HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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predecessors, to the sovereignty of the British seas. War having never ceasedto rage between Philip, surnamed the Fair, and the Flemings, the former felthimself under the necessity of fitting out a formidable naval force, the commandof which was given to a noble Genoese, named Revner Grimbaldi. Thatnobleman using his commission as a pretext, thought proper to seize, afterthe manner of a pirate, on a variety of vessels belonging to different coun-tries, merely because they chanced to be bound to different ports in Flan-ders. This conduct having excited a very considerable clamour, the kings ofEngland and of France were respectively appealed to. The complaints beingheard, the two monarchs took upon themselves the office of umpires. Aregular commission was accordingly issued to certain persons, therein named,to hear and determine all matters then in dispute. To this board a regularremonstrance was given in, in the name of the procurators of the prelates, andnobles, of the admiral of the English seas, of the communities of cities, andtowns, as well as of the merchants, mariners, strangers resident, and all othersbelonging to the kingdom of England, and territories subject to the same, asalso the inhabitants of other maritime places, such as Genoa, Spain, Ger-many, Zealand, Holland, Frizeland, Denmark, Norway, See. setting forththe right which the kings of England had, from time immemorial, held in thesovereignty of the adjacent seas, and the power that was vested in them ofmaking such ordinances as they should think necessary for maintaining andensuring the peaceable navigation thereof, &c. “ Such,” remarks the great

Selden, “ is the libel of so many nations manifestly acknowleging the sove-reignty and dominion of England over the sea, and thereupon demanding pro-tection for themselves; and whereas (proceeds the same writer) no mentionis made of this thing in the histories either of the French, English, or others,it is no wonder, since the proceedings of courts of judicature are seldom setdown in histories.”

No other material naval occurrence took place during the life of the firstEdward ; and the unquiet reign of his son and successor, Edward the Second,was little likely to contribute to the prosperity of maritime concerns. Oneevent only presents itself to notice as worthy of mention. During the unhappydisputes which took place between the king and his consort; the former, en-raged at the conduct of France, who interfered in support of his adversaries,sent orders to various commanders, and in particular to the constable of Dovercastle, to fit out ships, and send them on a cruise off the coast of France. 'These

Voz.. I. X x orders