THE TUDORS 



dismissed them. Finally, her wreck was found while the engineers were 

 searching for that of the Royal George at Spithead, and a number of 

 relics were brought to the surface. A small book describing her wreck 

 and the salvage was bound in oak from her sides, and in the Royal United 

 Service Institution in Whitehall there is one of her breech-loading guns. 



The Strain of the Naval War. 



This naval war imposed a very big strain on the resources of the 

 country, especially in the matter of men. The sick list of the fleet was 

 appalling, which is easily understood when one considers their ideas of 

 sanitation in those days. The fishing industry was denuded, and many 

 boats put to sea with a crew of women and a single man or boy, often to 

 be chased home by the French corsairs who infested British waters. 



Piracy Encouraged. 



When England and France made peace in 1550 the Emperor 

 Charles saw all his cherished schemes destroyed, and was in very ill- 

 humour with both parties. To vent his displeasure he actively 

 encouraged piracy by his Flemish subjects, a short-sighted policy that 

 was copied years afterwards by most of the European Powers and the 

 Barbary corsairs. Retaliation naturally followed, and before long there 

 was no security to be had in the Narrow Seas, although the Regency did 

 a good deal by keeping a considerable squadron in commission. When 

 they had proved beyond all doubt that they meant business, things were 

 very much easier as far as our commerce was concerned. 



The Navy and Queen Mary. 



When Edward VI died the first action of the Duke of Northumber- 

 land, on behalf of Lady Jane Grey, was to attempt to blockade Princess 

 Mary in Yarmouth. This had just the opposite effect to what had been 

 intended, for her partisans boarded the squadron and persuaded it to go 

 over to her solidly, and it was very largely due to the support of the 

 Navy that she was able to take possession of the throne. 



Respect to the Flag. 



The fact that the fleet had been instrumental in putting the Queen 

 on the throne did not make them any the less anxious that their full 

 rights and privileges should be recognised. When the unhappy marriage 

 with Philip of Spain had been arranged, Lord Howard of Effingham, the 

 Lord High Admiral, was sent out with twenty-eight sail to meet Philip, 

 who was escorted by no less than 160 ships. The Spaniards came up 

 Channel with all the pride of their people, the Spanish flag flying at the 

 main. Instead of being greeted with subservient courtesy by the British 

 Admiral, as he had expected, the Prince was astounded to be greeted 

 with shotted guns as a reminder that England insisted on honour being 

 paid to her flag in the Narrow Seas. The Spanish colours were 

 immediately struck and topsails lowered, but once the marriage had been 

 arranged beyond cancellation the admiral was made to sufiEer for his 

 action. 



55 



