PREFACE. xxxiii

1171 Henry invaded Ireland with a fleet of four hundred sail, and com-pletely conquered it.

1177 Mandeville, earl of Essex, sailed from Dartmouth with thirty-sevenships, on a crusading expedition.

1189 Richard the First, surnamed Coeur de Lion, the first royal crusader

from England, fitted out a fleet, consisting of upwards of onehundred capital ships, and fifty gallies. N. B. It is more thanprobable, a considerable part of this fleet was hired from theGenoese, as was, according to Rigord, at that time the customof France.

1190 This fleet was much dispersed in attempting to get round to Mar-

seilles. The king was obliged to hire twenty gallies, and tenlarge busses, in order to transport him to Messina. In the sameyear, the first lex maritima was enacted by Richard at Messina.It related to shipwrecks.

1191 Richard’s fleet consisted of one hundred and fifty sail of ships,

fifty-two gallies, and ten large ships for victuallers. In this year,his fleet being overtaken by a storm near the island of Cyprus,and those avIio were Avrecked being ill used by the king of thatisland, Richard attacked and routed his fleet and army, subduedthe island, made the king prisoner, and sent him to Tripoli.In the month of June, he sunk a large vessel belonging to theSaracens, Avith fifteen hundred men on board. In the same year,he defeated the army of Saladine, and his fleet also, in a regularengagement before Ptolemais. Greek fire Avas made use of inthis action. The Aessels of Avhich these fleets were composed,Avere in part only galley built, according to the ancient form, andsuch as Avere called naves rostratan

1192 Richard being cast aAva}- on the coast of Istria, betAveen Aquilcia

and Venice, avus made prisoner by the duke of Austria.

. Vol. I.

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119d Richard