remained a considerable time before he could get out his fortune was now reduced from some thousands to a few hundreds; and by this time, nò man better knew the way of life than my friend Jack Easy. He had been through all the dirty crossroads of business, money-borrowing, bankruptcy, and law; and at last arrived at a gaol.

My friend Jack did not despond; he consoled himself with the reflection, that he was a single man ; some of his misfortunes were the consequences of his own imprudence, others of unforeseen accidents, and most of them originated from his good-nature and generosity. He, however, never excused, he lumped them all together, took them in good part, and blamed nobody but himseif; he whistled away his troubles, and often repeated,

I am out of Fortune's power:

He who is down can sink no lower.

The goddess, however, at last put on her best smiles, and paid Jack a visit in the King's Bench, in the shape of a handsome legacy. Jack smiled at the thing, being, as he called it, so extremely à-propos; and once more mounted his nag. He now rode more cautiously, and turned into the road of Economy, which led to a comfortable inn with the sign of Competency over the door; he had borrowed a martingale from an old hostler called Experience; and for the first time in his life, used a curb. He began already to find, that though he did not gallop away

as formerly, yet he went on in his journey pleasantly enough. Some dashing riders passed him, laughing at his jog-trot pace; but he had no occasion to envy them long; for presently some of them got into ruts, others were stuck fast in bogs and quagmires, and the rest were thrown from their saddles, to the great danger of their necks. Jack Easy, meanwhile, jogged on merrily; hot or cold, wet or dry, he never complained; he now preferred getting off, and opening a gate, to leaping over it; and smiled at an obstacle, as at a turnpike where he must necessarily pay toll.

The man who is contented either to walk, trot, or canter through life, has by much the advantage of his fellow-travellers. He suits himself to all paces, and seldom quarrels with the tricks which the jade Fortune is sometimes disposed to play him. You might now see Jack Easy walking his hobby along the road, enjoying the scene around him, with contentment sparkling in his eyes. If the way happened to be crowded with horsemen and carriages, you might observe him very readily taking his own side of the road, and letting them pass. If it began to rain or blow, Jack only pulled up the collar of his great-coat, flapped his hat, and retreated to the best shelter he could find till the storm was over.

Thus my friend Jack Easy came in with a jog-trot to the end of his journey, leaving his example behind him as a kind of finger-post for the good of other travellers.

COMPARATIVE STATE OF THE BRITISH NAVY FROM THE

REIGN OF HENRY THE SEVENTH, TO THE END OF THE YEAR 1806.

Our floating Castles dance upon the tide,
And on its foamy ridge triumphant ride.

BLACKMORE.

THE merit of diligence and accuracy is certainly due to our author, who has exhibited, in a clear and connected point of view, the state of the British Navy, from its birth to its present maturity. Its origin (that is, the origin of what he terms the Royal Navy, he dates at the reign of our seventh Henry, who built the first large ship, called the Great Harry. During the reign of Henry VIII. the number of ships was increased to 71, the burden of which amounted to between ten and twelve thousand tons. Very little variation in the number of ships, or in the amount of tonnage, took place under Edward VI.; but at the death of his successor, Mary, the former was reduced to twenty-six, and the latter to seven thousand one hundred and ten. The spirit of Elizabeth, however, was exerted with success in increasing this bulwark of the nation; for at her death, in 1603, the navy consisted of forty-two ships, and the whole amount of tonnage was 17,055. The annual expence of her navy was 30,000l. Though James the First was of a peaceable disposition, and

engaged in no wars, he nevertheless, at the beginning of his reign, devoted 50,000l. per annum to the support of his navy; and in 1616, he issued a proclamation," forbidding any English subjects to export or import goods in any but English bottoms." The good effects of this measure were soon experienced, as it occasioned much larger ships to be built for the merchants' service, and also a great increase of trade. This may be considered as the beginning of that wise system of policy which gave rise to our navigation laws, the recent violations of which this country will soon find cause to lament. At the death of James, however, the number of ships in the navy had decreased from forty-two to thirty-three, though the tonnage had increased from 17,055 to 19,400. Eight years after the accession of Charles I., (in 1633) the number of ships was fifty, and the tonnage 23,505; but there is no account of the state of the navy at the period of his murder, owing to the disorders of the times. During the usurpation, the navy experienced a very great augmentation; at the death of the usurper, in 1658, it consisted of 157 ships, carrying 4,390 guns, and 21,910 men, for the support of which he obtained an annual grant of 400,0001.

Under Charles the Second the navy was suffered to fall into decay, and the parliament shewed a great reluctance to grant the necessary sums for its restoration and support. At length, however, some grants were obtained, and in 1676, we find 148 ships, of 69,004 tons burden, bearing 5,350 guns, and manned

of 103,558 tons.

with 30,260 men; and nine years after, at the death of this monarch, they were increased to 179 ships, During the short reign of the second James, the navy remained much in the same state as to the number of ships, and the amount of their tonnage, though means were taken for preventing its decay, most politic in themselves, and most beneficial in their consequences.

In king William's reign the greatest attention was paid to the navy: at his accession, in 1688, it consisted of 173 ships, of 101,892 tons; and at his death, in 1702, it amounted to 272 ships and 159,020 tons, being an increase of no less than 99 ships, and 57,128 tons. At the decease of queen Anne, in 1714, the number of ships was 247, and the tonnage 167,219. George the First died in 1727, and left 233 ships, of 170,862 tons; so that in his reign, there was a decrease of 14 ships, but an increase of 3,643 tons: of course, the ships were a larger size.

On the accession of his present Majesty, the navy was found in a most flourishing state. The number of ships was 412, their tonnage 321,104. When the peace Paris was concluded in 1783, the navy was increased to 617 ships, the tonnage of which was 500,781. Of these ships, 174 were of the line. Having brought his interesting statement up to that period, our author observes:

"It will now be proper to take notice of two regulations that were adopted, or greatly improved, by the Navy Board, after the war, which cannot fail of being eminently useful at all times.