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The had attempted to hang herself. She was remarkably cheerful the preceding night. The fame day the jury fat on her body, and brought in their verdict Lunacy.

Mr. McKenzie put an end to his exiftence on Tuesday the 7th inft. in Bentick-ftreet. On the previous Sunday he dined at Mr. Cotton's on Clapham Common; Mr. Cotton obferved, he was unufually depreffed in his fpirits, and afked if he was unwell, at the fame time advising him to leave the horfe, cand return to town in a carriage. This unfortunate young man was on the eftablishment as a clerk in the Treafury, from whence he went home to dinner on the day when he committed the fatal deed; when arrived at his lodgings, he fent his fervant to order fome porter; on her return he was not in the dining room, and, after waiting fome time, fhe went to his bed-room door to call him; but not answering, and on looking through the key-hole, obferving fome blood, the burst the door open,

and found her mafter dead on the floor, with his throat cut in a moft fhocking manner. No reason can be affigned for this rafh act.

JEWISH NEW YEAR.

On the 8th, the new year was ushered in by the Jews, with that folemnity which dinguishes that holiday from all others. The men appeared in their different fynagogues, cloathed in the fhrowds, the women all in white, which caft a very awful reflection on the ungodly among them; for it is prefumed, that on that feltival, the Almighty fits in judgment for poor finners; and on that account, the Jews invoke angels, patriarchs, and deceased friends, to intercede for their iniquities. From the aft till the 10th of the fame month, a melancholy is difcernible on the brow of every Jew, as on that day final judge ment is passed on sinners,

DUEL.

About the roth a duel was fought at Margate, between Mr. Stephens, fon to the fecretary of the Admiralty, and Mr. Anderson, an attorney at law. The quarrel began at the AffemblyRoom in that town on a very trifling occafion. Mr. Stephens fired first, and miffed his adverfary. Mr. Anderfon

returned it, but without effect; when Mr. Stephens difcharged his piftol again with the fame fuccefs. The fecond ball of Mr. Anderson, however, took place just below the under lip of Mr. Stephens, paffed through his head, and killed him inftantly. He was a worthy young gentleman, and his lofs is much regretted.

DISTRESS.

The 12th, as four or five gentlemen were returning from Sadler's Wells, they found, under fome wood-work in a paffage close to the Blue Lion alehoufe, an infant about three or four months old, wrapped in a blanket, and almoft ftarved to death. The gentlemen carried it to an adjoining house, where they difcovered that it was very thin, and that its bones were scarcely covered; they gave it fome bread and milk, when recovering itself, it smiled upon them in a most affecting manner. The gentlemen obtained admiffion for the unfortunate orphan into a work

house.

JUSTICE.

At the Old Bailey, on Friday the 17th inft. was tried the famous George Barrington, for robbing Henry Townend, efq. of a watch, at Enfield Races. He was not detected in the facl; but a young woman having feen him drop the watch, after being in cuftody, and other circumstances concurring, he was convicted on the cleareft evidence. The proftitution of talents in this fellow is highly to be lamented; he delivered a fpeech, as his defence, of twenty-five minutes length, in which he ingeniously obferved on the complexion of what had been alledged against him. That part of it where he artfully appeals to the paffions, is as follows." Gentlemen, that it has been the hard lot of fome unhappy perfons, to have been convicted of crimes they did really not commit, less through evidence than ill-natured report, is doubtlefs certain; and doubtless there are many respectable perfons now in Court, fully convinced of the truth of that obfervation. Such times, it is to be hoped, are paft; I dread not fuch a conviction in my own perfon; I am well convinced of the noble nature of a British Court of Justice; the dignified

and

and benign principles of its Judges; and, the liberal and candid spirit of its Jurors.

"Gentlemen, life is the gift of God, and liberty its greateft bleffing; the power of difpofing of both, or either, is the greatest man can enjoy. It is alfo adventitious that, great as that power is, it cannot be better placed, than in the hands of an English Jury; for they will not exercise it like tyrants, who delight in blood, but like generous and brave men, who delight to fpare rather than to deftroy; and who, not forgetting they are men them felves, lean, when they can, to the fide of compaffion. It may be thought, gentlemen of the Jury, that I am applying to your paffions, and if I had the power to do it, I would not fail to employ it; the paffions animate the heart, and to the paffions we are indebted for the noblest actions; and to the paffions we owe our dearest and fineft feelings; and when it is confidered, the mighty power you now poffefs, whatever leads to a cautious and tender difcharge of it, must be thought of great confequence; as long as the paffions conduct us on the fide of benevolence, they are our best, our fafest, and our most friendly guides.

"I humbly hope that the circumftances of the cafe, are fuch as may induce a fcrupulous Jury to make a favourable decifion; and I am very well convinced that you will not be led by any other circumftances than zhofe of the present cafe; either from reports of former misfortunes, or by the fear of my falling into fimilar ones. I am now just thirty-two years of age, (fhall be fo next month); it is nearly half the life of man, it is not worth while being impatient to provide for the other half, fo far as to do any thing unworthy. Gentlemen, in the courie of my life I have fuffered much diftrefs, I have felt fomething of the viciffitudes of fortune, and now from obfervation I am convinced, upon the whole, there is no joy but what arifes from the practice of virtue, and confifts in the felicity of a tranquil mind and a benevolent heart; fources of confolation which the molt profperous circumstances do not always furnish, and which may be felt under the most

indigent. It will be my ftudy, gen-
tlemen, to poffefs them; nor will the
heaviest affliction of poverty, pain, or
difgrace, caufe me to part with refo-
lutions founded on the deepest reflec
tion, and which will end but with life:
I will perish on the pavement before I
will deviate from them. For my own
part, whatever your verdict may be, I
trust I shall be enabled to meet it with
a firmnefs of mind; he, indeed, has
little to fear from death, whose fame
is tarnished, and who has endured the
ceafelefs abuse of unfeeling minds;
when Heaven accepts contrition, it re-
ceives into favour when it pardons;
but man, more cruel than his Maker,
purfues his offending brother with un-
relenting feverity, and marks a de-
viation from rectitude with a never
dying infamy, and with unceafing
fufpicion and reproach, which seem to
exclude him from the pale of virtue.
Gentlemen of the Jury, the thought,
though death may appal the rich and
profperous, but on the other hand the
unfortunate cannot have much to fear
from it; yet the tenderness of nature
cannot be quite fubdued by the utmost
degree of human resolution, and I can-
not be infenfible to the woes which
must be felt by an affectionate com-
panion, and an infant offspring; and
there is, befides, a principle in human
nature, ftronger even than the fear of
death, and which can hardly fail to
operate fome time or other in life; I
mean the defire of good fame, under
that laudable influence. · Gentlemen,
if I am acquitted, I will quickly retire
to fome distant land, where my name
and misfortunes will be alike un-
known; where harmless manners shall
fhield me from the imputation of guilt;
and where prejudice will not be liable
to mifreprefentation; and I do now
affure you, Gentlemen of the Jury,
that I feel a cheering hope, even at this
awful moment, that the rest of my life
will be fo conducted, as to make me as
much an object of esteem and applaufe,
as I am now the unhappy object of
cenfure and fufpicion."

When the Lord Chief Baron Eyre had delivered his charge to the Jury, and they had pronounced Barrington guilty, the Judge addreffed him as follows: "Mr. Barrington, Hitherto

tice very much calls for fuch a lafice: for if ever there was a man in e world that abused and prostituted eat talents to the most unworthy and ameful purposes, you are that man; d you have done it against all warn ,against the example of your own fe, and of a thousand other cafes that ve occurred; and I am afraid, that w, as the punishment does not reach -ur life, I cannot entertain the leaft pe that you will in any manner rem; but that the end of it will be, at you must be a fhameful fpectacle your latter end."

Francis Fonton, a clerk in the Three r Cent. office at the Bank, was incted at the Old Bailey for a forgery d felony, with intent to defraud Wil m Papps and John Pierce. The dictment contained a fecond count ruttering a forged receipt, purportg to be the receipt of John Pierce for rty-feven pounds eleven fhillings and pence, being the value of fifty pounds ock Four per Cents. pretended to be transfer of that fum to William apps, which stock never was purafed or transferred from Mr. Pierce. he third and fourth counts charged e prifoner with a fraud and forgery, transferring the fum of four hundred nd fifty pounds Four per Cents. the of William Papps, to John -operty ierce, which fum Mr. Papps never d actually transfer, or give authority the prifoner fo to do; and the inEtment charged it to be done with tent to defraud the Bank and the faid William Papps and John Pierce.

Mr. Garrow opened the pleadings, nd Mr. Fielding'entered into the cafe, hich is fimply as follows:-On the h of May 1789, Mr. Papps applied the prifoner to purchase for him fifty unds in the Four per Cents. and de

actually fold and transferred to the faid John Pierce, for which he received the fum of four hundred and twentyeight pounds one fhilling and three pence, which was never paid into the hands, or applied to the use of William Papps.

The Chief Baron lamented the fallen. ftate of the prifoner; but the laws muft carefully protect the important concerns of the national bank. He reprobated the conduct of the perfons who tampered with the evidence.

The Jury confulted, and brought in their verdict upon the firft and third counts, guilty of uttering and receiving.-Death.

Robert Nabcutt was tried for the

wilful murder of Mofes Davis, by giving him a wound upon the head with an iron key, of which wound he languished for a fhort time, and then died. It was proved that the pri foner, without any juft provocation, ftruck the deceafed with a key upon the head in a molt violent manner, at Walton Bridge, and that his death was occafioned by that blow. On the part of the prifoner it was fworn, that at and before the time he ftruck the deceased he was in a ftate of infanity. The prifoner was acquitted.

ACCIDENT.

On Thursday the 9th, the following melancholy accident happened to Wil liam Higgs, a fervant of Mr. Hall, of Eaft Hanney mill, near Reading: As he was croffing the bridge at the millhead, he fell over the fluice into the water-wheel, as it was going round; by which means he was drawn under the wheel, and crufhed in fo violent a manner as to throw the wheel out of the gudgeon and ftop it. In this fituation he continued near an hour before

fore he could be released: An inqueft was taken on the body, and the jury brought in their verdict, Accidental Death.

DEATHS.

The 18th, early in the morning, his royal highnefs the duke of Cumberland; who long laboured under the most afficting illness. A little before his diffolution, his mind wandered very much; his hands were extended out of the bed, and he feemed to act as if en couraging hounds to prefs forward; twenty minutes before he went off, he was perfectly quiet, and died without a ftruggle. His will was made thirteen years ago, and is till the fame. His royal highness has left every thing he had to the duchefs, that is, his perfonals, which are very valuable; the is left executrix and refiduary legatee. Another circumstance not yet taken notice of, very much to the honour of the late duke, is, that his pay as an admiral he has not accepted for many years; as he did not serve his country, he refufed reward.

The duke of Gloucester will derive an increase of twelve thoufand five hundred a year to his revenue in confequence of his royal brother's death: the grant of parliament to the former duke of Cumberland, being, at the death of his royal highnefs parcelled out to his three nephews, the dukes of York, Gloucefter, and Cumberland: by survivorship, the duke of Gloucester will poffefs the whole.

The 23d, at his feat at Twickenham, the most noble William, duke, marquis, and earl of Montrofe, marquis and baron of Graham, Dundaff, Kincairn, Mindock, and Kinabor in Scotland, and earl and baron Graham, of Belford in the county of Northum berland, England. His grace married, October 1742, Lucy Manners, daughter of John, fecond duke of Rutland, by whom (who died June 18, 1788) he had iffue James, marquis of Graham, born February 8, 1755-Lucy, born July 1751, and married in June 1771, to Archibald Douglas, efq. now lord Douglas. His grace is fucceeded in his titles and eftates by the right honourable the marquis of Graham,

his only fon, by which his lordship's feat as reprefentative in the Houfe of Commons for Great Bedwin in Wilts, becomes vacant.

At Stoney Stratford, the right hon. the countefs of Clarendon. Her ladyfhip was going to Dunham Maffey, in Chefhire, accompanied by the earl of Clarendon and lady Charlotte Villiers, on a vifit to the earl of Stamford. She was fuddenly taken ill, and carried to a gentleman's houfe in Stoney Stratford. Lord Villiers was immediately fent for, but did not arrive until after her ladyfhip's decease.

At Sheffield, after a fhort indifpofition, John Holmes, aged eighty-feven. He was round the world with Anfor and Byron, being preffed into thofe hazardous fervices. He faid he was the man whom Anfon's voyage reports to have had fo narrow an escape at Paita, owing to his being drunk, for which he received a fevere correction, and could never after gain a naval promotion, though he was then upon a level with Keppel, afterwards admiral Keppel.

Near Stratford upon Avon, one Samuel Davies, a famous cribbage player. He felected fout of the belt players from the circle of his friends, as pall-bearers, to whom he left a beau tiful ivory cribbage-board, to be played for on their return from the grave.

Lately, at Seven Oaks, Kent, a jour neyman cricket-ball-maker, aged fiftyfive. Though at very inconfiderable wages, he had from indefatigable indultry, and fingular œconomy, acquired confiderable property, and was poffeffed of two thoufand five hundred pounds in the public funds at the time of his deceafe. He was fo rigid in his plan, that befides fix fhillings per week for board, washing, and lodging, and two pence for Saturday night, he allowed himself but two fhillings per year for fpending money, one at the great annual cricket-match, and the other at the fair. His other expenditures were two pence per week to the poor-box ia the chapel he belonged to; and a thilling per year towards a newspaper, for the purpofe only of obferving the price of flocks.

For OCTOBER, 1790.

NUMBER XXIV.

FRAGMENTS.

SECRETARY DAVISON'S

APOLOGY*,

FOR THE SHARE HE HAD IN THE
MURDER OF MARY QUEEN OF
SCOTS.

morning; advifing me to ufe it oftner; and reprehending me for the contrary; finally demanded, what I had in my hands. I anfwer'd, Divers warrants, and other things, to be figned for her fervice.

[From Whitaker's Vindication of that She enquired, whether my lord ad

Princess.]

I.

miral had not fent for me, and whether I had not brought up the war

On Wednesday the first of this rant for the queen of Scots. I an

prefent, about ten of the [clock, came one of the grooms +] of the chamber unto me, to let me understand, that her majefty had called for [me by my lord admiral, who was in the ] privy chamber. I found his lordfhip there, who told me the cause of my fending for; having, firft, fummarily difcourfed unto me fome fpeech, that had paft that morning betwixt her majefty and him, touching the execution of the Scotifh queen; the conclufion whereof was, that fhe would no longer defer it, and therefore had commanded him to fend exprefsly for me, to bring the warrant unto her.

Whereupon returning to my chamber, I took both that and divers other things, to be figned for her fervice; and, returning, fent in Mrs. Brooke to fignify my being there, to her majefty; who immediately called for me. At my coming in, her majefty first afking me, whether I had been abroad that fair

* I have numbered the two parts of it, and broken each part into paragraphs. WHITAKER. VOL. II.

fwer'd, Yes; and thereupon, [fhe] calling for it, I deliver'd it into her hands; after the reading whereof, the, calling for pen and ink, figned it; and, laying it from her, asked me, Whether I were not heartily forry it was done? Mine answer was, That I was forry a lady, so near in blood to herfelf, and of her place and quality, fhould fo far forget her duty both to God and her majefty, as to give her this caufe; but fithens this act of her majesty was, in all mens opinions, of that juftice and neceffity, that he could not defer it without the manifeft danger of her perfon and state, I could not be forry to fee her majefty take this courfe, of removing the caufe of that danger,which threatned the one and the other: protefting nevertheless, that, for my own part, I was fo far from thirsting after the blood of that unhappy lady, that, if there had been any other way to preferve her majefty and the ftate from mi chief, than by taking her life; I

++ I have fupplied the words within hooks, from Mackenzie's copy.-WHITA

KER.

Y y

could

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