The Spanish Armada, 1538. With Historical Introduction by T.
C. Noble. (A. R. Smith.)—Mr. Noble gives in his introduction some interesting facts about the Armada. It consisted of 166 ships, with 27,128 soldiers, marines, &c., and 180 friars on board. The English had 195 ships and 15,334 men, but more than half of these were volunteers. The land muster amounted to more than 120,000. The fleet cost. about 2153,000,—a great sum in those days. Now, it repre- sents about a few days' expenditure (something less than five). Mr. Noble reprints the list of those who contributed sums of not less than £25, arranged according to their counties. Kent furnished £5,100; Bedford, £1,525; Huntingdonshire, only £600; Yorkshire contributed £3,830. There has been a strange transposition of wealth daring the last three centuries. How would Kent and Yorkshire figure in such a list now ? It was really an assessment for taxation. Unfortunately, only some of the counties give the abodes of the oontribators. Warwickshire is one of them ; we find that Birming- ham furnished three sums of £25 each. Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland do not appear at all in the list.
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