men of invention and industry-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



institutions　are　old；　modern　England　is　still　young。　　As　respects

its　mechanical　and　scientific　achievements；　it　is　the　youngest　of

all　countries。　　Watt's　steam　engine　was　the　beginning　of　our

manufacturing　supremacy；　and　since　its　adoption；　inventions　and

discoveries　in　Art　and　Science；　within　the　last　hundred　years；

have　succeeded　each　other　with　extraordinary　rapidity。　　In　1814

there　was　only　one　steam　vessel　in　Scotland；　while　England

possessed　none　at　all。　　Now；　the　British　mercantile　steam…ships

number　about　5000；　with　about　4　millions　of　aggregate　tonnage。＇2＇



In　olden　times　this　country　possessed　the　materials　for　great

things；　as　well　as　the　men　fitted　to　develope　them　into　great

results。　　But　the　nation　was　slow　to　awake　and　take　advantage　of

its　opportunities。　　There　was　no　enterprise；　no　commerceno　〃go〃

in　the　people。　　The　roads　were　frightfully　bad；　and　there　was

little　communication　between　one　part　of　the　country　and　another。



If　anything　important　had　to　be　done；　we　used　to　send　for

foreigners　to　come　and　teach　us　how　to　do　it。　　We　sent　for　them

to　drain　our　fens；　to　build　our　piers　and　harbours；　and　even　to

pump　our　water　at　London　Bridge。　　Though　a　seafaring　population

lived　round　our　coasts；　we　did　not　fish　our　own　seas；　but　left　it

to　the　industrious　Dutchmen　to　catch　the　fish；　and　supply　our

markets。　　It　was　not　until　the　year　1787　that　the　Yarmouth　people

began　the　deep…sea　herring　fishery；　and　yet　these　were　the　most

enterprising　amongst　the　English　fishermen。



English　commerce　also　had　very　slender　beginnings。　　At　the

commencement　of　the　fifteenth　century；　England　was　of　very　little

account　in　the　affairs　of　Europe。　　Indeed；　the　history　of　modern

England　is　nearly　coincident　with　the　accession　of　the　Tudors　to

the　throne。　　With　the　exception　of　Calais　and　Dunkirk；　her

dominions　on　the　Continent　had　been　wrested　from　her　by　the

French。　　The　country　at　home　had　been　made　desolate　by　the　Wars

of　the　Roses。　　The　population　was　very　small；　and　had　been　kept

down　by　war；　pestilence；　and　famine。＇3＇　The　chief　staple　was

wool；　which　was　exported　to　Flanders　in　foreign　ships；　there　to

be　manufactured　into　cloth。　　Nearly　every　article　of　importance

was　brought　from　abroad；　and　the　little　commerce　which　existed

was　in　the　hands　of　foreigners。　　The　seas　were　swept　by

privateers；　little　better　than　pirates；　who　plundered　without

scruple　every　vessel；　whether　friend　or　foe；　which　fell　in　their

way。



The　British　navy　has　risen　from　very　low　beginnings。　　The　English

fleet　had　fallen　from　its　high　estate　since　the　reign　of　Edward

III。；　who　won　a　battle　from　the　French　and　Flemings　in　1340；　with

260　ships；　but　his　vessels　were　all　of　moderate　size；　being

boats；　yachts；　and　caravels；　of　very　small　tonnage。　　According　to

the　contemporary　chronicles；　Weymouth；　Fowey；　Sandwich；　and

Bristol；　were　then　of　nearly　almost　as　much　importance　as

London；＇4＇　which　latter　city　only　furnished　twenty…five　vessels；

with　662　mariners。



The　Royal　Fleet　began　in　the　reign　of　Henry　VII。　　Only　six　or

seven　vessels　then　belonged　to　the　King；　the　largest　being　the

Grace　de　Dieu；　of　comparatively　small　tonnage。　　The　custom　then

was；　to　hire　ships　from　the　Venetians；　the　Genoese；　the　Hanse

towns；　and　other　trading　people；　and　as　soon　as　the　service　for

which　the　vessels　so　hired　was　performed；　they　were　dismissed。



When　Henry　VIII。　ascended　the　throne　in　1509；　he　directed　his

attention　to　the　state　of　the　navy。　　Although　the　insular

position　of　England　was　calculated　to　stimulate　the　art　of

shipbuilding　more　than　in　most　continental　countries；　our　best

ships　long　continued　to　be　built　by　foreigners。　　Henry　invited

from　abroad；　especially　from　Italy；　where　the　art　of　shipbuilding

had　made　the　greatest　progress；　as　many　skilful　artists　and

workmen　as　he　could　procure；　either　by　the　hope　of　gain；　or　the

high　honours　and　distinguished　countenance　which　he　paid　them。　

〃By　incorporating；〃　says　Charnock；　〃these　useful　persons　among

his　own　subjects；　he　soon　formed　a　corps　sufficient　to　rival

those　states　which　had　rendered　themselves　most　distinguished　by

their　knowledge　in　this　art；　so　that　the　fame　of　Genoa　and

Venice；　which　had　long　excited　the　envy　of　the　greater　part　of

Europe；　became　suddenly　transferred　to　the　shores　of　Britain。〃＇5＇



In　fitting　out　his　fleet；　we　find　Henry　disbursing　large　sums　to

foreigners　for　shipbuilding；　for　〃harness〃　or　armour；　and　for

munitions　of　all　sorts。　　The　State　Papers＇6＇　particularize　the

amounts　paid　to　Lewez　de　la　Fava　for　〃harness；〃　to　William　Gurre；

〃bregandy…maker；〃　and　to　Leonard　Friscobald　for　〃almayn　ryvetts。〃



Francis　de　Errona；　a　Spaniard；　supplied　the　gunpowder。　　Among　the

foreign　mechanics　and　artizans　employed　were　Hans　Popenruyter；

gunfounder　of　Mechlin；　Robert　Sakfeld；　Robert　Skorer；　Fortuno　de

Catalenago；　and　John　Cavelcant。　　On　one　occasion　2；797L。　19s。　4

1/2d。　was　disbursed　for　guns　and　grindstones。　　This　sum　must　be

multiplied　by　about　four；　to　give　the　proper　present　value。　

Popenruyter　seems　to　have　been　the　great　gunfounder　of　the　age；

he　supplied　the　principal　guns　and　gun　stores　for　the　English

navy；　and　his　name　occurs　in　every　Ordnance　account　of　the

series；　generally　for　sums　of　the　largest　amounts。



Henry　VIII。　was　the　first　to　establish　Royal　dockyards；　first　at

Woolwich；　then　at　Portsmouth；　and　thirdly　at　Deptford；　for　the

erection　and　repair　of　ships。　　Before　then；　England　had　been

principally　dependent　upon　Dutchmen　and　Venetians；　both　for　ships

of　war　and　merchantmen。　　The　sovereign　had　neither　naval　arsenals

nor　dockyards；　nor　any　regular　establishment　of　civil　or　naval

affairs　to　provide　ships　of　war。　　Sir　Edward　Howard；　Lord　High

Admiral　of　England；　at　the　accession　of　Henry　VIII。；　actually

entered　into　a　〃contract〃　with　that　monarch　to　fight　his　enemies。



This　singular　document　is　still　preserved　in　the　State　Paper

office。　　Even　after　the　establishment　of　royal　dockyards；　the

sovereignas　late　as　the　reign　of　Elizabethentered　into　formal

contracts　with　shipwrights　for　the　repair　and　maintenance　of

ships；　as　well　as　for　additions　to　the　fleet。



The　King；　having　made　his　first　effort　at　establishing　a　royal

navy；　sent　the　fleet　to　sea　against　the　ships　of　France。　　The

Regent　was　the　ship　royal；　with　Sir　Thomas　Knivet；　Master　of　the

Horse；　and　Sir　John　Crew　of　Devonshire；　as　Captains。　　The　fleet

amounted　to　twenty…five　well　furnished　ships。　　The　French　fleet

were　thirty…nine　in　number。　　They　met　in　Brittany　Bay；　and　had　a

fierce　fight。　　The　Regent　grappled　with　a　great　carack　of　Brest；

the　French；　on　the　English　boarding　their　ship；　set　fire　to　the

gunpowder；　and　both　ships　were　blown　up；　with　all　their　men。　　The

French　fleet　fled；　and　the　English　kept　the　seas。　　The　King；

hearing　of　the　loss　of　the　Regent；　caused　a　great　ship　to　be

built；　the　like　of　which　had　never　before　been　seen　in　England；

and　called　it　Harry　Grace　de　Dieu。



This　ship　was　constructed　by　foreign　artizans；　principally　by

Italians；　and　was　launched　in　1515。　　She　was　said　to　be　of　a

thousand　tons　portage　the　largest　ship　in　England。　　The　vessel

was　four…masted；　with　two　round　tops　on　each　mast；　except　the

shortest　mizen。　　She　had　a　high　forecastle　and　poop；　from　which

the　crew　could　shoot　down　upon　the　deck　or　waist　of　another

vessel。　　The　object　was　to　have　a　sort　of　castle　at　each　end　of

the　ship。　　This　style　of　shipbuilding　was　doubtless　borrowed　from

the　Venetians；　then　the　greatest　naval　power　in　Europe。　　The

length　of　the　masts；　the　height　of　the　ship　above　the　water's

edge；　and　the　ornaments　and　decorations；　were　better　adapted　for

the　stillness　of　the　Adriatic　and　Mediterranean　Seas；　than　for

the　boisterous　ocean　of　the　northern　parts　of　Europe。＇7＇　The

story　long　prevailed　that　〃the　Great　Harry　swept　a　dozen　flocks

of　sheep　off　the　Isle　of　Man　with　her　bob…stay。〃　　An　American

gentleman　（N。B。　Anderson；　LL。D。；　Boston）　informed　the　present

author　that　this　saying　is　still　proverbial　amongst　the　United

States　sailors。



The　same　features　were　reproduced　in　merchant　ships。　　Most　of

them　were　suited　for　defence；　to　prevent　the　attacks　of　pirates；

which　swarmed　the　seas　round　the　coast　at　that　time。　

Shipbuilding　by　the　natives　in　private　shipyards　was　in　a

miserable　condition。　　Mr。　Willet；　in　his　memoir　relative　to　the

navy；　observes：　〃It　is　said；　and　I　believe　with　truth；　that　at

this　time　（the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　century）　there　was　not　a

private　builder　between　London　Bridge　and　Gravesend；　who　could

lay　down　a　ship　in　the　mould　left　from　a　Navy　Board's　draught；

without　applying　to　a　tinker　who　lived　in　Knave's　Acre。〃＇8＇



Another　ship　of　some　note　built　at　the　instance　of　Henry　VIII。　

was　the　Mary　Rose；　of　the　portage　of　500　tons。　　We　find　her　in

the　〃pond　at　Deptford〃　in　1515。　　Seven　years　later；　in　the

thirtieth　year　of　Henry　VIII。's　reign；　she　was　sent　t