by authority are always calculated to diminish, never to
increase the market prices. The contractors for victualling the navy
were allowed by government eightpence a day for the diet of each man
when in harbor, sevenpence halfpenny when at sea; [****] which would
suffice at present. The chief difference in expense between that age
and the present consists in the imaginary wants of men, which have since
extremely multiplied.[v] These are the principal reasons why James's
revenue would go further than the same money in our time; though the
difference is not near so great as is usually imagined.

* Page 449.

** Rymer, tom. xix. p. 511.

*** We may judge of the great grievance of purveyance by
this circumstance, that the purveyors often gave but
sixpence for a dozen of pigeons, and twopence for a fowl.
Journ. 25th May, 1626.

**** Rymer, tom. xvii. p. 441, et seq.

v This volume was written above twenty years before the
edition of 1778. In that short period, prices have perhaps
risen more than during the preceding hundred and fifty.

The public was entirely free from the danger and expense of a standing
army. While James was vaunting his divine vicegerency, and boasting of
his high prerogative, he possessed not so much as a single regiment
of guards to maintain his extensive claims; a sufficient proof that he
sincerely believed his pretensions to be well grounded, and a strong
presumption that they were at least built on what were then deemed
plausible arguments. The militia of England, amounting to one hundred
and sixty thousand men,[*] was the sole defence of the kingdom. It is
pretended that they were kept in good order during his reign.[**] The
city of London procured officers who had served abroad, and who taught
the trained bands their exercises in Artillery Garden; a practice
which had been discontinued since 1588. All the counties of England,
in emulation of the capital, were fond of showing a well-ordered and
well-appointed militia. It appeared, that the natural propensity of
men towards military shows and exercises will go far, with a little
attention in the sovereign, towards exciting and supporting this spirit
in any nation. The very boys, at this time, in mimicry of their elders,
enlisted themselves voluntarily into companies, elected officers, and
practised the discipline, of which the models were every day exposed
to their view.[***] Sir Edward Har