A Short Vindication OF Marine Regiments, In Answer to a Pamphlet, Entitled, A Letter to a Member of Parliament, concerning the Four Marine Regiments.  
LONDON, Printed for A. Baldwin, near the Oxford-Arms Inn in Warwick-lane. 1699.   

A Short Vindication OF Marine Regiments.  
SInce Mankind are subjected to the Licentious Aspersions of every Author who has an opinion of his railing, the only misfortune a man should resent as particular is when he falls into the worst hands; That such is the fate of the Mariners is evident from the scurrility, inconsistency, and falsity, so conspicuous in every page of his Book.  
The Gentleman undertakes, with that becoming assurance which shines thro' the whole Piece, to prove these Regiments an useless charge to the People, a nuisance to the Navy, and dangerous to the Kingdoms Liberties.  
This Indictment bears indeed a terrible Front, and were it not for this small advantage on our side, that every sort of proof from Reason and matter of Fact is wanting, we were in a desperate condition.  
Our Author without any hesitation asserts, that the Officers seldom do any duty; that they and their men are supernumerary, and useless to the Ships Company, and a very heavy charge: Whereas it is plain, that the Lords of the Admiralty, upon fitting out a Squadron of Ships, always direct their Orders to the Colonels of the Marine Regiments for a detachment of their men, with whom there constantly embarks a proportionable compliment of Officers, who are disposed of in numbers according to the rate of the Ship, and are always considered as a part of their Ships Compliment; and as such they are less charge than so many Seamen, the able Seaman's monthly Pay being Four, and twenty shillings, and the Marines but Eighteen. And for being equally useful at least, I have often heard it owned by the Flag-Officers, as well as private Captains, they had rather have one fourth of their men Marines, than be wholly manned with Seamen, for that they always found them more obedient to Command in time of Action, whether quartered at the Great Guns or Small Shot, or put Centries over the Scuttels; whereas the Seamen at such times are not so Governable, being accustomed to greater Liberties and Disorders, from their frequent discharges and variety of Service, when the Marines are kept to a Constant and Severer discipline.  
But here, to dash all our hopes at once, he comes with Antipathy and Oeconomy, and is very merry with the different dispositions of the Seamen and the Land-men, and asserts, 'tis impossible to be practised with safety, if the Nation should consent to it: One while he makes us Marines, and then again we are to be Land Soldiers; and indeed such is his ingenuity, we are to be any thing his different purposes would have us; The only instnnce we are allowed to know is, of a dissension in Sir Francis Wheeler's Expedition in the West Indies; but that happened from a Regiment of Foot taken on board in the West Indies, nor can it, even with the art of our Author's inferences, fall on the Marines, the Sea Officers having an absolute Command over them, with power to confine upon refusing to obey.  
The straits Squadron, Commanded by my Lord Orford, and the Land Regiments upon that expedition, are happy instances of a better agreement; and 'tis rather to be hoped our continuing among them may put an entire end to that unnatural dissension, he draws such dangerous consequences from.  
He urges in additional charge against us, we cannot be a Nursery for Seamen; Nay, that there is no occasion for any Nursery at all in a time of Peace and Security. But I hope his Opinion wanting every support but his own assurance, will not prevail against plain Matter of Fact, subject to other than notional demonstration; For as the King's Ships in time of War, by indispensible necessity did often delay and prejudice the Trading part of the Kingdom; in times of Peace, the necessity will prevail on t'other side; and 'tis plain, that long and dangerous Voyages, by Distempers incident from several climates, and the infinite accidents such a course of Life exposes men to, will continually lessen the number, and soon awaken us with that necessity we look upon at such a distance: And that the Marines are a proper supply is undeniable; Had our Author been a little better acquainted with that Commissioner of the Navy, he makes such familiar mention of, the Navy Books would have made appear to them both, that even during the oppressions and disappointments these Regiments laboured under, great numbers of Scamen have been discharged from them as Able for the service of the Navy: And had they been encouraged and supported in their first Institution, I am assured a thousand men might have been Annually drawn from them so qualified.  
Nay, these very Marines our Author looks upon as such Ciphers, were found very ready, and very necessary, when the Invasion was threatened from Calais; when without them, the difficulties had been insuperable upon the Officers employed in the speedy manning of the Fleet.  
He charges us again, with a modesty proper to him, that Seamen are inveigled by us to become Landmen, rather than ourselves made useful at Sea; that we receive Forty Shillings per man, to Recruit and List pressed men in our Companies.  
The truth of this he makes out with his usual plainness, in that one half of the Marine's are constantly at Sea themselves, and the rest always ready to relieve them, or be put on board at an hours warning on any other expedition, and always account the Sea Service their proper place of Action and Duty. The Seamen have Twenty Four Shillings per month, and the Marine's Eighteen Shillings, which must incline them to choose the Marine Service in point of Interest, and with their natural inclination to Land Men and Land Service, hinted by our Author, Page the 5th, make the Task very easy for Marine Officers to recruit their Companies with pressed Seamen; who must be pressed first by the Sea Officers, and actually in their Custody, and they doubtless will be ready (by reason of the Antipathy before mentioned) to oblige the Marine Officers with the men pressed at their own trouble and expense; for no Marine Officer has more power to press than any Land Officer whatsoever.  
I find, as busy as this Gentleman makes himself, with that determining Port, stating his own Objections, then answering them as roundly; and setting his reasons beyond the possibility of a reply, he is forced very often to discover his humanity, I mean his fallibility, and not his good nature, of that we must acquit him, the distempers of the State will not suffer by the lenity of our Reformer.  
Here, if the subject were not too serious, I should indeed be inclined to be merry; The Sailors, he says, are always depended upon better at their Small Arms, to defend the Decks, and annoy the Enemy, because in their Voyages they are accustomed to shoot Wild Fowl; and would infer, that to defend the Decks, and make regular Fires, to load and discharge with quickness, and order, preserving themselves carefully to advance and retire with that regard to command, as in Companies well disciplined, may be learned best by shooting of Larks; This is so very Ridiculous that I am in hopes the Gentleman will honour us with the first Fruits of his modesty, and blush for it.  
In Confidence of which I will venture to tell him, I have known, when the Sea Commanders have Complained, they could never bring one in Ten of the Sailors so much as to endeavour at the Exercise of the small Arms, which makes the Necessity of the Mariners almost .  
I believe 'tis possible to prove one instance, that these Mariners have been Instrumental in preventing Mutinies attempted at Sea, and very many reasons why they may be useful that way, constant discipline leaving deeper impressions of Duty, and the highest regard to good Officers, and I am told that is the reason their Arms are always lodged in the aftermost part of the Ship.  
As for his Instance upon those Attacks at Cork and Kingsale, these very useless Mariners (unluckily to this Gentleman's purpose) had the Honour of a very considerable part in the Success, so that we must conclude he was at too great a distance to be positive.  
There are now more than one Thousand of the Marine's abroad, and I believe the rest may appeal to any of the Admirals with whom they have served, and find a different Character from our Authors, who is so palpably unacquainted with the men, though so very angry with the Core.  
That difficulty he raises of interfering with the Navy rules vanishes, when we shall appear useful for the Service, or else the Commissioner he is acquainted with, promises but poorly for the Capacities of the Board.  
That the Marine Officers, debauch the principles of the Sea Officers, introducing Arts of false Mustering, unknown to the pristine Innocence of the Seamen, is a scandal so void of proof, that it is not yet known they were ever so much as accused; which requires all the Countenance of our Author to defend, because the Marines on board, are always under the Muster and Check of the Navy.  
Where they are said to be useful in the King's Yards, he tells us he will give no Answer, after he has said all he could against it; which is a condescension we must always own, and come to our old way of answering with Matter of Fact of the most evident kind.  
In the year 1694, great part of the Marine Regiments were on shore, and were Quartered according to the Establishment near the Dock Yards, and there Employed with the Encouragement of Sixpence per day, the common Labourers receiving constantly One Shilling and Two pence, and the Marines were acknowledged by the Officers in the Yard, to dispatch more Work for their number, than a third more of the Common Labourers, being generally young and able for the Service; and in six months' time many of them arrived to perform the same work the Artificers were allowed two Shillings per day for.  
As for the security of the Yards that he dispises, and sets up a Watchman and a Bell, and the wholes confuted: But the Marines, so quartered as before, may take off the charge of one Shilling and Sixpence a night per man paid to the Watch, and do the Purpose better; For the Soldier does it as a piece of his Duty, and is diligent in hopes of favour and perferment.  
Our Author has taken great care to be particular in the Marine's Diet and Lodging, and other accommodations; I hope, having as many Limbs as other men, the Advantage of that will be found in their labour.  
When Ships are laid up, 'tis undeniable but the Marines must be an easier charge than Seamen, to do the duty on board, and in case of any attack, be unquestionably better able to defend, than a Boatswain and a few Seamen unarmed, and without discipline.  
Such a Force, though below the Ridicule of our Author, might possibly have prevented the burning of the Ships at Chattam, and better defended the yards; for I have heard it affirmed upon the place, that at that time, the Seamen and Labourers, before one of the Enemy Landed, instead of defending their Charge, plundered and stole what they could, and made the best of their way: To what purpose the ringing of the Bell might have been I know not, But of this I am assured, no Soldier dare conceal himself when the Drum beats to Arms.  
Where any necessity arises of speedy rigging of Ships ordered out, The Marine's Quartered near the Docks will be Qualified for that Duty, prevent any delay while the means are used to get the Seamen together, and in the year (1695) for want of Seamen at hand, many of the great Ships at Chattam were fitted out, and carried down the River by Marines.  
The First Marine Regiments are not dispersed as he falsely affirms, but one of the present four consists of the old Officers and chosen men, and the rest were distributed into the other three; so that the dispute is not to make a new Establishment, but upon these undeniable uses to confirm an old one.  
How it may answer this Gentleman's purpose, or his Character to lay the strictest assurance upon things utterly false, I can't tell; But this news from Holland of their laying aside Marine Regiments wants confirmation.  
When this Author had ranked us under the Protection of the Admiralty, I was in hopes to have seen some of that regard due to a superior Board; But he is now in his Reforming Capacity, and must be allowed any Latitude.  
If continuing such a necessary part of our Naval Force be destructive of the Kingdoms Liberties, our Author has found out a new way of preserving them unknown to our Ancestors, and I hope he will be convinced we are not to be deceived by appearances, how secure soever he may be of his own disguise.  
His Malice is every where apparent as his Vanity, which makes his Opinion of less Force against us, if there were any thing in his Arguments, and I believe if we were acquainted with his honesty we might lay aside all our Fears.  
The End.