MARTIAL PRELATES.

In the seventh year of the reign of Richard II., the Bishop of Norwich, for divers military offences as a general officer, had to appear before Parliament, and was punished with the seizure of his temporalities and a heavy fine.

In the year 1688, the Princess Anne (afterwards Queen Anne), having fled from court, proceeded to join her husband, Prince George of Denmark, and when within a few miles from Oxford, she was met by Sir John Lanier with his regiment of horse, now the First Dragoon Guards, which formed part of the cavalcade on her public entry into that city, on the 15th of December. Immediately in front of her Royal Highness marched the Bishop of London, in a purple cloak, martial habit, pistols before him, and a drawn sword in his hand, riding at the head of a troop of gentlemen, who had inscribed on their standard the motto, "Nolumus Leges Angliæ Mutari.”

This reminds one of the celebrated fighting prelate Peter de Dreux, cousin-german to the King of France, and Bishop of Beauvais, who, being taken in arms by Richard Coeur de Lion, was imprisoned and fettered for personal injuries during his own captivity. Pope Celestine III. remonstrated in behalf of the prelate, to whom, in reply, the King sent the Bishop's helmet and armour to Rome, with these words from Genesis xxxvii. 32, "Know now whether it be thy son's coat or no." The Pope declined further inter

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cession, and replied, "That the coat the King had sent did not belong to a son of the Church but of the camp; and the prisoner, therefore, was at Richard's mercy."

Colonel Norris, who commanded the English and Scots in the service of the States of the United Provinces, whilst storming the walls of Malines, on the 9th of April 1580, slew a Spanish friar, arrayed in armour, in single combat. This officer, whose services were connected with the regiment now represented by the Third Foot, or the Buffs, was afterwards selected by Queen Elizabeth to place the maritime towns of England in a posture of defence to oppose the famed Spanish Armada, and was second in command of the army encamped at Tilbury. Doctor Fuller, in his "Worthies of England," says of him : "He was a most accomplished general, both for a charge, which is the sword, and a retreat, which is the shield of war. By the latter he purchased to himself immortal praise; when in France he brought off a small handful of English from a great armful of enemies, fighting as he retreated and retreating as he fought." His mother was Margaret, one of the daughters and heirs of John Lord Williams, of Tame, who was keeper of Queen Elizabeth when she was under restraint during her sister Mary's reign; so great was the attachment between Queen Elizabeth and the Lady Margaret, that on the receipt of the intelligence of the death of Sir John Norris, she addressed a kind but characteristic letter of condolence to his mother, whom she fondly designates as her "own crow." The mortal disease of Sir John Norris was brought on by anxiety whilst serving in Ireland, in 1597,

PERILS AT SEA.

"Wouldst thou"'-so the helmsman answered

"Learn the secret of the sea?

Only those who brave its dangers

Comprehend its mystery!"

LONGFELLOW.