But, sir, he approacheth not your highness in that science."[354] A French envoy records how, in 1515, the whole English Court went down to see the launch of the _Princess Mary_.

Henry himself "acted as pilot and wore a sailor's coat and trousers, made of cloth of gold, and a gold chain with the inscription, 'Dieu _est_ mon droit,' to which was suspended a whistle, which he blew nearly as loud as a trumpet".[355] The launch of a ship was then almost a religious ceremony, and the place of the modern bottle of champagne was taken by a mass, which was said by the Bishop of Durham.
In 1518 Giustinian tells how Henry went to Southampton to see the Venetian galleys, and caused some new guns to be "fired again and (p.

128) again, marking their range, as he is very curious about matters of this kind".[356] [Footnote 352: _Ibid._, i., 3807.

In 1513 an English consul was appointed at Scio (_ibid._, i., 3854).] [Footnote 353: _L.

and P._, iii., 1440; _cf.
ibid._, 2421.] [Footnote 354: _Ibid._, iii., 748.] [Footnote 355: _Ibid._, ii., 1113.] [Footnote 356: _L.