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his ftay at Ruthven caftle; but, "fuch is the change in the circumstances of the place, concurring with the genius of the times, that the fame cattle, in which the proud and powerful baron once confined his King as a prifoner, is now quietly occupied by a colony of calico printers*." This colony was established here in the year 1792, under the firm of Young, Rofs, Richardson, and Carv. The annual expenditure in workmen's wages is about three thoufand fix hundred pounds. Thirty hands are ufually employed about each table and prefs, the printers being allowed from fifteen thillings to one guinea per week. The staple manufacture of the country around Perth is well adapted for the purpose of printing; and the London market being always open, and the conveyance

thither direct, regular, speedy, and convenient, every encouragement is held out to fpirited exertion, ingenuity, industry, and enterprise."

Mr. Campbell has not taken quite fo wide a range in his journey as fome former Tourists had done, having chiefly confined his excursions to the districts circumjacent to Lothian, Perth, and St. Andrew's; but he has viewed the multifarious objects with a penetrating eye, and with an expanded and cultivated mind, and has amaffed fuch a collection of Scottish hiftory, tradition, and biography, illuftrated by fuch a felection of picturefque fcenery, as we believe to be unequalled.-The plates (forty-four in number) are very finely engraved and characteristically

tinted.

J.

An Hiftory of Marine Architecture; including an enlarged and progreffive View of the Nautical Regulations and Naval Hiftory, both Civil and Military, of all Nations, especially of Great Britain. Derived chiefly from Original Manufcripts, as well in private Collections as in the great Public Repofitories, and deduced from the earliest Period to the prefent Time. By John Charnock, Efq F. S. A. Three Vols. Royal 4to. R. Faulder, and all the other confiderable Bookfellers of London.

(Concluded from Page 125.)

THE third and laft volume of this

history, which justly claims the honourable diftinction of being confidered as a work of public utility, fince it communicates material informa tion on a subject of the firit magnitude, the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, opens with a political account of the different Navies of Europe from the commencement of the last century to the death of Queen Anne, and a comparative view of thofe Navies, and of the commercial ftate of Europe during that era.

A ftriking feature of this firft divi. fion of the volume, is the matterly sketch of the character of Louis XIV. falfely ftyled the Great, King of France, which, from refpect for the Author's talents as an hiftorian, and as a gentle hint to thole Englishmen who have expreffed their good withes for the Houte of Bourbon (which, under a fucceffion of three Monarchs, within the above-mentioned period, never permitted Britain to enjoy the tranquillity of peace for longer intervals than five, fix, or ten years, at most), we lay before our readers.

"A continuance of the fame acting principle, which had lighted the torch of war, and brandished when blazing in all its horrors, over a confiderable part of Europe, towards the conclufion of the Seventeenth century, was productive of ftill more dreadful effects immediately after the commencement of the Eighteenth. The difcordant and diabolically ambitious fpirit of Louis the Fourteenth, nothing abating in its vigour, though the fuel which had at firft fed its fury was confumed, eagerly fpread itself in fearch of fresh materials which might continue to fupport its rage. The fatal industry with which this lyftem was purfued, proved, most unfortunately for the rest of the world, too effectual. Independent of thofe countries which immediately furrounded the identical spot whence the flame arofe, and which of course became the most immediate prey to its effects, its baneful influence was foon moft fenfibly felt even in remote districts, which its own immediate operations were incapable of reaching.

"Spain, Portugal, Britain, Holland, Germany, and the northern parts of

Stat. Account, vol. xvii. p. 647.

Italy,

Italy, formed an immenfe volcano, of which France was the crater; while Ruffia, Sweden, Denmark, and, in fine, almost every country in Europe, in fluenced by the perfuafion, terrified by the threats, or cajoled by the fpecious promifes, of Louis, were armed against each other, and joined in a fcene fo terrific as almost to threaten an annihilation of the human race.

"Notwithstanding the fevere loffes which Louis had experienced during the preceding war, and that heavy blow he had in particular received by the deftruction of the best ships he poffeffed off Cape La Hogue, fo earneftly did he apply himself, during the fhort period of tranquillity which fucceeded the peace of Ryfwic (1697), in the re-establishment of that Navy, the poffeffion of which he appeared to think fo effential to his glory, that at the commencement of the eighteenth century in 1702, he confidered himself in a condition to difturb the peace of Europe as powerfully as ever. The event, however, proved he had been too fanguine in his expectation; this is exemplified by the fresh loffes he fuftained in the attack made on the port of Toulon in 1707, by the army under the command of the Duke of Savoy, and the combined British and Dutch fleets commanded by Admi al Sir Cloudefley Shovel for the lofs of eight hips of the line, taken and destroyed by the fire of the affilants, accelerated and completed the almost total retirement of the French Navy from the bufy and dangerous theatre of war during the next thirty fix years. Our Author, however, gives inftances to prove, that though Britain at that period was manifeftly fuperior, with respect to its naval force, not only to France, but to all the other maritime Powers of Europe, yet the French hips of war were built upon better principles than the British, which enabled them, in the Seamen's phrafe, confiderably to fore-reach thofe of the British. The lofies imputable to accident, and thofe dangers to which all veffels at fea are fubject, no lefs forcibly proved the fuperiority of that conftruction or form given to veflels, under the load water-line, which was then adopted by the French, for in the retreat of the mall French fleet, which made an unfuccesful attempt to cover the defcent of the Pretender in Scotland in 1708, to their own coaft, the

fhips which perished were entirely of English conftruction (captured fhips), while the remainder, built in the parts of France being better enabled to hold their wind, to work off a lee. shore, and to endure the affaults of a heavy head. fea, were capable of fuccefsfully combating and effectually refifting it.

"The total of fhips taken from the French, or deftroyed by the English and the Dutch, in the war which com. menced against France and Spain in 1702, and was terminated by the peace of Utrecht in 1713, amounted to forty fhips of the line, feveral of which were first and fecond rates, exclufive of frigates, and of many other fhips loft by tempefts and other misfortunes. As to the Spanish Navy," fays our Hiftorian, "though Spain was a principal in the war, it was reduced to a state of infignificance which could fcarcely fail to excite the compassion even of a foe; and with refpect to Portugal, her marine held the fame inoffenfive rank at the commencement of the eighteenth century, in which it continued unoffendingly to pass through the remainder of it,

"Holland appeared to have paffed the zenith of its glory. Its maritime power continued, indeed, ftill refpect able, but carried not with it that ter ror as in the preceding century, when it arrogantly affumed to itself the maf terthip of the Ocean, and the power of prefcribing marine laws to almost all Europe."

We are next entertained with a concile account of the rapid advances of the marine forces of the Northern Powers of Rufiia, Denmark, and Sweden;, with judicious remarks on the indefatigable and luccessful operations of Peter I. the truly Great first Emperor of Ruffia, "who raised into confequence, as a naval Power, a nation which he found deftitute of a single fhip of war; and by his enterpribing genius, and unremitted attention to this important object, had raised, in the year 1714, a naval force confiiting of more than forty fhips of the line, as many frigates, and upwards of 150 gailies."

The refult of the accurate review of the marine of the European nations as it food in the year 1700, prefents that pleafing picture of the naval fuperiority of Great Britain, which every lover of his country, every loyal Briton, will read with great fatisfaction; and with

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a fincere with that our Rulers may never lofe fight of this fplendid example, which exhibits an unequivocable proof, that the glory and commercial profperity of the British empire cannot be maintained by any other means, but by the fuperiority of the British Navy, very emphatically, upon all public occafions of feftivity, acknowledged to be the Wooden-walls of Old England" for let it be remembered, that the era we are now contemplating was diftinguished by the moft fignal victo ries of our land forces under the great Duke of Marlborough; yet even thefe would have proved ineffectual to prevent the fuccefs of the ambitious projects of Louis, if his Navy had not been nearly annihilated by the valour of our Naval Officers, Marines, and Seamen.

"Britain," fays our Author, "might be faid, at that period. to poffefs nearly one-third of the whole of that force, which was especially equipped for the purposes of war, by all the other maritime powers of Europe: France and Holland held more than a second third part, while the minor States of Spain, Portugal, Ruffia, Denmark, and Sweden, could boat no greater navy, had the whole of it been united together, than what could have been fent forth from the ports of England alone. The Auctuation or alteration which was occafioned by the uninterrupted continuance of war during the firit fourteen years of the eighteenth century, tended but little to affect the proportion juit ftated. The alteration which was produced by it was in favour of Great Britain; the loffes fuftained by her not having equalled, by one third, thofe which France had fuffered within the fame period. The marine of Spain had alfo undergone what might be confidered as a total demolition; while the contests fubfifting between the Northern Powers had prevented them, taken in the aggregate, from augment ing that total which they had poffeffed at the commencement of them, notwithstanding the wonderful exertion made by Peter the Great to raise himfelf into naval confequence."

An account of the improvements made in marine architecture among the different European Powers during the first fourteen years of the eighteenth century, and of the immediate caufes which gave birth to them, and produced the extraordinary augmentation of 'vellels in regard to their tonnage as

well as force, is the next fubject of dif cuffion, and every particular is minutely detailed which is neceffary to explain the different principles of hipbuilding practifed by the artificers of the Southern, from thofe of the Nor thern States.

In our last Review, a fummary ac count of the active measures taken by King William III. to augment the navy of England, was noticed as forming the principal contents of the seventeenth Chapter of Vol. II. We have now to obferve that Mr. Charnock is rather too fond of recapitulation,which fometimes engenders tiresome tautology, as in the inftance before us, part of the third Chapter of Vol. III. being taken up with the same subject, as introductory to the hiftory of the naval tranfactions of the reign of Queen Anne, amongst which, befides a relation of the victories of Sir George Rooke and Sir Claudefley Shovel, off the ports of Vigo and Malaga, we find curious remarks on the civil economy and management of maritime affairs ; the murmurs of the merchants, in confequence of a pretended neglect of the commercial intereft of the nation, with other grievances contained in various petitions to the Houfe of Peers against the administration of Prince George of Denmark, the Queen's hufband, as Lord High Admiral of England, "with their Lordships' report thereon, the anfwer of the Prince, and obfervations on the whole proceedings.

The next period, the naval events of which make a confiderable addition to the renown of the British fleets, comprifes the fignal defeat of the Spanish feet by Sir George Byng, in the Faro of Melina, in 1718, the fourth year of the reign of George I. for which that gallant Admiral was created a Peer, by the title of Viscount Torrington, and' extends to the commencement of another war between Great Britain and Spain in 1739. Our author gives us the ftate of the British navy at that period, notices the bad conftruction of the hips compofing the British navy at' that time, and explains the mistaken principles on which the marine architects of Great Britain then acted, and the inconveniences under which hips fo contrived laboured. A brief recital of the various expeditions which? took place during the war, with their confequences, are the next fubjects of the continuation of our naval hiftory;"

and

and the capture of the Princeffa, a Spanish hip of 70 guns, and nearly 1800 tons burthen, is ftated as having the most happy effect in producing that reform and alteration of fyltem in the conftruction of British fhips of war, which had been fo long neceffary. Admiral Sir John Norris, who was then univerfally confidered the naval oracle of Britain, was written to, by order of the Board of Admiralty, on this fubject; and this letter, with the documents annexed to it, are given by our author, as forming a curious and well connected, though concife hiftory of the civil eftablishment of the British navy, from the early part of Queen Ann's reign, down to the time when the Princeffa was taken, in the year

3741.

"The Admiral in confequence of this application, which was rather an invitation, than an order, to exert his talents for the benefit of his Country in the civil department of the navy, immediately adopted the obvious and certainly the most prudent method of producing improvement. He fought the opinions of men who were confidered as best informed on the subject, and reported to the inquirers the refult of their information, furmounted by fuch profeffional obfervations, as his long continued maritime purfuits had enabled him to collect. Reform however went.on but flowly; the British navy was reduced to an inequality with refpect to that of the different powers of Europe, reckoning fhip for hip; not only in the contracted dimentions, but in the form or fhape given to the veffels compofing it, which neither the inconveniences experi. mentally and moft feriously found to result from them, nor the example of thofe benefits found to be derived by other countries, from the purfuit of a contrary fyftem of construction, were, for many years, capable of removing." Under thefe difadvantages the question will naturally be to difcerning readers, How the fuperiority of the British na val power was fupported? The anfwer will be found in this part of its history; by out-numbering other pow. ers; fo that her fleets when confidered collectively, rendered the individual inferiority of the fhips of lefs confequence. The alterations in the principles of conftruction which took place, in the British navy foon after the commencement of hoftilities against France

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in 1744, owing to the reprefenta tions of Sir John Norris, and the affiduity of the Admiralty and Navy Boards, were the first triumphs of wifdom over custom; and their utility is fully explained by our author in Chapter 8, which alfo contains a comparative view of the quantity of materials confumed in the construction of different fhips, more particularly of the timber confumed in building the Royal George, the Princess Amelia, and several other fhips on the plan of reform and improvement. Alfo a lift of the Royal navy, as it stood at the conclufion of the war against France and Spain in 1748, including the hips which had been taken from the enemy;· exhibiting a moft formidable force, and evidently demonftrating that Great Britain at that time, was Sovereign of the Seas: it amounted to four ships of the first rate, viz. the Royal George, the Royal Anne, the Royal Sovereign, and the Royal William, carrying 100 guns each, and 850 feamen; ten fecond rates, of ninety guns; fortyeight third rates, carrying from eighty down to fixty-four guns; fixty-nine fourth rates; forty-two fifh rates; and forty-eight fixth rates. In the inferior claffes were five fire-fhips, ten bomb-ketches, thirty-five floops of war, two ftore-fhips, feven hofpital fhips, eleven yachts, as many hoys, five fmacks, fixteen hulks, and five xebecks, forming in the whole a ma- . rine of 313 fail.

"The loffes of the combined enemies during this thort war of four years, are unparalleled in the annals of our own, or any other country, they amounted in fhips taken or deftroyed, and a very few loft by accident, to fifty-five French, and twenty-four Spanish thips; and the navy of France was reduced to thirty-eight ships, carrying from eighty down to twenty guns!"

To follow up the progreffive improvements from this period to the prefent time, would be to give an abridgment of this valuable and expenfive work to the injury of the author, and other proprietors; a practice but too common of late years, and highly reprehenfible. Our Review, onthe contrary, aims at placing meritorious works, fuch as the prefent, in the clearest and fairest point of view; and, by means of an extenfive circulation, to make its publication more ge nerally known. On this principle we

fhall

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