The roots of the British Royal Navy and British Empire: King Henry VIII and Roman Emperor Carausius

Henry VIII was both a hero and a villain in the long romantic history of England. Bernard Shaw said Hamlet is “a half dozen characters rolled into one”; Will Duran wrote Henry VIII was fifty-five years old [when the King died], “but he had lived a dozen lives in one.”

Without Henry VIII’s founding of the Trinity College, we might not have Isaac Newton, and without whom, there would be no calculus (although Gottfried Leibniz should share the equal credit), no classical physics and quantum mechanics, and no birth of modern science.

When Henry VIII took reign in 1509, the Spanish and the Portuguese ruled the waves and had the spoils of Asia and South America. It is safe to say that Henry VIII began the British Royal Navy, without which British could not control the sea last century, as U.S. does today, and there wouldn’t be an Empire without sunset.

Sir Walter Raleigh said, “Whosever commands the sea, commands the trade; whosever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself.”

Will Durant gave credit to Henry VIII for building the British Royal Navy

In his The Story of Civilization (Volume VI Reformation), Will Durant wrote that Henry VIII “originally destined for an ecclesiastical career, he became something of a theologian, and could quote Scripture to any purpose . . . He took an active part in works of engineering, shipbuilding, fortification, and artillery.”

There are solid evidences that Henry VIII heavily invested on building the fighting vessels equipped with cannons and the shipyards. Mary Rose (so named after Henry VIII’s beloved sister, Mary Tudor. Some said it was named after Virgin Mary, who was then known as “The Mystic Rose”) was the first known battle ship equipped with cannons.

Prince Charles was involved in bringing Henry VIII battle ship to surface

Mary Rose sank in 1545 on her way out to take on the French fleet. Legend had it that Henry VIII witnessed its sinking, which was speculated as the result of the improper installing of the double row cannons.

Mary Rose was successfully salvaged and brought back to the surface along with 17,000 artifacts on October 12, 1982 (see article from NY Times). The wreck was initially found in 1970. The project was operated by Mary Rose Trust, headed by Prince Charles, who himself is a navy man.

I do not recall Churchill ever mentions Henry VIII’s contribution in establishing the British Royal Navy in his A History of English Speaking People, except saying “we must credit Henry’s reign with laying the basis of sea-power . . .” while talking about Elizabethan [Henry VIII's daughter by Anne Boleyn] naval fleet.

Roman general-turn-to-emperor, Carausius

In his The History of the Decline and Fall of Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon gave the credit of the future British naval power and empire to a Roman general-turn-to-emperor, Carausius, by saying “Under his [Carausius] command, Britain, destined in a future age to obtain the empire of the sea, already assumed its natural and respectable station of a maritime power.”

Julius Caesar first invaded Britain in 55 BC and it was just sort of “testing the water”. He came back with more than 600 ships next year, bringing Britain into subjugation to under Roman yoke.

Roman military commander Carausius stationed in Britannica; he usurped power and proclaimed himself a Roman Emperor in Britain in 286 AD. The reason why he could do this with success is that he built a strong naval fleet, and as we know Romans were strong in army and weak in sea power. A great number of Carausius medals and coins are still preserved to this day.

(The following is what Edward Gibbon writing about Emperor Carausius)

Edward Gibbon gave credit to Emperor Carausius for building the first British fleet to rule the sea more than 1700 years ago

When Britain was thus dismembered from the empire, its importance was sensibly felt, and its loss sincerely lamented. The Romans celebrated, and perhaps magnified, the extent of that noble island, provided on every side with convenient harbors; the temperature of the climate, and the fertility of the soil, alike adapted for the production of corn or of vines; the valuable minerals with which it abounded; its rich pastures covered with innumerable flocks, and its woods free from wild beasts or venomous serpents. Above all, they regretted the large amount of the revenue of Britain, whilst they confessed, that such a province well deserved to become the seat of an independent monarchy. During the space of seven years it was possessed by Carausius; and fortune continued propitious to a rebellion supported with courage and ability. The British emperor defended the frontiers of his dominions against the Caledonians of the North, invited, from the continent, a great number of skilful artists, and displayed, on a variety of coins that are still extant, his taste and opulence. . . . His fleets rode triumphant in the channel, commanded the mouths of the Seine and of the Rhine, ravaged the coasts of the ocean, and diffused beyond the columns of Hercules the terror of his name Under his command, Britain, destined in a future age to obtain the empire of the sea, already assumed its natural and respectable station of a maritime power.

Why Edward Gibbon is the historian of historians?

一個好的歷史家的來源（source/material) 最好是在事件發生的年代或離那年代不久的歷史學家所寫的.  Edward Gibbon 之所以是 the historian of historians 是因為他寫 The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 時都根據 Roman historians (such as Tacitus, Suetonius) 所寫的歷史，Roman historians 是用拉丁文寫的。

Churchill 寫 A history of English Speaking People 時有提到他是根據某某的 English translation of Tacitus’s works. (Churchill 有次提到為什麼他的英文特別好，他説當他的同學都在學 Latin and Greek 時，他只在學英文）Julius Caesar 兩度 進軍British Islands,大概是 Jesus 誕生的 50 年前。所以要寫英倫歷史是要牽涉到羅馬歷史的。

Gibbon 懂 Latin, Greek, and French, 因為很多古老歷史的書都用這些語言寫的。當然一個好的歴史家還要知道如何 interpret data, 而且語言能力要好。Gibbon 擁有這些條件。當然也要有公正，not biased opinion and integrity of moral character, 這就比較困難，就我所知，Gibbon 有點反 organized religion, 這點我自己還沒讀出來。

The Great Books of the Western Word have 2 books of Gibbon's

我舉個例子來説明 Gibbon 如何利用 Tacitus and  Suetonius 的資料。在説明為什麼Roman Empire 想征服 British islands, 其中一個原因是謠言英倫有「pearl fishery」（珍珠），後來發現英倫的珍珠沒有想像的那麼好。

（以下是 來自 Gibbon 的 Roman Empire)

 The only accession which the Roman Empire received, during the first century of the Christian Aera, was the province of Britain.  In this single instance, the successors of Caesar and Augustus were persuaded to follow the example of the former, rather than the precept of the latter.  The proximity of its situation to the coast of Gaul 【歐洲大陸本土】seemed to invite their arms; the pleasing though doubtful intelligence of a pearl fishery, attracted their avarice; 6

6 (return) [Caesar himself conceals that ignoble motive; but is mentioned by Suetonius, c. 47.  The British Pearls proved, however, of little value, on account of their dark and livid color.  Tacitus observers, with reasons, (in Agricola, c. 12,) that it was an inherent defect. “Ego facility’s crediderim, natural margaritas deesee qualm nobis avaritiam.”]

Julius Caesar 自己都有寫下他進攻 Britain 的經過，但是都沒有提到 pearls fishery 之事,堂堂 Caesar emperor 一個，怎麼可以為了區區幾個珍珠 千軍萬馬 飃洋過海 進攻英倫呢，但是歴史學家不會放過他的。

Churchill, in his A History of English Speaking People 也提到 pearls fishery.

Churchill's A History of English Speaking People

To Caesar the Island now presented itself as an integral part of his task of subjugating the Northern barbarians 【只要不是 Romans, 其他的人都是 barbarians, 只要不是漢人，真他的人都是番人，古今中外皆然】to the rule and system of Rome.

The natives, though uncouth, had a certain value as slaves for rougher work on the land, in mines, even about the house.  There was talk of a pearl fishery, and also of gold.

由此可知 Gibbon 及 Churchill 都根據同資料, 只是 Gibbon 讀原文（Latin); Churchill 讀英文翻譯。

Royal purple: The Decline and the Fall of Roman Empire, British Empire and American Empire?

Seeing these purple flowers (Siberian iris and Campanula glomerata) in glory in our garden, I was thinking about Edward Gibbon.  Every so often I would come across “purple” while reading his The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  Purple is symbolic of royalty; purple was the color worn by Roman magistrates; it became the imperial color worn by the emperors of Roman Empire.

Forbidden City (紫禁城) is the imperial palace since Ming Dynasty.  Forbidden City in Chinese is 紫  (Purple) 禁城 (Forbidden City).  Chinese never say  禁城 without 紫 (purple). 

The cruel emperors had many faces and came from different backgrounds.  Gibbon described the difference between Emperor Maximin and tyrants Caligula, Nero, Commodus and Caracalla who were educated in the purple, which means “royal education”.  Emperor Maximin 是一個不學無術 (little or no education) 的 barbarian [if not Roman, all barbarians].

The former tyrants Caligula and Nero, Commodus, and Caracalla were all dissolute and unexperienced youths, educated in the purple and corrupted by the pride of empire, the luxury of Rome, and the perfidious voice of flattery. The cruelty of Maximin was derived from a different source, the fear of contempt. Though he depended on the attachment of the soldiers, who loved him for virtues like their own, he was conscious that his mean and Barbarian origin, his savage appearance, and his total ignorance of the arts and institutions of civil life formed a very unfavorable contrast with the amiable manners of the unhappy Alexander.

During the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin went to Paris as the Minister (now calls Ambassador) to France in 1776.  Arriving at the inn in Paris, Franklin found out Gibbon was there too. Franklin sent in “to request the pleasure of passing the evening together,”  Gibbon, despite his regard and respect for Franklin, sent the regret saying he “could not reconcile it with his duty to his king to have any conversation with a revolted subject.”

Franklin replied that in spite of Mr. Gibbon’s refusal, he had such a respect for him as a gentleman and a historian and suggested Gibbon, while writing the decline and fall of the Roman Empire [1776 to 1787, the 6^th Volume was published in 1788, the year when French Revolution began and Bill of Rights passed in America], might as well continues to write the decline and fall of the British Empire, as Franklin expected it would happen soon and he would be happy to furnish Gibbon with ample material which were in his possession.

Were they to meet again today, I bet Gibbon would tell Franklin that he is ready to write The Decline and Fall of American Empire, a view shared by some alarmists.  This is why all politicians need to read history in general and Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in particular.  A politician with no knowledge of history is like a medical doctor lacking knowledge of biochemistry, anatomy, physiology and cell biology.