HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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purposes, so that it soon became discernible in those built for commerce only,has been so little varied from, as not to excite either doubt, or surprize. The im-provements, or to give them, perhaps, a more proper term, the augmentations which,toward the end of the seventeenth century, took place in the science of marinearchitecture, convinced practitioners and adepts they were not properly acquaintedwith the extent of their own powers, and that height to which it was not onlypossible, but highly probable their labours might be carried. Experiment, gene-rally speaking, takes place in quarters, and on occasions, wdiere the least dangeris to be apprehended from it. The boisterous billows of a northern ocean appearedto militate very strongly against any attempt at innovation; there the greatest risk ofmisfortune existed, and the smallest deviation from principles, the effect and re-sult of which had not been experimentally proved, appeared to be, with greatprudence, most studiously avoided. In the more southern climates, such experi-ments were naturally considered as far less dangerous. Although the earlier partof the preceding century, and a period still more remote, had given to the worldvessels which, without hyperbole or extravagance, were esteemed, and denomi-nated prodigies; yet the frequent misfortunes which attended the use ot them hadsunk them into discredit, and even into disuse. The carracks of Genoa, and ofVenice, were succeeded by vessels of the most inferior dimensions; and theonly mode of counter-balancing the wonderful change, appeared to rest on opposingnumbers to magnitude. In the remotest ages of the revival of commerce, andthe renewal, if the term be allowed, of the science of navigation, the commercialmarine appeared on most occasions, to exceed, and on all, to vie with, that ofthe state. To this cause may certainly be attributed that neglect so universallypaid by all sovereigns to their navy, while they found, that on any suddenemergency, they could have immediate recourse to the vessels of their subjects,which were as fully competent to the task of asserting the honour of the prince,and vindicating the honour of the state, as any they themselves could cause tobe equipped. In process of time, a slow, though progressive change of systemtook place. The heavy losses sustained by private individuals, on account ofthe wreck of one ship, so extensive in bulk, and containing merchandize ofso high a value, naturally caused a division of that property into smaller parts,so that if the gains were inferior, the losses, on the other hand, might be less in-jurious. Ships peculiarly, and solely intended for war were then of necessity built,for the consideration just mentioned had not the smallest effect on the marine ofthe state. Power and might were the only expected requisites; and neither the

expence