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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.’

vessels. The failure of the French to comply with their part of the treaty,produced the failure of this grand scheme, which at the commencement almostthreatened annihilation to the Ottoman power. The Turks on their part, whoon the first intimation of the storm which threatened them, had shrunk withapprehension for the consequence, deriving additional courage from the cessa-tion, or at least postponement, of danger, over-ran nearly the whole Mediterra-nean with their corsairs, and put a total stop, though it proved a temporary one,to every species of maritime commerce.

The Venetians not being able to brook the insult, and what acted still moreforcibly on their minds, not choosing to submit to the injury, delayed not,though deserted by their allies, to fit out a fleet, which not only restored tothem the freedom of trade, but compelled the Turks to owe their safety to theirharbours, and actually defrayed all expences, which attended the armament, bythe captures which it made. The naval consequence which Venice acquiredin the eyes of all surrounding nations by the event just related, was so great,that no country thought proper for many years to enter into naval contest withher; and so highly was her friendship esteemed, that Edward the Third, of Eng-land, solicited an alliance against Philip, king of France, who was joined by theGenoese, a request which, though earnestly made, was peremptorily refused.The Turks, who during the short time they had reigned masters of the Levant,had derived sufficient advantage to convince them of the benefits resulting frommaritime consequence, were resolved not to abandon them lightly, and accord-ingly kept a naval force, consisting entirely of gallies, in constant readiness forservice. Such adepts did they prove, that the fleet of Venice experienced asignal defeat from them about the year 1344 : and intestine commotions, for thespace of two years after the above event, kept the republic from making anyattempt towards the recovery of its honour. To this event succeeded a freshrupture with the Genoese. The latter had, for a considerable period, beenusing every endeavour to advance their trade, a point which they had beensuccessful enough to effect, to the great injury of the Venetian commerce.The Venetians, on their part, conducted themselves with singular moderation;and although their rivals had committed the most unqualified depredationsagainst them, they contented themselves with calmly demanding reparation forthe violence, instead of arming, as is frequently the custom with states, a fle^|to punish it, without the condescension of remonstrance. The Genoese, beingtoo much elated with their own supposed consequence, peremptorily refused

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