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ufed to be that of getting up early in a morning to vifit fome of his houses in Mary-le-Bone, which during the fummer were repairing. As he was there generally at four o'clock in a morning, he was of courfe on the fpot before the workmen; and he ufed contentedly to fit down on the steps before the door, to fcold them when they did come. The neighbours who used to fee him appear thus regular every morning, and who concluded, from his apparel, he was one of the workmen, obferved, there never was fo punctual a man as the old carpenter.'

"He rofe upon money-upon money he lay down to reft; and as his capacity funk away from him by degrees, he dwindled from the real cares of his property, into the puerile concealment of a few guineas. This little ftore he would carefully wrap up in various papers, and depofiting them in different corners, would amufe himself with running from one to the other, to fee whether they were all fafe. Then forgetting, perhaps, where he had concealed fome of them, he would become as feriously afflicted as a man might be who had loft all his property. Nor was the day alone thus fpent-he would frequently rife in the middle of the night, and be heard walking about different parts of the houfe, looking after what he had thus hidden and forgotten.

"The clofe of Mr. Elwes's life was Atill referved for one fingularity more, and which will not be held lefs fingular than all that has paffed before it, when his difpofition and his advanced age are confidered. He gave away his affections: he conceived the tender paffion. In plain terms, having been accuftomed for fome time to pafs his hours, out of economy, with the two maid fervants in the kitchen-one of them had the art to induce him to fall in love with her; and it is matter of doubt, had it not been difcovered, whether he would not have had the power over him to have made him marry her.

"Mr. George Elwes, one of his natural children-he had two fonshaving now fettled at his feat at Marcham, in Berkshire, he was naturally defirous, that, in the affiduities of his wife, his father might, at length, find

a comfortable home. In London he was certainly moft uncomfortable: but ftill, with thefe temptations before and behind him, a journey, with any expence annexed to it, was infurmountble. This, however, was luckily obviated by an offer from Mr. Partis, a gentleman of the law, to take him to his ancient feat in Berkshire, with his purfe perfectly whole-a circumstance fo pleafing, that the general intelligence which renders this gentleman fo entertaining, was not adequate to it in the opinion of Mr. Elwes. But there was one circumftance ftill very diftreffing-the old gentleman had now nearly worn out his laft coat, and he would not buy a new one; his fon, therefore, with a pious fraud that did him honour, contrived to get Mr. Par tis to buy him a coat, and make him a prefent of it. Thus, formerly having had a good coat, then a bad one, and, at laft no coat at all-he was kind enough to accept one from a neighbour.

"The firft fymptoms of more immediate decay, was his inability to enjoy his reft at night. Frequently would he be heard at midnight as if struggling with fome one in his chamber, and crying out, I will keep my money, [ will; nobody fhall rob me of my property. On any one of the family going into his room, he would start from this fever of anxiety, and, as if waking from a troubled dream, again hurry into bed, and feem unconscious of what had happened.

"For fix weeks, previous to his death, he had got a cuftom of going to reft in his cloaths, as perfectly dreffed as during the day. He was one morning found faft afleep betwixt the fheets, with his fhoes on his feet, his stick in his hand, and an old torn hat upon his head.

"On this circumftance being discovered, a fervant was fet to watch, and take care that he undreffed himfelf; yet, fo defirous was he of continuing this cuftom, that he told the fervant, with his ufual providence about money, that if he would not take any notice of him, he would leave him fomething in his will."

We are informed by the editor, that this fingular man, fo fcrupulous of a farthing, had, in the course of his life,

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often

often lent immenfe fums on ridiculous pretences, and on the flighteft fecurity. He kept no written account, trufting every pecuniary occurrence to memory,

THE

which often deceived him, unless when he had made any promife, of whatever nature, and then, it feems, he was rigidly punctual.

HISTORY OF THE

MARCH-APRIL.

HE Rover, or the Banished Cavaliers, written by Mrs. Behn, was revived on the Sth of March at Drury Lane theatre, under the title of Love in many Mafks. But, though the parts were strongly calt, the audience were not unbounded in their marks of approbation.

The 18th of March, a new farce, called the ADVENTURERS, written by a young gentleman, was produced at the fame theatre, and received with univerfal approbation. The Adventurers are two fharpers, who get admiffion into a worthy baronet's family, the one as tutor to his fon; the other as a lord, and fuitor to the daughter. The parents fend their fon, with his tutor, on their travels: the baronet, his wife and daughter, refide at Paris; but on account of the diftractions of that city, they determine to return to their own country; and for this purpofe being arrived at Dover, in company with their intended noble fon-in-law, they meet Peregrine, their fon, who had ill ful filled their inftructions. Here the lord and the tutor meet; and, knowing each other perfectly well, the former finds little difficulty to get the latter to aid him in his defign upon Mifs Harriet, the daughter. But young Peregrine having an attachment to Kitty, the maid, the pretended lord meets her one night, when about to give her lover a fecret meeting, and fuppofing her to be the baronet's daughter, inftantly marries her! This circumftance brings on an entire explanation; and the sharpers quit the family.-The piece certainly muit owe its fuccef's more to its bumour

* The author of this piece has here departed from hiftorical exactnets; the birth of this woman was to obfcure, that the did not know her own relations.

THEATRE.

than its coincidence with probability, A few days after the appearance of this piece, was performed, for Mrs. Jordan's benefit, the SPOIL'D CHILD, a farce, which was gratuitoufly prefented to her. Its name is all that we need record.

No SONG NO SUPPER, for the benefit of Mr. Kelly, was the next new piece in fucceffion; the chief merit of which is centered in the mufic, compiled by Storace, from the most eminent compofers. Nothing can be faid in commendation of the language of this trifle.

On the 22d of April, Mr. Boyes (formerly a coach-maker in Long-acre) made his firft appearance in the character of Doyley in Who's the Dupe? and was most favourably received. He is not an unlikely refemblance of Parlons in form, manner, and features.

At Covent Garden theatre, on the 8th, a new comic opera by Mr. O'Keeffe, called the CZAR, was performed, for the benefit of Mrs. Billington. The vifit of Peter the First of Ruffia to this country, to qualify himself in the art of hip-building, &c. is the circumftance which gives this piece its title. This great prince is alfo fuppofed to be in purfuit of an officer who had infulted him, and whom he determined to facrifice to his refentment. Yet it appears that the czar is enamoured with the fifter of this officer, whom he finally raifes to the Ruffian throne, and takes his enemy, for her fake, into his favour and protection *.-Though the opera had the fupport of fome very excellent mufic, partly compiled, and partly by Mr. Shields, its own merit was infuf ficient to drag it into notice.

a ftable-boy; but, though he afterwards enjoyed the favour of Peter, he held no pot in the army,See Vol. I. p, 113, 114) It was, 415.

deed, difcovered, that he had a brother,

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in the lid. With these were fent a letter, in her Imperial majefty's own handwriting, expreffive of her fatisfaction on the receipt of a picture painted for her by fir Jothua, and of two fets of his difcourfes to the Academy, in French and English.

ASSASSINATION.

This month has given birth to a fpecies of villainy never before, perhaps, practifed, in any age or country. Defperadoes, genteelly dreffed, make it a practice to infult ladies in the street by ufing the most indelicate language; and, after they have indulged themfelves in this way, draw a concealed knife or dagger, and wound the unfortunate females in various parts of the body.Great rewards have been offered, and great exertions made, to fecure these mifcreants; but, as yet, it has not wholly proved effectual. A man, indeed, of the name of Tiffing, was on the 19th, taken to Bow-ftreet, charged by Mrs. Smyth, (lady of Dr. Smyth, of Rathbone-place) with having affaulted and wounded her in Johnfon'scourt, Fleet-ftreet, fome time fince. As the lady did not fcruple to fwear to his perfon, he was ordered to find bail in a heavy penalty.-Seven other ladies attended, who have been lately wound. ed, but all declared that the prifoner was not the person who had infulted them. Though fome of them have been dangerouЛy hurt, it does not appear that any life has yet been loit. It is much to be feared that a horrid combination of this kind is on foot but it is, on the other hand, to be Koped, that they will not long efcape that punishment to which they are fo eminently entitled,"

KING'S BENCH.

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The marshal of the King's Bench Prifon having complained of certain

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Thirdly, That the limits of the rules fhall be circumfcribed according to the limits mentioned in the order; and particularly, that every public house locally fituated within the rules, fhall be confidered as without the rules, fo that every prifoner who is feen at any public houfe within the rules, will render the marshal liable to an action for an escape. The Dog and Duck, the Circus, and the other places of public entertainment in that neighbourhood, are now without the rules,

RIOTING.

The inhabitants of the town of Windfor have, during the courfe of this month, been alarmed by feveral daring outrages committed by the fubalterns and privates of the feventeenth regiment. The officers, during the Eafter fair, in a fit of intoxication, illtreated the town's-people, who refenting the infult, the foldiers had recourfe to their fwords, and many have been wounded, exclufive of other mifchief. The officers, however, much to their honour, have reimbursed the loffes occafioned by this tumult,

Three meriff's officers going lately from Dublin to levy an execution at a factory near Luttrelitown, they were feized by a great number of workmen, and thrown into a ciftern of vitriolic water here they remained till nearly deprived of life; after which the infurgents destroyed the writ; and tying the bailiffs together with a wire, threw them into the road. Fifteen of thefe ruffians have been committed.

AERGSTATION.

tower in a parachute, on the 14th came down from the bell tower of Chichester cathedral; but not with the fame fuccefs. When about fourteen feet from the top, a fudden guft of wind laid this bold aeroftatic adventurer and the apparatus in a horizontal pofition: when on a level with the gutter of the cathedral, he righted; but an eddy wind threw him a fecond time horizontally, in which fituation he fell to the ground with great force. The blood gushed from his ears, nofe, and mouth, most - plentifully; and he was carried to the Blue Anchor inn without any figns of life. Four gentlemen of the faculty inftantly went to his affiftance; and in fomething more than four hours ani-, mation returned, and in fix his fpeech was restored.

PHILANTHROPY.

The fubfcription-money for a monument to the memory of the late Mr. Howard, unwithdrawn from the How. ardian fund, amounts to feven hundred pounds. Some addition to this fum will defray the expences of raising a fuitable monument to his memory.It is our intention, fhortly, to give an accurate account of this gentleman's life.

JUSTICE.

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Friday the 16th, at the Old Bailey, the three foreigners mentioned in our Jaft, (p. 78.) to have committed a murder on their travelling companion, were tried and convicted and on the fucceeding Monday, they were executed before the debtor's door, amidst an immenfe concourse of spectators. One of the three-though by no means innocent-appeared to be much less culpable than the others.-A man, for the murder of a child belonging to a woman with whom he cohabited, was executed at the fame time; and all their bodies were delivered to the furgeons for public exhibition.

MATRIMONIAL OFFENCE.

The lord chancellor lately committed the Rev. Mr. Stevens to the Fleet Prifon, for taking a young lady of the name of Jefferies to Gretna Green, where he married her, fhe being a ward of the court of Chancery. Although

the mother, aunt, and other relations of the young lady, declared their readinefs to approve the gentleman's conduct, on account of his good character, his lordship faid there could be no excufe for a clergyman of the established church adopting the degrading expedient of being married by a Scotch blacksmith; and would not reverfe his order, at least for the present.

REVENUE.

The revenue this month, has had an unexpected increafe of three thoufand one hundred and fixty pounds, fent to the commiffioners of excife by an unknown hand; but whether the donation proceeded from liberality or compunction, is not known. The latter, moft probably.

The revenue, from the 5th of April 1789, to the 5th of April 1790, bore an increase on the former year of the amazing fum of nine hundred and thirteen thousand two hundred and eighteen pounds five fhillings and feven-pence halfpenny.

SCHEME OF THE NEW LOTTERY.

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houfe had been broke open, and property to a confiderable amount carried off. However, going to the window by which the robber entered the houfe, he could perceive the footsteps of a man very plainly for fome diftance, a white froft being then very strong upon the ground. He immediately unkennelled, if it may be fo called, two couple of fox hounds, and put them upon the fcent of the fuppofed robber; when they threw off in a capital ftyle, and after covering two miles and a half of ground, came up with a man, who was Immediately taken with the property about him, and was confined in the cage at Lewisham till properly fecured.

MURDER.

The humanity of the people of Chepflow in Gloucestershire, was fhocked a few days ago, by feeing the body of a very fine child, about eighteen months old, taken out of their river, with its throat cut. The father is fuppofed to be the perpetrator of this act of unna tural barbarity, as he abfconded upon hearing the declaration of the coroner's inqueft.

SUSPICION OF MURDER.

In the beginning of this month, a man at Dover hired a boat for Calais; but when the watermen had taken him over, it appeared that he had only three farthings in his pocket. On this, they accufed him of being a murderer, and threatened to confign him to the fea, if he did not confefs. The man replied, that he was a murderer; on which he was taken back to Dover, and brought before a magiftrate. On being interrogated, however, he faid he had only agreed to the accusation to fave his life; and no evidence appearing, he was acquitted, to the great difappointment of his too hafty accufers.

SUICIDE.

DUELLING.

The

A duel was fought the 14th inft. at Muffelborough Links, near Edinburgh, the event of which was fatal. parties were fir George Ramsay and captain Macrae. A fervant of fir George keeping a chair at the door of the Edinburgh theatre, was ordered by captain Macrae to remove it; on his objecting, fome words enfued, and the fracas concluded in captain Macrae chaftifing the fervant very feverely. Meeting on the next day with fir George Ramfay, he infifted on his difmiffing the man from his fervice. This was refused, on the ground, that whatever was the mifconduct of the fervant, he had already received a fufficient punishment. A chalof this refufal. The parties met; fir lenge was the immediate confequence George Ramfay fired first, but without effect; captain Macrae returned the fire, and lodged his ball fo near the heart of his antagonist, that every art to extract it was fruitlefs. Sir George languished in much agony for two days, when he expired.

He was of the most amiable character and difpofition, and had but lately married a beautiful young lady, the fifter of lord Saltoun. Captain Macrae and his second immediately withdrew, and though meffengers were dispatched in every direction, no intelligence was received of them when this account left Edinburgh.

The poor fellow, on whofe account this duel happened, no fooner heard of his master's fate, than he fell into strong convulfions, and died in the course of a few hours.

LUNACY.

Frith, the maniac, whom we formerly mentioned (pages 29 and 55) to have thrown a ftone at the king, when going to the House of Lords, was this month brought before the court at the Old

The 16th, the body of a genteel man Bailey; where he betrayed the molt

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