HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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so long grown into disuse, as to be nearly forgotten ; nor does there appear anyprior trace of a public proclamation, like that just inserted, which so forciblytended to call forth into arms the body of the people, or at least the mercantilepart of it, and encourage their exertions against the common foe to theircountry.

But though it may be unnecessary to say any thing farther, in addition to whathas been already observed *, on the cause of this proclamation, it is by no mean&so proper to pass it over, without remarking on the policy and prudence of it. Itcalled forth a myriad of foes, individually perhaps, not powerful enough to alarma state, but which, taken collectively, were capable, from their numbers, ofcreating very considerable annoyance to an enemy. Their scale of operations pthe line in which their efforts were directed, rendered the system of generalattack complete. While the attention of the royal fleet was solely directed tothe movements of the state armaments, sent forth by the enemy, those of the moreprivate warriors were capable of being no less serviceable in the petite guerre:they could alarm the whole country by interruption of commerce, as well as byconducting the ravages of war into channels, which, though beneath the attentionof a royal fleet, would spread general discontent and distress among the enemy,more feelingly and forcibly, perhaps, than even the destruction of their navyitself, or the principal arsenals of the kingdom. This, as the most likely methodof compelling an inveterate foe to listen to moderate terms, and even sue forpeace, should be one of the first objects of every power that attempts to enterinto a war.

This system, which has never been laid aside since its first adoption, is, as wellas many others, a proof that the most consequential measures and establishmentshave frequently sprung from the earliest sources. Little used in its first institu-tion, because the benefits arising to the country itself, and the peculiar advantageslikely to be derived by the enterprising adventurers, were perhaps but littleunderstood, it soon felt the power of expansion, on the first subsequent occa-sion that offered, but which did not occur till the reign of Elizabeth. The successwhich crowned the first consequential attempts in this line of service, operatedmore forcibly on the minds of enterprising speculators, than either the animatingphraseology of a proclamation, or their own natural patriotism. The riches ofIndia, of Peru, of Turkey, and in short of every other quarter of the world

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* See page 48.