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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

CHAPTER THE TWELFTH.

State of the Venetian and Genoese Marine, from the Middle to the Conclusion ofthe Seventeenth Century—vindictive Conduct of Philip of Spain—the Punish-ment it experienced from the newly erected Government of England—he entersinto an Alliance with Holland—the Combined Fleet of both Countries defeatedby the French—the Insignificance of Portugal—the wonderful Attention paidby Louis the Fourteenth to the Formation of a Navy—the Means by which heeffected his Purpose—his Management in aid of the Project he had resolvedon, to erect, if possible, I ranee into a Maritime Power that might awe allEurope—State of his Fleet in 1681 —the Invention of Bomb-ketches by BernardRenaud d'EUsagary—the Success of them against Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, andGenoa—State of the French Navy during the War which commenced withEngland and Holland in 1689 —the Force of his Fleets at Bantry Bay, BeachyHead, La Hogue, and afterwards in the Mediterranean—the Exertions madeby him to repair the Injury his Marine sustained, in consequence of the Defeatoff La Hogue—Success of Tourville against the Smyrna Fleet in 1693—Decline of the Naval Consequence of France in 1694 —Destruction of SaintMaloes—Bombardment of Dunkirk, Calais, Granville, and Brest—Losses sus-tained by France in her Marine during the War—Statement of its Force afterthe Peace at Ryswic had taken place.

T HE same causes which had at the commencement of the seventeenth cen-tury operated in restraining and confining within very narrow limits thenumber of those states which aspired to the character of maritime powers,produced, by their continuance, the same effect in the middle of it. Veniceand Genoa both continued sinking beneath that expiring greatness whichhad long shewn a very faint emanation, serving only to point where the seatof naval empire had once been, but displaying very slender proofs of its extentand nature. Spain, whose marine had also long been in a declining state,appeared to have received a blow, occasioned by the disunion and emancipationof Portugal, from which it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, forher to recover, except by the uninterrupted attention of many years.

So