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CINCHONINE CINQUE PORTS. 



CINCHONINE; a vegetable alcali, found along 

 with ijiiiniiic, in tlii- several species of Peruvian 

 bark. It exists, along with a little quinine, in the 

 pale bark ; with an equal proportion in the red 

 tmrk, and in very small quantity, with much 

 quinine, in the yellow bark. It may be extracted 

 I'y the same methods as quinine, from which it is 

 separated by its easy crystallisation. It is bitter' 

 and febrifuge, but is less lised than the sulphate 

 of quinine, which is much cheaper. See Bark. 



CINQUE PORTS, (a.) certain English ports, 

 on the coast of Kent and Sussex, bound, on condi- 

 tion of certain privileges, to furnish the sovereign, 

 when called on, with a considerable naval force. 



During the period of Roman dominion in Britain, 

 it was found necessary, in consequence of the in- 

 cursions of the pirates then infesting the northern 

 seas, to unite a certain number (nine,) of the ports, 

 under the governance of an officer, for the better 

 defence of the coast. This system was continued 

 by the Saxons, who, however, only incorporated 

 five ports for this object; though, as there is no 

 charter in existence prior to the reign of Edward 

 I., some writers have assumed that they did not 

 exist as a corporation until then. From the men- 

 tion of Dover, Sandwich, and Romney in the 

 Domesday Book, as privileged ports, and from 

 various concurring circumstances, the date of their 

 original incorporation may be assigned to the early 

 period we have alluded to. 



Our early history affords abundant evidence of 

 the eminent services and high importance of the 

 Cinque ports, both in times of war and of peace. 

 During the former, they were for many centuries 

 the chief arm of our naval power, whilst they 

 greatly promoted the defence of the districts ad- 

 joining the coast during the latter. The arduous, 

 and almost incessant, duties which they were bound 

 by charter to perform, tended, in no inconsiderable 

 degree, to foster the growth of hardy and experi- 

 enced seamen ; and their history, consequently, 

 abounds with splendid instances of naval gallantry. 

 In return for these services, various privileges and 

 immunities were granted them from time to time ; 

 and it has been well observed, that, " in almost 

 every reign, the pages of history show with how 

 great honour and reputation the ports discharged 

 the sacred trust reposed in their valour, skill, and 

 bravery, by their confiding country." 



In conformity with their general name, there are 

 five head, or incorporated ports, Hastings, Sand- 

 wich, Dover, Hythe, and Romney ; but no less 

 than thirty other places are severally united with, 

 and participate in their privileges, as members of 

 the original incorporation, and amongst which we 

 may mention Margate, Ramsgate, Rye, Winchel- 

 sea, Folkestone, Faversham, Deal, and Walmer. 



In order that they might efficiently maintain the 

 free navigation of the channel, and protect the 

 coast from foreign enemies and pirates, they were 

 compelled constantly to keep up a considerable naval 

 force, being obliged to furnish, when called upon 

 by the crown, 57 ships, manned by 1107 men and 

 5" boys, at their own charge, for fifteen days at 

 one time, after which it was in the power of the 

 sovereign to keep them in commission for an un- 

 limited period, at a stipulated rate of pay, which, 

 however, was very insufficient to defray the heavy 

 expenditure necessarily incurred. Notwithstanding 

 this, there have been various instances where they 

 contributed more than double the number of ves- 

 sels required by their charter, thus incurring a 



heavy loss. In consideration of these services, 

 however, the Cinque ports had many honours and 

 privileges of great importance. " They were," 

 we are told, " entitled to send two barons to re- 

 present them in parliament ; they were, by their 

 deputies, to bear the canopy over the "king's head 

 at his coronation, and to dine at the uppermost 

 table, on his right hand, in the great hall ; they 

 were exempted from subsidies and other aids ; their 

 heirs were free from personal wardship notwith- 

 standing any tenure ; they were to be impleaded in 

 their own towns, and no where else ; they were to 

 hold pleas and actions, real and personal ; to have 

 conveyance of fines, and the power of enfranchis- 

 ing villains ; they were exempt from tolls, and had 

 free liberty of buying and selling," with many other 

 privileges. 



At the period of the Norman conquest of Eng- 

 land, the Cinque ports fleet was so formidable, that 

 it was only in consequence of its absence on the 

 northern coast of England, in pursuit of a Norwe- 

 gian fleet, which it completely destroyed, that 

 William was enabled to effect a landing on the 

 British shores. Having learned that the ports fleet 

 was making all sail from the north, the Norman 

 sovereign was compelled to burn the greater part 

 of his ships, to prevent their falling into the hands 

 of the English. The Cinque ports rendered very 

 eminent services at the period of the threatened 

 invasion of the Spanish armada, on vvhich occa- 

 sion they fitted six new ships of large size, at a cost 

 of 43,000. 



The government and direction of these ports is 

 intrusted to an individual of rank and consequence, 

 who assumes the style and title of " lord warden, 

 chancellor, and admiral of the Cinque ports ;" an 

 office which has frequently been held by heirs ap- 

 parent to the throne. Amongst the personages of 

 the blood royal, on whom the mantle of the lord 

 warden has fallen, we may mention Harold II., 

 before his accession to the crown : Odo, bishop of 

 Bayeux, half-brother to William the Conqueror ; 

 Edward I., when prince of Wales ; Henry V., when 

 prince of Wales ; Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, 

 the youngest son of Henry IV.; Richard III., when 

 duke of Gloucester; Henry VIII., before his ac- 

 cession to the crown ; James II., when duke of 

 York ; and prince George of Denmark. The office 

 has also been held by many individuals of high 

 eminence, among whom may be mentioned William 

 Pitt and the duke of Wellington. The salary is 

 3000 per annum. 



The last charter for the government of the 

 Cinque ports was granted by Charles II., in the 

 twentieth year of his reign, which not only con- 

 firmed all preceding charters, but conferred ad- 

 ditional privileges upon the freemen. This charter 

 was subsequently confirmed by James II. But the 

 glory of the Ports has long been of the past. 

 Sandwich, once one of the most extensive and 

 opulent ports in Britain, is now, partly from the 

 ruin of its harbour, a small and insignificant 

 borough ; Winchelsea, which, in the time of queen 

 Elizabeth, was styled by that princess, a " Little 

 London," has experienced a similar reverse ; Hythe 

 was once so extensive and populous, as to contain 

 seven parish churches ; Rye and Romney are nearly 

 desolate; and of all the Cinque Ports and their 

 dependencies, most of which were signally safe and 

 extensive havens, only Dover, Hastings, Margate, 

 and Ramsgate, are now in a flourishing condition, 

 nor does their prosperity result from any circum- 





