wasthefirsttoestablishRoyaldockyards，firstatWoolwich，thenatPortsmouth，andthirdlyatDeptford，fortheerectionandrepairofships。Beforethen，EnglandhadbeenprincipallydependentuponDutchmenandVenetians，bothforshipsofwarandmerchantmen。Thesovereignhadneithernavalarsenalsnordockyards，noranyregularestablishmentofcivilornavalaffairstoprovideshipsofwar。SirEdwardHoward，LordHighAdmiralofEngland，attheaccessionofHenryVIII。，actuallyenteredintoa“contract“withthatmonarchtofighthisenemies。
ThissingulardocumentisstillpreservedintheStatePaperoffice。Evenaftertheestablishmentofroyaldockyards，thesovereign——aslateasthereignofElizabeth——enteredintoformalcontractswithshipwrightsfortherepairandmaintenanceofships，aswellasforadditionstothefleet。
TheKing，havingmadehisfirsteffortatestablishingaroyalnavy，sentthefleettoseaagainsttheshipsofFrance。TheRegentwastheshiproyal，withSirThomasKnivet，MasteroftheHorse，andSirJohnCrewofDevonshire，asCaptains。Thefleetamountedtotwenty-fivewellfurnishedships。TheFrenchfleetwerethirty-nineinnumber。TheymetinBrittanyBay，andhadafiercefight。TheRegentgrappledwithagreatcarackofBrest；
theFrench，ontheEnglishboardingtheirship，setfiretothegunpowder，andbothshipswereblownup，withalltheirmen。TheFrenchfleetfled，andtheEnglishkepttheseas。TheKing，hearingofthelossoftheRegent，causedagreatshiptobebuilt，thelikeofwhichhadneverbeforebeenseeninEngland，andcalleditHarryGracedeDieu。
Thisshipwasconstructedbyforeignartizans，principallybyItalians，andwaslaunchedin1515。Shewassaidtobeofathousandtonsportage——thelargestshipinEngland。Thevesselwasfour-masted，withtworoundtopsoneachmast，excepttheshortestmizen。Shehadahighforecastleandpoop，fromwhichthecrewcouldshootdownuponthedeckorwaistofanothervessel。Theobjectwastohaveasortofcastleateachendoftheship。ThisstyleofshipbuildingwasdoubtlessborrowedfromtheVenetians，thenthegreatestnavalpowerinEurope。Thelengthofthemasts，theheightoftheshipabovethewater’sedge，andtheornamentsanddecorations，werebetteradaptedforthestillnessoftheAdriaticandMediterraneanSeas，thanfortheboisterousoceanofthenorthernpartsofEurope。[7]Thestorylongprevailedthat“theGreatHarrysweptadozenflocksofsheepofftheIsleofManwithherbob-stay。“AnAmericangentlemanN。B。Anderson，LL。D。，BostoninformedthepresentauthorthatthissayingisstillproverbialamongsttheUnitedStatessailors。
Thesamefeatureswerereproducedinmerchantships。Mostofthemweresuitedfordefence，topreventtheattacksofpirates，whichswarmedtheseasroundthecoastatthattime。
Shipbuildingbythenativesinprivateshipyardswasinamiserablecondition。Mr。Willet，inhismemoirrelativetothenavy，observes:“Itissaid，andIbelievewithtruth，thatatthistimethemiddleofthesixteenthcenturytherewasnotaprivatebuilderbetweenLondonBridgeandGravesend，whocouldlaydownashipinthemouldleftfromaNavyBoard’sdraught，withoutapplyingtoatinkerwholivedinKnave’sAcre。“[8]
AnothershipofsomenotebuiltattheinstanceofHenryVIII。
wastheMaryRose，oftheportageof500tons。Wefindherinthe“pondatDeptford“in1515。Sevenyearslater，inthethirtiethyearofHenryVIII。’sreign，shewassenttosea，withfiveotherEnglishshipsofwar，toprotectsuchcommerceasthenexistedfromthedepredationsoftheFrenchandScotchpirates。
TheMaryRosewassentmanyyearslaterin1544withtheEnglishfleettothecoastofFrance，butreturnedwiththerestofthefleettoPortsmouthwithoutenteringintoanyengagement。
Whilelaidatanchor，notfarfromtheplacewheretheRoyalGeorgeafterwardswentdown，andtheshipwasunderrepair，hergun-portsbeingverylowwhenshewaslaidover，“theshippturned，thewaterentered，andsodainlyshesanke。“
Whatwastobedone？TherewerenoEnglishengineersorworkmenwhocouldraisetheship。Accordingly，HenryVIII。senttoVeniceforassistance，andwhenthemenarrived，PietrodeAndreaswasdispatchedwiththeVenetianmarinesandcarpenterstoraisetheMaryRose。SixtyEnglishmarinerswereappointedtoattenduponthem。TheVenetianswerethentheskilled“heads，“
theEnglishwereonlythe“hands。“Neverthelesstheyfailedwithalltheirefforts；anditwasnotuntiltheyear1836thatMr。
Dean，theengineer，succeededinraisingnotonlytheRoyalGeorge，buttheMaryRose，andclearedtheroadsteadatPortsmouthoftheremainsofthesunkenships。
WhenElizabethascendedthethronein1558，thecommerceandnavigationofEnglandwerestillofverysmallamount。Thepopulationofthekingdomamountedtoonlyaboutfivemillions——notmuchmorethanthepopulationofLondonisnow。
Thecountryhadlittlecommerce，andwhatithadwasstillmostlyinthehandsofforeigners。TheHansetownshadtheirlargeentrepotformerchandiseinCannonStreet，onthesiteofthepresentCannonStreetStation。ThewoolwasstillsentabroadtoFlanderstobefashionedintocloth，andevengardenproducewasprincipallyimportedfromHolland。Dutch，Germans，Flemings，French，andVenetianscontinuedtobeourprincipalworkmen。OurironwasmostlyobtainedfromSpainandGermany。ThebestarmsandarmourcamefromFranceandItaly。LinenwasimportedfromFlandersandHolland，thoughthebestcamefromRheims。Eventhecoarsestdowlas，orsailcloth，wasimportedfromtheLowCountries。
Theroyalshipscontinuedtobeofverysmallburthen，andthemercantileshipswerestillsmaller。TheQueen，however，didwhatshecouldtoimprovethenumberandburthenofourships。
“Foreigners，“saysCamden，“stiledhertherestorerofnavalgloryandQueenoftheNorthernSeas。“InimitationoftheQueen，opulentsubjectsbuiltshipsofforce；andincourseoftimeEnglandnolongerdependeduponHamburg，Dantzic，Genoa，andVenice，forherfleetintimeofwar。
SpainwasthenthemostpotentpowerinEurope，andtheNetherlands，whichformedpartofthedominionsofSpain，wasthecentreofcommercialprosperity。Hollandpossessedabove800
goodships，offrom200to700tonsburthen，andabove600bussesforfishing，offrom100to200tons。AmsterdamandAntwerpwereintheheydayoftheirprosperity。Sometimes500greatshipsweretobeseenlyingtogetherbeforeAmsterdam；[9]whereasEnglandatthattimehadnotfourmerchantshipsof400tonseach！Antwerp，however，wasthemostimportantcityintheLowCountries。Itwasnouncommonthingtoseeasmanyas2500shipsintheScheldt，ladenwithmerchandize。Sometimes500shipswouldcomeandgofromAntwerpinoneday，boundtoorreturningfromthedistantpartsoftheworld。Theplacewasimmenselyrich，andwasfrequentedbySpaniards，Germans，Danes，English，Italians，andPortuguesetheSpaniardsbeingthemostnumerous。
Camden，inhishistoryofQueenElizabeth，relatesthatourgeneraltradewiththeNetherlandsin1564amountedtotwelvemillionsofducats，fivemillionsofwhichwasforEnglishclothalone。
ThereligiouspersecutionsofPhilipII。ofSpainandofCharlesIX。ofFranceshortlysuppliedEnglandwiththepopulationofwhichshestoodinneed——active，industrious，intelligentartizans。PhilipsetuptheInquisitioninFlanders，andinafewyearsmorethan50，000personsweredeliberatelymurdered。
TheDuchessofParma，writingtoPhilipII。in1567，informedhimthatinafewdaysabove100，000menhadalreadyleftthecountrywiththeirmoneyandgoods，andthatmorewerefollowingeveryday。TheyfledtoGermany，toHolland，andabovealltoEngland，whichtheyhailedasAsylumChristi。TheemigrantssettledinthedecayedcitiesandtownsofCanterbury，Norwich，Sandwich，Colchester，Maidstone，Southampton，andmanyotherplaces，wheretheycarriedontheirmanufacturesofwoollen，linen，andsilk，andestablishedmanynewbranchesofindustry。[10]
Fiveyearslater，in1572，themassacreofSt。BartholomewtookplaceinFrance，duringwhichtheRomanCatholicBishopPerefixeallegesthat100，000personswereputtodeathbecauseoftheirreligionsopinions。Allthispersecution，carriedonsoneartheEnglishshores，rapidlyincreasedthenumberofforeignfugitivesintoEngland，whichwasfollowedbytherapidadvancementoftheindustrialartsinthiscountry。
TheasylumwhichQueenElizabethgavetothepersecutedforeignersbroughtdownuponherthehatredofPhilipII。andCharlesIX。Whentheyfoundthattheycouldnotpreventherfurnishingthemwithanasylum，theyproceededtocompassherdeath。ShewasexcommunicatedbythePope，andVitelliwashiredtoassassinateher。PhilipalsoproceededtopreparetheSacredArmadaforthesubjugationoftheEnglishnation，andhewasmasterofthemostpowerfularmyandnavyintheworld。
ModernEnglandwastheninthethroesofherbirth。Shehadnotyetreachedthevigourofheryouth，thoughshewasfulloflifeandenergy。ShewasabouttobecometheEnglandoffreethought，commerce，andmanufactures；toploughtheoceanwithhernavies，andtoplanthercoloniesovertheearth。UptotheaccessionofElizabeth，shehaddonelittle，butnowshewasabouttodomuch。
Itwasaperiodofsuddenemancipationofthought，andofimmensefertilityandoriginality。Thepoetsandprosewritersofthetimeunitedthefreshnessofyouthwiththevigourofmanhood。
AmongthesewereSpenser，Shakespeare，SirPhilipSidney，theFletchers，Marlowe，andBenJonson。AmongthestatesmenofElizabethwereBurleigh，Leicester，Walsingham，Howard，andSirNicholasBacon。Butperhapsgreatestofallwerethesailors，who，asClarendonsaid，“wereanationbythemselves；“andtheirleaders——Drake，Frobisher，Cavendish，Hawkins，Howard，Raleigh，Davis，andmanymoredistinguishedseamen。
Theyweretherepresentativemenoftheirtime，thecreationinagreatmeasureofthenationalspirit。Theyweretheoffspringoflonggenerationsofseamenandloversofthesea。Theycouldnothavebeengreatbutforthenationwhichgavethembirth，andimbuedthemwiththeirworthandspirit。Thegreatsailors，forinstance，couldnothaveoriginatedinanationofmerelandsmen。
Theysimplytooktheleadinacountrywhosecoastswerefringedwithsailors。Theirgreatnesswasbuttheresultofanexcellenceinseamanshipwhichprevailedwidelyaroundthem。
TheageofEnglishmaritimeadventureonlybeganinthereignofElizabeth。Englandhadthennocolonies——noforeignpossessionswhatever。Thefirstofherextensivecolonialpossessionswasestablishedinthisreign。“Ships，colonies，andcommerce“begantobethenationalmotto——notthatcoloniesmakeshipsandcommerce，butthatshipsandcommercemakecolonies。Yetwhatcockle-shellsofshipsourpioneernavigatorsfirstsailedin！
AlthoughJohnCabotorGabota，ofBristol，originallyacitizenofVenice，haddiscoveredthecontinentofNorthAmericain1496，inthereignofHenryVII。，hemadenosettlementthere，butreturnedtoBristolwithhisfoursmallships。ColumbusdidnotseethecontinentofAmericauntiltwoyearslater，in1498，hisfirstdiscoveriesbeingtheislandsoftheWestIndies。
Itwasnotuntiltheyear1553thatanattemptwasmadetodiscoveraNorth-westpassagetoCathayaorChina。SirHughWillonghbywasputincommandoftheexpedition，whichconsistedofthreeships，——theBonaEsperanza，theBonaVenturaCaptainChancellor，andtheBonaConfidentiaCaptainDurforth，——mostprobablyshipsbuiltbyVenetians。SirHughreached72degreesofnorthlatitude，andwascompelledbythebuffetingofthewindstotakerefugewithCaptainDurforth’svesselatArcinaKeca，inRussianLapland，wherethetwocaptainsandthecrewsoftheseships，seventyinnumber，werefrozentodeath。InthefollowingyearsomeRussianfishermenfoundSirJohnWillonghbysittingdeadinhiscabin，withhisdiaryandotherpapersbesidehim。
CaptainChancellorwasmorefortunate。HereachedArchangelintheWhiteSea，wherenoshiphadeverbeenseenbefore。HepointedouttotheEnglishthewaytothewhalefisheryatSpitzbergen，andopenedupatradewiththenorthernpartsofRussia。Twoyearslater，in1556，StephenBurroughssailedwithonesmallship，whichenteredtheKaraSea；buthewascompelledbyfrostandicetoreturntoEngland。Thestraitwhichheenteredisstillcalled“Burrough’sStrait。“
Itwasnot，however，untilthereignofElizabeththatgreatmaritimeadventuresbegantobemade。Navigatorswerenotsoventurousastheyafterwardsbecame。Withoutpropermethodsofnavigation，theywereapttobecarriedawaytothesouth，acrossanoceanwithoutlimit。In1565ayoungcaptain，MartinFrobisher，cameintonotice。Attheageoftwenty-fivehecapturedintheSouthSeastheFlyingSpirit，aSpanishshipladenwitharichcargoofcochineal。Fouryearslater，in1569，hemadehisfirstattempttodiscoverthenorth-westpassagetotheIndies，beingassistedbyAmbroseDudley，EarlofWarwick。
TheshipsofFrobisherwerethreeinnumber，theGabriel，offrom15to20tons；theMichael，offrom20to25tons，orhalfthesizeofamodernfishing-boat；andapinnace，offrom7to10
tons！Theaggregateofthecrewsofthethreeshipswasonlythirty-five，menandboys。ThinkofthedaringoftheseearlynavigatorsinattemptingtopassbytheNorthPoletoCathaythroughsnow，andstorm，andice，insuchmiserablelittlecockboats！Thepinnacewaslost；theMichael，underOwenGriffith，aWelsh-man，deserted；andMartinFrobisherintheGabrielwentaloneintothenorth-westernsea！
Heenteredthegreatbay，sincecalledHudson’sBay，byFrobisher’sStrait。HereturnedtoEnglandwithoutmakingthediscoveryofthePassage，whichlongremainedtheproblemofarcticvoyagers。Yettenyearslater，in1577，hemadeanothervoyage，andthoughhemadehissecondattemptwithoneofQueenElizabeth’sownships，andtwobarks，with140personsinall，hewasasunsuccessfulasbefore。Hebroughthomesomesupposedgoldore；andonthestrengthofthestonescontaininggold，athirdexpeditionwentoutinthefollowingyear。Afterlosingoneoftheships，consumingtheprovisions，andsufferinggreatlyfromiceandstorms，thefleetreturnedhomeonebyone。Thesupposedgoldoreprovedtobeonlyglitteringsand。
WhileFrobisherwasseekingEl-DoradointheNorth，FrancisDrakewasfindingitintheSouth。Hewasasailor，everyinchofhim。