sh
mercantile steam-ships number about 5000, with about 4 millions of
aggregate tonnage.[2]

In olden times this country possessed the materials for great things,
as well as the men fitted to develope them into great results. But the
nation was slow to awake and take advantage of its opportunities.
There was no enterprise, no commerce--no "go" in the people. The roads
were frightfully bad; and there was little communication between one
part of the country and another.

If anything important had to be done, we used to send for foreigners to
come and teach us how to do it. We sent for them to drain our fens, to
build our piers and harbours, and even to pump our water at London
Bridge. Though a seafaring population lived round our coasts, we did
not fish our own seas, but left it to the industrious Dutchmen to catch
the fish, and supply our markets. It was not until the year 1787 that
the Yarmouth people began the deep-sea herring fishery; and yet these
were the most enterprising amongst the English fishermen.

English commerce also had very slender beginnings. At the commencement
of the fifteenth century, England was of very little account in the
affairs of Europe. Indeed, the history of modern England is nearly
coincident with the accession of the Tudors to the throne. With the
exception of Calais and Dunkirk, her dominions on the Continent had
been wrested from her by the French. The country at home had been made
desolate by the Wars of the Roses. The population was very small, and
had been kept down by war, pestilence, and famine.[3] The chief staple
was wool, which was exported to Flanders in foreign ships, there to be
manufactured into cloth. Nearly every article of importance was
brought from abroad; and the little commerce which existed was in the
hands of foreigners. The seas were swept by privateers, little better
than pirates, who plundered without scruple every vessel, whether
friend or foe, which fell in their way.

The British navy has risen from very low beginnings. The English fleet
had fallen from its high estate since the reign of Edward III., who won
a battle from the French and Flemings in 1340, with 260 ships; but his
vessels were all of moderate size, being boats, yachts, and caravels,
of very small tonnage. According to the contemporary chronicles,
Weymouth, Fowey, Sandwich, and Bristol, were then of nearly almost as
much importance as London;[4] which latter city only furnished
tw