A. D. 1538. 83 



made an attempt to drive the Portuguefe out of India. He for that end 

 fent his admiral, Solyman BafTa, with eighty fhips and galleys, from the 

 Red Sea, to befiege the ftrong fort of Diu, near the mouth of the Indus. 

 The Turks, however, were repulfed with firmnefs, after ufing all kinds 

 of means to mafter it. 



After the diffolution of monafteries, the clergymen throughout Eng- 

 land were enjoined by an order from Thomas Cromwell earl of Elfex, 

 vicar-general of King Henry VI] 1, to keep a regifter of all v/eddings, 

 chriftenings, and burials in their parifhes. This laudable cuftom has 

 been continued (though it is to be feared not fo carefully as it fliould 

 be) ever fince. It is a pradice which on many important occafions may 

 be of great ufe to princes and ftatefmen, both for political and mercan- 

 tile confiderations ; and, as Bifhop Nicolfon obferves, fuch regiflers are 

 fome of our beft helps for the prefervation of hiflory ; and their ufe 

 (fays he) might be more extenfive, if care were taken to regifter alfo 

 many other remarkable occurrences relating to the public concerns of 

 the feveral parifhes ; and therefore perfons of all perfuafions or opinions 

 ought, under a penalty, to be obliged to regifter the fame in the veftry- 

 books of every parifh. Such regifters are alfo of great ufe and autho- 

 rity in law difputes and trials, for proving the age of perfons, the titles 

 to eftates, &c. 



Ferdinando Soto, having a grant from the Emperor Charles V of the 

 country of Florida, went thither with nine fhips and 600 men at his 

 own expenfe, and travelled many hundred leagues over that country, 

 meeting with many great misfortunes ; and after fundry battles with the 

 natives, returned home with the remaining half of his people in the 

 year 1543. 



1539 In the year 1538 was begun, and in 1539 ^'^^ completed, the 



diffolution of all the remaining abbeys, called the greater ones ; and 

 foon after thofe in Ireland fhared the fame fate. 



Lord Herbert computes the total yearly value of them all (both great- 

 er and lefTer ones) to be L 161,000 ; but this is far from being an exaft 

 account of their annual value ; for the abbots and priors, forelceing the 

 impending defolation, had raifed the fines for leafes very high, whicli 

 brought the rents in confequence very low, that they might therebv 

 have wherewithal to fupport themfelves when they Ihould be expelled. 

 Indeed, the heads of thofe convents had, in part at leaft, long before 

 fallen into that pradice, that they might not be bound to entertain too 

 great a number in their houfes, whereby they much enriched them- 

 felves. 



The author of a fmall folio, printed in the year 1689, with the title 

 of the Happy future ftate of England (faid by many to be the earl of 

 Anglefey*), thinks there were in all about 50,000 perfons maintained 



* According to Mr. Chalmers's information, the author was Sir Peter Pet. Af. 



L 2 



