New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NEW HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH NAVY.

Achievements
ing to the earlier sea-going of the Britons and
Saxons by way Of introduction. His narrative Is
really an argument to prove what he calls self
evident proposition that the first and only real
line of defence for island consists In an efii-
Gent navy" Ending with an account Of Trafal-
gar he epforces his conclusion very successfully,
and leaves the story Of the English Navy at its
hest From Alfred to Nelson the most advan-
tageous battles in defence of England have been
fought as far from her shores as possible Alfred
doubtless learned severe lesson from the al
versties Of his earlier years win peope
starved and kingdom harried by the Dahsh
sea-rovers. he must have longed for warships
long before he had them. After he had once SUD-
dued the invaders. his hope was never TO aiio"
such invasion again If his successors had peeh
as resourcefu he was. his hope would nave
been realized He built vessels almost twice as
long as were those in which the Danes went on
their forays The new ships were OF much great
err height than usual. Some of them had as
many as sixty oars. and they were swifter ana
steadier than the vessels of the enemy. With
their aid the Northern pirates were kept from the
shores Of England But the curious phenomenon
OF the early naval history of England is the fact
that appreciation of the sea power OF the navy
was intermittent. One king might be an entnusi-
asst on the subject. while those who succeeded nun
for generations were Indifferent. Mr.. Williams
passes over ali interval of sixty years TO the
reign OF Edgar the Peaceful. in order to ma an
other monarch enlightened as Alfred IN the
matter OF the navy. 1t the custom of this
king to make a voyage with his fleet around the
coasts at regular intervals and to train his sea-
men by manoeuvres. On the other hand, Ethel
red the Unready bought off the Danes Instead OF
fighting them. Thus energy and incapacity alter
mated until the time of the Norman Conquest.
when 1t appeared that misfortunes were heaped
on the head Of a man who gave promise OF be-
ing a capable ruler. Just when Harold should
have been present to lead the opposition TO WILL
liam, he was forced to rush northward to repel
the Danes He trusted to a fleet which ne had
assembled at Sandwich, one said to have been the
largest that had ever been manned by English
men, But in his absence the force melted away
and Harold returned to fight the hopeless battle
of Hastings.
The efforts Of the Norman Angevin and early
Plantagenet rulers to keep up Kingdoms on poth
sides of the English Channel must have stimuiat-
ed naval enterprise. But ii was felt to be local
and municipal rather than national affair the
growing commercial towns of the southern coast
were responsible for the shipping which they
needed both in peace and war Only the growth
Of trade could have made possible the collection
"A
the Holy Land The national feeling, aside from
q more or less earnest loyalty to the King. was
weak. and the rest Of the country looked on in
differently when the seaport towns had trouble
with an enemy at sea. All naval war then easily
degenerated into piracy The English towns, ike
their rivals across the Channel. gave refuge TO
rovers whose methods were worse man ques-
tonable. The Channel itself became the scene OF
perpetual war 1t was the proper thing FOR
trader to add the cargo of foreign snip To MS
own If he was strong enough To do so; and at
any rate he was sure to have a fight for his own.
Such a quarrel. moderated by none or the rules
of ordinary warfare, became more bitter ana
cruel with every new conflict. Men were hanged
by the score out Of pure wantonness Mutual
reprisals at last brought one Of the most re-
markabe sea fights on record. Apparently a
challenge was sent by the mariners on one side
of the Channel and accepted by those on the
other The place where the fleets were to fight
was carefully marked beforehand by an
choring large empty ship at a point
agreed upon. the English persuaded the
Irish and Dutch to fight on their side.
while the Normans got the help OF the FRENCH
Flemish and Genoese. All this happened in 1893,
when Edward Longshanks was busy reducing
Scotland and when France was ostensibly at
peace with England, though ready to make war
II ANYTHING was to be gained. The relation or the
two countries ostensibly peaceful. But 10
the mariners of the respective coasts, the inter-
national situation was matter of indifference
Their proceedings show how slight were the oonds
OF law or loyalty in those times of anarchy. The
April day set for the battle proved cold ana
snowy There were only sixty English ships to
two hundred on the Norman side. But accord
ing TO the English chronicers the victory OF the
weaker side was complete, nearly all the Nor
man ships being taken or destroyed And II
must be remembered" adds the author, that no
war was going on at this time; that these were
not the respective navies of England and france
struggling for the honor of their country. They
were merely a medley Of traders OF sea-rovers
OF pirates of Adventures. divided almost by
hazard into two opposing parties, and hghtng TO
satisfy the vengeful spirit which a thousand
wrongs and outrages on either side had reused TO
fury, and which nothing but blood could allay
Possibly this is another example Of that 'Merrie
England which so many persons In the present
day ignorantly sigh for"
Another naval battle which Mr.. Williams mar
rates at almost dsproportionate length for his
small volume was that known 81 Espagnols
sur Mer" His reason is that other writers have
as e rule neglected it. The fight was noteworthy
in the first place because the English feet was led
by Edward III in person. That skilful COM
mander anticipated Nelson's device at Trafalgar
OF familiarizing his captains beforehand with his
plan OF attack. In the second place the battle
was with Spanards, then an enemy almost I'M
known TO Englishmen, but In few centuries to
become the most dreaded Of their foes. AS in all
later times. so in this affair OF Edwards the
Spaniards had vessels OF extraordinary size This
was true OF the Spanish ships which English ro-
vers In the tine Of Elizabeth had to meet in the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans; II was true OF the
Armada; and finally 1t was true Of the Spanish
contingent in the forces defeated at Trafalgar.
In Edwards battle tire Spanish ships were to the
English, so 1t was said. "as castles to cottages.
The fight was mainly carried on by boarding.
difhcult proceeding from the small English YES