Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 1).djvu/446

 complained loudly of the taxes levied for the hire of the merchant shipping, although a large portion of the great wealth amassed by the ecclesiastics of the period was undoubtedly derived from trade, and most likely from their private and personal investments in maritime pursuits.

When Henry III. ascended the throne, and the barons arrayed themselves in opposition to Louis of France, their former ally, so many actions by sea ensued that the maintenance of the navy became a necessity. An English fleet of forty galleys and other vessels attacked and defeated a French squadron of more than double its size; the English, on the authority of Matthew Paris, attacking their opponents by "a dreadful discharge of arrows from the crossbow-men and archers," rushing against them with their iron beaks, "and availing themselves of their position to windward by throwing pulverised quicklime into the French, whereby the men were blinded." In this celebrated action, which some have called the commencement of England's dominion of the sea, the vessels contributed by the Cinque Ports greatly distinguished themselves, and obtained thereby further privileges. Thus they were commissioned "to annoy the subjects of France,"—in other words, to plunder, as they pleased, not merely the merchant vessels of that country, but "all they met of whatever nation, not sparing even their own