First English Record.

A. D. 1415. The first record written in the English tongue, and by any Englishman, is in this year; being the confeffion of Richard Earl of Cambridge.

Holbourn paved.

A.D. 1417. Henry employed, at his own expence, two vessels, each of twenty tons burden, for bringing tones for paving and mending the highway, named Holbourn, which was then for deep and miry, that many perils and hazards were thereby occafioned. It may not be amifs to remark the wonderful increase of building in this neighbourhood fince this period, and addition of many streets, befides the prefent one. -Holbourn then, as appears, not being a street, but an highway..

Henry's Neceffities.

A. D. 1417. Henry's wars and monstrous expences reduced him to many miserable shifts,

in order to extricate himself. He borrowed money from all quarters; he pawned his jewels, and fometimes the crown itself. He ran into arrears with his army; and he was often obliged, notwithstanding all these expedients, to stop in the midst of his career of victory, and to grant truces to the enemy. All the extraordinary fup-plies granted by Parliament to Henry during the course of his reign, were only feven-tenths and fifteenths, or about 203,000l. a fum which would be reckoned as nothing in these days towards the fupport and carrying on a war, when estimates are made under the denomination of millions.

But Henry's neceffities were fuck, that he pawned this year two gold chased basons, weighing together 28 lb. 8 oz. of gold, to two of the Canons of St. Paul's, London, for 600 marks, or 4481. 138. 4d. at the low rate of 11. 6s. 8d. per ounce; and two gold fhells to the Dean of Lincoln, valued at the fame low rate.

Crown Revenue.

The revenues of the crown, during this reign, amounted to 55,7541. 18s. 1od, a year, which

is nearly the fame fum in Henry III's reign, fo that the revenues had continued nearly the fame for this courfe of years. The ordinary expence of government amounted to 52,5071. 16s. 10d. The King, therefore, could only have a furplus of 3,0261. 14s. for the support of his houfhold, his wardrobe, the expence of embas fies, and other articles.

Of Henry's wardrobe, Sir Robert Cotton obferves, "you fhall find plain gowns of that "king's, of lefs value than 40 fhillings, and fuch "other coftly apparel as the worst pages of the "least nobleman in these days would fcorn to "wear."

Death of Henry V.-and Remarks.'

A. D. 1422. In this year died the brave Henry V. at a time when his conquefts and influence in France gave him a reasonable and near profpect of gaining that monarchy. The Parliament of England, especially the House of Commons, at that time, took some steps for fupporting the independency of this kingdom, upon the contingency of that event, though very far from fully answering that end; fince nothing was more probable

probable than that, had an English King entirely fubdued France, his conftant refidence would have been in that kingdom, not only on account of its being the finer country of the two, but for political confiderations which would have had great weight; and, particularly, as the king's refidence there would have been abfolutely neceffary to have retained the people in due fubjection. England would, therefore, (in that event) have become a mere province of France, than which nothing could have been more difagreeable or difadvantageous to this nation, both as refpecting their commerce and opulence, their liberty and independence. How brilliant foever, therefore, historians have reprefented the conquefts of Edward III. and Henry V. in France; the death of the latter, at this time, and the expulfion of the English from France in the fucceeding feeble reign of his fon, were rather bleffings than misfortunes to Eng land.

The city of Calais alone was an annual expence to the Crown of 19, 11 that is, above onethird of the common charge of Government in the time of peace. This fortress was of no ufe

to the defence of England, and only gave to this kingdom an inlet to annoy France.

If commerce could be carried on without territory. And why fhould it not? The natural order of things does not feem to require poffeffion of country to the purpose of traffic;-and it is hoped, in this liberal age, which juftly boafts fuch expanded fentiments and humane principles, that men in authority will, in due feafon, think better on this fubject, than to cut the throats of thousands to become masters of a fandy desert, or barren rock, merely to poffefs an exclufive trade; and thereby deny to others what fhould be common to any people, that can fupply the country with a better article, and on better terms. In fuch an expanded scale of commerce, the palm would be detur digniffimo: and would at least serve to stimulate the mechanic, tradefman, and merchant, to trials of skill in their refpective fpheres, be more consistent with found policy, more fubfervient to the intereft of fociety.

This fubject further illuftrated.-We were happy to find this celebrated writer's opinion to agree so nearly with our own.

"What commonly is gained to a nation, by "the annexing of new dependencies, or the fub66 jugation