor so full of ease within, since time
hath engendered more skill in the wrights, and brought all things to more
perfection than they had in the beginning. And now to come unto our
purpose at the first intended.
The navy of England may be divided into three sorts, of which the one
serveth for the wars, the other for burden, and the third for fishermen
which get their living by fishing on the sea. How many of the first order
are maintained within the realm it passeth my cunning to express; yet,
since it may be parted into the navy royal and common fleet, I think good
to speak of those that belong unto the prince, and so much the rather, for
that their number is certain and well known to very many. Certainly there
is no prince in Europe that hath a more beautiful or gallant sort of ships
than the queen's majesty of England at this present, and those generally
are of such exceeding force that two of them, being well appointed and
furnished as they ought, will not let to encounter with three or four of
those of other countries, and either bowge them or put them to flight, if
they may not bring them home.[213]
Neither are the moulds of any foreign barks so conveniently made, to brook
so well one sea as another lying upon the shore of any part of the
continent, as those of England. And therefore the common report that
strangers make of our ships amongst themselves is daily confirmed to be
true, which is, that for strength, assurance, nimbleness, and swiftness of
sailing, there are no vessels in the world to be compared with ours. And
all these are committed to the regiment and safe custody of the admiral,
who is so called (as some imagine) of the Greek word _almiras_, a captain
on the sea; for so saith Zonaras in _Basilio Macedone_ and _Basilio
Porphyriogenito_, though others fetch it from _ad mare_, the Latin words,
another sort from _Amyras_, the Saracen magistrate, or from some French
derivation: but these things are not for this place, and therefore I pass
them over. The queen's highness hath at this present (which is the
four-and-twentieth of her reign) already made and furnished, to the number
of four or five-and-twenty great ships, which lie for the most part in
Gillingham Road, beside three galleys, of whose particular names and
furniture (so far forth as I can come by them) it shall not be amiss to
make report at this time.[214]
_The names of so many ships belonging to her majesty as I could come by at
this present._
The Bonadventure. Foresight.
Elizabeth Jonas.[215] Swift sute.
White Bear. Aid.
Philip and Mary. Handmaid.
Triumph. Dreadnought.
Bull. Swallow.
Tiger.[216] Genet.
Antelope. Bark of Bullen.
Hope. Achates.
Lion. Falcon.
Victory. George.
Mary Rose. Revenge.[217]
It is said that as kings and princes have in the young days of the world,
and long since, framed themselves to erect every year a city in some one
place or other of their kingdom (and no small wonder that Sardanapalus
should begin and finish two, to wit, Anchialus and Tarsus, in one day), so
her grace doth yearly build one ship or other to the better defence of her
frontiers from the enemy. But, as of this report I have no assured
certainty, so it shall suffice to have said so much of these things; yet
this I think worthy further to be added, that if they should all be driven
to service at one instant (which God forbid) she should have a power by
sea of about nine or ten thousand men, which were a notable company,
beside the supply of other vessels appertaining to her subjects to furnish
up her voyage.
Beside these, her grace hath other in hand also, of whom hereafter, as
their turns do come about, I will not let to leave some further
remembrance. She hath likewise three notable galleys: the Speedwell, the
Try Right, and the Black Galley, with the sight whereof, and the rest of
the navy royal, it is incredible to say how greatly her grace is
delighted: and not without great cause (I say) since by their means her
coasts are kept in quiet, and sundry foreign enemies put back, which
otherwise would invade us.[218] The number of those that serve for burden
with the other, whereof I have made mention already and whose use is daily
seen, as occasion serveth in time of the wars, is to me utterly unknown.
Yet if the report of one record be anything at all to be credited, there
are one hundred and thirty-five ships that exceed five hundred ton;
topmen, under one hundred and above forty, six hundred and fifty-six;
hoys, one hundred; but of hulks, catches, fisherboats, and crayers, it
lieth not in me to deliver the just account, since they are hard to come
by. Of these also there are some of the queen's majesty's subjects that
have two or three; some, four or six; and (as I heard of late) one man,
whose name I suppress for modesty's sake, hath been known not long since
to have had sixteen or seventeen, and employed them wholly to the wafting
in and out of our merchants, whereby he hath reaped no small commodity and
gain. I might take occasion to tell of the notable and difficult voyages
made into strange countries by Englishmen, and of their daily success
there;[219] but as these things are nothing incident to my purpose, so I
surcease to speak of them. Only this will I add, to the end all men shall
understand somewhat of the great masses of treasure daily employed upon
our navy, how there are few of those ships, of the first and second sort,
that, being apparelled and made ready to sail, are not worth one thousand
pounds, or three thousand ducats at the least, if they should presently be
sold. What shall we think then of the greater, but especially of the navy
royal, of which some one vessel is worth two of the other, as the
shipwrights have often told me? It is possible that some covetous person,
hearing this report, will either not credit it at all, or suppose money so
employed to be nothing profitable to the queen's coffers: as a good
husband said once when he heard there should be a provision made for
armour, wishing the queen's money to be rather laid out to some speedier
return of gain unto her grace, "because the realm (saith he) is in case
good enough," and so peradventure he thought. But if, as by store of
armour for the defence of the country, he had likewise understanded that
the good keeping of the sea is the safeguard of our land, he would have
altered his censure, and soon given over his judgment. For in times past,
when our nation made small account of navigation, how soon did the Romans,
then the Saxons, and last of all the Danes, invade this island? whose
cruelty in the end enforced our countrymen, as it were even against their
wills, to provide for ships from other places, and build at home of their
own, whereby their enemies were oftentimes distressed. But most of all
were the Normans therein to be commended. For, in a short process of time
after the conquest of this island, and good consideration had for the
well-keeping of the same, they supposed nothing more commodious for the
defence of the country than the maintenance of a strong navy, which they
speedily provided, maintained, and thereby reaped in the end their wished
security, wherewith before their times this island was never acquainted.
Before the coming of the Romans I do not read that we had any ships at
all, except a few made of wicker and covered with buffalo hides, like unto
which there are some to be seen at this present in Scotland (as I hear),
although there be a little (I wot not well what) difference between them.
Of the same also Solinus speaketh, so far as I remember: nevertheless it
may be gathered from his words how the upper parts of them above the water
only were framed of the said wickers, and that the Britons did use to fast
all the whiles they went to the sea in them; but whether it were done for
policy or superstition, as yet I do not read.
In the beginning of the Saxons' regiment we had some ships also; but as
their number and mould was little, and nothing to the purpose, so Egbert
was the first prince that ever thoroughly began to know this necessity of
a navy and use the service thereof in the defence of his country. After
him also other princes, as Alfred, Edgar, Ethelred, etc., endeavoured more
and more to store themselves at the full with ships of all quantities, but
chiefly Edgar, for he provided a navy of 1600 _aliàs_ 3600 sail, which he
divided into four parts, and sent them to abide upon four sundry coasts of
the land, to keep the same from pirates. Next unto him (and worthy to be
remembered) is Etheldred, who made a law that every man that hold 310
hidelands should find a ship furnished to serve him in the wars. Howbeit,
as I said before, when all their navy was at the greatest, it was not
comparable for force and sure building to that which afterward the Normans
provided, neither that of the Normans anything like to the same that is to
be seen now in these our days. For the journeys also of our ships, you
shall understand that a well-builded vessel will run or sail commonly
three hundred leagues or nine hundred miles in a week, or peradventure
some will go 2200 leagues in six weeks and a half. And surely, if their
lading be ready against they come thither, there be of them that will be
here, at the West Indies, and home again in twelve or thirteen weeks from
Colchester, although the said Indies be eight hundred leagues from the
cape or point of Cornwall, as I have been informed. This also I understand
by report of some travellers, that, if any of our vessels happen to make a
voyage to Hispaniola or New Spain (called in time past Quinquegia and
Haiti), which lieth between the north tropic and the Equator, after they
have once touched at the Canaries (which are eight days' sailing or two
hundred and fifty leagues from St. Lucas de Barameda, in Spain) they will
be there in thirty or forty days, and home again in Cornwall in other
eight weeks, which is a goodly matter, beside the safety and quietness in
the passage, but more of this elsewhere.