HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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unfortunate ; for owing to the supposition, as observed in the preceding chapter,that there was little probability of its having any enemy to contend with, thepeople of the United Provinces excepted, all the ships which had been builtwere, with some very trivial exceptions only, of small dimensions; so thatthey were consequently ill calculated to contend against those built on a moreextensive and commodious scale. When James ascended the throne, he foundthe list of his navy sufficiently extensive for the expected necessities of hiscountry; but a considerable number even of those ships which had been mostrecently built, were in so deplorable a state of repair, that it would have beenextremely impolitic, not to say cruel,, had they been sent into active serviceagainst an enemy.

Every exertion was made by the sovereign, during his short reign, to remedythe defect. Those ships which were most complained of, had been taken intodock, and the progressive repair of the whole navy was entered upon as a mat-ter of the first necessity to the state. Owing to this circumstance, it becomes byno means a matter of wonder, that the additions made since the death of Charlesshould be extremely few in number. They consisted only of one second rate,the Coronation, which was ready to launch at the time of the king’s demise ;and three fourth rates, with about half a score other vessels of inferior note,the greater part of which were purchased, under the apprehension of the Dutchexpedition becoming serious. Many other ships had, however, been put onthe stocks, and timber had been collected for the construction of more ; so thatWilliam was enabled, by the end of the year 1689, and principally owing tothe assiduity of his predecessor, to bring forward near thirty additional ships ofthe line, in opposition to that predecessor’s cause, and Louis his friend. Theaugmentation, however, which James had in contemplation, and had actuallyprepared for the royal navy, was but ill contrived, according to the events whichactually did take place, to render that service to the country which the extent ofit, had it been otherwise arranged, appeared to promise. This was owingto a continuance of the same system and idea in James himself, which hadbefore operated on the mind of Charles his brother; but William, althoughthe navy of Louis was certainly equal to his own, considered himself astolerably well intrenched from naval danger, in consequence of his having thewhole marine of Holland at his command, as well as that of Britain. Louiscertainly lost no time in supporting the cause of his friend; and W 7 illiam wasobliged to be equally alert in his measures to oppose him.

So