“Surely I hold that the _best way is to keep our enemies from treading upon our ground: wherein, if we fail, then_ must we seek to make him wish that he had stayed at his own home. In such a case, if it should happen, our judgments are to weigh many particular circumstances, that belong not to this discourse. But making the question general, _the position, whether England, without that it is unable to do so_: and, therefore, I think it most dangerous to make the adventure. For the encouragements of a first victory to an enemy, and the discouragement of being beaten to the invaded, may draw after it a most perilous consequence. “Great difference, I know there is, and diverse consideration to be had, between such a country as France is, strengthened with many fortified places, and this of ours, where our ramparts are but the bodies of men. But I say that an army to be transported over sea, and to be landed again in an enemy’s country, and the place left to the choice of the invader _cannot be resisted on the coast of England without a fleet to impeach it; no, nor on the coast of France, or any other country, except every creek, port, or sandy bay had a powerful army in each of them to make opposition.... For there is no man ignorant that ships, without putting themselves out of breath, will easily outrun the soldiers that coast them_.[13] “Whosoever were the inventors, we find that every age hath added somewhat to ships, and to all things else. And in mine own time the shape of our English ships hath been greatly bettered. It is not long since the striking of the topmast (a wonderful ease to great ships, both at sea and in harbour) hath been devised, together with the chain pump, which takes up twice as much water as the ordinary did. We have lately added the Bonnet and the Drabler. To the courses we have devised studding-sails, topgallant-masts, spritsails, topsails. The weighing of anchors by the capstone is also new. We have fallen into consideration of the lengths of cable, and by it we resist the malice of the greatest winds that can blow. Witness our small Millbroke men of Cornwall, that ride it out at anchor half seas over between England and Ireland, all the winter quarter. And witness the Hollanders that were wont to ride before Dunkirk with the wind at north-west, making a lee-shoar in all weathers. For true it is, that the length of the cable is the life of the ship, riding at length, is not able to stretch it; and nothing breaks that is not stretched in extremity. We carry our ordnance better than we were wont, because our nether over-loops are raised commonly from the water, to wit, between the lower part of the sea.