To these principles Germany has reverted. The early history of the British Navy indicates that we were able to render a good account of ourselves under such conditions. For that matter we made our Navy under such training. It is hard to imagine that by adopting old time methods the Germans will take from us the Sea Empire which we thus earned in the past. F. T. J. _18th June, 1915._ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE BIRTH OF BRITISH NAVAL POWER 1 II. THE NORMAN AND PLANTAGENET ERAS 10 III. THE TUDOR PERIOD AND BIRTH OF A REGULAR NAVY 35 IV. THE PERIOD OF THE DUTCH WARS 59 V. THE EARLY FRENCH WARS 88 VI. THE GREAT FRENCH WAR 133 VII. FROM THE PEACE OF AMIENS TO THE FINAL FALL OF NAPOLEON 165 VIII. GENERAL MATTERS IN THE PERIOD OF THE FRENCH WARS 194 IX. THE BIRTH OF MODERN WARSHIP IDEAS 211 X. THE COMING OF THE IRONCLAD 229 XI. THE REED ERA 264 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR FROM PICTURES BY W. L. WYLLIE, R.A. PAGE SUBMARINES IN THE CHANNEL _Frontispiece_ WARSHIP OF THE TIME OF KING ALFRED 3 RICHARD I. IN ACTION WITH THE SARACEN SHIP 13 BATTLE OF SLUYS 25 PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR, 1912 31 THE “GRACE DE DIEU,” 1515 39 THE SPANISH ARMADA, 1588 51 THE END OF A “GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER” 55 BLAKE AND TROMP--PERIOD OF THE DUTCH WARS 77 BATTLESHIPS OF THE WHITE ERA AT SEA 117 THE “FOUDROYANT,” ONE OF NELSON’S OLD SHIPS 143 BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR, 1805 173 THE END OF AN OLD WARSHIP 191 A TRAFALGAR ANNIVERSARY 205 THE OLD “INVINCIBLE,” 1872 293 SHIP PHOTOGRAPHS “SALAMANDER,” PADDLE WARSHIP 217 OLD SCREW WOODEN LINE-OF-BATTLESHIP “LONDON” 221 “WARRIOR” 251 “ACHILLES” (WITH FOUR MASTS) 259