SInce Mankind are subjected to the Licentious As­persions of every Author who has an opinion of his railing, the only misfortune a man should resent as particular is when he falls into the worst hands; That such is the fate of the Mariners is evident from the scurrility, inconsistency, and falsity, so conspicuous in every page of his Book.

The Gentleman undertakes, with that becoming as­surance which shines thro the whole Piece, to prove these Regiments an useless charge to the People, a nu­sance to the Navy, and dangerous to the Kingdoms Liberties.

This Indictment bears indeed a terrible Front, and were it not for this small advantage on our side, that every sort of proof from Reason and matter of Fact is wanting, we were in a desperate condition.

Our Author without any hesitation asserts, that the Officers seldom do any duty; that they and their men are supernumerary, and useless to the Ships Company, and a very heavy charge: Whereas it is plain, that the Lords of the Admiralty, upon fitting out a Squadron of Ships, always direct their Orders to the Collonels of the Marine Regiments for a detachment of their men, with whom there constantly embarks a proportionable com­plement of Officers, who are dispos'd of in numbers according to the rate of the Ship, and are always con­sidered as a part of their Ships Complement; and as such they are less charge than so many Seamen, the able Seaman's monthly Pay being Four, and twenty shillings, and the Marines but Eighteen. And for be­ing equally useful at least, I have often heard it own'd by the Flag-Officers, as well as private Captains, they had rather have one fourth of their men Marines, than be wholly mann'd with Sea-men, for that they always found them more obedient to Command in time of Action, whether quartered at the Great Guns or Small Shot, or put Centrys over the Scuttels; whereas the Seamen at such times are not so Governable, being ac­customed to greater Liberties and Disorders, from their frequent discharges and variety of Service, when the Marines are kept to a Constant and Severer discipline.

But here, to dash all our hopes at once, he comes with Antipathy and Oeconomy, and is very merry with the different dispositions of the Seamen and the Land­men, and asserts, 'tis impossible to be practis'd with safe­ty, if the Nation should consent to it: One while he makes us Marines, and then again we are to be Land Soldiers; and indeed such is his ingenuity, we are to be any thing his different purposes would have us; The [Page 5] only instnnce we are allow'd to know is, of a dissenti­on in Sir Francis Wheeler's Expedition in the West Indies; but that happen'd from a Regiment of Foot taken on board in the West Indies, nor can it, even with the art of our Author's inferences, fall on the Marines, the Sea Officers having an absolute Command over them, with power to confine upon refusing to obey.

The Streights Squadron, Commanded by my Lord Orford, and the Land Regiments upon that expedition, are happy instances of a better agreement; and 'tis ra­ther to be hoped our continuing among them may put an entire end to that unnatural dissention, he draws such dangerous consequences from.

He urges in additional charge against us, we cannot be a Nursery for Seamen; Nay, that there is no occa­sion for any Nursery at all in a time of Peace and Se­curity. But I hope his Opinion wanting every support but his own assurance, will not prevail against plain Matter of Fact, subject to other than notional demon­stration; For as the Kings Ships in time of War, by in­dispensible necessity did often delay and prejudice the Trading part of the Kingdom; in times of Peace, the necessity will prevail on t'other side; and 'tis plain, that long and dangerous Voyages, by Distempers inci­dent from several climates, and the infinite accidents such a course of Life exposes men to, will continually lessen the number, and soon awaken us with that ne­cessity we look upon at such a distance: And that the Marines are a proper supply is undeniable; Had our Author been a little better acquainted with that Com­missioner of the Navy, he makes such familiar mention of, the Navy Books would have made appear to them both, that even during the oppressions and disappoint­ments [Page 6] these Regiments labour'd under, great numbers of Scamen have been discharged from them as Able for the service of the Navy: And had they been encou­rag'd and supported in their first Institution, I am as­sured a thousand men might have been Annually drawn from them so qualified.

Nay, these very Marines our Author looks upon as such Cyphers, were found very ready, and very neces­sary, when the Invasion was threatned from Calais; when without them, the difficulties had been insupera­ble upon the Officers employ'd in the speedy manning of the Fleet.

He charges us again, with a modesty proper to him, that Seamen are inveigled by us to become Landmen, rather than our selves made useful at Sea; that we re­ceive Forty Shillings per man, to Recruit and List prest men in our Companies.

The truth of this he makes out with his usual plain­ness, in that one half of the Marines are constantly at Sea themselves, and the rest always ready to relieve them, or be put on board at an hours warning on any other ex­pedition, and always account the Sea Service their proper place of Action and Duty. The Seamen have Twenty Four Shillings per month, and the Marines Eighteen Shillings, which must incline them to choose the Ma­rine Service in point of Interest, and with their natural inclination to Land Men and Land Service, hinted by our Author, Page the 5th, make the Task very easy for Ma­rine Officers to recruit their Companies with prest Sea­men; who must be prest first by the Sea Officers, and actually in their Custody, and they doubtless will be ready (by reason of the Antipathy before mention'd) to oblige the Marine Officers with the men prest at their [Page 7] own trouble and expence; for no Marine Officer has more power to press than any Land Officer whatsoe­ver.

I find, as busy as this Gentleman makes himself, with that determining Port, stating his own Objections, then answering them as roundly; and setting his reasons be­yond the possibility of a reply, he is forced very often to discover his humanity, I mean his fallibility, and not his good nature, of that we must acquit him, the di­stempers of the State will not suffer by the lenity of our Reformer.

Here, if the subject were not too serious, I should in­deed be inclin'd to be merry; The Sailors, he says, are always depended upon better at their Small Arms, to defend the Decks, and annoy the Enemy, because in their Voyages they are accustom'd to shoot Wild Fowl; and would infer, that to defend the Decks, and make regular Fires, to load and discharge with quickness, and order, preserving themselves carefully to advance and retire with that regard to command, as in Companies well disciplined, may be learnt best by shooting of Larks; This is so very Ridiculous that I am in hopes the Gentleman will honour us with the first Fruits of his modesty, and blush for it.

In Confidence of which I will venture to tell him, I have known, when the Sea Commanders have Com­plain'd, they could never bring one in Ten of the Sai­lors so much as to endeavour at the Exercise of the small Arms, which makes the Necessity of the Mariners almost irresistable.

I believe 'tis possible to prove one instance, that these Mariners have been Instrumental in preventing Muti­nies attempted at Sea, and very many reasons why they [Page 8] may be useful that way, constant discipline leaving deeper impressions of Duty, and the highest regard to good Officers, and I am told that is the reason their Arms are always lodged in the aftermost part of the Ship.

As for his Instance upon those Attacks at Cork and Kingsale, these very useless Mariners (unluckily to this Gentlemans purpose) had the Honor of a very consi­derable part in the Success, so that we must conclude he was at too great a distance to be positive.

There are now more than one Thousand of the Ma­rines abroad, and I believe the rest may appeal to any of the Admirals with whom they have served, and find a different Character from our Authors, who is so pal­pably unacquainted with the men, tho so very angry with the Core.

That difficulty he raises of interfering with the Na­vy rules vanishes, when we shall appear useful for the Service, or else the Commissioner he is acquainted with, promises but poorly for the Capacities of the Board.

That the Marine Officers, debauch the principles of the Sea Officers, introducing Arts of false Mustering, unknown to the pristine Innocence of the Seamen, is a scandal so void of proof, that it is not yet known they were ever so much as accused; which requires all the Countenance of our Author to defend, because the Ma­rines on board, are always under the Muster and Check of the Navy.

Where they are said to be useful in the King's Yards, he tells us he will give no Answer, after he has said all he could against it; which is a condescention we must always own, and come to our old way of answering with Matter of Fact of the most evident kind.

In the year 1694, great part of the Marine Regi­ments were on shore, and were Quartered according to the Establishment near the Dock Yards, and there Em­ploy'd with the Encouragement of Sixpence per day, the common Labourers receiving constantly One Shilling and Two pence, and the Marines were acknowledged by the Officers in the Yard, to dispatch more Work for their number, than a third more of the Common La­bourers, being generally young and able for the Ser­vice; and in six months time many of them arrived to perform the same work the Artificers were allow'd two Shillings per day for.

As for the security of the Yards that he dispises, and sets up a Watchman and a Bell, and the whole's con­futed: But the Marines, so quartered as before, may take off the charge of one Shilling and Sixpence a night per man paid to the Watch, and do the Purpose better; For the Soldier does it as a piece of his Duty, and is diligent in hopes of favour and perfer­ment.

Our Author has taken great care to be particular in the Marines Diet and Lodging, and other accommodations; I hope, having as many Limbs as other men, the Ad­vantage of that will be found in their labour.

When Ships are laid up, 'tis undeniable but the Ma­rines must be an easier charge than Seamen, to do the duty on board, and in case of any attack, be unque­stionably better able to defend, than a Boatswain and a few Seamen unarmed, and without discipline.

Such a Force, tho below the Ridicule of our Author, might possibly have prevented the burning of the Ships at Chattam, and better defended the yards; for I have heard it affirm'd upon the place, that at that time, the Seamen and Labourers, before one of the Enemy Landed, instead of defending their Charge, plunder'd and stole what they could, and made the best of their way: To what purpose the ringing of the Bell might have been I know not, But of this I am assured, no Souldier dare conceal himself when the Drum beats to Arms.

Where any necessity arises of speedy rigging of Ships ordered out, The Marines Quarter'd near the Docks will be Qualified for that Duty, prevent any delay while the means are used to get the Seamen together, and in the year (1695) for want of Seamen at hand, many of the great Ships at Chattam were fitted out, and carried down the River by Marines.

The First Marine Regiments are not dispers'd as he falsly affirms, but one of the present four consists of the old Officers and chosen men, and the rest were distri­buted into the other three; so that the dispute is not to make a new Establishment, but upon these undenia­ble uses to confirm an old one.

How it may answer this Gentlemans purpose, or his Character to lay the strictest assurance upon things ut­terly false, I can't tell; But this news from Holland of their laying aside Marine Regiments wants confirma­tion.

When this Author had rank'd us under the Protecti­on of the Admiralty, I was in hopes to have seen some of that regard due to a superiour Board; But he is now in his Reforming Capacity, and must be allowed any Latitude.

If continuing such a necessary part of our Naval Force be destructive of the Kingdoms Liberties, our Author has found out a new way of preserving them unknown to our Ancestors, and I hope he will be con­vinced we are not to be deceived by appearances, how secure soever he may be of his own disguise.

His Malice is every where apparent as his Vanity, which makes his Opinion of less Force against us, if there were any thing in his Arguments, and I believe if we were acquainted with his honesty we might lay aside all our Fears.