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him. That, on the Satterday, he did what he could to imbargue his men; but it would not be, notwithstanding that, with his own handes, he did kill some souldiers and captaynes; that in all, theie had not above three hundred horse, and some mules for carriage of their field ordinance; that, generallie, the Englishmen have greatlie endamaged them with ordinance; and that, in the fleete, they did see, through the port-holes, an Italian ship all full of blood, which yet maintained the fight in her ranke, three hours after; that one of her ma'ty's ships valiantlie passed through them to charge the admirall, who fledd away, and, as theie say, doth seem to be wonderfully dismaied and discouraged; that when theie left them, and fledd awaie, theie were as high as Walcheren, yet about one hundred saile, but uncertain what course to take, or where to turn in for relief; for into Spaine theie dared not returne, because, at ther coming out, they were all threatened hanging if they conquered not England, and that theie had brought great store of halters to hang up all Englishmen: but they think, they will round about Scotland; that her ma'ty's navie followed them, alwaies hard, and drove them like a flock of sheepe, but did not aboard them, because theie are so high built, so as forty of ours were troubled to take one of their greatest armadas, at the last fight on Mondaie; that, as theie thinke, theie should have landed about the Isle of Wight; that three daies and three nights, after theie had come upon the coast of England, theie did hull without sailes, minding to come to Dunkerke upon the spring tides; that they have greate neede of maryners, especially of pilots; for that ship which came on ground, upon the Wheelings, had but one pilot, and he was of Flushing; that when theie set forth out of Lisborne, there were certain galiasses in their companye, but theie came not with them from the Groyne; that a greate Britain shippe was also taken or sunk by the English. In summe they confess, the duke of Medina to be wonderfully amazed, and to stagger which way he may turn himself. That there were a great number of the Hidalgos of Spaine in their armye, and that now theire chiefe bulwarks and armades being discomfited, they may easily be overthrown, if theie be followed as theie should.

"The ship, whose prisoners are brought to Rotterdam, was taken betweene Dunkerke and Ostendt, and had been shot through three hundred and fifty times; being grounded, five shippes of this countrye tooke them to mercie; another was also taken by seven of this countrye's fleet, between Cales and Dunkerke. The names of certain prisoners of accompt, taken in the former ships, are theis:

"Don Diego de Pomentello, frère du marquis de Tauvror, mayster du camp du tiera du Sicile.

"Don Jhan de Velassa, frère du conte Servinello.
"Le capt. Martin d'Auales.

Le capt. Margues. "Alonzo du Vergas.

"In the one shippe, were thirty-two pieces of brass (cannon); and in the other, sixty-three."

FEBRONIUS'S "DE STATU ECCLESIÆ.”

In the year 1760, a Latin work was published in Germany, which attracted unusual attention, and became the subject of papal proscription. It was entitled De Statú Ecclesia, and was given with the name of Justinus Febronius as the author; although it was generally believed to have been written by a dignitary of the church in Germany. In this work the author affirms the authority of all bishops to be equal; confutes the pretence for establishing a monarchy in the church; insists that the primacy of the bishops of Rome was not instituted by Christ, but by St. Peter and the church, by the authority of which, it may be translated to any other See. He contended that the convocation of œcumenical councils is, by no law divine or human, reserved to popes; and that the popes themselves are subject to the church, and the law thereof, by which they may be deposed.

This work, which passed through four editions in the course of the year, was so well received in Italy, that a bookseller of Venice publicly proposed to print an Italian translation of it by subscription. A proposal, so alarming to the church of Rome, excited the immediate attention of the Holy See; and a public censure on it was issued in the following proclamation:

"Lewis Mary Torrigiani, deacon of S. Agata, cardinal of S. Agata, cardinal of the holy Roman church, secretary of state to his holiness, our signiore: Whereas a certain print has appeared in publick, in which Joseph Bettinelli, bookseller and printer at Venice, invites all pious and catholick persons to subscribe to an edition, which he promises to promulgate, of that wicked performance, now translated into Italian, and published, in the year 1760, in Latin, under the false name of Justinus Febronius. We know not whether we ought to be

more surprised at the temerity of the said printer, (who pretends that a work, which has not only been condemned on mature deliberation, as usual, by the holy congregation of the Index, but also proscribed by the most illustrious and venerable bishops of Germany, where the book had its unhappy birth, is capable of doing great service to religion and the secular states, and the scope of which is so pious and holy,) or his assurance to search for subscriptions in Bolognia, by the means of his brothers Taruffi, and even in Rome, and the whole ecclesiastical state, by that of every bookseller: to the intent, however, that every abuse, and every bad effect, which may arise from such invitation, may be prevented, we do, by the express order of our signore, prohibit all persons, whether ecclesiastical, secular, or regular, in the ecclesiastical state, as well such as are immediately as mediately subject, comprehending also the four legations, and the city of Benevento, to subscribe to it, and much more to receive or procure subscriptions to the said edition, on pain of the gallies for ten years, or other correspondent punishment, according to the degree and quality of the person in case of contravention. And this present edict, when published, and stuck up in the usual places at Rome, shall oblige every man as much as if it had been personally intimated to him.

"Given at the Apostolical Palace of the Monte Quirinale, this 28th of Nov. 1766.

"L. CARD. TORRIGIANI."

TRADE IN TEA.

IN no branch of East Indian commerce has the increase been more remarkable than in the article of tea. In the "Minutes of the Courts of Committees," for 1664, we find the following entries :

"July 1.-Ordered, that the master attendant do go aboard the ships, now arrived, and inquire what rairities of birds, beasts, or other curiosities, there are on board fit to present to his majesty; and to desire they may not be disposed of 'till the Company are supplied with such as they may wish, on paying for the same.

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August 22.-The governor acquainting the court that the factors having, in every place, failed the company of such things as they writ for, to have presented his majesty with, and that his majesty might not find himself wholly neglected by the company, he was of opinion, if the court thought fit,

that a silver case of the oil of cinnamon, which was to be had of Mr. Thomas Winter for £75, and some good Thea, be provided for that end, which he hoped may be acceptable. The court approved very well thereof."

In consequence of this resolution, the secretary was directed to obtain some tea; and, on the 30th of September, 1664, there is, in the general books, an entry that there is owing to John Stanmon, secretary, £4. 5s. "for two pounds two ounces of thea for his majesty." On the 30th of June, 1666, there is also a similar entry of several raretyes, chiefly the production of China, provided by the secretary, as presents to his majesty, amongst which are twenty-two pounds three quarters of tea, at fifty shillings per pound. There are also, about the same period, various entries of small purchases of tea, at six or eight pounds at a time, the company not then importing tea.

The first importation of tea by the company was in 1669, when two cannisters were received from the factors at Bantam, weighing one hundred and forty-three pounds; and, in the year following, they received four pots of tea, weighing about eighty pounds. From this time, the increase was progressive, until, in 1799, the quantity sold, at the company's sales, was upwards of twenty-four millions of pounds, which yielded a revenue to the country of more than four millions sterling!

BULLS AND BLUNDERS.

IN an old book of Sermons, by an obscure divine, of the name of Milsom, we are reminded that "it is one among many proofs of the wisdom and benevolence of Providence, that the world was not created in the midst of winter, when Adam and Eve could have found nothing to eat; but in harvest-time, when there was fruit on every tree and shrub to tempt the willing hand."

Another clerical commentator of the same stamp, praises Divine Goodness for always making the largest rivers flow close by the most populous towns.

Ricaut, in his History of the Turks, says-" That they so confound chronology and history, as to assert that Job was a judge, in the court of king Solomon, and Alexander the Great one of his generals."

Wicelius, by no means a contemptible writer, was deceived into a belief, that Plutarch wrote the Life and Actions

of Charles the Fifth; because, in some Latin editions of Plutarch's Lives, a life of that monarch has been annexed.

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"It was at Nicolai," says the writer of the article on Stenography in Rees's Cyclopædia, that this method of writing was first introduced among the Greeks by Xenophon." Neither is any such place as Nicolai known to the most erudite geographers, nor is there the least reason to suppose that the Greeks practised stenography until many ages after the time of Xenophon. The writer had, perhaps, read that, in Nicolai, the whole art was to be seen; but Nicolai was not a city, but an author who, in 1706, wrote a learned" Treatise on the Signs. of the Ancients."

The same accurate historian tells us, that "probably, the oldest method of short-writing, at present extant or known, is a Latin manuscript, entitled Ars Scribendi Characteres, or the Art of Writing in Characters.' The author," he adds, is not known; but it was printed about the year 1412," that is, before printing was invented.

A gentleman, who inherited, from his father, a considerable library, once observed to Mr. Beloe, the bibliographer, that Mr. Tomus," whose name was on the back of so many of his books, must certainly have been a man of wondrous erudition to have written so much!"

Moreri, the celebrated author of the Historical Dictionary, is guilty of a blunder nearly as bad. He speaks of an author, called Dorus Basilicus, alluding to the "Doron Basilikon," a book written by James the First for the use of his son.

A bibliopole, now living, and of some eminence, was once asked if he had a copy of "Casar's Commmentaries"?" I am sorry," said he, "I have not; but I have got Blackstone's.'

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Melville, in his "Account of John Knox," says" that he was so active and vigorous a preacher, that he was like to ding the pulpit into blads, and fly out of it. Campenon, in his "Translation of Robertson's History of Scotland," where this passage is quoted, thus literally renders it:-"Soon heating himself by the fire of his passions and his hatred, he bestirred himself like a madman; he broke his pulpit, and leaped into the midst of his auditors!" (Sautoit au milieu auditeurs.) Well might M. Campenon add-" Nothing proves the coarseness of that people (the Scotch) so much as the ascendency which such a madman possessed over them."

Another French writer (anonymous), in illustrating the advantages of a representative system, remarks-" that such is the respect of the English for their Parliament, that when it is sitting, crimes are extremely rare; but, as soon as it rises, the papers are filled with accounts of the most horrible atroSimple man! He knows not that, when Parliament

cities."

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