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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

nations, of rousing that spirit, the effects of which they had reason to apprehendmight prove fatal to them. At length, the long uninterrupted state of navalquietude was disturbed in 1295, by a dispute which arose in Normandy betweensome English seamen belonging to the Cinque Ports, and some French mari-ners ; the circumstances of which have been very minutely and particularlyrelated by Walter de Hemingford. An English ship, it appears, having putinto a Norman port, remained there some days, and while it lay at anchor,two of the crew went ashore to procure fresh water, at a place not far distantfrom the shore, when an affray took place between them and some Normanseamen, in which the former were overpowered, and one of them killed: thesurvivor flew with all speed to his vessel, and related the disaster, adding, thatthe Normans were pursuing him. The English immediately put to sea, andbeing followed by their adversaries in great force, made their escape, though notwithout the utmost difficulty. France, encouraged by this apparent victory,immediately began to equip ships, and in some of the piratical excursions, newlymade, for as yet they w 7 ere unsanctioned by the government, two Englishvessels were unfortunately captured, the crews massacred, and their bodieshung up at the yard arm, together with as many dogs. Nor were the inhumancaptors content with even this act of outrage, but, as if glorying in their out-rage and murders, they paraded the sea for some days, as pointedly signifying,according to the remark made by historians, that they made no differencebetween an Englishman and a dog. England was not slow in taking measuresto revenge this insult and injury. Numbers of vessels were fitted out by pri-vate individuals, for the government of neither country then interfered in thedispute, and various piratical depredations were mutually committed by bothparties. Wearied, however, with this incessant petty warfare, which did notpromise any termination to the dispute, a certain day was fixed, in the true styleof naval chivalry, for the final decision of the quarrel. Both the principals in thedispute incessantly applied themselves to the acquisition of auxiliary aid. Englandprocured assistance from Ireland, Holland, and other places ; Normandy fromFrance, the Flemings, and the Genoese. The dreadful appointment was keptwith scrupulous exactness on both sides, and the contest was maintained withthe most singular spirit. Even the meanest individual, particularly among thechief antagonists, feeling himself so interested, that he fought as though he con-sidered the honour and the welfare of his country, would experience the mostinseparable disgrace and ruin, should his relaxed exertions sink, in the smallest

degree