of little more than antiquarian interest, but the bulk of it in the opinion of those best able to judge should be found of living value. All systems of tactics must rest ultimately on the dominant weapon in use, and throughout the sailing period the dominant weapon was, as now, the gun. In face of so fundamental a resemblance no tactician can afford to ignore the sailing system merely because the method of propulsion and the nature of the material have changed. It is not the principles of tactics that such changes affect, but merely the method of applying them.

Of even higher present value is the process of thought, the line of argument by which the old tacticians arrived at their conclusions good and bad. In studying the long series of Instructions we are able to detach certain attitudes of mind which led to the atrophy of principles essentially good, and others which pushed the system forward on healthy lines and flung off obsolete restraints. In an art so shifting and amorphous as naval tactics, the difference between health and disease must always lie in a certain vitality of mind with which it must be approached and practised. It is only in the history of tactics, under all conditions of weapons, movement and material, that the conditions of that vitality can be studied.

For a civilian to approach the elucidation of such points without professional assistance would be the height of temerity, and my thanks therefore are particularly due for advice and encouragement to Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge, Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald Custance, Rear-Admiral H.S.H. Prince Louis of Battenberg, and to Captain Slade, Captain of the Royal Naval College. To Sir Reginald Custance and Professor Laughton I am under a special obligation, for not only have they been kind enough to read the proofs of the work, but they have been indefatigable in offering suggestions, the one from his high professional knowledge and the other from his unrivalled learning in naval history. Any value indeed the work may be found to possess must in a large measure be attributed to them. Nor can I omit to mention the valuable assistance which I have received from Mr. Ferdinand Brand and Captain Garbett, R.N., in unearthing forgotten material in the Libraries of the Admiralty and the United Service Institution.

I have also the pleasure of expressing my obligations to the Earl of Dartmouth, the Earl of St. Germans, and Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Knowles, Bart., for the use of the documents in their possession, as well as to many others whose benefits to the Society will be found duly noted in the body of the work.

CONTENTS

PART I.—EARLY TUDOR PERIOD

1. INTRODUCTORY. ALONSO DE CHAVES ON SAILING TACTICS 3
   Espejo de Navegantes, circa 1530 6

2. INTRODUCTORY. AUDLEY'S FLEET ORDERS, circa 1530 14
   Orders to be used by the King's Majesty's Navy by the Sea 15

3. INTRODUCTORY. THE ADOPTION OF SPANISH TACTICS BY HENRY VIII 18
   Lord Lisle, 1545, No. 1 20
       " " No. 2 23

PART II.—ELIZABETHAN AND JACOBEAN

INTRODUCTORY. THE ELIZABETHAN ORIGIN OF RALEGH'S INSTRUCTIONS 27
  Sir Walter Ralegh, 1617 36

PART III.—CAROLINGIAN

1. INTRODUCTORY. THE ATTEMPT TO APPLY LAND FORMATIONS
   TO THE FLEET 49
   Lord Wimbledon, 1625. No. 1 52
       " " No. 2 61
       " " No. 3 63

2. INTRODUCTORY. THE SHIP-MONEY FLEETS, circa 1635 73
   The Earl of Lindsey, 1635 77

PART IV.—THE FIRST DUTCH WAR

1. INTRODUCTORY. ENGLISH AND DUTCH ORDERS ON THE
     EVE OF THE WAR, 1648-53 81
   Parliamentary Orders, 1648 87
   Supplementary Instructions, circa 1650 88
   Marten Tromp, 1652 91

2. INTRODUCTORY. ORDERS ISSUED DURING THE WAR, 1653 and 1654 92
   Commonwealth Orders, 1653 99

PART V.—THE SECOND DUTCH WAR

1. INTRODUCTORY. ORDERS OF THE RESTORATION 107
   The Earl of Sandwich, 1665 108

2. INTRODUCTORY. MONCK, PRINCE RUPERT, AND THE DUKE OF YORK 110
   The Duke of York, 1665 122
   His Additional Instructions, 1665 126
   His Supplementary Order 128
   Prince Rupert, 1666 129

PART VI.—THE THIRD DUTCH WAR TO THE REVOLUTION

1. INTRODUCTORY. PROGRESS OF TACTICS DURING THE WAR 133 The Duke of York, 1672 146 His Supplementary Orders, 1672 148 The Duke of York, 1672-3 149 Final form of the Duke of York's Orders, 1673, with additions and observations subsequently made 152

2. INTRODUCTORY. MEDITERRANEAN ORDERS, 1678 164
   Sir John Narbrough, 1678 165

3. INTRODUCTORY. THE LAST STUART ORDERS 168
   Lord Dartmouth, 1688 170

PART VII.—WILLIAM III. AND ANNE

1. INTRODUCTORY. LORD TORRINGTON, TOURVILLE, AND HOSTE 175
   Admiral Edward Russell, 1691 188

2. INTRODUCTORY. THE PERMANENT INSTRUCTIONS, 1703-1783 195
     Sir George Rooke, 1703 197

PART VIII.—ADDITIONAL FIGHTING INSTRUCTIONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

INTRODUCTORY, ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS 203
   Admiral Vernon, circa 1740 214
   Lord Anson, circa 1747 216
   Sir Edward Hawke, 1756 317
   Admiral Boscawen, 1759 219
   Sir George Rodney, 1782 225
   Lord Hood's Additions, 1783 228

PART IX.—THE LAST PHASE

1. INTRODUCTORY. THE NEW SIGNAL BOOK INSTRUCTIONS 233
   Lord Howe, 1782 239

2. INTRODUCTORY. THE SIGNAL BOOKS OF THE GREAT WAR 252
   Lord Howe's Explanatory Instructions, 1799 268

3. INTRODUCTORY. NELSON'S TACTICAL MEMORANDA