HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

157

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.

Account of the Condition of the Venetian, Genoese, Spanish, French, and Dutch Marine,from the Commencement, to the Middle of the seventeenth Century — Cause of therapid Progress made by the latter in the Formation of a Navy—Refections ontheir Conduct—despicable State of the Russian Marine—Account of the DanishNavy—Description of the Trinity, the largest Ship built by Christiern theFourth—Causes of the Decline of the Danish Navy—Efforts made by GustavusAdolphus to raise the Character of the Swedish Marine—Statement of theNaval Force collected together by that Monarch in 1630— few Improvementsmade in Marine Architecture by the Mahometans—Causes of their Backward-ness in this Respect—Account of the Principles adopted by European Nationsin the Science of Ship-building , together with their Variation in respect toDecoration and Ornament—Causes of the Variation in Point of Constructionbetween Vessels built in different Countries—Statement of the principal Dimen-sions and Force of the different Classes of Ships of IVar belonging to the Mari-time Powers of Europe—Improvements in Marine Architecture, proposed bySir Robert Dudley, commonly called Duke of Northumberland.

T HOSE causes which so powerfully operated to the annihilation of theItalian republics, as maritime powers, have been already sufficiently•explained. Venice and Genoa, who had so long divided between themselvesthe empire of the Mediterranean sea, having once sunk into obscurity as com-mercial powers, that force which had been so ardently and enthusiasticallymaintained for its protection, vanished as a meteor, that, after passing rapidlythrough the air., and fulfilling the ordinations of nature, bursts in its descent,and is then no more seen.

Far otherwise was naturally the case with respect to Spain, but impoliticconduct produced the same degradation to that country, which but for the• absurd, unwise conduct of its government, possessed the means of renderingitself, at that particular time, more formidable by sea than any other nation inthe universe. After .possessing itself of the riches of Peru as well as Mexico,by cruelties the most ubheard of, by wars the most unjustifiable, and, inshort, by a direct breach of every principle which separates and distinguishesVol. II. X the