and could go, and my horfe after him; fo exactly did he follow step by step, that when the poftillion's horfe galloped, mine galloped; when his trotted, walked, or ftood still, mine correfponded in every movement; till, by the time I had proceeded half a mile from the town, I found myfelf covered all over with dirt from head to foot, which flew from the heels of the other horfe. At length, when we had got about a mile from Rouen, as we were cantering over the pavé, the poftillion's horfe made a falfe ftep, and dafhed with great violence on the ground; the rider tumbled off, and the horfe rolled upon his huge jack-boot. My bidet, who followed close behind, was fo ftrongly addicted to the vice of imitation, that without any vifible caufe whatever, he immediately stopped fhort, and tumbled

J

down

upon the other, with an apparent voluntary motion. We were all four rolling together in the moft ludicrous fituation imaginable; a fituation, that at the moment I wished for that prince of caricature, Geoffrey Gambado, to have been prefent at."

Our author, from this place, em barked on board a packet for England during the voyage, he enters into a general view of the political state of France at that period. He traces the caufes, and relates the events, which contributed to kindle the embers of liberty in the bofoms of our Gallic neighbours; and, from the whole, deduces the probable confequences, and most likely termination, of those commotions which ftill continue to agitate, to diftract, and endanger that unhappy kingdom,

ESTI

KING'S SPEECH.

ANUARY 21. His majesty went in ftate to the Houfe of Peers, and opened the feffion with the following fpeech to both Houses.

"My Lords and Gentlemen, "Since I laft met you in parliament, the continuance of the war on the continent, and the internal fituation of different parts of Europe, have been productive of events which have engaged my most ferious attention.

While I fee with a juft concern the interruption of the tranquillity of other countries, I have at the fame time great fatisfaction in being able to acquaint you, that I receive continued affurances of the good difpofition of all foreign powers towards thefe kingdoms; and 1 am perfuaded that you will entertain with me a deep and grateful fenfe of the favour of Providence in continuing to my fubjects the increafing advantages of peace, and the uninterrupted enjoyment of those invaluable bleflings which they have fo long derived from our excellent conftitution.

"Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons, "I have given directions that the eftimates for the prefent year fhould be laid before you; and I rely on your

readiness to grant fuch fupplies as the circumstances of the feveral branches of the public fervice may be found to require.

"My Lords and Gentlemen,

"The regulations prefcribed by the act of the last feffion of parliament, relative to the corn trade, not having been duly carried into effect in feveral parts of the kingdom, there appeared reafon to apprehend that fuch an exportation of corn might take place, and fuch difficulties occur in the importation of foreign corn, as would have been productive of the most ferious inconvenience to my fubjects. thefe circumftances it appeared indifpenfably neceffary to take immediate meafures for preventing the exportation and facilitating the importation of certain forts of corn; and I, therefore, by the advice of my privy council, iffued an order for that purpofe, a copy of which I have directed to be laid before

you.

Under

"I have only further to defire, that you will continue to apply yourselves to thofe objects which may require your attention, with the fame zeal for the public fervice which has hitherto appeared in all your proceedings, and of which the effects have been lo hap

and anxious to acquit his obligations, he returned to folicit his majefty to pay his debts. Through the fraternal feelings of the prince of Wales, their majefties have been happily reconciled to The youth. His debts, amounting to fomething above fourteen thoufand pounds, are to be paid by the king: he is to embark for Gibraltar, and remain there for two years; at the end of which time he is to return and receive rank and eftablishment.

PHILANTHROPY.

The philanthropic Mr. Howard was on the 17th of November in perfect health at Cherfon, in Little Tartary, in his way to Turkey, vifiting the Ruffian military and naval hofpitals in that neighbourhood, after having infpected thofe of Riga, Cronstadt, &c. which he found in the most dreadful ftate of neglect, through which at least feventy thousand foldiers and failors are faid to have perished in the last year only.

THE WEATHER.

A gentleman of confiderable aftronomic genius afcribes the prefent mild temperature of the weather to the comet predicted many years ago by fir Ifaac Newton, and which is now expected to be faft approaching in its progrefs towards the western parts of Europe.

AVERAGE PRICES OF CORN.

The average price of wheat per buthel, throughout the country, from December 28, to January 2, was as follows: In Northumberland, 5s. 5d. -in Lincoln, 5s. 9d.-in Durham, 5s. 1od.-in York, 5s. 11d.-in Cambridge and Suffolk, 6s.-in Norfolk, 6s. id.-in Effex, Cumberland, and Kent, 6s.2d.-in Weftmoreland, 6s. 3d. -in London, Huntingdon, Nottingham, and Suffex, 6s. 4d.-in Surrey, Bucks, and Cornwall, 6s. 5d.. -in Bedford and Rutland, 6s. 6d. -in Derby and South Wales, 6s, 7d.-in Hertford, 6s. 8d.-in Northampton, Leicester, Berks, Hants, and North Wales, 6s. 9d.in Middlefex and Wilts, 6s. 10d.-in Gloucefter, Oxford, Lancashire, and Devon, 6s. 11d. -in Salop, 7s.-in Cheshire and Somerfet, 7s. 1d.-in Monmouth and Dosfet, 75, 20.-in Warwick, 75. 3d.

in Stafford, 7s. 4d.-and in Worcefter, 7s. 5d.

SINGULAR INSTANCE OF HUMAN COURAGE!

In confequence of information being fent to the public office, Bow ftreet, of the houfe of colonel Steckalin at Woolwich Warren being broke open, fit Sampfon Wright fent two of his run

ners to examine into the affair. On their making a proper furvey, they acquainted the colonel, that they were fully convinced fome of the fervants of the houfe muft have been concerned: on which the man-fervant was taken into cuftody; and, on being examined, confeffed that he had made the alarm himself; he fired off feveral pistols and blunderbuffes, and broke feveral of the windows; that no attempt had been made; that he did it to make his master believe he was a very courageous man, and expected the colonel would have given him a halbert. He was committed to prifon for further examination. He has three times before used the fame ftratagem.

ANIMAL COURAGE.

For fome time past the road between. Capo di Monte and Miano, a few miles distance from Naples, had been infested by a robber who had always found means to elude all purfuit. A merchant who had been well acquainted with him, having bufinefs at Miano, fet off for that place early one moming, and took with him in his chaife his Corfican dog, which he covered with his great coat, to keep him from the cold. At a narrow part of the road he was ftopped by the robber. The merchant at first reminding him of their old acquaintance, hoped to perfuade him to be fatisfied with a prefent; but he anfwered that he knew nobody, and that if the merchant wifhed to fave his life, he muft give up every thing valuable he had about him. The merchant pretending to comply, waked his dog, which was fleeping between his feet, and fet him on. The intrepid animal feized the robber by the throat, threw him to the ground, and found means to baffle the attempts he made with his piftols and dagger to rid himself of his affailant. In the mean time the merchant drove off at full fpeed, and ftops

ped

ped at the first inn. Shortly after his dog fcratched and barked at the door, and upon admiffion leaped about his mafter, with the greatest figns of joy, although the blood was ftreaming from the feveral wounds he had received. When the day broke, the highwayman was found dead on the road.

SINGULAR ROBBERY.

The zaft, late in the evening, a woman very meanly habited, went to the houfe of Mr. Meadows in Tottenham court road; and on pretence that her husband was at the point of death, prevailed upon him, as he belonged to a fociety for relieving the fick at their own houses, to go with her to a place called Rats caftle, near Buckridge ftreet, St. Giles's. Here upon fome ftraw in a wretched apartment, with out either fire, or any thing to fit upon, a man was lying, feemingly in much agony, but who, recovering himself when Mr. Meadows entered, refused a cordial he offered him, telling him that every thing but his prayers were now too late. Mr. M. upon this kneeling down, the woman threw herself upon him, while the pretended dying man, and another perfon who came into the room, put the candle out, and rifled his pockets of his watch and money, using the most horrid imprecations. They then left him, threatening to return and do his bufinefs, if he affered to ftir, which preventing his making an alarm for a confiderable time, they got clear off. It appeared by the teftimony of the neighbours, that a man and woman had taken the room but a day or two before, the man apparently a cripple, as he walked with a crutch,

The 25th, a young gentleman, an only fon, and heir to a large fortune, endeavoured to put an end to his life, at his lodgings in Bond street. He intended, it is prefumed, to have fhot himself through the heart. The ball did not pafs through the cheft, but is not yet found. The caufe of this attempt to deftroy himfelf, is imputed to his having loft the greater part of a fum of money at play the night before, with which he was under an engagement to have purchased a commiffion the next day.

twelve and two, for the fum of twenty pounds each; the fum of twenty pounds each being depofited in the hands of a mutual friend.

2d, The parties agree to fight on a turf-place containing forty-eight feet fquare. The place to be chofen by Daniel Mendoza, who engages to apprife Richard Humphreys of the place for fighting, one month previous to the battle.

3d, That when the parties fhall fet to, their feconds fhall immediately retire to their places allotted, and not interfere during the round.

4th, That it fhall be a fair ftand-up battle, and if either party fhall fall without receiving a blow from his antagonist, he fhall be deemed to lofe the battle, unlefs the fall arifes from accident, which, and all matters of difpute arifing during the battle, fhall be decided by the afbitrators; and if any difference fall happen between the arbitrators, they fhall choofe an umpire to decide the fame, whofe decifion fhall be final.

5th, That there fhall be an enclofed place for fighting; and the money collected, after paying all expences of ftage or otherwife, be divided as follows: the half to the winner and the other half to the lofer; and it is agreed that the lofer fhall, out of the proportion he is to receive, pay to the overfeer of the parish where the battle fhall be fought, fifty pounds for the poor; provided his proportion of the door-money fhall amount to that fum. But if he shall not receive fo much, then he thall pay only fuch fum as he shall actually

receive.

RAPE.

One Duncan Wright was lately tried before the High Court of Jufticiary in Scotland, for a rape on Mary Anne Peter, a girl between fourteen and fifteen years old, with whom he had been dancing at Pailley, on the 27th of October laft: the poor girl having to crofs fome fields in her way home, left the company about midnight, and trufted to the protection of Wright; a fhort time after, her cries were heard from an inclofure, where he had dragged her, and fome people went to the pot, but he had effected his purpofe, and he was

lying on the ground in a ftate of infenfibility. He was found guilty, and fentenced to be hanged on the 24th of February next.

ACCIDENTS.

The following melancholy accident happened towards the conclufion of this month, at Mr. Romilly's, Frith street, Soho. A female, upwards of eighty, who had lived as a domeftic in the family forty years, and nurfed her prefent mafter when a child, ftanding by the nursery ftove, by fome means her apron caught fire; being too feeble to extinguifh the flame by her own exertions, her cries alarmed the family, but unhappily too late to afford any relief; her hands, neck, and face were dreadfully burnt, and the lived a miferable spectacle to the next day, when death put an end to her fufferings.

An unfortunate circumftance happened lately at the feat of the duke of Hamilton. The duchefs had lent her phaeton to two ladies for an airing, which by fome accident or other they overturned, when one of them was unhappily killed on the fpot.

REMARKABLE DEATHS.

At Lowther hall, the celebrated piper Mr. Donald Macleod. He was near fifty years a foldier, and at the fiege of Carthagena with general Wenteleven only that remained of the whole worth in 1741, where he was one of regiment. He was likewife in Flanders in general Fleming's regiment, and under the duke of Cumberland at Fontenoy, and ferved afterwards at Falkirk and Culloden.

Mr. Le Fevre, the banker, who lately died, owed his fate to a flip of the knife in cutting his finger nail which produced a mortification that took place in his arm, and proved fatal in forty-eight hours.

The middle of this month died at Horfeley, Derbyshire, a woman named Frances Barton, at the aftonishing age of one hundred and feven. She followed midwifery upwards of eighty, years. It is faid the well remembered the Revolution in 1888, and that he danced at a merry-making on that glos rious occafion.