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dered as equal, if not superior, to the most acknowledged adepts of Newmarket. He rode himself in all his principal matches, and was the rival, in that branch of reputation, of the most emiuent professional jockies. His famous match with the Duke of Hamilton, the father of the last nobleman of that title, and that of the machine, which bore his own name, were long distinguished articles in the annals of Newmarket, and are not yet forgotten. He blended, however, his pursuits of the turf with the more elegant attainments of high life, and was long considered as the first figure in the brilliant circles of fashion. He was the model in dress, equipage, and manners, for all those who aspired to superiority in exterior appearances. After he had quitted the turf, and had succeeded to the Queensberry titles and estates, his life has been distinguished by little but his enjoyments, in which be continued to indulge himself while the faculties of receiving gratification from them remained. His constant residence, and the scene of his pleasure, was London or its vicinity. Scotland he seldom, if ever, visited. His house at Amesbury, in Wiltshire, the work of Inigo Jones, and the classical mansion of a former period, he has let, if it he not sold; and his country pleasures were found in his villa at Richmond, which he had fitted up in a style of superior elegance. There he occasionally lived in splendour, till the folly of the inhabitants, by making a vexatious claim at law to a few yards of ground, which, unconscious of any invasion of parochial rights, he had taken into his enclosure, determined him to quit a place where he considered himself as having been gressly insulted, and to which, in various ways, he had been an ample benefactor. Latterly he lived altogether in Piccadilly, where his figure was daily visible in his balcony, and had become familiar to every one who was in the habit of passing through that great metropolitan thoroughfare. He was appointed Lord of the Bedchamber to his Majesty on his coming to the throne: but in consequence of the part he took in the question of the Regency in 1789, his name is not to be seen in the Royal Household after that period. He was invested with the Green Ribbon in the year 1764, and at the time of his death was the senior Knight of the Order of the Thistle. He was never married. In the early part of his life he proposed marriage to Miss Pel

dotes, without end, have been disseminating about him; many of which are false, and most of them exaggerated; but no man ever contrived to make so much of life as be appears to have done. When his eye (for he had but one) was grown dim, and his hearing almost gone, he did not lose his spirits, or fail in making efforts to enjoy what little was left him. He had long lived secundem artem; and the prolongation of his life may be attributed to the precautionary practice. The predominant feature of the Duke of Queensbury's character was, to use a common phrase, to do what he liked, without caring who was pleased or displeased at it. His wealth was enormous and accumulating; but little is known of any private disposition of it. His charities at Richmond were, indeed, considerable, and his occasional contributions for national purposes were noble ones; and that is all we have board of his private or public benevolence. We can, therefore, conclude this article with no other ob. servation than, that he reached an age beyond the common allotment of man, and was one of the most wealthy subjects of the British empire.The last Will of this venerable Peer, who, after seven days illness, died without a groan, on the 23d of December, in the 85th year of his age, has been opened, and read in the presence of the nearest of the noble relatives now in London; it will not be proved by the Executors in the Commons for some days to come. This curious testament of bequests to so vast an amount, is loaded, it seems, with codicils, and counter-codicils, to a most embarrassing extent, and being all in the hand-writing of the testator, were in some latter instances not easily to be decyphered. In so capricious a disposal and revocation of his bequests, some will find themselves unexpectedly noticed, while a greater number may experience a mors tifying disappointment, several of whom, who knew themselves liberally pensioned in the body of the Will, being codicilled down to a moiety of the donation looked for. The following stand amongst the principal bequests, viz.-To Lord Douglas, 100,000l -The Earl of Yarmouth, før his life, and that of Lady Yarmouth, and then to descend to their issue male, 150,000l. the two houses in Piccadilly, and the villa at Richmond, with all their furniture. His Lordship is also named residuary legatee, by which it is supposed that he will eventually derive a further sum of

ham, the daughter of Mr. Pelbain, then Secre- || 200,000l.-The Duchess of Somerset 10,000l. intary of State, and the niece of the Duke of New-dependent of the Duke.--Countess of Dunmore, castle, then first Lord of the Treasury; but whether his fortune was not at that time thought sufficient, or his general habits disapproved, bis snit was rejected. The circumstances of this proposal and rejection were, at the time, a very general and interesting topic of consideration among the higher circles. The lady preceded her lover but n few years, and unmarried, to that state, where there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage. The Duke of Queensbury has obviously been for many years a subject of continual remark. Anec

10,000l.-Lady Ann Hamilton, 10,000l.-Lady Hamilton, 500l. per annum, and 1,000l. By a former codicil it stood 1,000l. per annum, and 2,000l.-General Charles Crawford, 10,000l.General R. W. Crawford, 500l. per annum.→→ Mr. James, 5,000l.-Monsieur Pere Elezee (the French Surgeon) 5,000l.-Hon. General Richard Fitzpatrick, 500l. per annum for life. In a former codicil it stood 10,000l.-Governors of the Lock Hospital, 35,000l.-Governors of St George's, ditto, 15,000l.Governors of Middlesex, ditto,

54

career, and he was the rightful inheritor of that
excellent actor's range of characters, and was, in-
deed, capable of assuming parts which Wood-
ward would have been incapable of representing,

10,000.-The Checque Clerk at Mr. Coutes's Bank, who kept his Grace's account, 600l. per annum. The Duke has made the most liberal provision for all his male domestics; but, strange to say, he has omitted to mention Mr. Fuller,such, for instance, as Falkland, in the Rivals, a his apothecary, in his will, who slept by his bedside every night for the last six years of his life, nor, with all his partiality for the sex, has he remembered his housekeeper, or any other female domestic servant of his establishment. Besides his extensive landed estates, he has died worth a million sterling of other disposable property.

part which Mr. Lewis rendered very prominent in that humourous comedy, and which he supported" with all requisite ease and sensibility. There was ' an original air of spirit, gaiety, and whim, in Mr. Lewis's manner, which not only enabled him to display the general round of stock characters, as they were called, of the legitimate Drama, with great skill, but which induced O'Keefe, and other dramatic writers of the present day, to

forth his peculiar talents, and affording scope for the exuberance of his humour. Indeed, it may be truly said, that many productions of the present day were indebted for the favour with which they were received, wholly to the whim, gaiety, and original humour with which he supported the principal characters. But the powers of Mr. Lewis were not confined to comedy.-He was a

MR. LEWIS, THE ACTOR.-The public we are convinced, will hear with much regret, that this Gentleman, who has so often afforded them plea-design parts entirely for the purpose of drawing sure, made his awful exit from the stage of life on Saturday Jan. 12, at his house, in Westbourne-place, Sloane-square, London. He was in the 63d year of his age. As a comic actor he was certainly at the head of his profession, for the whole of that period in which he was on the London stage. He had acquired considerable fame as a Comedian before he ventured upon the boards of the great metropolis of the British Fm-very respectable actor in the tragic province, and we are assured, that the excellence he displayed pire. He made his first appearance in London at Covent-Garden Theatre, about the year 1774, in Mrs. Hannah Moore's tragedy of Percy, proin the part of the West Indian, which he repre-cured him the warm approbation of Garrick himsented with so much ease, sprightliness, and humour, that he fixed his reputation on his first appearance, and made such a progress in public favour, that he was, during the whole of his career, the most popular Comedian in his day. From the characters which he generally assumed, and from his well-bred manners in private life, he soon acquired the designation of Gentleman Lewis, to distinguish him from Lee Lewis, who generally represented parts of a less elegant description. Mr. Lewis came upon the London boards just as poor Woodward was closing his

self. But though Mr. Lewis distinguished him-
self so much in what may be called the farcical
characters of comedy, his private life was marked
by ever domestic virtue. The immediate canse
of his death was a fever on the chest, and he had
only been confined to his hed a week, before his
It was gene-
family and numerous train of friends had the
misfortune to be deprived of him.
rally supposed that Mr. Lewis was a native of
Ireland, but we are assured that he was born in
the Principality of Wales.

PROVINCIALS.

INCLUDING REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES, &c. IN THE SEVERAL COUNTIES OF GREAT BRITAIN.

DEVONSHIRE.

On the 28th of December, as Mr. Hutton, contractor for supplying Dartmoor prison with butcher's meat, was returning from Tavistock market in the evening, having dismounted to refresh his horse at a rivulet, it being dark, the animal escaped from him, and in endeavouring to recover it, Mr. H. missed his way, and was precipitated into an old lead shaft, upwards of 68 feet deep; but there being several feet of water in the bottom, his fall was in some measure broken. On rising to the surface, Mr. H. laid hold of one of the cross pieces, on which he supported himself; and he plainly heard the passengers conversing on the turnpike road; but his efforts to make known his situation proving ineffectual, he en

deavoured, by means of a pair of scissars, to dig boles in the side of the pit, to facilitate his ascension, and had got within a few feet of the surface, when the earth giving way, be was again plunged into the dark abyss. He remained in this dreadful situation until the Friday following, when he was discovered by a labourer, who was passing by; ropes were immediately procured, by which, he was soon released from his perilous situation, and is now perfectly recovered.

LANCASHIRE.

Lately, as the Mail, on its way from Preston to Manchester, was changing horses at Chorley, at twelve at night, the fresh horses having been put to, coachee went to fetch some straw to sit upon, when the horses set off, in spite of the coachman,

to their great sorrow, it was gone; when, seeing the cat in the room, they had no doubt but she must have been the devourer.

The following singular accident occurred late

guard, and three passengers; the coachman followed on foot, and the guard and passengers in a post-chaise. The horses steadily pursued their course until they arrived at Red-bank Brow, one mile from Chorley, where they stopped, as isly, at Dell Hole Pond, near Chichester. A man usual, while one of the wheels is locked. Here a countryman on the road called out to be taken up, and thinking the coachman was inside, seated himself in the guard's rostrum, and crying go on off went the horses again down hill at full speed, never stopping before they arrived at the Elephant and Castle, four miles further, where the coach has constantly occasion to stay a short time; the countryman then alighted, and proceeded to invite the coachman to a glass, when all he found inside was the fourth passenger, who had been asleep all the time. The animals had passed several carts and waggons on the way.

LINCOLNSHIRE.

Stamford, December 23.-Yesterday Milton, who recently wagered 300l. against 500l. that he would ride from the end of Dover-street, Piccadilly (a distance of 90 miles) to this town, in five hours, completed his extraordinary undertaking three-quarters of an hour within the time allowed! He started from Dover-street at two minutes past eight o'clock yesterday morning, and arrived at the George and Angel Inn in this place at exactly seventeen minutes past twelve. When it is considered that Mr. Milton weighs fourteen stone, and that in consequence of his horses being misplaced he was obliged to ride one horse upwards of fifteen miles, this may, perhaps, be proclaimed one of the most wonderful feats ever recorded in the annals of horsemanship. One of the horses was completely knocked up before he had gone four miles. Mr. Milton, when he reached Stamford, appeared very little fatigued.

SUSSEX.

A wonderful circumstance occurred at Mr. Street's, in the parish of Goring. A partridge's egg was given to one of his daughters, on the 20th of January last; she, with particular care, put it into a small trunk, with divers articles, and there it remained till the 12th of November last, when the daughter was looking into the trunk for some trifling article, and saw the egg, which she took up, and gave to her cousin: a female servant, at the same time, asking them if they knew what egg it was, &c. then, taking it into the adjoining room, it was laid on the carpet, where it remained for the space of one minute, when to their great surprise it made a loud snap, and burst. The girls being somewhat alarmed, called to the servant in the next room to witness the sight, when it appeared the egg had produced a live partridge, which they with particular care put into a piece of flannel, and carried to the fire for warmth, where they left it, thinking it might live and be reared to its proper perfection; but not observing the cat being in the room at the time of leaving it, on their return they found,

employed in the stables belonging to the Swan Inn, in that city, on the return of a two-wheel chaise from Arundel, about two o'clock in the morning, took it to the above pond, for the purpose of watering the horse, and washing the carriage; but having neglected to unhook the bearing rein, he found himself disappointed in his first object, and (still unmindful of the true cause) supposing it proceeded from the horse's disinclination to drink in a shallow situation, drove him further into the pond, where, by means of the reins in his hand, he forced his nose into the water, and, incredible as it may appear, there kept it, until the poor animal was actually suffocated.

SHROPSHIRE.

Ludlow, December 21-This retired residence is to-day all in a bustle, on account of our new guest, Lucien Bonaparte. His arrival took place yesterday afternoon, on the fourth day after leaving Plymouth, from which this place is rather more than two hundred miles distant. He was accompanied by Mr. Mackenzie, two other gentlemen, and three servants, occupying two chaises and four. His family left Plymouth three days after him, and are coming on by easy journies of thirty-miles a day. The presence of so remarkable a stranger attracted to the inn an unusual concourse of people, who are now following him and Mr. Mackenzie with great eagerness in their walk round the Castle. Lymore House, near Montgomery, his intended residence, requiring considerable repairs, Lord Powis is occupied in preparing for him another of his seats, five miles from this, called Stone House, and an Officer (Colonel Drury) is gone there to report, officially, on its fitness for the residence of this conspicuous prisoner. But it is expected that Lucien will remain for a week or ten days at this place, the beauty of our environs appearing to attract his attention.

It is stated that Lucien Bonaparte, when passing through Exeter, played off a Bonaparte manœuvre, and rode on the outside of the carriage as an attendant, having thereby an undisturbed view of the country and people, without being an object for remark, or gazed at by the multitude.

The circumstances relative to the arrival of Lucien Bonaparte in this country, are said to be as follow-In consequence of the repeated demands of Napoleon, that he should separate from his wife, and suffer his future destiny to be arranged by the French Ruler, and the repeated refusal of Lucien to conform to these demands, the latter began to apprehend that forcible measures would be resorted to by Napoleon, and therefore Lucien, many months ago, wrote from

Rome to Mr. Hill, our Minister at Sardinia, requesting that that Gentleman would obtain from his Court a passport for Lucien and his family to proceed to America. Mr. Hill, naturally anxious

to facilitate the removal of one brother from an

request she had to make to the Emperor, was permission to return to her father's house. This inflexible republican spirit in a young lady of sixteen years, raised at once the indignation and jealousy of Napoleon against his brother; as he imagined, that if any reverse of fortune on his part should revive the rump of the Jacobins, they would look to a leader of such a character as Lucien proved himself to be. He sent back the. young lady, with peremptory orders to her father to quit his dominions forthwith. He is, we understand, to reside at Stonehouse, a seat belong

Ludlow, until Lymore Hall, in Montgomeryshire, is fitted up for his reception.

The baggage of Lucien Bonaparte, and his attendants, is stated to weigh thirty-three tons. Lucien studiously avoids all pomp and osten

tation.

other, who seemed likely to resort to the most desperate violence in order to accomplish his purpose, ventured to send an answer, encouraging Lucien to proceed to Sardinia, and then communicated what he had done to our Government, who immediately expressed their refusal to grant the passports. Mr. Hill then wrote to Lucien, to inform him, that the permission whiching to the Earl of Powis, situate four miles from he requested could not be obtained. Lucien, however, soon availed himself of the favourable letter from Mr. Hill, and proceeded to Sardinia, alleging that the prohibitory letter never reached him. On his arrival there he was not permitted to land, and a very irksome correspondence was carried on between him and Mr. Hill, in which Madame Bonaparte is extremely handsome and he truly stated, that having trusted to the faith of fascinating. Lucien's daughter, of whom so the British nation in the permission he had re- much has been said, has great claims to a genteel ceived, he had made his situation desperate with figure, and elegant demeanour, but she is not his brother, and could not return without the beautiful. The motto on Lucien's carriage is an certainty of ruin. Happily at that time Mr.extraordinary one," Luceo non uro," I shine Adair arrived at Cagliari, and Mr. Hill con- without burning. sulted with him what course should be taken in the unpleasant dilemma; when it was agreed that Lucien should go to Malta till the resolution of the Government, under the new circumstances, could be known; and in the mean time it was ascertained, that the only object of Lucien was to gain a quiet asylum, and that he would, in truth, prefer England to America.

So great has been the curiosity to see Lucien Bonaparte, that a lady of fortune, in one of the towns through which he passed, changed dress with the waiter, and carried in one of the dishes for his dinner.

INDIA.

Letters from India state, that the forest of Laelba (in the kingdom of Ava) was, throngh the negligence of some wood-cutters, who had kindled a fire at the root of several lofty trees, in a state of conflagration in the early part of June.

It is not known that Lucien Bonaparte, after he had refused a crown, and positively refused to divorce his wife, was requested by the Emperor to send his eldest daughter to the Court of Paris, that if he rejected grandeur for himself, he night not object to his daughter's advancement. Lu-The forest was sixty-five miles in length, and cien consented; and the young lady went to twenty-eight in breadth : and such was the power Paris under the care of a lady by whom she had of the flames, aided by a high wind, that masses been educated. She was received with great of burning wood, weighing half a ton, were carmagnificence, and an establishment, splendid ried through the air to a distance of twenty miles. and expensive, provided for her. She was not Fifty villages in the vicinity of the forest were dazzled by the brilliancy of the Court, nor the destroyed. Many of the unfortunate and idopleasures of Paris; and she soon sighed for the latrous natives, believing the calamity to be a tranquillity of her father's house. It was pro- direct visitation of some vengeful deity, and not posed to her that she should marry Ferdinand VII. || choosing to survive the loss of their property, who, upon her union, should be restored to his precipitated themselves into the flames. At the kingdom; but she peremptorily refused, and date of these letters the conflagration had conaid that she was educated in her father's princi-tinued with unabating fierceness for five weeks; ples, and was resolved to follow his fortunes. and from the vast area in which the body of fire She despised the grandeur that was to be pur-lay, together with the contiguity of other forests, chased by the sacrifice of the engagements which the destruction of half the kingdom appeared had first lifted the family to power; and the only certain.

London: Printed by JOHN BELL, Southampton street, Strand. February 1, 1811.

BEING

Bell's

COURT AND FASHIONABLE

MAGAZINE,

FOR FEBRUARY, 1811.

A New Series.

EMBELLISHMENTS,

1. Two PORTRAITS representing their MAJESTIES CHARLES IV. and LOUISA MARIA, King and Queen of Spain, now Prisoners in France.

2. TWO WHOLE-LENGTH FIGURES in the FASHIONS of the SEASON, COLOURED. 3. ALL WEATHERS, an Original Song for the Harp and Piano-forte; composed by Mr. DIBDEN, expressly and exclusively for this. Work.

4. An elegant and new PATTERN for NEEDLE-WORK,

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