and other complements of honor to him' done, you shall let him understand, that he hath good cause to accept this our present yelding to his request, in a most thankful part, considering what great causes we have for the defence of ourself, and our realme, to retayne at home, in good readines, all the forces, that God hath given us, and namely such captains and leaders of experience, in the warres, as we have bin contented, to accompany and serve under you, and therefore ye shall, in our name, require him, that such service, as he hath to employ you, with these our forces now sent, may be inade probably for you, that the abode of you and them for the time, which we have assented to, which is onely for two months, may be profitable to him; and so also joyned with his great forces, as the enemyes may not, by the excesse of their numbers, and strength appears manifestly superiors, and without any profit or honour to the King, wast of our people, to the discomfort of our realme, and encrease of the pride of the common

enemy.

And this manner of speech ye shall use to the King, to the intents, that you may be speedily enformed, of the purposes intended by him, in what sort you and your forces shall be employed, which being to you knowne, you shall impart the same to such principall men, as for their worthiness are pointed, under you, to be the generall officers for the field, and with good advice upon conference, you shall afterwards agree to accept so much as shall seeme convenient; and shall in honorable and discreet manner, take exceptions to any part of the service propounded to you as shall appear inconvenient, or over desperate, to the manifest overthrow of our people, or otherwise not honorable to yourself, and our nation.

The authority which you have by our commission, and the credit that you shall have thereby, is such, as we doubt not, but you will have so great regard in ordering the same, as we need not admonish you in any particular manner withe lengthe of speech, but onely to remitt you to these few heads following.

Secondly, We doubt not but you will have regard in all your actions to preserve your owne estimation, as a man of honorable calling by birth and of speciall reputation with us, that you may return rather with encrease of your estimation gotten there, in a strange land, by your grave and honorable actions, than with any diminution.

Lastly, We do recommend to your care, the good ordering of all our people, using them all, and every of them in their degrees, so as they may both love you and obey you, and that they may be furnished, as well as times and places inay serve, by your direc tion, to be given to your inferior officers, and the captains of the bands, with convenient victuall, and lodging, and not to be put to any desperate enterprize.

You are further to consider, by perusing of the state and proportion of your allowance, of the wages of all our forces now committed to your charge, with the enter tainment of all officers, both for the field, and for the conduct of the bands, which is to be delivered to you as the generall, and to the treasurer, or his deputy, written in certain schedules, signed by our counsell, which we will not to be altered, but every person to be paid according to the same rates. And though the private soldier is not to have his full pay weekly (as by the schedule appeareth) yet our meaning is, that the particular soldiers, at the end of every month, shall upon muster, and appearance in persone, receive his full pay, according to his ordinary daily wages, so as all defalcations of former imprestes of money or victualls be excepted.

You shall understand that the numbers which we have yelded to this present service of the French, are to your charge in pay of 4,000 footmen, whereof the 600 which are there, under the charge of Sir Roger Williams, are to be accompted part, and likewise a band of 150 that are directed to come from the Briel; all which are to be under your rule. And where you have the number of 100 horsemen, or more, they are to be accompted in our pay for 250 footmen, as a force more serviceable for many respects, and then to make up the full charge of 4,000 footmen, besides all officers, there are to passe out of our realme the number of 3,150 heads of private soldiers, besides in every ban 8 officers, whereof we do make to you this particular declaration, by cause you may be able to satisfye the King, or any of his counsell, if any speech should be moved

to you, how we are charged, and how the King is ayded with 4,000 men, and above.

We would have you cause, such ordinances as were devised, by the late Earl of Leicester in the Low Countries, for the discipline of the army there, to be considered, and to cause an extract to be made out of the same, or out of the like, that have been published by the Duke of Parma, selecting so many articles, as shall be thought meete, for the time and place, where you shall serve, and for the companies, whom you shall governe.

You shall also be informed of the accord made here by the French ambassador, in the behalf of the French King, with certaine of our counsell, wherein it is agreed, that we shall not continue our forces, in our pay, above two months from the time of their landing, whereof you shall have good regard, so as if you should not have good assurance, in deeds besides words, to have a full weekely pay, after the end of two moneths, of some such part of our forces under your charge, as upon knowledg from you, we shall consent unto, you shall not continew them any longer, but towards the end of two months, you shall procure safe passage to returne, both for yourself, and such of our troupes, as we shall not assent to leave there, notwithstanding any entreaty, without ready payment to be made, and that to be weekly performed, according to our pay, and for your passage, you shall demaund ayde of the King's shipping, according to the accords.

You shall consider also, that in the same accord, the embassador hath covenanted, for the French King, that there shall be sent a confirmation, of the said accord, from the French King, afore our forces shall land, which we looke to be performed; but because the embarking and transportation cannot be stayed by limitation of any daies certaine, our meaning is, that if the said confirmation shall not be brought from thence, before your landing, or that it shall not be ready there, at your landing, you shall plainly declare, that you may not march into the country, other wise than to lodg yourself, with your people in safety, until the said confirmation shall be brought, either into England, or to your

selfe.

You are also to consider upon perusall of the said accord, that it is agreed, that if Roan, or Newhaven, or either of them shall be won for the French King, we shall have all the profits of the customs and dewties payable to the King, for all manner of merchandises, accustomed to be paid to the King, assured to us, untill we shall be payed for all somes of money dew by the said King to us, for any imprest of money, victuall, powder, municion, or any other thing, since the Kings coming to his crowne, the execution

whereof you shall, when time shall serve thereto, further to your best.

We require you to remember to give charge from time to time, to all the captaines, to see the preservation of all the armor and weapon, wherewith the countries have furnished them; that the same (if they be not lost in apparent service) may be returned to the countries, which if you shall procure to be done you shall gaine both praise, and love of your naturall country, which hitherto we have not seene any Generall sent out of our realme to have so regarded as was convenient.

As for the keeping of the numbers full, we hope you will look to, and correct such as shall for corruption seeke to gain from us, and weaken your force, tending both to danger, and shame of the nation.

Where we have added a clause in your commission, giving you authority, to give the honor of knighthood and armes, to such persons being our subjects, and serving in the army committed to yow, as by their deserts, namely by their actions in battayll, or fight, shall in your discretion be found worthy thereof, we having found by some former experience, that sondry times, in forraine parts, such honor hath been given rather of favor, or mediation by friendship, then by desert to persons that neither in battayle, or fight have observed any special warlike action. And sometymes the same honor hath been given to persons, both unable by living to maintayne the countenance thereof, and to some not being descended in blood of either noble or gentlemen; for these and such respects, and to avoyde the like defaulte in distributions of such honor, we will and charge you, notwithstanding the generality of your power in your commission, that you do not bestow the degrees of the honor of knighthood, or of armes, upon any persons, not deserving the same, or be of such meane condition, as above by us is remembered. And yet at your returne, if any singular persons not qualified with livelyhood or blood, shall for any notable worthy act deserve such honor, though there be other lacks abovementioned, we will ourselves at your request, upon your returne, reward such persons with the dignity, which their deserts shall deserve.,

Our pleasure is that when you shal be absent from the King, and shall have occasion to understand his mind, in any thing whereof you shall desire answere, you shall direct the same cause, by writing or message, to our embassador there resident, as a person most meete to negotiate any matter that may con

cerne our service.

The reader will remark the charge requiring the preservation of " all the "armor and weapon," because the same

had been furnished by the counties, and they were to be returned to the counties; with the great commendation attached to compliance with this charge. Does not this look, as if the Queen's stores were incompetent to furnish on a sudden, a sufficient quantity of arms for this not very numerous body? What would our arsenals think of borrowing musquets, &c from the country repositories, because they could not supply an army of 4,000, or of 7,000 men

>

We should, however, recollect the almost recent introduction into general use of military accoutrements dependingon the power of gun-powder; that not a great while before the long-bow was the Englishman's favourite weapon: that it was confirmed by acts of parliament; that the practice of archery was still in vogue; and that a certain proportion of pike-men was constantly attached to forces carrying firelocks. Accordingly we find in the certificate for the county of Stafford, and "Darbye." (Span. Armada, papers) the proportion was,

Citie of Yorke.

The certificate of Robert Paycok, Mayer of the saide Citie; of William Fairfax, Robert Stapleton, Knights, John North, Robert Elward, Robert Heckylton, Peter Robynson, John Beane, William Holme, Aldermen of the saide Citye; Thomas Standevyn and James Symson, Shiryffs of the saide Citye; Commissioners of our Sou'eigne Lord the Kyng, allotyd withyn the saide Citye, Wapentake, and Liberties of the same, of the Vyewe and Musters, taken afore them, the last day of February, in the second Yere of the Reign of our said Sovereigne Lord, Edward the sext, by the grace of God, Kyng of Englande, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Fayth, and in Eirth of the Churche of Englonde, the supreme Hed; by virtue of the Kyng's Com'ission to them dírected.

Citie of Yorke, with the Wapentake of the

Aynstey and Liberties of the same. The nombre of Light Horsemen and Speremen furnyshed, and able horses The nombre of Årchers, having harnes and horses

The nombre of Archers, having harnes and no horses

The nombre of Archers, having nether horse nor harnes

8

55

53

141

The nombre of Bylmen, having harnes

and horse

--136

The nombre of Bylmen, having harnes and no horses

199

The nombre of Bylmen, having nether horse nor harnes

453

The nombre of Persons not able, having

80

harnesse and horses

80

The nombre of Persons not able, having harnesse and no horses

34

The nombre of Persons, having able

horses and no harnes

14

The nombre of able horses, with harnes for demy launces

1

8

Total

1,116

(Signed)

per me,

Robert Pacok, Maior Elor.

per me,

William Fayrfax,

per me,

Johannem Northe,

per me,

Roberte Hykkelton,

per me,

Peter Robynson,

per me,

T. Standevyn, Ficecomitem

per me,

place was taken, but the British Admiral, Sir Martin Frobisher, lost his life.

The expedition against Cadiz in 1595 is famous in our history. In the port were fifty-nine Spanish ships, many of them laden with treasure, and nineteen or twenty gallies. The Duke de Medina Sidonia, who had been sent Commander in Chief of the Armada to England, had the mortification of being obliged to direct many of these ships to be burnt, in order to prevent their falling Into the hands of the English: who, nevertheless, seized on several and disburthened them of their treasure.

Many other expeditions for the purpose of meeting the enemy on his own ground, rather than on English, were planned and executed. What we have referred to are sufficient to vindicate the Queen from the accusation, for such it is, of following that contracted policy which limits the exertions of this kingdom to considerations of local defence only. The successor of Elizabeth kept on good terms with Spain. Charles I. attacked Cadiz, but the powers vested in the commanders of this expedition, unlike those of the wise Elizabeth, were equal, and perhaps, to this circunstance, may be ascribed its failure.

The secrecy and promptitude of Cromwell were extremely laudable; and his sagacity in foreseeing, that if his fleet failed in its design on Hispaniola, Jamaica might console him for the disappointment, was truly characteristic. We could have been glad to have seen what his instructions were, but they have not been found.

Spain had overstrained itself in attempting to subdue England, and to recover the United Provinces: the weakness of this predominating grandee of Europe, permitted France to rise, till, by land, she became a leading military power; as it permitted the augmentation of the British naval power, which with that of Holland, became supreme on the ocean. Nevertheless, France contested this supremacy; and it was the lot of Spain thenceforth to hold much of her possessions at the will of her rivals, and between friends and foes to tremble no less at the proffered protection of the one, than at the open enmity of the other.

This appears clearly from instructions given to Sir George Rooke, in 1701,

Godolphin.

Devonshire,

Somerset,
Percey,

His Majesty, upon a serious consideration of the late proceedings of the French King, in seizing all the strong places in the Spanish Netherlands, and sending his army into Italy, and his flects to Cadiz, and the West Indies, and from several concurrent advices, having just cause to apprehend that the French King intends to seize likewise upon all the effects of the Spanish flota, expected home in a short time, the better to enable him to carry on a war. For preventing so great a mischief to His Majesty's subjects, and to all Christendom, we have thought fit, in pursuance of the directions we have received from His Majesty, to give you the following orders and instructions.

1st. You are hereby required, and directed, upon opening these instructions, to sail with the fleet under your command, to the westward of Ushant, and to endeavour to get intelligence whether Mons. Chateaurenaud be sailed from Brest, with a squadron under his command, and if they be gone from thence, on what service they are designed.

2. You are to make a detachment of so many English and Dutch ships, as will make up Vice Admiral Benbow's squadron, bound to the West Indies, to the number of thirty five ships of the line of battle, with which you are to send Rear Admiral Munden, and to put them under the command of Vice Admiral Benbow, and you are to give him the following instructions, which you are to enjoin him to keep secret, and not to impart to any person whatever, till he comes to his station, viz.

That he make the best of his way, with the joint squadrons under his command, to the latitude of Cape St. Vincent, taking care not to fall nearer to the land than a hundred leagues distance, and so to proceed to the Western Islands, one of which he is to make with one ship only, to avoid being discovered; and from thence he is to ply away to the westward, in the fair way and course of the Spanish flota, expected home from the West Indies, and upon his meeting with them, ha is to use his best endeavours, either by fair means, or by force, to seize, and bring the

said flota, and such other ships as shall appear for their protection, or be in company with them, to some port in England; in order to which he is to return with the whole squadron. And forasmuch as it is His Majesty's intention, that the effects of the said flota de entirely and safely preserved, for the use of those that have a just title to the same; he is to take particular care, that there be no kind of embezzlement, and to endeavour to possess himself of the invoices of the cargo of every particular ship; which said invoices he is to have immediately sealed up, and the hatches of the ships spiked; and he is to keep the said invoices safely in his custody, till further orders.

And in case he shall meet with the flota, he is to send on board, the Commander in Chief, and acquaint him that he has orders to carry them to a port of safety, and that it is His Majesty's resolution, to restore to every body, what belongs to them; but the management hereof is to be left to his discretion so as that it may not hinder the execution of the service.

He is not to impart his orders, concerning the flota to any of the Commanders of his squadron, or any other person, until such time as it is absolutely necessary for the execution of the service, seeing it may be convenient, in case he does not meet with the flota, that it should not be known he had any such orders.

In case he shall meet with any vessel beyond, or near the Western Islands, he shall detain the same till the expedition be over, to prevent discovery.

The said Vice Admiral Benbow is to continue to cruize in the station before mentioned, in the usual tract of the said flota, till the tenth day of October next, unless he shall have certain information, that the said flota is passed by to the eastward; in which case he is to proceed on his voyage to the West Indies; and Rear Admiral Munden with the detached ships, is to return home. And in case he has reason to believe, by any advice he receives, that they are not yet passed to the eastward, he is to continue on the said service for so long a time as he shall judge his beer will carry him on his intended Voyage to the West Indies, and will serve the said detached squadron, in their return to England, whither he is to order Rear Admiral Munden to return, with the said squadron, and himself to proceed to the West Indies according to his orders from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

In case Vice Admiral Benbow attempts the flota, whether he succeeds or not, he is to send one of the ships of Rear Admiral Munden's squadron to Newfoundland, to give the men of war and merchant ships there, notice that there are great apprehensions of a speedy

breach with France and Spain, and to send orders to the men of war, to convoy the merchant ships home.

3. When you have seen the said squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Benbow clear of the land, in case you have any intelligence that Mons. Chateaurenaud is still with his squadron at Brest, you are to dispose yourself with the remaining part of the fleet, in such manner as may seem most probable to hinder his coming out; but you are not to make use of force without further order. But if you are informed that Chateaurenaud is sailed with the said squadron from Brest, you are then to repair to such stations, in the soundings, as you shall judge most proper for the security and protection of the several trades expected home from foreign parts; and you are to continue on this or the former service, for so long time, as you shall judge adviseable, with respect to the season of the year, after which you are to repair to Torbay or Spithead, and there expect further orders, taking care to leave a squadron in a proper station, for the services before mentioned of securing the

commerce.

These instructions with a change of names, merely, might almost have served on a late occasion: they shew that when war is unavoidable, and is only postponed by policy on one side, it is no new principle for the other side to meet the subterfuge with answerable policy.

Our readers will accept with favour the information we have thus laid before them, on a subject of national history: we know too well what is due to our country to enter minutely into every thing this volume contains: we therefore conclude this article with a general remark, which is perfectly in unison not only with the dictates of experience, but with the directions of the supreme authority, as well military as civil, of our United Kingdom.

The want of a general system has here tofore been found extremely prejudicial to our operations; the want of scientific knowledge still more so: these are gradually diminishing among us. The sciences of geography, navigation, natural philosophy, medicine, and others, are now well, and generally understood; so that an officer of any standing cannot be suddenly ordered to a country of which he is totally ignorant. At least, this we may say, that if any officer on whom a command can devolve is thus ignorant, he has nobody to blame for it but himself.