counties; while Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Worcestershire, &c. were to supply the oxen. It is curious to contrast the force furnished by the counties at that time, and the voluntary levies they raised in 1803; for instance, Cornwall, in the reign of Elizabeth, yielded only 575 foot; but, in 1803, it enrolled 16,996 effective men. Essex was estimated to furnish 57 horsemen; in 1803, it numbered 1251. London, however, was stated to have contained "20,696 able householders, servaunts of our nation, within the wardes; 933 strangers, able men for service; and 36 personnes suspected in religion." The letters and statements of the naval commanders and others who could give information relative to the defeat of the Armada, are very interesting. There is one from sir Francis Drake, which will remind the reader of heroes of a later date; and will shew that British sailors have ever been the same. The following is an extract from Drake's letter to sir E. Walsingham. "We have the army of Spayne before us; and mind, with the grace of God, to wrestle or fall with them. There was never any thing pleased me better than the seeing the enemie flying, with a south wind, to the northwards. God grant they have a good eye to the duke of Parma; for, with the grace of God, if we live, I doubt it not but, ere it be long, so to handle the matter with the duke of Sidonia,* as he shall wish himself at St. Maria, among his orange trees. "God give us grace to depend upon him, so we shall not doubt victory; for our cause is good. Humbly taking my leave, this last of July, 1588. "Your honour's faithfully to be co'manded ever, "P.S. I crave pardon of your honour for my haste; for that I had to watch this last night upon the enemy. "Your's ever, In the sentiments of Drake we discover the very reasonings of the immortal Nelson. The force with which the British admiral was so anxious to wrestle, is minutely stated * The general of the Armada was the duke de Medina Sidonia. in the following document. The difference in size, between the Spanish and English vessels, is very striking :— "The Substaunce of certaine Maryners' Report touching the Spanysh Fleete. 66 August, 88. "Certain maryners, of this countrie, to the number of nineteen, which have bene in the Spanysh fleet ever since they first putt to sea; and are now fledd awaie from them, having made sailes, for their cock-boats, with their shirtes, do report and say that all the fleete, being 150 saile, did set forth out of Lisborne, the 20th of May; and, commyng neere England, were driven back again by contrarie winds: that in all, the whole number of them was but 20,000 men; whereof, 10,000 good soldiers, the rest common men; and that theie were victualled for three months; and for any great sickness, there was none, as it was reported; neither did theie land any more sick persons at the Groyne than 300; from whence they putt to sea the 22d of July, and came to the Land's End by the 28th of the same; and 'till they came over to Plymouth, they met with no man, where 40 of her ma'ty's ships did skirmish with them, and one galleasse was taken, and then sett on fire; by reason the captaine falling into a rage with the gunner, and threatening to kill him if he shot no righter, the gunner cast fire into the powder-barrell, and threw himself overboard. In this ship, theie say, was the treasure, and five ensigns of the Spanyards. After this againe, at Portland and the Isle of Wight, her ma'ty's navie set upon them, but no great hurt done; but, betweene Cales and the Blackness, most furiouslie, where a great galiasse was taken, and three other greet shippes, with one thousand men apiece, sunk downe right about the Goodwins; besides, another Italian ship, which they take to be sunk also, because they made signs for helpe, but none made towards them; that there about Cales theie were forced to cut their cabels, by the ships of fire, which came upon them, out of her ma'ty's fleete, and sae from thence fledd awaie with all speede; that theie were driven thus above Dunkerke, and thereabout Blanckenburgh, one of their greate shippes was grounded on the wheelings, and taken by them of Flushing, wherein were five hundred Spaniards, of whom one hundred and fifty are come to Rotterdam, the rest cast overboard. That, before their fight, about Cales, which was on the Sundaye, the duke of Parma sent them word he would assist them the next daie; but for that he kept not promise, theie generallie crie out against him. That, on the Satterday, he did what he could to imbargue his men; but it would not be, notwithstanding that, with his own handes, he did kill some souldiers and captaynes; that in all, theie had not above three hundred horse, and some mules for carriage of their field ordinance; that, generallie, the Englishmen have greatlie endamaged them with ordinance; and that, in the fleete, they did see, through the port-holes, an Italian ship all full of blood, which yet maintained the fight in her ranke, three hours after; that one of her ma'ty's ships valiantlie passed through them to charge the admirall, who fledd away, and, as theie say, doth seem to be wonderfully dismaied and discouraged; that when theie left them, and fledd awaie, theie were as high as Walcheren, yet about one hundred saile, but uncertain what course to take, or where to turn in for relief; for into Spaine theie dared not returne, because, at ther coming out, they were all threatened hanging if they conquered not England, and that theie had brought great store of halters to hang up all Englishmen: but they think, they will round about Scotland; that her ma'ty's navie followed them, alwaies hard, and drove them like a flock of sheepe, but did not aboard them, because theie are so high built, so as forty of ours were troubled to take one of their greatest armadas, at the last fight on Mondaie; that, as theie thinke, theie should have landed about the Isle of Wight; that three daies and three nights, after theie had come upon the coast of England, theie did hull without sailes, minding to come to Dunkerke upon the spring tides; that they have greate neede of maryners, especially of pilots; for that ship. which came on ground, upon the Wheelings, had but one pilot, and he was of Flushing; that when theie set forth out of Lisborne, there were certain galiasses in their companye, but theie came not with them from the Groyne; that a greate Britain shippe was also taken or sunk by the English. In summe they confess, the duke of Medina to be wonderfully amazed, and to stagger which way he may turn himself. That there were a great number of the Hidalgos of Spaine in their armye, and that now theire chiefe bulwarks and armades being discomfited, they may easily be overthrown, if theie be followed as theie should. 66 The ship, whose prisoners are brought to Rotterdam, was taken betweene Dunkerke and Ostendt, and had been shot through three hundred and fifty times; being grounded, five shippes of this countrye tooke them to mercie; another was also taken by seven of this countrye's fleet, between Cales and Dunkerke. The names of certain prisoners of accompt, taken in the former ships, are theis: "Don Diego de Pomentello, frère du marquis de Tauvror, mayster du camp du tiera du Sicile. "Don Jhan de Velassa, frère du conte Servinello. Le capt. Margues. "Alonzo du Vergas. "In the one shippe, were thirty-two pieces of brass (cannon); and in the other, sixty-three." FEBRONIUS'S "DE STATU ECCLESIÆ." IN the year 1760, a Latin work was published in Germany, which attracted unusual attention, and became the subject of papal proscription. It was entitled De Statú Ecclesia, and was given with the name of Justinus Febronius as the author; although it was generally believed to have been written by a dignitary of the church in Germany. In this work the author affirms the authority of all bishops to be equal; confutes the pretence for establishing a monarchy in the church; insists that the primacy of the bishops of Rome was not instituted by Christ, but by St. Peter and the church, by the authority of which, it may be translated to any other See. He contended that the convocation of oecumenical councils is, by no law divine or human, reserved to popes; and that the popes themselves are subject to the church, and the law thereof, by which they may be deposed. This work, which passed through four editions in the course of the year, was so well received in Italy, that a bookseller of Venice publicly proposed to print an Italian translation of it by subscription. A proposal, so alarming to the church of Rome, excited the immediate attention of the Holy See; and a public censure on it was issued in the following proclamation: "Lewis Mary Torrigiani, deacon of S. Agata, cardinal of S. Agata, cardinal of the holy Roman church, secretary of state to his holiness, our signiore: Whereas a certain print has appeared in publick, in which Joseph Bettinelli, bookseller and printer at Venice, invites all pious and catholick persons to subscribe to an edition, which he promises to promulgate, of that wicked performance, now translated into Italian, and published, in the year 1760, in Latin, under the false name of Justinus Febronius. We know not whether we ought to be more surprised at the temerity of the said printer, (who pretends that a work, which has not only been condemned on mature deliberation, as usual, by the holy congregation of the Index, but also proscribed by the most illustrious and venerable bishops of Germany, where the book had its unhappy birth, is capable of doing great service to religion and the secular states, and the scope of which is so pious and holy,) or his assurance to search for subscriptions in Bolognia, by the means of his brothers Taruffi, and even in Rome, and the whole ecclesiastical state, by that of every bookseller: to the intent, however, that every abuse, and every bad effect, which may arise from such invitation, may be prevented, we do, by the express order of our signore, prohibit all persons, whether ecclesiastical, secular, or regular, in the ecclesiastical state, as well such as are immediately as mediately subject, comprehending also the four legations, and the city of Benevento, to subscribe to it, and much more to receive or procure subscriptions to the said edition, on pain of the gallies for ten years, or other correspondent punishment, according to the degree and quality of the person in case of contravention. And this present edict, when published, and stuck up in the usual places at Rome, shall oblige every man as much as if it had been personally intimated to him. "Given at the Apostolical Palace of the Monte Quirinale, this 28th of Nov. 1766. "L. CARD. TORRIGIANI." TRADE IN TEA. IN no branch of East Indian commerce has the increase been more remarkable than in the article of tea. In the "Minutes of the Courts of Committees," for 1664, we find the following entries : 66 July 1.-Ordered, that the master attendant do go aboard the ships, now arrived, and inquire what rairities of birds, beasts, or other curiosities, there are on board fit to present to his majesty; and to desire they may not be disposed of 'till the Company are supplied with such as they may wish, on paying for the same. August 22.-The governor acquainting the court that the factors having, in every place, failed the company of such things as they writ for, to have presented his majesty with, and that his majesty might not find himself wholly neglected by the company, he was of opinion, if the court thought fit, |