PREFACE TO THE 



Magnus the king of Norway came into the same seas 

 with 1 60. sailes, and having subdued the Orkney Isles 

 in his way, passed on in Uke conquering maner, directing 

 his course (as it should seeme) even through the very 

 midst, and on all sides of the Hebrides, who sailing 

 thence to Man, conquered it also, proceeding afterward 

 as farre as Anglesey ; and lastly crossing over from the 

 Isle of Man to the East part of Ireland. Yea, there 

 they shall read of Godredus the sonne of Olavus his 

 voiage to the king of Norway, of his expedition with 

 80. ships against Sumerledus, of Sumerled his expedition 

 with 53. ships against him; of Godred his flight and 

 second journey into Norway ; of Sumerled his second 

 arrival with 160. shippes at Rhinfrin upon the coast of 

 Man, and of many other such combates, assaults, & 

 voyages which were performed onely upon those seas 

 & Islands. And for the bringing of this woorthy 

 monument to light, we doe owe great thanks unto the 

 judiciall and famous Antiquarie M. Camden. But 

 sithens we are entred into a discourse of the ancient 

 warrelike shipping of this land, the Reader shall give 

 me leave to borow one principall note out of this litle 

 historie, before I quite take my leave thereof: and that 

 is in few words, that K. John passed into Ireland with 

 a Fleet of 500. sailes ; so great were our sea-forces 

 even in his time. Neither did our shipping for the 

 warres first begin to flourish with king John, but long 

 before his dayes in the reign of K. Edward the 

 Confessor, of William the Conqueror, of William Rufus 

 and the rest, there were divers men of warre which 

 did valiant service at sea, and for their paines were 

 roially rewarded. All this and more then this you 

 may see recorded, pag. 17. out of the learned Gentle- 

 man M. Lambert his Perambulation of Kent ; namely, 

 the antiquitie of the Kentish Cinque ports, which of 

 the sea-townes they were, how they were infranchised, 

 what gracious privileges and high prerogatives were 

 by divers kings vouchsafed upon them, and what services 



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