Smithfield, per stone of 8lb. to sink the offal.

Beef. Muttou. Veal. Pork. Lamb.

5970

80 44

Oct. 3 5 0 5

76 61

11

Ditto pearl

318

0

Madder, Dutch crop, cwt. £4 5 0 to £4 18 0 Mahogany

-ft. 0 1

25

1 19

0

2 0

0

...

..gal.

0 17

0

0 18

6

Oak plank, Dantz. —last 11 Ditto American

9

Report on the Arrangements which have been adopted, in former periods, when FRANCE threatened the invasion of BRITAIN OF IRELAND, to frustrate the designs of the Enemy, by attacks on his foreign possessions, or European ports, by annoying his coasts, and by destroying his equipments. Not published. 8vo. pp. 203.

THIS Volume is a continuation of the same inquiries into the state papers of the kingdom, preserved in the public offices, as records, which we have explained in a former number of our work. Nothing is more available in times of difficulty than experience; but experience, restricted to one life only, is short and defective, compared with the instruction afforded by history. Authentic history derived from our ancestors, is, in fact, a kind of prolonged experience. Reports of the successes or failures of those who have conducted great enterprizes, with the reasons and grounds of their proceedings, when these can be correctly ascertained, are the best possible substitutes for personal knowledge, and actual participation in events. In the sciences of chemistry, and natural philosophy, the experiments of others are permitted to guide our own, and according to the confidence we place in the skill of an observer, we allow his reasonings, his inferences and his results to direct our proceedings. In the science of navigation we benefit by the courses which other vessels have steered; or if but a single one has opened a new track, we bear away from the shoals she has marked, and avoid those rocks of which she has given us warning. In like manner political science may take advantage of the measures pursued by sagacious statesmen in former periods. Though the human mind is not so determinate in its operations as nature, or so fixed as rocks, Vol. I. Lit. Pan. Dec. 1806.]

yet there are certain general principles from which it rarely departs. The same motives which ages ago influenced the ambitious, the cruel, or the rapacious, have lost nothing of their power on minds of analogous dispositions; the party is changed, but the character is the same. Vigilance may hope now as much as ever; to detect the intrigues of ambition; fortitude and vigour to baffle them; courage and magnanimity successfully to oppose them; and though every rational mind must admit, that the "race is not always

won by the swift, nor the battle by the strong," yet swiftness will continue to be the means of winning races, and strength the means of winning battles, while cause and effect continue to be correlative; so long also will the exertions of human power and prowess be a duty, an imperative duty, on every member of a community, and especially on every officer of government.

It might be inferred from certain expressions in Lord Howard's letter gîven in our last, that Queen Elizabeth was averse to venturing her fleets and armies on the enemy's coasts: but, in truth, whatever might be her motives for a temporary restraint on the ardour of her officers, no such timid, and eventually ruinous, principle, influenced her general conduct. Scarcely had the return of the Spanish Armada been ascertained, when the Queen determined to find the enemy employment' at home, by sending an armament to attack Portugal, in 1589. The attempt on Lisbon failed, but a magazine of naval stores was destroyed at Corunna, and Vigo was bombarded and burnt. In 1591, the Spanish monarch projected another Armada; and in defiance of his preparations, the Queen sent 3000 men into Britanny, under Sir John Norris, and 4000 more under the Earl of Essex to meet his troopsTM

there. And indeed, this was according to the policy she had formerly adopted: for when she had put her subjects in array to resist the Spaniards, in case the Armada had effected a landing in England, she sent Lord Willoughby with a squadron to create a diversion on the coasts of the enemy. The commission given to the Earl of Essex is a curiosity which we could willingly transcribe; but other subjects. must at present engage our attention. We observe, however, that it vested Essex with absolute power, not only to exercise martial law, but, by himself, or his deputies, to judge in all criminal cases, explaining these not only of military offences but of such as were cognizable by the criminal courts in England. Another very remarkable particular, is the power of conferring knighthood, granting arms, and other honorary rewards, prestita nobili"tandi, eisdemque meritorum insignia, id 66 est, arma danda et assignandi, ac eisdem kr insignibus ordine equestri, ac militari

decorandi, et assignandi; prout ad offi"cium capitanei exercitus generalis perti"net, aut fieri juxta more Angliæ con"suevit." This being, no doubt, well known in the army under his command, would inspirit many a high mettled Englishman who went out plain Mr., to deeds of military achievement, which might entitle him to return home honoured with the distinction of Esquire, Sir Knight, or Knight Banneret.

We shall see, however, in her Instructions, how cautiously. she guarded the power she had delegated in her Commission; together with her orders as to the pay of the soldiers; and the religious discipline to be maintained among her troops.

This was indeed rendered necessary, by the consideration that her troops were sent to assist French protestants; and, that such solemnities were well adapted to detect seditious individuals who might have crept in, with a design of serving the contrary party.

We cannot pass without remark the extreme frugality which distinguished every part of this sovereign's conduct : having agreed to send 4000 men, she considers 100 horsemen as equal to 250 foot; and reckons them accordingly. It is probable, that the expence was the rule of calculation in this instance. The reader will not fail also, of noticing the time to which this service was limited; the positive insisting on punctual payment monthly, or the reception of cautionary

towns, &c. which strongly bespeak the prevalence of English considerations in the heart of this politic sovereign.

Instructions for the Earle of Essex and Ewe, Master of our Horse, and Knight of our Noble Order of the Garter, sent by us into France, with certaine Forces, of Horsemen and Footmen, as General Captaine of the same Numbers.

WHEREAS the French King, our good Brother had made very earnest request to us, both by his letters, and by a speciall person of his counsell, named Monsier de Reaux, sent hither to joyne with his embassador, or resident, to velde to him a further ayde of men, to the number of 4,000 footmen, over and besides the other 3,000 already being under the charge of Sir John Norrice in Brityane. Although we have great cause for the strengthning of our realme, and for the defence thereof, against the same ennemyes, which are ennemys both to the said King, and to ourselves, to forbear to send out at this time any more captains and experimented soldiers forth out of our realme, considering the great diminution of a multitude of good valiant captains, and soldiers, with their furniture of armor and which hap weapon, pened partly by death and partly by other disorders, being of the company, which we sent with the Lord Willoughby, in the somer of the year 1589, now not fully two years past; yet such have been the importune requests of the said, with remonstrances and declarations of what importance this our ayde may be to him, for the increase of his estate and dominion, or rather for the suppression of his rebells, and expulsion of his forraine have to the said King, to the increasing of ennemyes, as for the love and regard that we his fortune, and to establish him, in the full possession of his crowne, we have yielded to give, and send into Dieppe, in Normandy, the number of 4,000 men, accompting 600 soldiers, which are already in our pay with Sir Roger Williams, to be part thereof; of all which 4,000 footmen, with such number of horsemen, as are appointed to accompany you thither, we have, by our letters patents, under our great seale of England, made you to be the general captain, and conductor, with all power, belonging to such a general captain, as by the same our condition more largely appeareth. And for the manner and forme of execution of the said commission, we have thought meete, by way of these our instructions, to direct you how you shall use your authority, in sundry things properly appertaining to this service, now committed unto you.

First. At your first accesse to the French King, and after our most harty commendations, made to the King, with such reve rence, on your part, as shall be convenient