such person without the knowledge of us, your[ Generals, or such as we shall appoint.
"XXVII. I fogs (if any happen), when your ships are beeaimed, you shall catise some noi to be made, by drum, by trumpet, by shooting off a musket or calliver now and then, or by some other like means, that, hearing you to near, every one may take hel lest he fall foul of another.
"XXVIII. No lmon what,vet shall dare to strike any Captain, Lieutenant, Master, or other officer, upon p:dn of death. And, furthermore, whatsoever he that shall strike any inferior pemon, he shall receive punishment, accoing to the offence given, be it hy death or otherwise.
"XXIX. Tuu shall be no report or talk raised in the Fleet, wherein any officer or gentleman in the same may be touched in reputation; or mater of importance sken, without his author shall be severely punished as an evil member mnongst us."
Up to the twenty-third year of Queen Elizabeth there ws no regultr provision for the mMntennce of seamen disabled in the service of their countw. In that year an Act ws passed to ssess every ptrish at a certMn wkly sum for the suppo of the disM)led
GOLD RIAL OF ELIZABETH. (From B.lb', silors nd soldiem belonging to the county. In 1590, thnks to the
in.rest displayed in the mtter by Nottingham, wkyns nd Drake, the Chest t Chath ws established. The origin of the mutul benevolent fund known by this nme rose out of the consideration "that by frequent emploqnent by for the defence of this kingdom" . . . divers and sundry, "masters, mariners, shipwrights, and seafaring men, by reason of hus and maims received in the seice, are ridyen into great poverty, extremity and want, to their great discouragement." It was therefore determined that perpetual relief should be afforded in such cases, and, in order to be able to aflbrd it, it was voluntarily agreed that every man and boy in the navy should regularly forfeit to 'the fund a snail proportion of his monthly wages, such contributions to be from time to time placed "in a strong chest with five locks, to that purpose especially provided." The chest, which is of iron, still