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HISTORY OR MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

which it was possible to oppose to superior force, and profound practical know-lege. The contest was arduous, yet none ever ended more gloriously to theweaker party. But of this hereafter.

The largest of the ships built either during the continuance of the civil war, orsubsequent to the death of the king, and previous to the commencement of hosti-lities with the United Provinces, appears to have been the Mary, which, accord-ing to the usage of that day, was classed among the first rates : it mounted 64guns, and was nearly of 900 tons burthen. The name of this ship was, fromthe whim and caprice of the new government, changed to the Triumph. Theother ships which were launched within the same period appear to have beenthe Dragon, the Speaker, the Tyger, the Advice, the Assistance, and theBonadventure. All these, the Speaker excepted, which was of the precedingclass, were third rates, and the largest were intended, when first launched, tocarry only 40 guns, but, after the actual commencement of the war, policy sug-gested an increase of force, and the measure was adopted without the smallestinconvenience being incurred by it.

• The theoretic principles of the art had, within a few years, become consi-derably improved, particularly in the form of the bottom. The immense squarestern and full bow, which had been originally copied from the Hollanders*with whom it had been a custom for many years, began to yield considerablyto the more taper stern, and sharper bow, which, under some modifications,has continued in use among the British ships even to the present time.

Fuller, in his History of the Worthies of England, gives a very concise andcurious history of the British navy, together with a brief account of all thosepeculiarities, in regard to ship-building, which serve to distinguish the geniusand turn of the artists inhabiting different countries. It is the more applicablein this place, because, with very little retrospect to earlier times, it comprehendsthe whole of that period included in the reigns of the two first sovereigns of thehouse of Stuart.

“ It may be justly accounted,” says our author, “ a wonder of art; and know theships are properly here handled, because the most, best, and biggest, of them havetheir birth, (built at Woolwich) and winter aboad (nigh Chattam) in the river ofMedway, in this county, Kent. Indeed, before the reign of Queen Elizabeth, theships royal were so few they deserved not the name of a fleet, when our kingshired vessels from Hamborough, Lubeck, yea, Genoa itself. But such who

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