follow the example of the moft respectable perfons in those profeffions, by exploding the no lefs wild than impious opinion, that the ufe of oaths is neceffary to maintain authority Over «Chaplains were permitted and alfo enjoined to distribute "bibles, prayer-books, and other proper books, to the Sea<< men, to be paid for by themselves at pay-day; I have lit"tle doubt but that our Seamen would be among the "foremost of the claffes of the community for piety and "good conduct. If divine fervice is performed daily on "board a king's fhip, it will require fhortening; and this ་་ may easily be done by our Bishops, as in the Forms to be "ufed at Sea at the end of the Common Prayer Book. "The Chaplain might then go through this fervice at least every morning; and although the whole of the fhip's company might not be able to attend, yet, if counte"nanced by the Officers, he would never want a decent "congregation. Very much will depend upon the cha"racter of the Captain; but as it cannot be expected that "all will be good, it is the more neceflary for the Admi"ralty to enforce obedience to the Inftructions, and Ar"ticles of War, both of which enjoin what I have recom"mended. When Captains fee this done, and confider "themselves as refponfible and punishable for neglect, "there will be no doubt of their attention. "I know very little of Regiments, but have heard of many being very regular and exemplary in head quarters; ❝of which I have no doubt when the Commanding Off"cer attends to them, and encourages them in religion. over foldiers and feamen. Let him chafe from his regiment or his fhip games of chance, and all other incitements to profligacy, riot, and disorder. Let him distinguish by his notice thofe who lead chriftian lives; and allow to virtuous conduct every degree of reasonable weight in the granting of favours, and the diftribution of preferment. And in some meafure for the fake of all around him, but principally for his own, let his life be a practical "The Inftructions given to a Sea Officer in Mr. Ram"fay's book were intended for a young man brought up "under me. The compliment therefore paid to me, though "much greater than I was entitled to, will ferve to con"vince thofe who were acquainted with the fervices per"formed (for which I received an honourable mark of approbation from the Legislature of Barbadoes), that reli"gion and naval duty are very compatible." Mr. Ramfay's Effay on the Duty and Qualifications of a Sea Officer contains many excellent directions, and well deferves the perufal of perfons of the naval profeffion, The fourth edition of that work, which he left at his death prepared for the prefs, will be found enriched with a copy of a complete fet of rules and regulations for the government of a man of war, formed by the Officer whofe fentiments I have just been tranfcribing; and carried by him into execution with effential benefit in two line of battle fhips, one of which was of ninety guns, with a company of feven hundred and fifty men. example example of the duties which he inculcates; and evince that in all his proceedings, whether they refpect himself or others, he is actuated by a conftant reference to a future and eternal ftate of existence. The nature of the naval and military profeffions, the former of which adds to the common precarioufnefs of life all the hazards refulting from boisterous elements, and both of them the risks attendant on war, feems to call those who belong to them to peculiar ferioufness of mind and circumfpection of conduct. Yet, ftrange as it may be, thoughtleffness frequently appears to increase in proportion to familiarity with danger. If this observation be well founded, it ftrongly inculcates on every Officer the importance of unremitting attention to the rites and precepts of religion in a line of life, in which the very circumftances that might have been judged fingularly likely to lead the mind to habits of devotion, and a conftant and lively and awful sense of duty, are found to fix it in carelessness, and to harden it in guilt. 3. The duty of an Officer towards enemies, and towards the subjects of neutral powers, is to be noticed in the next place. The duties which an Officer owes to the enemies of his country may be comprised under the two general rules, of faithfully rendering to them whatever they are entitled in point of juftice to demand from him; and of treating them with every degree of forbearance and humanity compatible with the fuccessful profecution of a juft war. The firft of thefe rules binds an Officer strictly to obferve thofe general laws, which civilifed Nations have adopted by express or tacit convention for the purpofe of regulating hoftilities. For as thefe laws were mutually recognised by the belligerent powers previoufly to the war, each party may claim from the other, as an abfolute right, the benefit of every injunction and provifion which they contain. It binds him likewife to conform to all articles existing in any treaty between his own country and the enemy, which were to continue uninterruptedly in force notwithstanding ftanding future ruptures between the contracting States. These antecedent engagements cannot be annulled without the act of the enemy; who may cancel them either by an exprefs renunciation; or by failing himself to comply with them, or with fome other agreement on which their validity was to depend. But an Officer who fhould infringe any one of them until it is undeniably cancelled in fome one of these methods by the other party, would be guilty of an act of palpable difhonefty; and would of course be altogether inexcufable, whatever advantages he might hope to procure, or might actually obtain, for his country by the attempt. Our rule in the next place inculcates on every Officer the punctual performance of all engagements which have been made during the course of the war with the adverse Nation, or with individuals belonging to it, either by the Government of his own country, or by its authority delegated to himself or to other perfons employed in its fervice. Under this defcription is comprehended the fcrupulous obfervance of capitulations, of truces, of fafe conducts, of parleys, of cartels, of paroles. He who abets another |