let to encounter with three or four of
those of other countries, and either bowge them or put them to flight, if
they may not bring them home.[213]

Neither are the moulds of any foreign barks so conveniently made, to brook
so well one sea as another lying upon the shore of any part of the
continent, as those of England. And therefore the common report that
strangers make of our ships amongst themselves is daily confirmed to be
true, which is, that for strength, assurance, nimbleness, and swiftness of
sailing, there are no vessels in the world to be compared with ours. And
all these are committed to the regiment and safe custody of the admiral,
who is so called (as some imagine) of the Greek word _almiras_, a captain
on the sea; for so saith Zonaras in _Basilio Macedone_ and _Basilio
Porphyriogenito_, though others fetch it from _ad mare_, the Latin words,
another sort from _Amyras_, the Saracen magistrate, or from some French
derivation: but these things are not for this place, and therefore I pass
them over. The queen's highness hath at this present (which is the
four-and-twentieth of her reign) already made and furnished, to the number
of four or five-and-twenty great ships, which lie for the most part in
Gillingham Road, beside three galleys, of whose particular names and
furniture (so far forth as I can come by them) it shall not be amiss to
make report at this time.[214]

_The names of so many ships belonging to her majesty as I could come by at
this present._

The Bonadventure. Foresight.
Elizabeth Jonas.[215] Swift sute.
White Bear. Aid.
Philip and Mary. Handmaid.
Triumph. Dreadnought.
Bull. Swallow.
Tiger.[216] Genet.
Antelope. Bark of Bullen.
Hope. Achates.
Lion. Falcon.
Victory. George.
Mary Rose. Revenge.[217]

It is said that as kings and princes have in the young days of the world,
and long since, framed themselves to erect every year a city in some one
place or other of their kingdom (and no small wonder that Sardanapalus
should begin and finish two, to wit, Anchialus and Tarsus, in one day), so
her grace doth yearly build one ship or other to the better defence of her
frontiers from the enemy. But, as of this report I have no assured
certainty, so it shall suffice to have said so much of these things; yet
this I think w