POLITICAL HISTORY 



150 recruits were raised for the Low Countries in 1587/ but now all 

 attention was concentrated on the defence of the realm from the threat- 

 ened Spanish invasion. In August, 1586, there had been rumours of a 

 landing of the French in Sussex, and measures had been hastily taken 

 to meet them.^ Again, just a year later, Lord Buckhurst was ordered 

 to put the county in a state of defence, a small supply of ordnance, six 

 pieces only, being granted for the purpose/ 



The total number of ' able men,' between the ages of sixteen and 

 sixty, available for the defence of the county at this time was between 

 six and seven thousand. In 1559 the muster roll showed 6,252 ;* in 

 1569 the total was 6,919, and included 1,876 archers, 4,533 pike and 

 bill men, and 510 harquebussiers ;° in 1574 the total had gone down to 

 6,727, and the number of archers had fallen to 1,491, though by way 

 of compensation the harquebussiers had doubled their numbers." The 

 archers continued to decrease, and in 1584 the council, hearing that 

 archery was much decayed, ordered that special care should in future be 

 taken of its maintenance.' They did not, however, underrate the value 

 of firearms, and at the same time sent Captain John Vaughan to super- 

 intend the Sussex musters, and especially the shooting practice.^ Orders 

 were also given that, to avoid the great expense of maintaining the full 

 force of militia, 2,000 of the most efficient men should be picked out 

 and trained in shooting, but with as sparing a use as possible of the 

 powder, to provide which a fund was to be raised in the county." 

 The method of training suggested was for a halberd to be set up in an 

 open spot, and the men to pass in file, ' or as we term it in rancke as 

 wild geese,' and as they pass to make as though they would fire. After 

 a few trials it would be easy to see which of them had any notion of 

 handling their weapons, and would repay further training. They were 

 then to be taught skirmishing, how to carry their piece without endan- 

 gering themselves or their neighbours, and how to put in the match. 

 The next stage was actual firing, first with ' false fires,' that is to say 

 with priming only, to accustom them to the flash, then with a half 

 charge, and finally with the bullet. This scheme was nicely calculated 

 to save powder, and also to encourage many who ' by reason of the 

 churlishness of their peeces and not being made acquainted therewith 

 by degrees are ever after so discouraged as eyther they wincke or pull 

 their heads from the peece whereby they take no perfect levill but shoote 

 at random. ''" Corporals were to be appointed to every twenty men, and 

 were to cause them to practise at butts erected in some convenient place, 

 the targets being one yard and a half broad, and the range one hundred 

 and fifty paces." Whether any regular uniform existed at this time may 

 be doubted, though the Hastings troops were ordered to be clad ' in 

 cassockes of blewe clothe.'" In 1593, when 150 men were required 



' Acts of P.C. XV. 118. 2 Ibid. xiv. 212. 



3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Eliz. cciii. 14, 17, 18. * Ibid. vi. 64. 



6 Ibid. li. 20. » Ibid, xcviii. 12. 



' Harl. MS. 703, f. 13. ^ ibid. f. 14. ^ ibid, and f. 15. 



•0 Ibid. f. 16. " Ibid. ff. 34-6. " Ibid. f. 38. 



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