Page:Royalnavyhistory01clow.djvu/145

 who opposed our men by sea; and, although at the tower, part of our people were unsuccessful, those afloat committed great havoc upon the Turks. At length the engines, together with the castle, the galleys, and all within, having been consumed by the devouring fire, the Turks, abandoning themselves to rejoicing, mocked with loud yells at our discomfiture, and nodded their heads; whereupon the Christians were beyond measure incensed, for they were no less stung by the insulting taunts than by the misfortune which they had suffered."

During Richard's long absences from his country, England was governed by four successive Justicars, who were practically independent sovereigns, burdened, however, by the very heavy tribute exacted by the king for the purposes of his foreign adventures. Richard was killed in 1199 at the siege of the Castle of Châlus, and was succeeded by his youngest brother John.

The new reign was a disastrous one for England; but, from the naval point of view, is particularly interesting, seeing that, from the beginning of the thirteenth century, materials for naval history become for the first time comparatively plentiful.

The types of vessels used seem to have been, upon the whole, the same as those used under Richard and Henry II., but in documents dealing with the reign of John, we read also of "longships" (longæ naves), "cogs," (goggæ, coquæ, etc.), and schuyts (scutæ).

The longship, probably a species of galley, may have been used for other purposes as well; but it was certainly employed for revenue cruising purposes. In 1204, the keepers of the longships, and of the seaports of England, were commanded to allow a merchant's vessel to pass and to trade wheresoever it pleased; and in 1205 "our longships," meaning the longships of the king, were mentioned. The phrase indicates the existence of some approach to a standing navy, especially as similar language was constantly used with respect to galley-men and other sailors.

What cogs were is doubtful. Nicolas thinks that "they were short and of great breadth, like a cockle-shell, whence they are said to have derived their name"; and he says that they were used for passenger traffic and for coasting, and that they were probably much smaller than busses or ships. But there is no doubt that, if