[5] Pavises, plural of Pavois. The "Pavois", or "Pavise" as it was generally termed in English, was a big round-topped shield like a tombstone. It was set up with a prop on shore or fastened to a ship's bulwarks, either on going into action or as a decoration. This is why to this day a French man-of-war when "dressed" with all her colours at a review, for instance, is said to be "_en grand pavois_". [6] "Of the Tower": this signifies that she was a royal ship, like "H.M.S." of to-day. [7] A strong bow that needed a tourniquet or winch to draw it back. CHAPTER IV Mariners of Other Days "A shipman was ther ... All in a gown of faulding[8] to the knee, A dagger hanging by a lace had he About his neck under his arm adown; The hot summer had made his hue all brown: And certainly he was a good fellow; Full many a draught of wine had he drawn From Bordeaux-ward, while that the chapmen[9] sleep; Of nice conscience took he no keep. If that he fought and had the higher hand, By water he sent them home to every land.[10] . . . . . . . . . . He knew well all the havens as they were From Gothland to the Cape of Finisterre, And every creek in Bretagne and in Spain: His barge ycleped[11] was the _Magdelaine_." CHAUCER, _Canterbury Tales_. WE have yet to give some descriptions of one or two actual battles, but I think we will commence by trying to picture the seamen themselves. What were these old "matlows"[12] like, and how were they raised? The second question is easily answered. As Lord Haldane has stated, compulsory service was never foreign to the English laws and constitution. But we may observe that it has never been carried out in the fair and impartial manner which is now universal on the Continent of Europe, where "duke's son, cook's son", and everybody else has to serve his country alike. No; ours has always been a kind of bullying system or want of system. In the old days of the Cinque Ports, if more ships were required than they had to provide, their ships were just sent out to "commandeer" any suitable craft they could lay hands on. So with men. Certain places and counties had to provide a regulated quota of soldiers or sailors, or both. If they were voluntarily forthcoming, well and good; if not, the magistrates, the port-reeves, or bayliffs had authority to take as many as they required to make up the number by force, and made no bones about doing so. So while Jones got off free, Brown and Robinson were pressed. But it was all a matter of luck--at any rate ostensibly. That was the hardship of it, not only then, but in the later "press-gang days".