also of Hircania), or to them
that are bred in Archadia, where copulation is oft seen between lions
and bitches, as the lion is in France (as I said) between she wolves
and dogs, whereof let this suffice, sith the further tractation of
them doth not concern my purpose, more than the confutation of
Cardan's talk, _De subt._, lib. 10, who saith that after many
generations dogs do become wolves, and contrariwise, which if it were
true, then could not England be without many wolves: but nature hath
set a difference between them, not only in outward form, but also
inward disposition of their bones, whereof it is impossible that his
assertion can be sound.

CHAPTER XVI

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.[1]...

[1] Here follows an account of Roman and Carthaginian galleys
which "did not only match, but far exceed" in capacity our ships
and galleys of 1587.--W.

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_, 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