The Queen and her people gratefully acknowledged the protecting hand of Providence, and the medal commemorating the defeat of the Armada bore the pointed and pious sentence, "Afflavit Deus, et dissipantur."

Notes from various Documents preserved at Loseley, of precautionary measures and preparations of defence against the Spanish Invasion.

Under the first head was the committing of all recusants to safe custody: "Insomuch as diverse of them most obstinantlie have refused to come to the church to praiers and divine service, for which respects, being so addicted, yt is hardlie adventured to repose that trust in them which is to be looked for in other good subjects; and it is also certaine that such as should meane to invaide the Realme, would never attempt the same but upon hope which the fugitives and rebels abroad doe give and assure them of those badde members that allreadie are knowne to be recusants, it is therefore thought meet, in these doubtful times, they should be looked unto and restrained, as they shall neither be able to give assistaunce to the ennemye, nor that the enymye should have any hope of relief and succor of them." The most obstinate and noted persons were therefore to be committed to prison "for their safe keeping; the reste that were of value and not so obstinate, to be referred to the custodie of some ecclesiastical persons, and other gentlemen well affected, to remaine at the charges of the recusants, in

such sorte as they may be forthcoming, and kept from intelligence one with the other."*

By a previous mandate, the Council had directed that such persons should be "unfurnished of their armour." The Justices of Surrey were directed, "at one selfe same time, to be agreed on between them, to repair in person, with as great secrecy as possible, to the houses of the principal recusants within the county, there to demand and seize such armourt and weapons as they might find;" among which "jacks, and all privy coats," were to be comprehended; leaving with them, notwithstanding, such due proportion only of bows, arrows, and blackbills, as might seem necessary for the defence of their houses. They were also to make inquiry and certify, without partiality, of the yearly revenue of all such persons. Depots of powder, match, &c. were established in the principal towns of maritime counties. Beacons were to be established, and well watched, especially those in the maritime parts. Sir Francis Walsingham seems to have directed the military measures adopted at this juncture. Under his signature were issued orders for putting in strength the powers of the realm. All able persons were to be mustered and trained, under skilful muster-masters, to marching and the use of weapons. Pioneers were to throw up defensive works at landing-places; shot, i. e. musqueteers, were to be sent on horseback, though the

*Letters from the Lords of the Council to the Lord Admiral, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, dated 4th January, 1587-8.

† A Letter from the Council to the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, dated 13th April, 1588, directs the armour seized to be sold, for the purpose of supplying a deficiency for furnishing the trained bands. The purchase-money was to be paid over to the owners of the armour.

horses should be but mean, that they might reach the coast, in case of alarm, with the greater expedition.

*

The instructions from the Council to the Deputy Lieutenants, &c. relative to the musters in Surrey, prescribed that horsemen should especially be supplied for defence of the realm. Every man appointed to keep horses for demi-lances, was to have in readiness for every demilance a sufficient horse, or a very large gelding, with a strong leather harness, and a steel or strong bolstered saddle; the arms for the rider were a demi-lance staff, sword, and dagger. The light horsemen to be armed with a case of pistols. The bands in the county of Surrey reserved for the defence of her highness's own person, were to consist of such persons as would themselves, or by the aid of their families and friends, bear the charges of training, with the exception that powder was to be supplied them at the expence of the Govern

ment.

A return was made by each hundred of the county of the name of every person capable of bearing arms, and they were classed under the different arm which they could use. Thus in the return for the parish of Wonersh, in the hundred of Blackheath and Wotton, were enumerated, pikemen selected 6 names, bill-men selected 8, bill-men of the best sort 20, bill-men of the second sort 42, archers selected 10, archers of the best sort 3, archers of the second sort 5, gunners 11. These returns applied, we imagine, to the posse comitatus, or levy en masse. A requisition was sent to the county for a certain number of men, specifying the number required of each weapon. This was answered by a certificate from the local authorities of the number

Affright the welkin with your broken staves!" says Richard III., in the play, to his cavalry.

raised. The original demand was then abated; and any deficiency after such abatement was to be supplied. The number of infantry required from Surrey was at first 4000; this proportion was afterwards reduced to 2000; shot 400, bows 600, bills 600, corselets (with pikes) 400. Of the shot, the strongest and squarest men were to exercise musquets, the least and most nimble harquebuses;* and the characteristic economy of Walsingham, is evinced in the provision that the training should be performed with the least possible expence of powder.†

* Falstaff says: "Care I for the limb, the thewes, the stature, bulk, and big assemblance of a man? Here's Wart-(you see what a ragged appearance it is)—he shall charge you and discharge you with the motion of a pewterer's hammer. Come, manage me your caliver. Exceeding good! O give me always a little, lean, old chapped, bald shot." And Shallow adds to his description of a nimble fusileer, he knew "a little quiver fellow, and he would manage you his piece thus, and would about and about, and come you in rat! tat! tat! would a' say, bounce and away would a' go, and again would a' come. I shall never see such a fellow!" See Henry IV. Part II.

+ The following curious document shews how well this provident minister had acquainted himself with the minutest details of the subject:

An Order for the readie and easie trayning of Shott, and the avoyding of great expence and wast of powder.

The leaders and captaines who are appointed to instructe and traine them shall cause an holbert to be sett up in the plaine, whereby every shott maie passe in that order w'ch the frenche men call 'à la file, or as we terme yt in ranke, like wild geese, and so passing by the halbert, to present his piece, and make offer as thoughe he would shoote, and those w'ch doe not behave themselves w'th their pieces as they ought, maye receyve p'ticler instructyon and teaching. This exercise

Provost Marshals were appointed for the different counties, with the charge of apprehending all straggling soldiers, mariners, vagrants, and masterless persons. In cases of riot or rebellion, this officer was invested by his warrant from the Crown with the power of summary execution of offenders. The emergency of the state arms the Crown with extended prerogative, as is evinced by the impressing, in time of war, men for the service of the navy.

Such were the preparations for repelling the foreign invader: a cause in which every true English spirit was bent up to its full height.

would be used two or three metings at the least for ignorant people, in w'ch time may be discerned those that cannot frame themselves in any likelihood to prove shott, in whose roomes the captains maie require others to be placed who are more apt thereunto. Afterwards to teach them how to hold their peeces, for endaungering themselves and their fellowes, to put in their matches, and to acquainte them w'th false fyers, by priming only the panne, and not charging the piece, w'ch will enure their eye w'th the flashe of fyer, embolden the p'tyes, and make every thing famillyer and ready unto them. Then to geve the piece half his charge, and acquaint them in skyrmishing wise to come forward and retire orderly againe After to procede to the full charge, and lastly to the bullet, to shoote at a marke, for some tryfle, to be bestowed on him that best deserveth the same. W'th this order and pollecye, men shall in shorter tyme be exercised, and w'th the tenthe p'te of the charge, to the great ease of the cuntrye, and saving of powder, for that in this manner yt is found that two pound of powder will serve one man for the foure daies' exercise of trayning. And a nomber w'ch, by reason of the churlyshenes of their peeces, and not being made acquainted therew'th by degrees, are ever after so discouraged and fearefull, as either they wincke or pull their heads from the peece, whereby they take no p'fect levell, but shoote at random, and so never prove good shotte. FRA. WALSYNGHAM,