cause, fith by their means her coafts are kept in quiet, and fundry foreign enemies put back, which otherwife would invade us. After Speaking of the merchant ships, which, be fays, are commonly eftimated at 17 or 18 hundred, he continues. I add therefore, to the end all men fhould underftand fomewhat of the great maffes of treasure, daily employed upon our navy, how there are few of thofe fhips of the first and fecond fort, (that is of the merchant fhips) that being apparelled and made ready to fail, are not worth one thousand pounds, or three thousand ducats at the leaft, if they fhould prefently be fold. What fhall we then think of the navy royal, of which fome one veffel is worth two of the other, as the hipwright has often told me.It is poffible that fome covetous perfon, hearing this report, will either not credit at all, or fuppofe money fo employed to be nothing profitable to the queen's coffers; as a good husband faid once, when he heard that provifions fhould be made for armour, wishing the queen's money to be rather laid out to fome fpeedier return of gain unto her grace: But if he wift that the goodkeeping of the fea is the fafeguard of our land, he would alter his cenfure, and foon give over his judgment. Speaking of the forefts, this author fays, An infinite deal of wood hath been deftroyed within these few years; and I dare affirm, that if wood do go fo faft to decay in the next hundred years of grace, as they have done, or are like to do in this, it is to be feared, that fea-coal will be good merchandize even in the city of London. Harrifon's prophecy was fulfilled in a very few years: For, about 1615, there were 200 fail employed in carrying coal to London. See Anderson, vol i. p. 494.

L

NOTE, VOL. V. p. 393.

IFE of Burleigh, published by Collins, p. 44. The author hints, that this quantity of plate was confidered only as fmall in a man of Burleigh's rank. His words are, bis plate was not above fourteen or fifteen thousand pounds: that he means pounds weight is evident. For, by Burleigh's will, which is annexed to his life, that nobleman gives away in legacies, to friends and relations, near four thousand pounds weight, which would have been above twelve thousand pounds fterling in value. The remainder he orders to be divided into two equal portions; the half to his eldest son and heir the other half to be divided equally among his fecond fon and three daughters. Were we therefore to understand the whole value of his plate to be only 14 or 15,000 pounds sterling, he left not the tenth of it to the heir of his family.

NOTE,

HA

NOTE, VOL. V. p. 393.

ARRISON fays, "the greatest part of our building in "the cities and good towns of England confifteth only "of timber, caft over with thick clay to keep out the wind. "Certes, this rude kind of building made the Spaniards in

queen Mary's days to wonder; but chiefly when they faw "that large diet was used in many of their fo homely cot"tages, infomuch that one of no fmall reputation amongst "them, faid, after this manner: Thefe English, quoth he, "have their houses made of sticks and dirt, but they fare "commonly fo well as the king. Whereby it appeareth, "that he liked better of our good fare in fuch coarse cabins, "than of their own thin diet in their princely habitations "and palaces. The clay with which our houses are com"monly impannelled is either white, red, or blue." Book ii. chap. 12. The author adds, that the new houses of the nobility are commonly of brick or tone, and that glass windows were beginning to be used in England.

T

NOTE, VOL. V. p. 396.

HE following are the words of Roger Afcham, the queen's preceptor. "It is your fhame (I speak to you "all, you young gentlemen of England) that one maid "fhould go beyond ye all in excellency of learning and "knowledge of divers tongues. Point out fix of the best "given gentlemen of this court, and all they together fhew "not fo much good will, fpend not fo much time, bestow "not fo many hours daily, orderly, and conftantly, for the "encrease of learning and knowledge, as doth the queen's majesty herself. Yea, I believe, that befides her perfect "readiness in Latin, Italian, French, and Spanish, the "readeth here now at Windfor, more Greek every day, than "fome prebendary of this church doth Latin in a whole week. Amongst all the benefits which God hath blessed me withal, next the knowledge of Chrift's true religion, "I count this the greateft, that it pleafed God to call me "to be one poor minister in setting forward these excellent gifts of learning," &c. page 242. Truly, fays Harrison, it is a rare thing with us now to hear of a courtier which hath but his own language; and to fay how many gentle. women and ladies there are, that, befides found knowledge of the Greek and Latin tongues, are thereto no less skilful in the Spanish, Italian, or French, or in fome one of them, it refteth not in me, fith I am perfuaded, that as the noble. men and gentlemen do furmount, in this behalf, so these VOL. V.

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come little or nothing at all behind them, for their parts; which industry God continue. The ftranger that entereth in the court of England upon the fudden, fhall rather imagine himself to come into fome public school of the univerfity, where many give ear to one that readeth unto them, than into a prince's palace, if you confer thus with thofe of other nations. Defcription of Britain, book ii. chap. 15. By this account, the court had profited by the example of the queen : The fober way of life practifed by the ladies of Elizabeth's court appears from the fame author. Reading, fpinning, and needle work occupied the elder, mufic the younger. Id.

ibid.