wasthefirsttoestablishRoyaldockyards，firstatWoolwich，thenatPortsmouth，andthirdlyatDeptford，fortheerectionandrepairofships。Beforethen，EnglandhadbeenprincipallydependentuponDutchmenandVenetians，bothforshipsofwarandmerchantmen。Thesovereignhadneithernavalarsenalsnordockyards，noranyregularestablishmentofcivilornavalaffairstoprovideshipsofwar。SirEdwardHoward，LordHighAdmiralofEngland，attheaccessionofHenryVIII。，actuallyenteredintoa“contract“withthatmonarchtofighthisenemies。
ThissingulardocumentisstillpreservedintheStatePaperoffice。Evenaftertheestablishmentofroyaldockyards，thesovereign——aslateasthereignofElizabeth——enteredintoformalcontractswithshipwrightsfortherepairandmaintenanceofships，aswellasforadditionstothefleet。
TheKing，havingmadehisfirsteffortatestablishingaroyalnavy，sentthefleettoseaagainsttheshipsofFrance。TheRegentwastheshiproyal，withSirThomasKnivet，MasteroftheHorse，andSirJohnCrewofDevonshire，asCaptains。Thefleetamountedtotwenty-fivewellfurnishedships。TheFrenchfleetwerethirty-nineinnumber。TheymetinBrittanyBay，andhadafiercefight。TheRegentgrappledwithagreatcarackofBrest；
theFrench，ontheEnglishboardingtheirship，setfiretothegunpowder，andbothshipswereblownup，withalltheirmen。TheFrenchfleetfled，andtheEnglishkepttheseas。TheKing，hearingofthelossoftheRegent，causedagreatshiptobebuilt，thelikeofwhichhadneverbeforebeenseeninEngland，andcalleditHarryGracedeDieu。
Thisshipwasconstructedbyforeignartizans，principallybyItalians，andwaslaunchedin1515。Shewassaidtobeofathousandtonsportage——thelargestshipinEngland。Thevesselwasfour-masted，withtworoundtopsoneachmast，excepttheshortestmizen。Shehadahighforecastleandpoop，fromwhichthecrewcouldshootdownuponthedeckorwaistofanothervessel。Theobjectwastohaveasortofcastleateachendoftheship。ThisstyleofshipbuildingwasdoubtlessborrowedfromtheVenetians，thenthegreatestnavalpowerinEurope。Thelengthofthemasts，theheightoftheshipabovethewater’sedge，andtheornamentsanddecorations，werebetteradaptedforthestillnessoftheAdriaticandMediterraneanSeas，thanfortheboisterousoceanofthenorthernpartsofEurope。[7]Thestorylongprevailedthat“theGreatHarrysweptadozenflocksofsheepofftheIsleofManwithherbob-stay。“AnAmericangentlemanN。B。Anderson，LL。D。，BostoninformedthepresentauthorthatthissayingisstillproverbialamongsttheUnitedStatessailors。