they ever attempted to keep up a Standing Army. Such was the virtue of thoſe times, that they would rather run the hazard of forefeiting their Heds and Eſtates to the rage of the oppoſite Party, than certainly inſlave their Country, tho' they themſelves were to be the Ty-
rants.
Nor would they ſuffer our Kings to keep up an Army in Ireland, tho' there were frequent Rebellions there, and by that means their Subjection very precarious; as well knowing they would be in England when called for. In the firſt three hundred Years that the Engliſh had Poſſeſ-
ſion of that Country, there were no Armies there but in times of War. The firſt Force that was eſtabliſh'd was in the 14th of Edward the fourth, when 120 Archers on Horſeback, 40 Horſemen, and 40 Pages were eſtabliſh'd by Parliament there; which fix Years after were reduc'd to 80 Archers, and 20 Spearmen on Horſeback. After-
wards in Henry the Eighth's time, in the Year 1535, the Army in Ireland was 300; and in 1543, they were in-
creaſed to 380 Horſe and 160 Foot, which was the E-
ſtabliſhment then. I ſpeak this of times of Peace: for when the Iriſh were in Rebellion, which was very fre-
quent, the Armies were much more conſiderable. In Queen Mary's time the Standing Forces were about 1200. In moſt of Queen Elizabeth's Reign the Iriſh were in open Rebellion;[1] but when they were all ſuppreſs'd, the Army eſtabliſh'd was between 1500 and 2000: about which number they continued till the Army rais'd by Strafford, the 15th of Charles the 1ſt.
In the Year 1602 dy'd Queen Elizabeth, and with her all the Virtue of the Plantagenets, and the Tudors. She made the English Glory found thro' the whole Earth: She firſt taught her Country the Advantages of Trade; ſet bounds to the Ambition of France and Spain; aſſiſted the Dutch, but would neither permit them or France to build any great Ships; kept the Keys of the Rivers Maes and Scheld in her own hands; and died with an uncontrol'd Dominion of the Seas,[2] and Arbitreſs of Chriſtendom.[3] All this ſhe did with a Revenue not exceeding 300000 pounds per Annum; and had but inconſiderable Taxes from her People.
