also had eight standards ,)r other flags similarly charged, and one "banner of council." The Nicholas flew one streamer of St.

Nicholm, and four guidons, one of St. Edward, one of St. George, one of the king's arms, md one with the ostrich feathers. And the K(tri,e flew fore' guidans, four standards, and streamer of St. Katherine.' It will have been noticed that the names of sdnts were very commonly given to ships. Then, as now, the naming of king's vessel was accompanied by a religious ceremony or benediction, for, in July, 1418, the Bishop of Bangor blessed the Grace Dieu, then lately built ,t Southampton; and received for his expenses 5. - But it is probable that the practice of permitting a layram! or a lady to "christen" the ship is a much more modern one, md there is no three, in the fifteenth centre'y, of ship-baptism with wine.

Refereuces to artillery nd artillery stores become more and nore frequent in the accounts and other papers of the period. There were guns of brass and of iron, hand-guns, and guns with chambers; and stone as well as iron or leaden shot were employed. a With the compass there seems to have been less progress. The accounts tend to indicate that not every ship carried anything of the sort; and it may be that only flagships or leading vessels were supplied with "dials" and "sailing-needles." The needle itself appears to have been sometimes called the compass; for the Chri.topbcr is said to have had "iij cornpus and j dyoll." lX'icolas is of opinion that the hallinger Gabriel of the Tower may have carried an instrument closely resembling a compass in the modern acceptation of the word, seeing that among her stores were "j dioll, j comptsse," and "j boxe. "

The officers and crews of ships remained as before. There were masters, constables, carlenters, sttilors, and boys; and there xvas a "clerk" in the king's ships, corresponding with the pmer and paymaster of litter days. But there were changes in the system of appointment to the office oi- admind. It has been already noted that under the Angevins it was usual to appoint an admiral of the north, aud another of the west, and that only occasionally was there a commander-in-chief, or Admiral of England. ]'rom 1406,

Roll of For. Account.q, temp. tlen. V. o Issue Roll, 5 lien. V. 356 (,Devon). Various Carlt-n Ride llol!s, cited by Nicolas,lii. 444.

lhdl vf Fro'. Ac'cmmts, temp. lien. V.