Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/433

 Ch. 13. ment. And thus much for the military tate, as acknowleged by the laws of England.

maritime tate is nearly related to the former; though much more agreeable to the principles of our free contitution. The royal navy of England hath ever been it's greatet defence and ornament; it is it's antient and natural trength; the floating bulwark of the iland; an army, from which, however trong and powerful, no danger can ever be apprehended to liberty: and accordingly it has been aiduouly cultivated, even from the earliet ages. To o much perfection was our naval reputation arrived in the twelfth century, that the code of maritime laws, which are called the laws of Oleron, and are received by all nations in Europe as the ground and ubtruction of all their marine contitutions, was confeedly compiled by our king Richard the firt, at the ile of Oleron on the coat of France, then part of the poeions of the crown of England. And yet, o vatly inferior were our ancetors in this point to the preent age, that even in the maritime reign of queen Elizabeth, ir Edward Coke thinks it matter of boat, that the royal navy of England then conited of three and thirty hips. The preent condition of our marine is in great meaure owing to the alutary proviions of the tatutes, called the navigation-acts; whereby the contant increae of Englih hipping and eamen was not only encouraged, but rendered unavoidably neceary. By the tatute 5 Ric. II. c. 3. in order to augment the navy of England, then greatly diminihed, it was ordained, that none of the king's liege people hould hip any merchandize out of or into the realm but only in hips of the king's ligeance, on pain of forfeiture. In the next year, by tatute 6 Ric. II. c. 8. this wie proviion was enervated, by only obliging the merchants to give Englih hips (if able and ufficient) the preference. But the mot beneficial tatute for the trade and Rh