et upon their chevisances, be trussed up in a
Tyburn tippet, which happeneth unto them commonly before they come to
middle age. Whereby it appeareth that some sort of youth will oft have his
swing, although it be in a halter.[210]

CHAPTER XXIII.

OF THE NAVY OF ENGLAND.

[1577, Book II., Chapter 13; 1587, Book II., Chapter 17.]

There is nothing that hath brought me into more admiration of the power
and force of antiquity than their diligence and care had of their navies:
wherein, whether I consider their speedy building, or great number of
ships which some one kingdom or region possessed at one instant, it giveth
me still occasion either to suspect the history, or to think that in our
times we come very far behind them.[211]

* * * * *

I must needs confess therefore that the ancient vessels far exceeded ours
for capacity, nevertheless if you regard the form, and the assurance from
peril of the sea, and therewithal the strength and nimbleness of such as
are made in our time, you shall easily find that ours are of more value
than theirs: for as the greatest vessel is not always the fastest, so that
of most huge capacity is not always the aptest to shift and brook the
seas: as might be seen by the _Great Henry_,[212] the hugest vessel that
ever England framed in our times. Neither were the ships of old like unto
ours in mould and manner of building above the water (for of low galleys
in our seas we make small account) nor so full of ease within, since time
hath engendered more skill in the wrights, and brought all things to more
perfection than they had in the beginning. And now to come unto our
purpose at the first intended.

The navy of England may be divided into three sorts, of which the one
serveth for the wars, the other for burden, and the third for fishermen
which get their living by fishing on the sea. How many of the first order
are maintained within the realm it passeth my cunning to express; yet,
since it may be parted into the navy royal and common fleet, I think good
to speak of those that belong unto the prince, and so much the rather, for
that their number is certain and well known to very many. Certainly there
is no prince in Europe that hath a more beautiful or gallant sort of ships
than the queen's majesty of England at this present, and those generally
are of such exceeding force that two of them, being well appointed and
furnished as they ought, will not