HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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one of the most ancient potentates who were possessed of a fleet, through the assist-ance of which he rendered himself master of that, which was in his time called theGrecian Sea, and cleared it, far as it was possible for him to effect, of pirates. Thisappears to have been among the first incentives towards the equipment of fleetsfitted for war, and the same measures being in later ages progressively pursued bythe Corinthians, the Athenians, and, lastly, the Lacedemonians, as they severallyadvanced in consequence, are supposed to have been among the principal causesof that rank, as public states, which those republics attained to in lefs remotea^es.

Casaubon, in his commentary on Polybius, makes the following obviousremark, “ that the absolute dominion of the adjacent seas is an indispensiblvnecessary preliminary, as well to the erection, as the preservation of empire:”Thucydides also, who lived before him, proves, that those countries which em-ployed their attention to that great purpose, never failed to procure themselvesa very considerable political consequence, as well on account of their extendedcommerce, as of those distant islands which they were enabled to reduce undertheir dominion. These opinions may convince us in how splendid a light thisspecies of power has been held, even from the earliest ages ; a power whichthe most eminent authors (though we do not think their success has beencomplete) have endeavoured to rescue from the imputation of tending to pro-mote the avarice, or encourage the tyranny of powerful states, by striving toattach to it the useful end, of having most highly promoted the comfort of man-kind, aided by the benevolent consideration that it has softened the asperities ofhuman nature by the general'advancement of society, philanthropy, and happyintercourse between country and country.

It were certainly too bold an assertion to insist that Sesostris and Minos werethe first princes who brought the art of naval war to a regular system. Cadmus,Bacchus, and others their predecessors, may certainly, in point of antiquity, su-persede their claim ; but as these were considered as deities, or demigods, they arescarcely to be classed with personages who attained not to so high a rank. Theapplication, however, of the art being once known in neighbouring states andnations bordering on the sea, all, particularly those which had made any progressin what is called civilization, embraced the idea with avidity, and the experienceof imperfections gave birth to daily improvement *.

Vgl. I.

* The invention of the mast, sail, and rudder.

F

Having