Page:Supplement to the fourth, fifth, and sixth editions of the Encyclopaedia Britannica - with preliminary dissertations on the history of the sciences - illustrated by engravings (IA gri 33125011196181).pdf/279

 of ships; all of which terms, almiranté, alcaidi, and arrais, are obviously of Arabic derivation.

Edward I., who began his reign in 1272, went to the Holy Land, and visited Sicily on his return. He must therefore have had an opportunity of informing himself concerning the military and naval science of the various countries bordering on the Mediterranean—an opportunity which so able and warlike a prince would not neglect; but whether the title and office of Admiral existed in England before his time, as some are inclined to think, or whether W. de Leybourne was first created to that office in 1286, as before mentioned, we believe there is no authentic record to enable us to decide. Supposing him, however, to be the first, Edward may either have adopted the office and title from the Genoese, or the Sicilians, or the Spaniards, or the French; or even had it directly from the Saracens, against whom he had fought, and with whom he had afterwards much amicable intercourse. It would seem, however, that the office was, in Edward's time, merely honorary; for that monarch, in 1307, orders the Lord Mayor of London, at his peril and without delay, to provide a good ship, well equipped, to carry his pavilions and tents; and, in the same year, another order is addressed to the Vicecomes Kantiæ, to provide, for immediate passage across the seas, “,” as the constable of Dover Castle should demand; without one word being mentioned of the admiral. (Rymer, Vol, III. p. 32.)

From the 34th Edward II. we have a regular and uninterrupted succession of Admirals. In that year he appointed Edward Charles Admiral of the North, from the mouth of the river Thames northward, and Gervase Allard Admiral of the West, from the mouth of the Thames westward; and these two Admirals of the North and the West were continued down to the 34th Edward III. when John de Beauchamp, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, constable of the Tower of London, and of the Castle of Dover, was constituted High Admiral of England; but nine years afterwards, the office was again divided into north and west, and so continued until the 10th Richard II. when Richard, son of Alain Earl of Arundel, was appointed Admiral of England. Two years after this, it was again divided as before; and in the fifteenth year of the same reign, Edward Earl of Rutland and Cork, afterwards Duke of Albemarle, was constituted High Admiral of the North and West; and after him the Marquis of Dorset, and Earl of Somerset, son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; then Percy Earl of Winchester next succeeded to the same title, which once more was dropped in the 2d of Henry IV. and divided as before. But in the sixth of the same reign, the office of Admiral of England became permanently vested in one person. In the 14th Henry VI. John Holland Duke of Exeter was created Admiral of England, Ireland, and Aquitain, for life; and in the third year of Edward VI. John Dudley Earl of Warwick was constituted High Admiral of England, Ireland, Wales, Calais, Bologne, the marches of the same, Normandy, Gascony, and Aquitain, also Captain-general of the navy and seas of the king, &c. In the 27th Elizabeth, Charles Lord Howard had all the aforesaid titles, with the addition of Captain-general of the navy and seas of the said kingdoms.

On the 20th November 1632, the office of High Admiral was, for the first time, put In commission, all the great officers of state being the commissioners. During the Commonwealth, a committee of parliament managed the affairs of the Admiralty. At the Restoration, in 1660, his Royal Highness James Duke of York was constituted Lord High Admiral of England. The commission was revoked on the 22d May 1684, and King Charles II. held the Admiralty in his own hands, and managed it by the great officers of his Privy-council until his death. He tock this occasion of reserving for his own use all the droits and perquisites claimed by the Lord High Admiral. King James II. declared himself in council Lord High Admiral and Lord General; and he managed the affairs of the Admiralty and navy by Mr Secretary Pepys all the time of his reign. In the 1st William and Mary, the Admiralty was again put in commission. In the 6th Anne, (1707,) his Royal Highness George Prince of Denmark was appointed High Admiral of Great Britain, (in consequence of the union of the two crowns,) with a council to assist him; and at his death the queen acted in the office by Mr Burchett. On the 29th November 1708, it was again put in commission, or rather, the Earl af Pembroke was constituted High Admiral, with a council to assist him; since which time, the office of Lord High Admiral has continued to be executed by seven Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

Prince George of Denmark, when Lord High Admiral, having surrendered, by a formal instrument, all the rights, profits, perquisites, and advantages whatsoever, appertaining to the office, for the benefit and use of the public, with the exception of the sum of L. 2500 a-year, to be disposed of in such manner, and for such particular uses, as her Majesty, under her sign manual, should direct; the salary of the Lord High-Admiral, which had hitherto been no more than 300 marks, was now fixed by warrant under privy-seal, at L. 7000 a-year; which sum, by 1st George II. was divided equally among seven commissioners, and continued to be so down to the present time, the part of the commissioner who stood first in the patent having, however, been made up, from other funds, to L. 3000 a-year, and, in the year 1806, further increased by Lord Howick, then first lord-commissioner, to L. 5000 a-year. Since the surrender above mentioned, all the droits of Admiralty, as they are called, with all the fees, emoluments, perquisites, &c. whatsoever, have been taken from the Admiral, and applied to public purposes.

These droits and perquisites are by no means inconsiderable. As enumerated in the patent, they consist of flotson, jetson, lagon, treasure, deodands, derelicts found within his jurisdiction; all goods picked up at sea; all fines, forfeitures, ransoms, recognizances, and pecuniary punishments; all sturgeons, whales, porpusses, dolphins, rigs, and grampusses, and all such large fishes; all ships and goods of the enemy coming into any creek, road, or port, by stress of weather, mistake, or ignorance of the war; all ships seized at sea, salvage, &c. together with his