enty-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. Be