diſbanded, and of the Officers Names who are to have half pay; and his Majeſty was pleaſed to anſwer, That he would comply with the deſires of the Houſe, as ſoon as conveniently he could: But the Parliament ſitting not above a Month afterwards, his Majeſty ſent them no farther anſwer.
At laſt the Parliament roſe, and inſtead of diſbanding they brought over a great many foreign Regiments, and ſent them to Ireland, as well as three more Engliſh ones. But even all this would not bring their Army in England down to ten thouſand Men; ſo that they made another Reform, and ſince have incorporated the Officers of the diſbanded Regiments in Ireland into the Standing Troops, by which means they have got an Army of Officers: Whereas if theſe Gentlemen deſign their Army to defend us againſt a ſudden Invaſion, or to be in readineſs againſt the King of Spain's Death, in my poor Opinion they ſhould have kept up the private Soldiers, and diſbanded all the Officers but ſuch as are juſt neceſſary to exerciſe them; for Officers will be always ready to accept good Employments, whereas the private Soldiers will be very difficultly lifted again in a new War, though we all know they are eaſily to be got together, when they are only to inſult their Countrymen.
One good effect of this Army has already appeared; for I preſume every Body has heard how prevailing an Argument it was in the late Elections, That if we chooſe ſuch a Man, we ſhall be free from Quarters: And I wiſh this Argument does not every day grow ſtronger. Nay, who knows but in another Reign the Corporations may be told that his Majeſty expects they will chooſe the Officers of the Army, and the Parliament be told that he expects they will maintain them?
But to ſet this matter in full view, I will here put down the Eſtabliſhment of King Charles the Second in 88, which was the foundation of the Vote of the 11th of December, as alſo his preſent Majeſty's: And in this, as well as my other Computations, I do not pretend but I may be miſtaken in many Particulars, though I have taken what care I could not to be ſo; nor is it material to my purpoſe, ſo that the variations from Truth is not conſiderable.
