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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

invaders, some of whom captured Rome herself, once the pretended mistressof the world, was, with its surrounding territory, erected bv Charles the Greatinto a marquisate, and afterwards formed into a republic about the middle ofthe tenth century. In less than an hundred years after that time, it had, fromthe humblest origin, acquired no inconsiderable share of commerce : the vesselsby which it was carried on being, according to the custom of the Venetians,and other nations, alike fitted for mercantile, and warlike purposes. So earlyas the beginning of the eleventh century, they were invited by the Pisans, theirneighbours, to join in an enterprise against the Moors, who had made them-selves masters of the island of Sardinia. Very little information of this enter-prise has been transmitted down to the present time, but the confederates notlong afterwards disagreeing, a most destructive war took place between them,which raged with the utmost violence during the space of eighteen years, andhad nearly been productive of ruin to both republics. Peace and amity beingat length restored between the contending states through the mediation of thepope, they again joined their arms against the infidels in Africa. Success, inthe most unlimited sense, accompanied the undertaking ; and the spirit of cru-sading, which broke out in almost every Christian country in Europe, soonafter that time contributed very highly to nurse, and improve the growing con-sequence of the Genoese.

The conduct of this people strongly resembled what that of the Hollanders,in all probability, would have been, had the latter then existed as a flourishingnation, and been placed in the same situation as the former were. Bearinglittle or no part themselves in the crusades, they had the ingenuity to convert thegeneral mania to their own advantage. Their vessels were constantly employedas transports for the conveyance of troops, or as storeships in attending the armiesof other nations from one part of the coast to another; so that, while theiremployers were lavishing their wealth and strength, impoverishing their nativecountry, and draining it of its best support, the Genoese reaped every advantagethat could be derived from the most perfect state of quietude, and uninterruptedtranquillity. Not that they could be charged with merely looking on theflames of war, without attempting to cherish them, but the assistance theyafforded was rather to be considered as fanning a fire which they feared shouldbe extinguished* than as throwing into it that species of combustible which theypossessed, and which appeared likely to extinguish it by the suddenness of its ex-plosion. They distinguished themselves, however, very considerably at the siege. - of