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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

Tme state of many of these ships does indeed but little credit to the attention ofthose who were entrusted with the care and inspection of the royal navy, therenot being, in a case of emergency, a single vessel out of thirteen that was in aproper condition for service. But the precautions of the king, in ordering thesurvey, is an additional proof of that great ability and attention to the welfareof his realm, which, amidst his multitude of frailties, he was ever wont to dis-play. The most distant prospect of danger, or necessity, was sufficient to re-double the alertness of his noble mind; and the provision for war, in all itsbranches, far as existing circumstances w r ould permit, never failed to forerunhis commencement of hostilities.

There are some peculiarities in the report which are not a little striking.The commendations bestowed on the mould of the Sovereign, shew, that evenin that infancy of the English navy, no trivial attention W'as paid to all suchqualities as the strict and proper observation of certain rules, in the formationand shape of the bottom, gave the vessel, both in respect to sailing, and working,over one where they had been neglected. The very next ship is an instancein point, and being ill fashioned, is consequently as much condemned as thepreceding one is praised. With regard to the Great Galley, which vessel, con-cludes the report, its tonnage proclaims it to have been of considerable conse-quence ; but its name never occurs in any other place, though it is veryevident, that it must have been then built several years, from the state inwhich it is reported to have been, (an. 1513.) As to the durability of shipping,and the means taken to preserve them, the former seems to have varied in itsextent as much as it has done within these last forty years, and probablyowing to the same causes : the latter was conducted on that principle of keepingvessels dry, or secure, by some means or other, from the effects of the weather,which has never ceased to be practised but to the injury of the state, be theexpence of the care and precaution what it might.

Of the fourteen ships named in the report, the Great Henry had then beenlaunched seven years ; and it does not appear to have received any other repairduring that interval, besides the ordinary attention of being occasionally caulked.To proceed regularly into the history of this vessel, though there is no officialdocument now existing that can induce the belief of any considerable repairshaving ever been given to that ship, it appears to have been in a state so asto be thought fit for service even in the year 1553, thirty-eight years from thetime of its being launched, when it was unfortunately, but accidentally, burnt.

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