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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

latter part of his father’s reign. It was unfortunate for him, perhaps, that he did,as it proved one of the principal sources of those commotions which, becomingmore serious soon afterwards, deluged the kingdom with blood for such a seriesof years, and ended at last in the murder of the sovereign himself. So early astwo years after Charles became a king, mention is made of a new ship belongingto the royal navy, called the Great Neptune, which not having been noticed asbelonging to the fleet of James, was most probably built after his decease, orwas purchased from Some private person. However this might be, the vesselin question Was undoubtedly of very considerable burthen and force, and theparticular mention made of it very fully proves the progressive advancement ofthe British marine ; for though six vessels, hired from the merchants on thesame occasion, which was that of assisting the French in the siege of Rochelle,were of four hundred tons burthen each, they are represented as almost con-temptibly inferior to it both in size and force. The expedition against Cadiz in1625, under the direction and command of the lord viscount Wimbledon, servedto keep alive the naval character of jhe country, though it might not perhaps tendto advance it: the fleet consisted of eighty ships of war, but thirty or more ofthese were furnished by the Dutch, who probably were happy in this opportunityof displaying their national rank and consequence, by encouraging, and aiding inthis unprovoked attack of their former lords. In regard to the civil managementof the duke of Buckingham, who had exercised the office of lord high admiral ofEngland ever since the resignation of the earl of Nottingham in 1618, he pos-sessed that mixture of character to which, though it was not possible to affordunqualified applause, it was not by any means fair to condemn in that extentsome historians have thought proper, who have only regarded his political con-duct -j-. Certain it is, that after he took possession of his high office, the stateof the royal navy became considerably improved, nor were the exertions whichhe at first displayed ever relaxed from while he continued in it.

These vessels were all them, through the impolicy of Charles, soon afterwards transferred into thepower of the French.

f Clarendon, whose candour and impartiality few have doubted, gives the following character of'this noble person :—“ He was of a noble nature, and of such other endowments as made him verycapable of being a great favourite to a great king. He was of courage not to be daunted, which wasmanifested in all his actions, and in his contests with particular persons of the greatest reputation ; andespecially in his whole demeanour at the Isle of Rhee, both at the landing, and upon the retreat,in both which no man was more fearless, or more ready to expose himself to the highest dangers. Hewas in his nature just and candid ; nor was it ever known, that the temptation of money swayed him todo an unjust or an unkind thing.”

After