The battle (which happened at Flod- The Royal Company of Archers in the month of Auguft 1790, shot on the banks of the Tweed for the ancient arrow belonging to the town of Peebles, when Lord Elibank gained the prize. den field) was bloody, and terminated in the total defeat of the Scots, whofe King, with the Archbishop of St Andrews, two Abbots, twelve Earls, and feventeen Lords, were flain in the battle. The ufe of the bow has, fince the invention of gunpowder, gradually decreafed; but archery has lately been drawn from obscurity, by focieties of the nobility and gentry, who honour the memory of their ancestors fo far as to patronize a fcience by which they attain fo much renown. The first dawn of modern fociety of Archers was, upwards of twenty years ago, inftituted under the title of Finsbury Archers, now obfolete : not more than two of the members are at prefent in being; one of which, Mr Conftable, is at prefent confidered as Father of Archers; and if numerous prize arrows, &c. won by him, ought to confer that title, it is undoubtedly his. The late Sir Afhton Lever was the cause of the revival of the science, and the fociety of Toxophilites owe their origin to him. Many other inftitututions rofe under different titles, as, the Hatfield Archers, under the patronage of Lady Salisbury; the Royal British Bowmen, which fociety fhot for the prizes given by His Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales, on the 3d of Sept. 1790. The ladies prize, a gold medallion, was won by Lady Cunliff; and the gentleman's, a filver bugle horn, was gained by R. Hefketh, Efq. The Caledonian, or Edinborough Archers (the most numerous of any fociety, being above nine hundred in number), at whofe grand match in 1789 Lord Aylesford attended; and the fame of his dexterity was blown fo high, that the Caledonian band dreaded the iffue of the encounter. Mr Gray, the writer to the fignet, who is an incomparable fhot, won the prize. Cc VOL. XIV. No. 81. The Loyal Archers affembled on St George's day, at Lewisham, to conteft for the prize, which was won by W. Fofter, Efq. The Yorkshire Archers, at their September meeting, fhot for their medals; the gold medal was gained by W. Lee, Efq; and the two filver me dals by J. Dixon, and J. P. Neville, Efqrs. The Countess of Mexbro prefided as patronefs, and Earl Fitzwilliam as patron. The Bowmen of Chevy Chace are a fociety formed in Northumberland; the patron, the Duke of that county, who prefented them with a filver ar rów. Other focieties bear the following appellations : Robert Ketish Bowmen, Southampton Archers; and feveral others, which I omit, not through defign, but want of information. The annual meeting of all the Archers in England is held on Blackheath. The only books published on Ar chery (my friend informed me of) are, Wood's Bowman's Glory, and Afcam's Toxophilus; the former about a century ago, the latter near thirty years. The manufactory for implements of Archery is at Leicester House, established by Mr Waring. This extract from the rules and orders of one of the above focieties will ferve as a general defcription of their uniform. "That Infiance of the Tyranny exercised by Henry the VIII. in a Letter to Sir Rálf Eure*. HE following introduction is the poftfcript of a letter from the council to the Earl of Shrewsbury, lord lieutenant in the North of Eng: land.] • We fend herewith a letter to be conveyed with diligence to the war den of the Middle Marches, by the contents whereof your lordship may perceive our proceedings with one Reed, an akderman of London, who repaireth down thither to ferve in thofe parts; praying your lordship, at his paffing by you northwards, to make him as ftrange countenance as the letter appointeth him ftrange fervice for a man of that fort Signed Thomas Wriothefly, cancel. Charles Saf folk, William Paget." Indorfed Copy of the Eetter to Sir Ralf Eure. After our right hearty commendations. Whereas the King's Highnefs being burthened, as you know, with the inestimable charge.cf his wars (which his grace hath profperously followed the fpace almost of one whole year, and must perforce, for the neceffary defence of the realm, therein continue, it is not known how long,) hath, for the maintenance thereof, required lately a contribution by way of benevolence of his highnefs's loving fubjects; and began the execution ་ thereof, firft, with us of his grace's council, whom his majefty, according. unto our most bounded duties, found in fuch conformity as we truft was to his grace's contentation; and from us proceeding unto the citizens of London, found them alfo,. upon fuch declaration as was made unto theme of the neceffity of the thing, as honeftly inclined to the uttermoft of their powers, as they faw the request. to be grounded upon most reasonable caufes. Only one there was, named Richard Reed, alderman of London, inthe faid city, who (notwithstanding both fuch neceffary perfuafions and declarations as for the purpofe at great length were fhewed unto him, and the confent also and the conformity thereunto of all his company) ftood alone in the refufal of the fame, not only himself, upon a difobedient stomach, utterly denying to give therein to the accomplishment of his duty in that part, but thereby alfe giving example as much as in one man mightly to breed a like difformity in a great many of the reft. And forafmuch as for the defence of the realm and himself, and for the continuance of his quiet life, he would not find in his heart to difburfe a little quantity of his fubftance, his majefty hath thought it much reason to cause him to do fome fervice for his country with his From " Lodge's Illustrations of British History, &c.“ body body, whereby he might fomewhat be inftructed of the difference between the fitting quietly in his houfe, and the travel and danger which others dayly do fuftain, whereby he hath been hitherto maintained in the fame; and for this purpose his grace hath thought good to fend him unto your fchool, as you fhall perceive by fuch letters as he fhall deliver unto you, there to ferve as a foldier, and yet both he and his men, at his own charge, requiring you, not only as you thall have occafion, to fend forth to any place for the doing of any enterprize upon the enemies, to caufe him to ride forth to the fame, and to do in all things as other foldiers are appointed to do without respect, but also to bestow him in fuch a place in garrifon as he may feel what pains other poor foldiers abide abroad in the king's fervice, and know the fmart of his folly and sturdy difobedience. Finally, you must ufe him in all things after the fharp difcipline military of the northern wars. And thus, &c. Reflections on the late Profpect of a War with Rulla. ΑΙ ferving the balance of power in Europe, appears on examination to be a mere political bugbear, calculated for the meridian of the English, whose purfes are ever open for a minifter who keeps their minds in terror and alarm. Ruffia is, and ever muft be, a most useful ally, but can never be a dangerous rival to Great Britain. The infular fituation of all her European dominions renders them unaffailable by the most powerful land forces,while her Acets, riding trium phant over the ocean, mook all idea of fear from the naval power of Europe if combined. Secure in her impregnable fituation,-invulnerable on every fide, and in capable of injury from external violence, her only motive for engaging in a war is, or ought to be, to vindicate her honour, or to protect and extend her commerce. But neither her commerce nor her honour now calls on her in their defence. Her friendship is fought, nay courted by Ruília, and the interefts of her commerce are manifeftly oppofed to a war in which much may be loft, and nothing can be gained. The ftrong remonftrances from many of the most refpectable trading towns, who all declare the commerce with Ruffia to be more lucrative to England than that with any other nation in Europe, are decifive CC 2 of of the queftion, and must raise the astonishment of every impartial perfon at that oblique and perverted policy, which thus rafhly throws away folid and immediate advantages, and ha. zards an expenfive complicated war, for remote, contingent, and imaginary benefits ;-adminiftering to the interefted ambition of a foreign State, and regardless of the happiness and tranquillity of our own. But waving the peculiar fituation of England, and confidering the question on a larger fcale, as it interests the other nations of Europe; this epidemic dread of the Ruffian power appears euqally futile and abfurd. Even fhould the fucceffes of their arms finally terminate in the expulfion of the Turks from Europe, and the establishment of a Chriftian and civilized power in Conftanti nople, it is hard to divine in what manner the reft of Europe could be injured. Indeed, the causes of the general alarm, which the very apprehenfion of this event feems to excite, are difficult to ascertain. Were one Sovereign to reign over the united empires of Ruffia and European Turkey, his power would undoubtedly be too great, although perhaps not greater than that of the Sultan is at prefent; but it could not long fubfift entire. Natural and moral caufes would combine to decompofe fuch an unwieldy mafs formed of difcordant parts. The most that could be apprehended would be, that the present Empress's two grandfons would fhare the dominion between them, with however great deductions, which the claims of all the neighbouring States, and perhaps fome remote ones would occafion, from the territories of the Turks as at prefent established. But even were a grandson of the Emprefs to found a Monarchy at Conftantinople over the whole of European Tur, key, what is to be feared at the utmoft, but a family compact, which, as the ties of confanguinity abated of their force, and partial interefts created feparate views, would gradually be come less firm, and could never ope. rate with that unity of defign, and energy of action, as to injure, much lefs endanger, other European powers. A ftriking inftance of the force of this obfervation occurs in the hiftory of this century; the alarm which was general on account of the House of Bourbon poffeffing both France' and Spain, has proved vifionary, and Europe now defpifes the formerly terrific phantom of univerfal Monarchy. But confidering the queftion even in this point of view, furely the Chriftian Sovereign of Conftantinople would be much lefs formidable than the Sultan, aided as he is, by the wealth and population of his Afiatic territories, and fupported by the whole force of the Barbary States, and numerous hords of Tartars. This vast mass of power, roufed into exertion at fome critical and favourable period, by fanaticism and religious zeal, by the memory of priftine conquefts, and by the profpect of Paradife opened to all who die Martyrs to their faith, might perhaps be more than Europe could withstand. Inftead, therefore, of confidering Ruffia as likely to become the oppreffor, we should rather regard her as the defender of Europe, as its great bulwark against this truly formidable and tremendous force of the Turks, a barbarous, fierce, and bloody enemy, who have always furveyed it as their deftined prey, and affected to permit it to exift only by fufferance. We fhould not lightly efteem the Ottoman Power, because it is at present from mifmanagement inert and ineffective, nor praise the Turkish moderation, because their haughty manners and barbarous infolence have been humbled by defeat. The fame bigotted, rancorous hatred of Christians, the fame fierce and favage manners, the fame frantic zeal for extending their fuperftition (as it is faid, their Sultan's motto expreffes it) donec totum impleat orbem, remain in as full force as ever, or rather are from restraint be come come more violent, as the fury of a wild beaft is fiercer from confinement. In order to understand the genius and spirit of that barbarous empire, let us furvey it, not at the time of humiliation, but of fuccefs: would our modern politicians, who feel fo tremblingly alive for the balance of power but turn to the hiftory of the rife and progrefs of this formidable, people, they might find indeed an object of terror. When their vaft armies overspread the finest provinces of Europe, defolation marked their course; their conquefs have ever been attended by all the ravages of fire and fword: "Before them the land was as the garden of Eden, and behind them a defolate wilderness.". -While their regular forces encountered armies, and deftroyed cities, their favage Tartar allies, like a devouring fire, laid wafte the country, levelled with the ground every monument of human art or industry; and, after the maffacre of the hufband and the father, carried the wretched mother and child into hopelefs captivity; lo! thofe are the allies of our refined-our polifhed nation! -On the contrary, civilization and improvement attend the fucceffes of the Ruffian arms; and the advancement of their power may be traced in the downfall of barbarifm. It is an opinion of the celebrated Gibbons, and it well deferves the most serious confideration, that the progreffive in crease of the Ruffian dominion over the uncivilized Tartars, is to be eftimated as one of the greatest bleflings, of the most fortunate circumftances of the prefent age. By the gradual in croachments of civilization on the wilds of Tartary, both on the fide of China and of Ruffia, the favage and independent tribes are confined within comparatively narrow limits, and from that principally, among other favourable events, does he venture to felicitate Europe, on the improbability of her ever again undergoing the calamisies which attended the downfall of the Roman Empire from the irruption of Barbarians. How narrow then, how wretched this policy, that would, for fome paltry iilufive advantage, check the progreffive improvement of mankind, and reftrain the only power that can fubdue the fierce and bloody Tartar, change the brute into a man, and cheer the defolate regions of Afia, with agriculture, with arts, in future perhaps with fcience-thus, as far as in us lies, confirming the reign of ignorance, of barbatifm, and of mifery.-But turning our eyes from the dreary waftes of Tartary, let us contemplate the condition of thofe wretched European provinces which have for fome centuries groaned under the Ottoman yoke, whofe fituation is the best comment on, and amply unfolds the nature and principles of the government of the Turks. Their original conquefts were not more "deftructive than is their permanent, established fway: their first invasion defolates, their confirmed power depreffes and degrades, by fevere and cruel bondage; their barbarous and exclufive maxims of policy preventing that affimilation, that incorporation of the conquering and the conquered, which in almost all other inftances has at length blended them into one people; but thefe tyrants, after being poffeffed for centuries of that unhappy country, ftill opprefs it with all the outrages and evils of recent conqueft, and the prefent inhabitants feel the yoke of flavery as heavy as did their forefathers. Are thofe a people to be fupported and protected by the civilized part of Europe? The fame contracted policy which now prevents their overthrow originally contributed to their fuc cefs; and if in the various and unforcfeen revolution is of human affairs their difcipline fhould arrive at equal perfection with ours, the immerfe momentum of their mighty empire, actuated as formerly by enthufim, and directed by prudence, might de luge |