HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.
53
their honour, Britain is indebted for her first emancipation from a steady and ob-stinate adherence to ridiculous prejudices and customs, which, owing to an expe-rience of their inconvenience, ought to have been exploded long before they reallywere so. The circumstances have already been sufficiently, though briefly, ex-plained*; but notwithstanding the principle itself might certainly have been consi-dered to contain so much internal advantage as would recommend, and render itsentertainment general, on its first promulgation, yet it as certainly proved so slow asto appear considered rather an act of necessity, than proceeding from a certainconviction of its propriety. The minds, even of the most scientific men, are notdirected, except with difficulty, to any alteration of postulata, or maxims whichlong use has established a belief in the utility of; a belief, converted by preju-dice, into a supposed principle as irrevocable and determinate as the venerable dataof the most profound philosophers, or the decrees of Nature herself.
By referring to the annexed list, which is probably as correct as the distance oftime will permit, the strength of the British Marine, during the preceding contest,together with the losses sustained by it within the same period, will be readily seenat one view, and may be compared with that of the enemy -f-. It is to be observed,
however,
* See p. 16 , et seq-
Names.
Guns.
Royal Sovereign
no
Royal Anne —
- 100
Britannia
- 100
Saint George
96
Prince-George -
- 06
Triumph —
- 96
Association -
96
Barfleur —
- 96
Namur —
96
Albemarle -
- 90
Ramillies —
90
Royal Catherine
90
Vanguard -
- 90
Humber -
80
Russel —
80
Ranelagh -
80
Shrewsbury -
- 80
Somerset *-
80
Fate.
Lost off Scilly 1707*
Lost in Chatham River during the great ftorm.
Voi« III.
H
Torbay