HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

27S

CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH.

The sudden Appearance of the Normans as a Naval Power—their Influence andConsequence in the Mediterranean—their Conduct to the Sicilians—they enterinto the Views and Spirit of the Crusaders—Guiscard passing over into Italy ,conquers a considerable Territory—Account of the Place where the firstDiscovery of the Loadstone took pla^e in Europe—Proof of the enterprisingSpirit of the Normans—the Expedition of Guiscard undertaken against theDominions of the Emperor of the East—the Siege of Durazzo—Relief of thePlace, and Defeat of Guiscard — Guiscard's Army continues the Siege — De-scription of the Army of the East—its motley Composition—the Surrender ofDurazzo—farther Successes of the Normans—Commencement of the Warbetween Guiscard and the Emperor of the Franks, or West—Retreat of theImperial Army,, and Triumph of Guiscard—his greatly encreased politicalConsequence—Force of his Fleet—the Disembarkation of his Army under itsProtection on the Coast of Epirus—Death of Guiscard—Fate which attendedhis Remains—Quiescent State of the Normans for the .Space of more than fortyYears—Enterprises undertaken by Roger ., Nephew to Robert Guiscard — Suc-cesses of his Fleet—Liberation of the King of France—Insult offered to theCity of Constantinople—Defeat of the Norman Sicilian Fleet by that of theEmpire—declining State of the Norman Sicilians Power—the final Extinctionof their Power, and the Assumption of the Dutchy of . Normandy by theKing of France—Naval History of the Grecian Empire—Successes of Manuel—Naval Power of Venice—its Progression and History—War with Manuel,Emperor of the East—its ill Success—Duplicity and crafty Conduct of theEmperor—War with Barbarossa—Defeat of his Fleet, and consequent Intro-duction of the Ceremony of the Doge wedding . the Sea—:various Wars andNaval Enterprises of the Venetians prior to the Year 1377.

S UDDENLY starting into public notice from a very obscure corner of theworld, the Normans appeared, in the middle of the eleventh century, am-bitious of rivalling the Venetians themselves, in maritime consequence, if notin commercial pursuits, with regard to which they appeared somewhat indif-

Nn2 ferent.