302

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap, pay -was given merely as a special and temporary allowance to

-a small number of officers belonging to two regiments, which

were peculiarly situated.* Greenwich Hospital had not beenfounded. Chelsea Hospital was building: but the cost of thatinstitution was defrayed partly by a deduction from the pay ofthe troops, and partly by private subscription. The Kingpromised to contribute only twenty thousand pounds forarchitectural expenses, and five thousand a year for themaintenance of the invalids.** It was no part of the plan thatthere should be outpensioners. The whole nonefifectivecharge, military and naval, can scarcely have exceeded tenthousand pounds a year. It now exceeds ten thousand poundsa day.

ct»n r go- f Of the expense of civil government only a small portionment" was defrayed by the crown. The great majority of the func-tionaries whose business was to administer justice and pre-serve order either gave their services to the public gratui-tously, or were remunerated in a manner which caused nodrain on the revenue of the state. The sheriffs, mayors, andaldermen of the towns, the country gentlemen who were in thecommission of the peace, the head-boroughs, bailiffs, andpetty constables, cost the King nothing. The superior courtsof law were chiefly supported by fees.

Our relations with foreign courts had been put on the mosteconomical footing. The only diplomatic agent who had thetitle of Ambassador resided at Constantinople, and was partlysupported by the Turkey Company. Even at the court ofVersailles England had only an Envoy; and she had not evenan Envoy at the Spanish, Swedish, and Danish courts. Thewhole expense under this head cannot, in the last year of the

* Warrant in the War Office Records, dated March 20. 1678.

** Evelyn's Diary, Jan. 27.1682. I have seen a privy seal, dated May17.1683, which confirms Evelyn's testimony.