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 let to encounter with three or four of those of other countries,
and either bowge them or put them to flight, if they may not bring
them home.

Neither are the moulds of any foreign barks so conveniently made, to
brook so well one sea as another lying upon the shore of any part of
the continent, as those of England. And therefore the common report
that strangers make of our ships amongst themselves is daily confirmed
to be true, which is, that for strength, assurance, nimbleness, and
swiftness of sailing, there are no vessels in the world to be compared
with ours. And all these are committed to the regiment and safe
custody of the admiral, who is so called (as some imagine) of the
Greek word _almiros_, a captain on the sea; for so saith Zonaras in
_Basilio Macedone_ and _Basilio Porphyriogenito_, though others fetch
it from _ad mare_, the Latin words, another sort from _Amyras_, the
Saracen magistrate, or from some French derivation: but these things
are not for this place, and therefore I pass them over. The queen's
highness hath at this present (which is the four-and-twentieth of her
reign) already made and furnished, to the number of four or
five-and-twenty great ships, which lie for the most part in Gillingham
Road, beside three galleys, of whose particular names and furniture
(so far forth as I can come by them) it shall not be amiss to make
report at this time.

_The names of so many ships belonging to her majesty as I could come
by at this present_.

The Bonadventure. White Bear.
Elizabeth Jonas.[2] Philip and Mary.
Triumph. Aid.
Bull. Handmaid.
Tiger.[3] Dreadnought.
Antelope. Swallow.
Hope. Genet.
Lion. Bark of Bullen.
Victory. Achates.
Mary Rose. Falcon.
Foresight. George.
Swiftsure. Revenge.

[2] A name