art and addrefs with which the robbery was planned and completed, he did not think it could have been her first offence; indeed he well knew it was not, for fhe had been the terror of that county for fome years back, and therefore advifed her not to flatter herself that, in this cafe, her fex could afford her any protection. [She was reprieved before the judge left the town, and after awards tranfported.]

16. This day was held a general court at the bank, when the chairman communicated to the proprietors the following information, viz. That the directors had agreed to prolong the payment of the loan of two millions which had been lent to government, upon condition that the fame fhould be redeemed at half a million per annum. The proprietors approved of the meafure and it was agreed to. The chairman next proceeded to inform the proprietors, that as the national debt had increased fo confiderably, the directors had agreed with the minister to undertake the management of the bufinefs at the rate of 450l. for each million, instead of 5621. which had hitherto been paid for it. This circumflance inade a faving to government of 25,000l. a year. The proprietors approved alio of this meafure, and it was agreed to.

Hermanftadt, in Transilvania, Jan. 10. We have here a fresh proof of the degree of perfection to which unfortunate perfons, deprived of fight, can carry the fenfe of feeling. A blind man of this city has employed himself in joinery work, which he executes with fuch art as to astonish the best workmen ; the latter doubted a long time whether he did it himself, and imagined he only lent his name to fome able workman, who made ufe of this means to dispose of his work

more readily, and to greater ad-` vantage, and they made him work under their infpection. The magiftrates on their teftimony have permitted the blind man to continue his work, and difpofe of it for his own advantage.

Rome, Feb. 15. In confequence of a meeting relative to the affair of the cardinal Rohan, the pope unexpectedly called. a confiftory on Monday laft, when it was refolved to allow the cardinal fix months to appear here in perfon, or to fend a reprefentative to give an account of his arreft; and if he does not clear himself in that time, the pope and the holy college are determined to degrade him from the dignity of cardinal. (See Vol. VI. page 63.)

This

Launcefton, March 28. day captain Douglas was tried for the murder of Mr. Walton. (See Vol. VI. page 58.) After a hearing of four hours and a half, the jury retired for a few minutes, and returned with a verdict of manilaughter. Sentence of imprisonment for one year, and a fine of a fhilling, was then paffed on him.

30. An action was tried this month before Mr. juftice Buller, at Guildhall, in which lord Loughborough was plaintiff, and John Walter, printer of the Univerfal Regifter, defendant, for a libel in propagating an infamous report, highly injurious to the honour and character of the defendant. The jury gave a verdict for the defendant, with 150l. damages.

Thames, against Mr. Watfon, a fhipwright and wharfinger, at Rotherhithe, for obftructing the navigation by erecting a floating dock. The jury, after five hours deliberation, found the defendant guilty. 2. Letters from Berlin fay, that the king of Pruffia, on the death of colonel Vantrofcke, a very valuable officer, fent the following letters to his widow:

I. "The death of colonel Vantrofcke, your husband, command ing the regiment of Old Waldeck, has affected me in a very particular manner. By his death I am deprived of a brave and good officer; fuch was the reputation he enjoyed univerfally, and I know full well how to value the important fervices he has rendered me. The infignia of the order of Merit which he received from me, and which you return with thanks to me for the favours I had conferred on him, will remain for you and your children everlasting tokens of the wellearned distinction which he received at my hands. But I fhall not stop here; you may, on the contrary, reft affured, that I certainly will neither forget the widow of fo deferving an officer, nor the children that he has left behind. Let me know, without any referve, the real ftate of your domeftic concerns at the moment of his death, the number and age of your children. Communicate this matter to me, as to one ever difpofed to give you a proof of his benevolence." Potfdam, Jan. 21.

In the king's own hand. «P. S. I have honoured your husband, as the model of an excellent officer; but fince, alas! he is no more, I fhall be to his children a father I mean to do for them and his widow all that a parent could have done; let me have only

.

the true state of your means, and I engage to do the needful for the fatisfaction of the family."

II. "I fhall between this and next Trinity lay out 20,000 rixdollars in the purchase of an ellate for your three children, the whole direction and management of which fhall remain in your hands. You must apply to the ecclefiaftical department, to fee whether there be two vacancies in a nunnery within the county of Cleves, or the province of Weftphala, for your two young ladies; when marriageable, I fhall take them away, and fettle them in the world.

(Signed)

FREDERIC."

Edinburgh, March 25. We hear from Perth, that on Tuesday last, the foundation of a large village to be called Pitcarine Green, was laid by the proprietor, Thomas Graham, efq. of Balgowan.

The ceremony was attended by Mrs. Graham, lady C. Graham, lady Charlotte Erfkine, &c. amidst the acclamations of a grateful populace, who were liberally entertained by their beloved landlord. This village, the principal fquare of which will contain about eighty houses, is to be built in confequence of an extenfive Callico printing field, lately established at Cromwell Park, in its immediate neighbourhood, by Meff. William Macalpine and Co. who are also to erect machinery for the fpinning of cotton.

4. The following dreadful accident happened lately at Brodiehoufe, near Forres, in North-Britain: lady Margaret Brodie, fifter to the earl of Fife, after spending a cheerful evening, retired about 11 o'clock to her bed-chamber, where one of her five children (a daughter nine years old) was in bed, being her conftant bedfellow. It is fup

pofed

pofed her ladyfhip took a book, and while reading by the fire, her clothes caught. She ran to the bed, in order probably to fave her child, but the curtains alfo took fire. She then fell, and perished in the flames. The fhrieks of the poor child alarmed the fervants, as they did alfo Mr. Brodie, who flept in the room over lady Margaret. The fervants, however, happily got out the child unhurt, but Mr. Brodie was much burnt in dragging out of the flames the burnt body of his wife.

5. Yesterday came on the election of a governor and deputy governor of the Bank of England for the year enfuing, when George Peters, eq. was chofen governor, and Edward Darell, efq. deputygovernor. And this day came on the election of 24 directors, when the following gentlemen were chofen: Samuel Beachcroft, efq. Daniel Booth, efq. T. Boddington, efq. Roger Boehm, efq. Samuel Bofanquet, efq. Lyde Browne, efq. Richard Clay, efq. William Cooke, efq. Bignel Coney, efq. Thomas Dea, efq. William Ewer, efq. Peter Gauffen, efq. Daniel Giles, efq. John Harriton, efq. T. Scott Jackfon, efq. Richard Neave, efq. Edward Payne, efq. Chriftopher Puller, efq. Thomas Raikes, efq. Godfrey Thornton, efq. Samuel Thornton, efq. Mark Weyland, efq. Benjamin Winthrop, efq. Benjamin Whitmore, jun. efq.

Gloucefter, April 3. On Sunday the 26th of March two young women, and three young men, of the neighbourhood of Westbury, in fpite of the admonitions of their friends, determined to take pleafure on the Severn, inftead of going to church, and whilft they were failing down the stream, a fudden fquall of wind overfet the boat.

The two women and one of the men were instantly drowned. The other two men got upon the bottom of the boat, and were toffed to and fro upon the river till four o'clock the next morning, when they grounded on a fand bank, and with the utmost difficulty and hazard got to fhore, nearly ftarved to death.

12. Came on the ballot for fix directors of the East-India company, at the clofe of which the numbers were,

755

754

746

648

647

628

444

417

For Jofeph Sparkes, efq. Richard Hall, etq. William Bentley, efq. John Hunter, efq. John Smith, efq. John Travers, efq. George Tatem, eiq. John Lewis, efq. Whereupon the first fix gentlemen were declared duly elected.

John Michie and John Motteaux, efqrs. are elected chairman and deputy-chairman of the EaftIndia company.

The court of directors made the following arrangement of their fervants at Bengal and Madrafs, in confequence of the new India bill having received the royal affent, viz. earl Cornwallis is appointed governor-general and commander in chief. General Sloper recalled, and to receive an annuity of 1500l. for life. The Bengal council to confift of earl Cornwallis, Meff. Macpherfon, Stables, and Stuart; and Mr. John Shore to fucceed to the first vacancy in the fupreme council, The fyftem of uniting the chief civil and military authority to take place at each prefidency; of course, governor fir Archibald Campbell is appointed governor and commander in chief at Madrafs. General Dalling also recalled, with an annuity of 1oool.

for

for life. The Madrafs council to confift of fir Archibald Camp bel, Meff. Daniel, Davidion, and Caflamajor.

The directors alfo granted an annuity of 1500l. per ann. to lord Macartney, as a confideration for the unexampled integrity and ability difplayed by that nobleman during his adminiftration at Fort St. George.

Carthagena, March 18. The beginning of this month an Algerine bark, of 26 guns, took a Neapolitan armed fettee within three hours fail of this port, after a bloody conteft. The next day the bark, with her prize, fell in with two Portuguefe frigates and an armed polacre, and a moit defperate battle enfued, for upwards of three hours, till at laft the bark's mafts, with most of her rigging, were cut to pieces, her rudder fhot away, and fhe in a very leaky condition; yet the and her prize kept firing fuch inceffant howers of grape-fhot into the queen's fhips as killed and wounded a vast number of people; the men of war alfo kept a continual and well directed cannonading into the pirates, till they funk the bark, and retook the fettec; but as foon as the Portuguefe came to board and take poffeffion of the prize, the Algerines fet fire to her in three places, and her captain, together with all the crew, jumped into the fea, and were drowned; when the inftantly blew up, and the prizemafter and all his people on board perished.

13. This day a man was committed to the New Gaol, charged with a murder, at Godftowe, in Surry, attended with circumstances of the most vindictive cruelty. He was a pauper, who, under the falfe pretence of being a cripple, had long been a charge upon the pa

rifh; but being detected by Mr. Burt, a furgeon of that town, the villain vowed revenge; and this day he feized the opportunity to put his diabolical purpose in execution. He had, as ufual, taken his ftand upon the road to beg alms, fupported by crutches; and on Mr. Burt's paffing from his own house to the poor-houfe, accompanied by his fon, a kad about ten years of of age, after exclaiming, "There

goes that rafcal Burt," he threw a bill at his legs, which fortunately miffed them, and then purfuing, and prefently overtaking him, by a blow from his crutch brought him to the ground; this was followed by a repetition of blows up. on the head with his hand bill, till he actually buried the bill in Mr. Burt's skull. Mr. Burt's hand was fevered from the arm in endeavouring to fave his head. At this mo ment, the little boy, feizing the murderer's crutch, truck him fuch a blow as to ftagger him; but, fearing his father's fare, ran to call affiftance; and in the mean while the villain made off; but was foon after found hid in a copfe. On his being fcized, he lamented that the overfeers had efcaped his vengeance. Had he DONE for them, he should have died contented. What he was not able to effect, his wife has threatened to perpetrate, if her husband is hurt.

Mrs. Burt, who had only a month to go in her pregnancy with her feventh child, is reduced to the moft deplorable fituation by this dreadful calamity, which has likewife greatly affected the health and fpirits of the poor child that was a witnefs of it. [The humanity of the public was greatly interested in this unhappy affair; and a fubfcription being fet on foot by the benevolent Dr. Hawes, very liberal contributions were

procured

24. The Society of Antiquaries

-Yesterday twelve malefactors were executed before Newgate. The morning preceding the execution, major Arabin, called in Newgate upon Thomas Burdett (who was to be executed next day, for breaking open the houfe of Mr. Chanceller, at Holywell Mount), and asked whether he knew any thing of the robbery of his houfe, on the 7th of March laft. (See Vol. VI. page 21.) To this Burdet an fwered in the affirmative. The major then defired to know if he had any accomplices, and if they were fill at large; to which Burdett replied, "You, Major, I fup. pofe, call yourself a man of honour!""Yes."-" So do I." "Have you any hopes of a pardon?""No; nor would I make the defired difcovery to procure it and my immediate enlargement. I have long been a wicked man; I deferve the punishment I am going to fuffer, and am perfectly refigned." Hereford, April 17. This evening, the weft tower of our church unfortunately fell down. For about nine days before the tower fell, the stone work of the infide roof kept falling, but nobody fufpected the tower itself to fall till between fix and feven this evening, when all that beautiful and magnificent ftructure fell down; and with it part of the body of the church. There was a great number of people in the church-yard, but none were hurt.

This tower was esteemed one of the most beautiful and majestic remains of Gothic architecture that were to be found in the kingdom. The height of it was 125 feet. It was erected in the 12th century by Giles de Bruce, then bishop of Hereford.

OLD COUNCIL. The earl of Leicester, F. R. S. Thomas Aftle, efq. F. R. S. Sir Jofeph Banks, bart. P. R. S. The Rev. John Brand, M. A. Owen Salufbury Brereton, F. R. S. Edward Bridgen, efq. F. RS. Richard Gough, efq. F. R S. Michael Lort, D. D. F. R. S. Rev. William Norris, M. A. John Peachy, efq. F. R. S. John Topham, efq. F. R. S.

NEW COUNCIL. George lord Arden, F. R. S. John lord bishop of Bangor, F. R.S. Guftavus Brander, efq. F. R. S. John lord Cardiff,

Rev. John Douglas, D. D. F. R S.
R. Banks Hodgkinson, F. R. S.
Richard Jackfon, efq.
George duke of Montagu, F. R.S.
Sir William Mufgrave, bart, F. RS.
Richard Warren, M. D. F. R. S.
OFFICERS.

The earl of Leicester, President.
Edward Bridgen, efq. Treaturer.
Richard Gough, efq. Director.
William Norris, M. A. Secretary.
John Brand, M. A. ditto.

After which the Prefident appointed the following Gentlemen Vice-Presidents:

Owen Salufbury Brereton, efq.
The rev. Dr. Lo't.
Sir William Mufgrave, bart.
John Douglas, D. D.

25. It has been obferved, that, though robbery is lefs frequent in France than in England, yet murder with robbery is much more prevalent. Of this the following is a melancholy and very recent in stance.

Capt. Roberts, of Shoreham, in returning