England in some difficult cases were not wont to give Judgment until they had first consulted the King or his Privy Council Moreover the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament have oft-times transmitted matters of high moment to the King and his Privy Council as by long experience and wisdom better able to judge of and by secrecy and expedition better able to transact some State Affairs then all the Lords and Commons together At present the King and his Privy Council take Cognisance of few matters that may well be determined by the known Laws and ordinary Courts of Justice but onely as aforesaid consult for the Publick Good Honour Defence Safety and Benefit of the Realm not medling with matters that concern Freeholds but matters of Appeal and sudden Emergencies The Lords of the Privy Council are as it were a part of the King incorporate with him and his Cares bearing upon their Shoulders that great weight that otherwise would lye wholly upon His Majesty wherefore of such high value and esteem they have always been that if a man did but strike in the House of a Privy Counsellor or elsewhere in his presence he was grievously Fined for the same and to conspire the death of any of them was made Felony in any of the Kings servants within the Check Roll and to kill one of them was High Treason A Privy Councellor though but a Gentleman shall have precedence of all Knights Baronets and younger Sons of all Barons and Viscounts The Substance of their Oath is That they shall according to their power and discretion Truly Justly and Evenly Counsel and Advise the King in all matters to be Treated in His Majesties Council that they shall keep secret the Kings Counsel c. By Force of this Oath and the Custom of the Kingdom of England a Privy Counsellor is made without any Patent or Grant and to continue onely during the Life of the King that makes him nor so long unless the King pleaseth Heretofore there hath been usually a Lord President of the Kings Privy Council a Dignity of so high Repute that by a Statute of Henry the Eight he is to take place in publick next to the Lord High Treasurer of England His Office was to speak first to business to report to His Majesty the Passages and State of businesses transacted at Council Table The last Lord President was the Earl of Manchester Father of the present Lord Chamberlaine To his Privy Councellors the King of England may declare or conceal from them whatsoever he alone judgeth fit and expedient qua in re saith the Excellent Sir Tho. Smith absolutissimum est hoc Regnum Angliae prae Venetorum Ducatu aut Lacedaemoniorum Principatu The King with the advice of his Privy Council doth publish Proclamations binding to the Subject provided that they are not contrary to Statute or Common Law In cases where the publick peace honour or profit of the Kingdom may be endangered for want of speedy redress there the King with his Privy Council usually make use of an absolute power if need be The Members of this most Honorable Council are such as his own free Will and meer Motion shall please to choose and are commonly men of the highest rank eminent for Estates Wisdom Courage Integrity c. And because there are few cases of moment so temporal but that they may some way relate to spiritual affairs therefore according to the general Rules of Policy and Government which God himself ordained amongst his chosen people the Jews the Privy Council as well as the great Council of Parliament is composed of Spiritual as well as Temporal persons some of the principal Bishops of England have in all times been chosen by His Majesty to be of his Privy Council The Lords of His Majesties Privy Council are at present these that follow His Royal Highness the Duke of York His Highness Prince Rupert Gilbert Lord-Archbishop of Canterbury Sir Orlando Bridgman Knight and Baronet Lord Keeper of the Great Seal John Lord Roberts Lord Privy Seal George Duke of Buckingham Mr. of the Horse to His Majesty James Duke of Monmouth James Duke of Ormond Lord Great Steward of His Majesties Houshold Henry Marquis of Dorchester Henry Earl of Ogle Thomas Earl of Ossory Robert Earl of Lindsey Lord Great Chamberlain of England Edward Earl of Manchester Lord Chamberlain of His Majesties Houshold· Awbrey Earl of Oxford John Earl of Bridgwater Robert Earl of Leceister Henry Earl of S. Albans Edward Earl of Sandwich Arthur Earl of Anglesey John Earl of Bath Groom of the Stole to His Majesty Charles Earl of Carlisle William Earl of Craven John Earl of Rothes His Majesties Commissioner in Scotland John Earl of Lotherdale Secretary of State in Scotland John Earl of Tweedale John Earl of Middleton Richard Earl of Carbury Lord President of Wales Roger Earl of Orrery Humphrey Lord Bishop of London Henry Lord Arlington one of His Majesties Principal Secretaries of State Francis Lord Newport Comptroler of His Majesties Houshold John Lord Berkley Lieutenant of Ireland Densel Lord Holles Anthony Lord Ashley Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Thomas Clifford Knight Treasurer of His Majesties Houshold Sir George Carteret Knight Vice-Chamberlain to His Majesty Sir John Trevor Knight one of His Majesties Principal Secretaries of State Sir Thomas Ingram Knight Chancellor of the Dutchy Sir William Morice Knight Sir John Duncom Knight Sir Thomas Chicheley Knight Master of the Ordnance These are all to wait on his Majesty and at Council Board sit in their Order bare-headed when His Majesty presides At all Debates the lowest delivers his opinion first that so he may be the more free and the King last of all declares his Judgment and thereby determines the mater in Debate The Time and Place of holding this Council is wholly at the Kings pleasure but it is most commonly held in the morning on Wednesday and Friday out of Parliament time and Term time and in the Afternoon in time of Parliament and Term. A Council is seldom or never held without the Presence of one of the Secretaries of State of whose Office and Dignity much more considerable in England than in other Nations take here this brief Account The Kings of England had antiently but one Secretary of State until about the end of Henry the Eight his Reign it was thought fit that weighty and important Office should be discharged by two Persons both of equal authority and both stiled Principal Secretaries of State In those days and some while after they sate not at Council Board but having prepared their business in a Room adjoyning to the Council-Chamber they came in and stood on either hand of the King and nothing was debated at the Table until the Secretaries had gone through with their Proposals But Queen Elizabeth seldom coming to Council that Method was altered and the two Secretaries took their places as Privy Counsellors which Dignity they have retained and enjoyed ever since and a
are as the Dies Nefâ—sti wherein the Courts sit not so that in one fourth part of the year and that in one City all considerable causes of the greatest part of England are fully decided and determined whereas in forreign parts the Courts of Justice are open all the year except high Holydayes and Harvest and that in all great Cities This may seem therefore strange to all Forreigners till they know that the English have alwayes been given more to peaceableness and industry then other people and that rather then go so far as London and be at so great Charges with Attourneyes and Lawyers they will either refer their differences to the Arbitration of their Parish Priests who do or ought to think it a Principal part of their Duty to reconcile differences within their Parishes or to the Arbitration of honest Neighbours or else are content to submit their differences to tryal before the Judges of Assises or the Itinerant Judges who twice a year viz. after the end of Hilary Term and after the end of Trinity Term two by two of these principal Judges ride several Circuits and at the Principal Town of every County sit to hear and determine all Causes of lesser moment both civil and criminal a most excellent wise Constitution begun by King Hen. 2. Anno 1176. who at first divided England into six Circuits not the same that are now and to each Circuit allotted three judges Wales also is divided into two Circuits North and South Wales for which are designed in like manner two Sergeants at Law for each Circuit These Judges give Judgment of the Pleas of the Crown and all Common Pleas within those Counties dispatching ordinarily in two or three days all Controversies in a County that are grown to issue in the fore-mentioned Courts at London between Plaintiffs and Defendants and that by their Peers a Jury of 12 men ex viceneto out of the neighbourhood where about the business lyes So that twice a year in England and Wales Justice may be said to be rightly and speedily administred even at our own doors Besides the forementioned Courts at Westminster Henry 8. erected for the more ease of the Subject a Court in the North of England another for the County of Wales and Counties adjoyning and intended another for Cornwall and Devonshire and these in manner of those Courts called in France Parlements where all cases might be decided both according to the Laws of England and according to equity in Chancery Of these Courts that for Cornwal was never fully erected those people desiring rather to come to London for Justice that of the North was by the late long Parliament taken away and so was that of Wales but this last since the Restauration of the King again erected Of this Court or Council of the Marshes of Wales is a Lord President at present the Lord Vaughan Earl of Carbury divers Councellors Secretary Attourney Sollicitor Surveyor who have Salaries from His Majesty HAving given a brief Account of the Civil Government of all England in General next shall be described the particular Government of Counties Hundreds Cities Burroughs and Villages For the Civil Government of all Counties the King makes choice of some of the Nobility Clergy Gentry and Lawyers men of worth and parts who have their usual residence in the County so many as His Majesty pleaseth to keep the Peace of the County and these by Commission under the great Seal are called Justices of Peace and such of them in whom the King doth more particularly confide or respect are called Justices of the Quorum from those words in the Commission Quorum A. B. unum esse volumus that is some business of more importance may not be transacted without the presence or concurrence of one of them One of the principal Justices of Peace and Quorum is by the Lord Keeper made Custos Rotulorum so called because he hath the Custody of the Rolls or Records of the Sessions and is to bring them to each Quarter Sessions The Original of Justices of Peace is from the first year of Edward 3. Their Office is to call before them examine and commit to Prison all Theeves Murderers wandring Rogues those that hold Conspiracies Conventicles Riots and almost all other Delinquences that may occasion the breach of Peace and quiet to the Kings Subjects to commit all such to prison as either cannot or by Law are not to be bailed that is cannot be set at liberty by Sureties taken for their appearance at a place and time certain land to see them brought forth in due time to Tryal Every Quarter or three months the Justices meet at the chief or Shire Town where the Grand Enquest or Jury of the County is summoned to appear who upon Oath are to inquire of all Traitors Hereticks Theeves Murderers Money-coiners Riots c Those that appear to be guilty are by the said Justices committed to prison to be tryed at the next Assises when the Judges of Westminster come their Circuits aforementioned For execution of Laws in every County except Westmorland and Durham the King every Michaelmas Term nominates for each County a Sheriff that is a Reeve of the Shire Praepositus or Praefectus Comitatus a Governor or Guardian of the County for the words of the Patent are Commisimus tibi Custodiam Commitatus nostri de N. The Sheriffs Office is to execute the Kings Mandates and all Writs directed to him out of the Kings Courts to empannel Juries to bring Causes and Criminals to Tryal to see the sentences both in Civil and Criminal affairs executed to wait on and guard the Itenerant Judges twice a year so long as they continue within the County which at the Assises is performed with great Pomp Splendor Feasting c In order to the better execution of his Office the Sheriff hath attendant his Under-Sheriff divers clerks Stewards of Courts Bayliffs of Hundreds Constables Gaolers Sergeants or Beedles besides a gallant train of servants in rich Liveries all on Horseback at the Reception of the Judges He was antiently chosen as Knights of the Shire but to avoid Tumults it is now thus Every year about the beginning of November the Judges Itinerant nominate six fit men of each County that is Kts. or Esquires of good Estates out of these the Lords Keeper Treasurer Privy Councellors and 12 Judges assembled in the Exchequer Chamber and sworn make choice of three of which the King himself after chooseth one to be Sheriff for that year only though heretofore it was for many years and sometimes heriditary as at this day to the Cliffords who by dissent from Robert de Vipont are Sheriffs heriditary of the County of Westmoreland by Charter from King John Furthermore the Sheriffs Office is to collect all publick profits Customes Taxes of the County all Fines Distresses and Amerceaments and to bring them into the Kings Exchequer or Treasury at London or else where as the King shall appoint The
Nations and excelled all Nations in making of good Lawes yet for their Sea-affairs referred all Debates and Controversies to the Judgement of these Rhodian Lawes Oleron is an Island antiently belonging to the Crown of England seated in the Bay of Aquitane not far from the Mouth of the Garonne where our famous Warriour King Richard the First caused to be compiled such excellent Laws for Sea matters that in the Ocean Sea Westward they had almost as much repute as the Rhodian Laws in the Mediterranean and these Lawes were called La Rool d' Oleron King Edward the Third who first erected this Court of Admiralty as some hold made at Quinborough 1375. very excellent Constitutions concerning Maritime affairs and many Statutes and Ordinances have been made by other Princes and People as at Rome Pisa Genoa Marseilles Barcelona and Messina yet that fragment of the Rhodian Law still extant with the Comments thereon by the old Jurisconsults inserted in the Pandects and the Constitutions made by the Roman Emperors contained in the Code and in the Novelles still holds the Preeminence The Customes and former Decrees of the English Court of Admiralty are there of force for deciding of Controversies Under this Court there is also a Court of Equity for determining differences between Merchants In Criminal affairs which is commonly about Piracy the proceeding in this Court was by Accusation and Information according to the Civil Law by a mans own confession or eye-witnesses found gulty before he could be condemned but that being found inconvenient there were two Statutes made by H. VIII that Criminal affairs should be tried by Witnesses and a Jury and this by special Commission of the King to the Lord Admiral wherein some of the Judges of the Realm are ever Commissioners and the Tryal according to the Laws of England directed by those Statutes Between the Common Law of England and the Admiralty there seems to be Divisum Imperium for in the Sea so far as the Low-water Mark is observed that is counted Infra Corpus Comitatus adjacentis and Causes thence arising are determinable by the Common-Law yet when the Sea is full the Admiral hath Jurisdiction there also so long as the Sea flows over matters done between the Low-water Mark and the Land as appears in Sir Henry Constables Case 5 Report Coke p. 107. For regulating and ordering His Majesties Navies Ships of War and Forces by Sea See those excellent Articles and Orders in Stat. 13 Car. 2. c. 9. Of the Navy Office where the whole business concerning the Kings Vessels of War is managed FIrst There is the Treasurer of the Navy the Earl of Anglesy whose Office is to receive out of the Exchequer by Warrant from the Lord Treasurer of England and to pay all charges of the Navy by Warrant from the principal Officers of the Navy for which he hath salary 220 l. 13 s. 4 d. besides 3 d. in the pound of all moneys paid by him This Office is executed pro tempore by Sir Thomas Osburn and Sir Thomas Littleton for which there are allowed to each fifteen hundred pounds per annum Next the Controller of the Navy Sir John Mennes whose Office is to attend and controll all payments of wages to know the Market rates of all stores belonging to shipping to examine and audit Treasurers Victuallers and Store-keepers Accounts c. his Salary is 500 l. yearly This Office is executed at present by the Lord Vicount Brounker the forementioned Sir John Mennes and Sir Jeremy Smith together Surveyor of the Navy Collonel Thomas Middleton whose Office is generally to know the state of all stores and see the wants supplyed to find the Hulls Masts Yards and estimate the value of repairs by Indentures to charge all Boatswains and Carpenters of His Majesties Navy with what stores they receive and at the end of each voyage to state and audit their Accounts his Salary is 490 l. Clerk of the Acts Samuel Pepys Esquire whose Office is to record all Orders Contracts Bills Warrants and other businesses transacted by the Principal Officers and Commissioners of the Navy c. Next the Commissioners of the Navy viz. the forementioned Lord Brounker and Sir Jeremy Smith whose Office is as above specified and Salary to each 500 l. yearly Two other Commissioners John Tippets And John Cox Esquires whose particular work is to be at Portsmouth and Chatham alwayes in readiness to give Orders for the better management of His Majesties affairs in his Yards or Store-Houses there Salary to each is 350 l. yearly Each of these Officers above named have two Clerks and some of them more all payd by the Treasurer of the Navy all hold their Places by Patent from the King and the most of them during Pleasure The King hath for his Navy Royal and Stores 4 great Yards or Store-houses viz. at Chatham Deptford Woollwich and Portsmouth where his ships are built repaired and laid up after their voyages In which Yards are employed divers Officers whereof there are six Principal whose Office Names and Salaries follow  Chat. Dep. Wool Port. Clerk of the Check 181 108 98 126 Store-keeper 236 164 128 119 Master attendant 2 at Chatham 200 100 100 108 Master ship-wright 103 113  130 Clerk of the Controll 100 120 80 80 Clerk of the Survey 140 102  84 Note that the charges of their Clerks and Instruments are included in the aforementioned Salaries Besides these four Yards His Majesty hath divers Rope Yards as at Chatham Woolwich and Portsmouth where are made all His Cables and Cordage for His Navy Also in time of a Sea-war the King hath another Yard at Harwich where there is out of War time continued an Officer at the charges of 100 l. yearly Yearly Pensions allowed by the King to to his Flag-Officers whilst they are at Land of Employment Two Admirals  salaries  l. Sir George Askew 250 Sir Thomas Allen 245 Three Vice-Admirals Sir Joseph Jordan 200 Sir Edward Sprag 250 Sir John Herman 200 Three Rere-Admirals  l. Riches Uâ—bert 150 Sir John Kempthorn 150 John Hubbert 150 All the Fore-mentioned Officers and the whole Navy Office are governed by the Lord High Admiral of England whose Lieâ—tenant Admiral is the Earl of Sandwich Salary 20 s. per diem and 10 s. per mens for each servant whereof he is allowed 16. Lord Adm. Secretary is Matthew Wren Esquire his Salary from the King is 500 l. yearly All the other under Officers as well those in the several Yards as those belonging to any of His Majesties ships hold their places by Warrant from the Lord High Admiral durante bene placito The ordinary yearly Charge of His Majesties Navy in times of Peace continuing in Harbour is so well regulated that it amounts to scarce 70000 l. besides all charges of building of ships c. or setting forth any Fleets which some years even in peaceable times amounts to 12 or 1300000 l. more as may easily be
from his Parents all his life time after Besides these there are of late Grammar Schools founded and endowed in almost every Market Town of England wherein the children of the Town are onely to be taught gratis without any other allowance But in the multiplying of these Schools it may be doubted whether there appeared not more Zeal then Prudence for the Parents of such School-boys not able to advance them to the Universities all the rest besides Reading and Writing becomes useless and the Youths by Eight or ten years lazy living rendred unapt for the labor belonging to the more profitable Plough and divers Manufactures usually turn either Serving-men or Clerks to Justices or Lawyers whereby they learn much Chicanery they become cunning Petty-foggers multiply Law-sutes and cozen their Countrey or if perhaps they are set to Trades that little smattering in Learning got at the Grammar School renders them commonly proud stiff-necked self-conceited unapt to be governed apt to embrace every new Doctrine Heresie Schism Sect and Faction Or in case their Parents are able to put them to the University yet for want of sufficient maintenance and residence there they get onely to be half-learned and thereby a propensity to Preach Faction Sedition and Rebellion to seduce those that are more ignorant then themselves as was evident in our late unhappy troubles where it was observed that the Seducers were generally such as had been from those Market Latin Schools advanced to be either Commoners or Servitors for a short time in the University and the seduced ordinarily such as from those Schools became afterward Shop-keepers or Petty-foggers If such had been endowed with more or perhaps with less knowledge they had probably been much more humble loyal and obedient to their Governors both Civil and Ecclesiastical and therefore the late King of Spain consulting with his ablest Counsellors of State for a general Reformation of Matters that were found by experience to be inconvenient and prejudicial to His Kingdoms after mature deliberation came to this resolution That amongst other abuses the great number of Countrey Grammar Schools should by a solemn Prematica or Ordnance be diminished and the childrens time better employed at Manufactures Trades Husbandry c. Besides upon serious consideration it will be found that England is over-stocked with Scholars for the proportion of its Preferments and for its employments for Lettered Persons whereby it comes to pass that too many live discontented and longing for Innovations and Changes and watching for an opportunity to alter the Government both of Church and State This following List was provided to be inserted after the account of the standing Militia of England A List of the present Lords Lieutenants of the several Counties and Places of England in Alphabetical Order BEdford Earl of Alisbury Berks Lord Lovelace Bristol Duke of Ormond Bucks Earl of Bridgwater Cambridge Earl of Suffolk Cheshire Earl of Derby Cornwall Earl of Bath Cumberland Earl of Carlisle Derby Earl of Devonshire Devon Duke of Albemarle Dorset Duke of Richmond Durham Bishop of Durham Essex Earl of Oxford Glocester Marquess of Worcester Hereford Marquess of Worcester Hertford Earl of Essex Huntingdon Earl of Sandwich Kent Duke of Richmond Lancaster Earl of Derby Leicester Earl of Rutland Lincoln Earl of Lindsey Middlesex Earl of Craven Monmouth Marquess of Worcester Norfolk Lord Townsend Northampton Earl of Peterborough Northumberland Earl of Ogle Nottingham Duke of Newcastle Oxford Lord Say and Seal Purbeck Isle Sir Ralph Banks Rutland Viscount Camden Shropshire Lord Newport Southwark Borough Earl of Craven Somerset Duke of Ormond Southampton Lord St. John Stafford Lord Brook Suffolk Earl of Suffolk Surrey Lord Mordant Sussex Earl of Dorset Wales Earl of Carbery Warwick Earl of Northampton Westmerland Earl of Carlisle Wilts Earl of Essex Worcester Lord Windsor York East-Riding Lord Bellasis York West-Riding Duke of Buckingham THus the Reader hath had a small Map of a great Monarchy the most just and easie that ever any people lived under except onely those who lived in England before the late unparalleld Rebellion and many ways more happy then that which the great and good States-man Philip Comines so much admired in his days when he declared after he had much commended the Policy of the Venetian Commonwealth That amongst all the Seigneuries in the World England was the Countrey where the State was best ordered and where there was the least Violence and Oppression upon the People FINIS
Seas to belong to the King of England according to an Ordinance made at Hastings in Sussex by John King of England about Four hundred and fifty years ago To maintain this Right and Title to protect Trade to subdue Pirates to defend this Kingdom against hostile Invasions and to reduce foreign Potentates to Reason the Kings of England have had especially of later times a considerable number of Ships of War for Strength for Beauty and Sailing if not for number surpassing all those of our Neighbor Nations For Strength by reason of the most excellent English Timber they are like so many floating Castles and Barbicans For Beauty so proportionably and spaciously built and so curiously and richly adorned that they are as so many Royal Palaces Amongst other Ships at Sea they are as so many Lions amongst other silly Beasts or as Eagles amongst other Birds Histories mention a great Fleet of Julius Caesar a Fleet of the forementioned King Edgar consisting of Three thousand six hundred Sail a Fleet of Lewis Son to Philip King of France of Six hundred Sail that arrived at Sandwich to assist the English Barons against King John but those doubtless were but as so many Cottages to Castles in respect of the present Ships of War Henry the Eighth in the Fifth year of His Reign built a Ship then accounted the greatest that ever had been seen in England and named it Henry Grace de Dieu or the Great Henry it was of One thousand Tun. In the Eighth year of King James was built by the Londoners a Ship of Twelve hundred Tun and called The Trades Increase which being lost in the East Indies King James caused another to be built of Fourteen hundred Tun which being given to Prince Henry was by Him named the Prince King Charles the Martyr perceiving the great encrease of Shipping in our Neighbor Nations and that the Soveraignty of these Seas was like to be disputed amongst other great Ships of War built one greater then any Ship of War either in England or in any Countrey of Europe and named it The Royal Soveraign which for a little diversion shall here be more particularly described The Royal Soveraign being a Ship of the First Rate or Rank built in the Year One thousand six hundred thirty and seven is in length by the Keel One hundred twenty seven Foot in bredth by the Beam Forty seven Foot in depth Forty nine Foot her draught of Water Twenty one Foot Of burden in all Two thousand seventy and two Tuns and One thousand five hundred fifty and four Tuns besides Guns Tackle c. This mighty Moving-Castle hath Six Anchors whereof the biggest weighs 6000 l. and the least 4300 l. It hath Fourteen Cables whereof the greatest is Twenty one Inches in compass and weighs 9000 l. Her least Cable being eight Inches in compass weighing near 1300 l. To the Royal Soveraign belong Eighteen Masts and Yards whereof the greatest called The Main Mast is One hundred and thirteen Foot long and Thirty eight Inches Diameter Her Main Yard One hundred and five Foot long and Twenty three Inches Diameter and her Main Top Fifteen Foot Diameter She hath Ten several sorts of Sails of several names as every Ship of every one of the Six Rates hath whereof her greatest Sail called Her Main Course together with her Bonnet contains One thousand six hundred and forty Yards of Canvas Ipswich double and the least Sail called The Fore-top-gallant-sail contains One hundred and thirty yards of Canvas The charge of one compleat Sute of Sails for the Soveraign is 404 l. Sterling Money The weight of the Sea store in point of Ground Tackle and other Cordage is Sixty Tuns Eight hundred and odd pounds She carries a long Boat of Fifty Foot a Pinnace of Thirty six Foot and a Skiff of Twenty seven Foot long The weight of her Rigging is Three and thirty Tun. She hath Three Tire of Guns all of Brass whereof there are Forty four in her upper Tire Thirty four in her second Tire and Twenty two in her lower Tire in all One hundred Guns She carries in all of Officers Soldiers and Mariners Seven hundred Men. Finally Her whole Charges for Wages Victuals Ammunition wear and tear for every Moneth at Sea costs the King 3500 l. Sterling as hath been computed by a very skilful person The charges of Building a Ship of the First Rate together with Guns Tackle and Rigging besides Victualing doth ordinarily amount to about 62432 l. Those of Lower Rates proportionally The King hath now Six Ships of the First Rate whereof Five are longer by the Keel then the forementioned Royal Soveraign and all of the same force except two which yet may carry each one One hundred and ten Guns Of Ships of War great and small the King had before the last War with the United Netherlands above One hundred and sixty Sail whereof a true List followeth A List in Alphabetical Order of all the Ships Frigats and Vessels of his Majestie 's Royal Navy together with the Rates Tuns Men and Guns usually accounted First Rate Ships Tuns Men Guns Charles 1229 550 80 Prince 1205 600 84 Soveraign 1554 700 100 Second Rate    St Andrew 775 300 56 St. George 775 300 56 Henry 1047 380 64 James 792 350 60 London 1050 500 64 Royal James 1100 500 70 Rainbow 782 320 56 Swiftsure 740 340 60 Triumph 779 350 64 Catherine   76 Victory 690 320 56 Unicorn 786 320 56 Vantguard 706 3â—0 56 Royal Oak   76 St. Michael    Third Rate    Anne 742 240 54 Dreadnought 738 240 52 Dunkirk 635 230 48 Edgar    Essex 633 230 48 Fairfax 755 240 52 Henrietta 781 250 50 Glocester 755 240 52 Lyon 550 210 48 Mary 727 260 56 Monk  260 50 Montague 769 260 52 Plâ—mouth 771 250 50 Revenge 741 240 52 Resolution 765 250 52 York 739 240 52 Rupert    Fourth Rate Ships Tuns Men Guns Antelope 550 160 40 Assistance 513 160 40 Advice 516 160 40 Adventure 505 140 24 Amity 354 120 30 Assurance 341 135 32 Bristol 534 180 44 Bear 430 130 36 Breda 515 160 40 Crown 536 160 40 Centurion 531 170 40 Convertine 500 170 40 Constant Warwick 315 135 32 Charity 400 140 38 Diamond 547 160 40 Dover 511 160 40 Dragon 414 150 38 Elizabeth 477 150 38 Elias 400 130 36 Expedition 323 120 30 Foresight 513 160 40 Guinea â—75 120 30 Happy Return 607 180 44 Hampshire 481 150 38 Jersey 560 160 40 Indian 500 180 40 Kent 600 170 40 Leopard 666 180 44 Matthias 400 160 44 Mary Rose 566 160 40 Marmaduke 400 130 32 Newcastle 633 180 44 Nonsuch 389 140 34 Portland 607 170 40 Princess 600 150 36 Portsmouth 433 150 38 Phenix 414 150 38 President 462 150 38 Providence 323 120 30 Reserve 512 160 40 Ruby 550 160 40 Swallow 543 170 40 Saphire 442 150 38 Tyger
or Deputy Lieutenants may levy every year one fourth part if they judge it expedient of each mans proportion in the Tax of 70000 l. a moneth upon the whole Kingdom And in the case of marching against an enemy they have power to cause every man so charged to allow each Souldier one months pay which the King is after to repay before they may be charged with another moneths pay These Forces are alwayes in readiness with all things necessary at the beat of a Drum or sound of Trumpet to appear muster and be compleat with men horse and armes and are at certain times trained and disciplined that they become able skilful and useful Souldiers These are to be commanded only within the Kingdom for the security of the King and Kingdom Subservient in the standing Militia to the Lord Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenant are the Justices of Peace of every County who upon all occasions according to the orders of their Superiors are to send their Warrants to the High Constable of the Hundred or Petty Constable of the Parish c. These are commonly called the Train-bands of every County whereof the number is so great that in only five of the bigger Counties of England there are to be found well provided forty thousand able lusty men ready to assist the King upon all occasions so that in all times of peace the King hath six or sevenscore thousand men enrolled and wholly and solely at his disposing for the defence of his Kingdom of England For the better securing of the Kingdom from foreign Invasion besides the Ships of war whereof more anon there are upon certain eminent places over al parts of England mediterrane as well as maritime high Poles erected whereon are fastned pitch Barrels to be fired by night and a smoke made by day and thereby to give notice in few hours to the whole Kingdom of the approaching Invasion whereupon the Inhabitants in arms make haste to the sea-coasts These are called Becons from the Saxon Beacen or Beacnian to shew by a sign In all times of danger some are set to watch at every Becon Antiently there were many Castles in all parts of England but inland Castles generally have either been demolisht in latter times or wittingly suffered to decay that to Rebels they might be no shelter to Invaders no stay nor to the Invaded any refuge in flight and consequently that there may not be any lingring war again in England which is the greatest misery and calamity that can ever happen to a Nation In 1588. upon expectation of the Spanish Armado stiled invincible there went forth from the Queen Commissions to muster in all parts of England all men that were of perfect sense and limb from the age of 16. to 60 except Noblemen Clergy-men University Students Lawyers Officers and such as had any publick charges leaving only in every Parish so many Husbandmen as were sufficient to till the ground In all those Musters there were then numbred three millions but of those fit for war about six hundred thousand In another Muster of Queen Elizabeth there were found in all England fit for war of common Souldiers about four hundred thousand and of those armed and trained one hundred eighty five thousand besides Horse near forty thousand and that the Nobility and Gentry were then able to bring into the field of their Servants and Followers twenty thousand men Horse and Foot choice men and excellent horses and in all fit for war and ready upon all occasions six hundred forty two thousand leaving sufficient to till the ground and to furnish Trades besides Nobility Gentry c. Of the present Maritime Power belonging to the Crown of England THe Kingdom of England being a Peninsula almost surrounded with the sea there will alwayes be a necessity of maritime forces And as next Neighbours grow potent at sea the King of England will be necessitated to augment his maritime forces proportionably how great soever the charge thereof may be or else to quit his antient right to the Soverainty of the narrow seas and to suffer his Merchants to be abused and their traffique every where interrupted It is true that in the 24. of Eliz. upon a general view and muster there were found but 13 Ships of war and 135 Ships of considerable burden belonging to all the Subjects of England and in the year 1600 her Majesty had but 36 Ships of war and 13 or 14 Pinaces the biggest Ship was then of One thousand Tun carried Three hundred and forty Mariners One hundred and thirty Soldiers and but Thirty piece of Ordnance The lesser Ships of War were of One hundred Tun Forty or fifty Mariners Seven or eight Soldiers and Eight Guns The Pinnaces of Thirty Tun Eighteen or twenty Mariners and Two or four Guns so small was the Royal Fleet in those days when our next Neighbor Nations were weak and always engaged with Civil and Foreign Wars but now that their strength at Sea is of late so prodigiously increased it will be most expedient for this Kingdom to be always well provided And God be thanked we have a King that understands better and takes more delight in Maritime Affairs and Ships of War then any of His Royal Ancestors or any Soveraign Prince now living in the World and who hath made it His cheif business that way to fortifie this Kingdom The Forces of Potentates at Sea Sont des Marques de Grandeur d'Estat saith a French Author Whosoever commands the Sea commands the Trade of the World He that commands the trade commands the Wealth of the World and consequently the World it self Again As he that is Master of the Field is said to be Master of every Town when it shall please him so he that is Master of the Sea may in some sort be said to be Master of every Countrey at least of such as are bordering on the Sea for he is at liberty to begin or end a War where and upon what terms he pleaseth and to extend his Conquests even to the Antipodes To the Crown of England belongs the Dominion of all the Narrow Seas round about the whole Island of Great Britain by Ancient Right whereof it hath had possession in all times First the Aborigenes or Ancient Britains were possest thereof as Mr. Selden makes appear and in their Right the Romans held it then the Saxons having gotten possession of England kept that Dominion their King Edgar amongst His Royal Titles calling Himself Soveraign of the Narrow Seas Afterward the Normans possessing England claimed and quietly possest the same Dominion in testimony whereof the Swedes Danes Hans-Towns Hollanders Zealanders c. were wont to ask leave to pass the British Seas and to take Licenses to fish therein And to this day do strike Sail to all the Ships of War belonging to the King of England as oft as they pass by any one of them thereby to express that they acknowledge the Soveraignty of the British