men of invention and industry-第3章

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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　shortly　supplied　England　with　the　population　of

which　she　stood　in　needactive；　industrious；　intelligent

artizans。　　Philip　set　up　the　Inquisition　in　Flanders；　and　in　a

few　years　more　than　50；000　persons　were　deliberately　murdered。　

The　Duchess　of　Parma；　writing　to　Philip　II。　in　1567；　informed　him

that　in　a　few　days　above　100；000　men　had　already　left　the　country

with　their　money　and　goods；　and　that　more　were　following　every

day。　　They　fled　to　Germany；　to　Holland；　and　above　all　to　England；

which　they　hailed　as　Asylum　Christi。　　The　emigrants　settled　in

the　decayed　cities　and　towns　of　Canterbury；　Norwich；　Sandwich；

Colchester；　Maidstone；　Southampton；　and　many　other　places；　where

they　carried　on　their　manufactures　of　woollen；　linen；　and　silk；

and　established　many　new　branches　of　industry。＇10＇



Five　years　later；　in　1572；　the　massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew　took

place　in　France；　during　which　the　Roman　Catholic　Bishop　Perefixe

alleges　that　100；000　persons　were　put　to　death　because　of　their

religions　opinions。　　All　this　persecution；　carried　on　so　near　the

English　shores；　rapidly　increased　the　number　of　foreign　fugitives

into　England；　which　was　followed　by　the　rapid　advancement　of　the

industrial　arts　in　this　country。



The　asylum　which　Queen　Elizabeth　gave　to　the　persecuted

foreigners　brought　down　upon　her　the　hatred　of　Philip　II。　and

Charles　IX。　　When　they　found　that　they　could　not　prevent　her

furnishing　them　with　an　asylum；　they　proceeded　to　compass　her

death。　　She　was　excommunicated　by　the　Pope；　and　Vitelli　was　hired

to　assassinate　her。　　Philip　also　proceeded　to　prepare　the　Sacred

Armada　for　the　subjugation　of　the　English　nation；　and　he　was

master　of　the　most　powerful　army　and　navy　in　the　world。



Modern　England　was　then　in　the　throes　of　her　birth。　　She　had　not

yet　reached　the　vigour　of　her　youth；　though　she　was　full　of　life

and　energy。　　She　was　about　to　become　the　England　of　free　thought；

commerce；　and　manufactures；　to　ploug