AccordingtoWheeler,attheaccessionoftheQueen,therewerenotmorethanfourshipsbelongingtotheriverThames,exceptingthoseoftheRoyalNavy,whichwereover120tonsinburthen;[12]
andafterfortyyears,thewholeofthemerchantshipsofEngland,over100tons,amountedto135;onlyafewofthesebeingof500tons。In1588,thenumberhadincreasedto150,“ofabout150tonsonewithanother,employedintradingvoyagestoallpartsandcountries。“TheprincipalshippingwhichfrequentedtheEnglishportsstillcontinuedtobeforeign——Italian,Flemish,andGerman。
Liverpool,nowpossessingthelargestshippingtonnageintheworld,hadnotyetcomeintoexistence。Itwaslittlebetterthanafishingvillage。ThepeopleoftheplacepresentedapetitiontotheQueen,prayinghertoremitasubsidywhichhadbeenimposeduponthem,andspeakingoftheirnativeplaceas“HerMajesty’spoordecayedtownofLiverpool。“In1565,sevenyearsafterQueenElizabethbegantoreign,thenumberofvesselsbelongingtoLiverpoolwasonlytwelve。Thelargestwasoffortytonsburthen,withtwelvemen;andthesmallestwasaboatofsixtons,withthreemen。[13]
JamesI。,onhisaccessiontothethroneofEnglandin1603,calledinalltheshipsofwar,aswellasthenumerousprivateerswhichhadbeenemployedduringthepreviousreigninwagingwaragainstthecommerceofSpain,anddeclaredhimselftobeatpeacewithalltheworld。JameswasaspeacefulasaQuaker。HewasnotafightingKing;-and,partlyonthisaccount,hewasnotpopular。Heencouragedmanufacturesinwool,silk,andtapestry。HegaveeveryencouragementtothemercantileandcolonizingadventurerstoplantandimprovetherisingsettlementsofVirginia,NewEngland,andNewfoundland。
HealsopromotedthetradetotheEastIndies。Attemptscontinuedtobemade,byHudson,Poole,Button,Hall,Baffin,andothercourageousseamen,todiscovertheNorth-Westpassage,butalwayswithouteffect。
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