In naval, as in constitutional history, the last years of Elizabeth merge or, rather, decline into the first of James: towards the end of her reign one courtier was appointed Treasurer of the Navy; another, Admiral of the Channel Guard; while among the vessels built for the Royal Navy were included four galleys.

In administration, seamanship, and strategy the reign of James I is the low-water mark of our period, and though an improvement is visible under Charles I, the Commonwealth found much to reform. Even in these reigns, however, the fleet was not allowed utterly to decay: in mere numbers it was still imposing, and by most foreigners it was accepted at its paper strength. The early Stuarts cannot be accused of indifference to the navy: the real charge against them is that they took too much interest and had too little knowledge; that they meddled in technical details, which they regarded as matters of opinion.

A study of this period is valuable mainly because it affords many examples to be avoided; but there is this further interest, that it throws some light on the preceding period. The Elizabethans learnt their seamanship in the school of experience; its fundamental principles were second nature to them; and, though they doubtless had long discussions of tactics among themselves, they were chary of committing their ideas to paper, lest foreigners should pluck out the heart of their mystery. […]