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THE

LITERARY PANORAMA,

FOR DECEMBER, 1806.

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 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 states. men 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; forti. tude 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 given 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 Ar mada 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 Ar mada; 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 troops

Q

there. And indeed, this was according
to the policy she had formerly adopted:
array
for when she had put her subjects in
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, eisdeinque meritorum insignia, id "est, arma danda et assignandi, ac eisdem

insignibus ordine equestri, ac militari decorandi, et assignandi; prout ad offi"cium capitanei exercitus generalis perti"net, aut fieri juxta more Anglia 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 iş 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 Cap taine 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 couusell, named Monsier de Reaux, sent hither to joyne with his embassador, or resident, to yelde 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 weapon, which happened 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 ennemyes, as for the love and regard that we have to the said King, to the increasing of 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 thereof; of part 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,

[vation, discover if there be anie unfaithful subject gotten into their bands, to serve as spyes, or to do some mischiefe to you, or to your companies, as in truth we have cause to doubt, that some lewd subjects may intrude themselves into the service of you, for some of your numbers.

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.

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.

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, vou 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 ship-been given to persons, both unable by living ping, 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 land ing, or that it shall not be ready there, at your landing, you shall plainly declare, that you may not march into the country, otherwise than to lodg yourself, with your people in safety, until the said confirmation shall be brought, either into England, or to yourselfe.

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

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Where we have added a clause in your commission, giving you authority, to give the honor of knighthood and armies, 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

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