TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
Minor punctuation errors repaired.
Inconsistent spelling of proper names has been retained.
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by ~tildes~.
In this book, English and British ships' names are in small caps, other vessels' names in italics. In the plain text version, small capped ships' names only have been marked by =equal signs=. All other small caps have been changed to all caps or lower case as appropriate.
p. 340 "which Cornelius de With had in vain" replaced with
"which Cornelius de Witt had in vain"
A SHORT HISTORY
OF THE
ROYAL NAVY
TO 1688
BY
DAVID HANNAY
METHUEN & CO.
LONDON
PREFACE
It has been my endeavour in this book to give a popular, but clear and not inaccurate, account of the growth, and services, of the Royal
Navy. I have not attempted a general maritime history of England. This, which would include the rise and extension of commerce, discovery, much scientific matter and much legislation, would be the life-work of a
Gibbon or a Hume. Such a task would be far beyond my powers, even if circumstances, which need not be specified, did not refuse me command of the time needed for so great an undertaking.
I am not unconscious that a landsman deals with sea affairs at a certain risk. He has, in Southey's phrase, to walk among sea-terms
"as a cat does in a china pantry." He is liable to discover, from the criticism o…