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HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

salutary change is attributed, by most persons, to the special advice and conductof that great and well known personage, the cardinal Albcroni. The measure headopted displayed a considerable share of that genius which has justly entitled himto so exalted a character. Perfectly aware that to attempt raising a marine from astate of almost absolute non-existence, without forming some basis on which thesuperstructure might be progressively and safely carried on, would be a matter ex-tremely difficult, if not impracticable ; he, to obviate this obstacle, caused a numberof ships to be purchased in different countries, particularly France, which mightbe capable of being converted into ships of war, or had already been employed inthat capacity. The Cumberland, of 80 guns, formerly belonging to the English,and captured in the year 1707 by the united squadrons of Forbin and Du GuaiTrouin, was one of these auxiliaries ; and after being matriculated in the Spanishnavy, was re-named the Prince of Asturias. However inconsiderable the Spanishmarine might be in respect to numbers, those who were intrusted with the direc-tion of it, appear to have possessed ratlicr exalted ideas as to those fundamentalpoints which were necessary to be observed in establishing it on a permanent andeffective footing. The Cumberland, when in tire British service, had ranked asa third rate of the highest class; sire consequently mounted SO guns, but beingfound incommodious, and, on account ot her small dimensions, inadequate to thepurpose of displaying so extensive a force, much less of exerting it to advantage inreal contest, it was deemed necessary to reduce one of her tiers of guns ; so that,by degrading her from a three to a two-dcckcd ship, they might render her moreserviceable than she could have proved while in her original state of construction.A number of other ships of inferior rate became enrolled in the Spanish navy, andso indefatigable were the exertions of the cardinal and his coadjutors, that in aspace of time, almost incredibly short, scarcely exceeding three years fromthe conclusion of the treaty at Utrecht, the world beheld with amazement, aSpanish fleet, consisting of more than thirty ships of war, making its appearanceon the Mediterranean. Cagliari was the first object of its attack ; and its surrenderwas immediately followed by the submission of the whole island of Sardinia.

In so formidable a light were the exertions of the Spanish minister held by therest of Europe, that even Great Britain herself took the alarm, and confessed someapprehension that the ambition of Spain would rekindle those flames of war whichhad so long desolated Europe, and were but so recently extinguished. So earlyas the year 1717, Spain bad the presumption to remonstrate with the court ofLondon against the equipment of a fleet which die considered as destined to act

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