going feveral interrogatories, to which he would give no anfwer, he was fent to the hofpital to be taken care of, but in the night he made his escape.

A moft terrible ftorm of thunder and lightening fell upon the houfe of Richard Rylance, in Churchftreet, Ormskirk, carried away the chimney and flates from the roof, the windows of the third ftory, shattered the fide of the building, and melted the lead of the lower windows. A ball of fire traverfed the room of a lying-in woman, but providentially did her no hurt.

The conftables at Bristol difco. vered, concealed in a box, in the houfe of one Langford, a nightwatchman, a girl about 18 years of age, almoft ftarved, and quite naked. It appeared that he had been a lodger in the house near 20 months, but had not been confined to the narrow limits of this box (which is about 40 inches long, and 18 broad) more than eight months, during which time the has been often without fuftenance for three days together. The pofition fhe was obliged to lie in has fo contracted her limbs that they are quite ufelefs. They alfo found a young woman quite naked, with only havings to lie on; who, be. ing with child, had fled to this place for fhelter. Both thefe deplorable creatures were carried to St. Peter's hofpital. Langford, his wife, and daughter, were fecured, but the man pleading ignorance, and the girl confirming it, he was released.

Was committed to the Gate. houfe, Alexander Dunn, for violently beating and threatening to murder a poft-boy who had juft brought him out of the country. VOL. X.

This is the perfon who was fome time confined in the King's Bench, charged with the intention of affaffinating Mr. Wilkes.

Their majefties having honoured the fociety of artists of Great Britain with their prefence, at the exhibition in Spring Gardens, his. majefty has been graciously pleased to order them the fum of one hundred pounds.

This morning, about three o'clock, as the Plymouth ftagewaggon was going out of town, it took fire in Fleet-treet, occafioned by a bottle of aqua-fortis breaking against a bottle of spirits of wine, and fetting fire to the fame: By timely affiftance it was foon extinguished, after doing about 30l. damage, and the waggon pursued its journey.

It began yesterday to fnow 4th. in Derbyshire, which continued the whole day and part of this, fo that the fnow was above half a yard deep.

An uncommon inundation happened in the road between Newington and Clapham, occafioned by the heavy rains that had been falling for three days before; the waters collected in the road meeting with a high tide (wind N. by W. moon's first quarter) running up Vauxhall Creek, fwelled to fuch a degree, that they foon covered Kennington common, and enter. ing fome low grounds, (on the fouth fide,) deftroyed the brickworks, and did other damage to

the amount of zool. The current making its way, S. E. and over Camberwell road by Wallworth common to the Thames; a poor woman happening to be on Kennington common before the height. of the flood, got on the bank [G]

above

above the turnpike houfe, and a working man in the gardens juft by, going to affift her over the road, in ftepping off the bank, her feet flipped, and fhe, falling, pulled the poor man into the current with her; and both were carried thro' an arch under the turnpike-houfe, but two feet wide, and three deep. The woman was foon difcovered by her cloaths, but the man was carried forty yards down before feen. However, both being taken into a house, they foon recovered..

The magiftrates of Edinburgh conferred upon Mr. James Craig, architect, a gold medal, with the freedom of their city, in a filver box, as a reward of his merit, for having defigned the beft plan of a new town to be built in that neighbourhood.

M. de Larrey, privy-counsellor and fecretary to the prince of O. range, fets out for Berlin to-mor row, in order to fettle every thing relative to the marriage of his ferene Highness with the princefs Wilhelmina, fifter to the prince Royal of Pruffia.

Orders were received at Chatham to take his majefty's fhip Monmouth, of 64 guns, to pieces, be. ing judged unfit for further fervices. This fhip was esteemed the beft failer in the navy, had a principal share in the actions fought by the admirals Anfon and Hawke, when commanded by the brave admiral Harrifon, in the war preceding the laft; was in the late war in feveral actions commanded by the captains Gardiner and Hervey, the former of whom was killed on board, when engaged fingly with the Foudroyant, of 80 guns. She never gave chace to any ship that the did not come up with.

As fome workmen were employed in pulling down part of Cundover Hall, near Shrewsbury, they found in removing fome ftones in the vault, an iron box of about 20 inches long, and 14 broad, in which were contained several very curious ancient medals, together with a brafs ftatue, about 16 inches high, which is fuppofed to be the ftatue of fome heathen gods.

6th.

The feffions ended at the Old Bailey, when three received fentence of death; one to be tranfported for fourteen years; 36 for feven years; and three to be whipt.

Mount Vefuvius began to throw out fire from its fummit; an omen of an approaching irruption.

There was a commotion at Troyes in France, the confequence of which might have been very fatal. It was occafioned by the refufal of the officers of police to permit the bakers to raise the price of bread, though corn is grown dearer. A woman took occafion from hence to raife by her clamours a troop of mutinous people, who, fufpecting fome individuals of carrying on a trade in corn, and profiting confiderably by it, repaired tumultuously to their houses, broke open their doors, and deftroyed the furniture of their dwel lings. Such as feemed inclined to oppofe them were ill-treated; and it is even faid, that three or four were killed. They threatened to fet fire to the city; but the town officers took fuch juft measures, that the burgeffes in arms gave a check to part of the infurgents, feveral of whom had difguifed themfelves like women, and difperfed the rest.

By a letter directed to Mr.
Charles

Charles Gibbs of Charter-houfefquare, a correfpondent of that gentleman's afferts, that he has difcovered a method of fquaring the circle, which has hitherto baffled the efforts of the greatest mathematicians. 9th.

A fubfcription was opened for carrying Mr. Brindley's plan into execution for making a navigable canal from Birmingham through the principal coal works, to join the Worcestershire and Staffordshire canals.

A fire happened at Beer, near Blandford in Dorfetfhire, which in an hour and a half deftroyed above 14 houfes. In the fame week was a fire at Ower near Dorchefter, which confumed 8 houfes.

About three weeks ago a bricklayer's labourer at Marybone fold a woman, whom he had cohabited with for feveral years, to a fellow-workman for a quarter guinea and a gallon of beer. The workman went off with the pur. chafe, and fhe has fince had the good fortune to have a legacy of zool, and fome plate, left her by a deceafed uncle in Devonshire. The parties were married last Friday.

Five of the malefactors

Joth. who were condemned at the laft feffions but one at the Old Bailey, were executed at Ty.

burn.

16th.

Came on at Guildhall, be fore Lord Mansfield, and a fpecial jury of merchants, a trial between Meffrs. Dalbiacks, filkweavers, of Spital fquare, plaintiffs, and the proprietors of a patent manufactory for painting filk, defendants: the caufe of action was to recover a fum of money for

damage on 91 pieces of filk, which the defendants had fpoiled in painting, containing 5767 yards and upwards; when, after an hearing of fix hours, the jury, without go-ing out of court, found a verdict for the plaintiffs of 2633 1. 18s. being the full value of the filks.

A caufe came on in the 17th. Common-pleas, wherein a gentleman of Norwich was plaintiff, and the commiffioners of one of the London fire-offices defendants: The action was, that the gentleman had formerly infured his houfe at Norwich in the faid office to the amount of 500l. and at the time of the riots there his houfe was wilfully fet on fire,. and burnt, on which he applied to the office to make good the infurance, which they refufed, as it was not deftroyed by accident; and after a hearing of feveral hours, a ver dict of 400l. was given in favour of the plaintiff; but a point of law arifing, it is to be decided by the opinion of the twelve judges.

The eftates of the late Percival Lewis, Efq. at Tooting, were fold by auction by Mr. Langford and fon for 24,9251.

The maid-fervant of one Mr. Wilfon, with his child in her arms, went to view fome fheep wafhed in the Tweed from Kelfo-bridge; when, forgetful of her truft, by a fudden motion, the child fprung out of her arms from the lodging, and dropt down into the water. The young woman, in order to fave the child, inftantly flung herfelf over after it, and both perished in the Tweed.

At Covent-Garden market common cherries, and but few of them ripe, fold at 4s. a pound, Three [G] 2

years

years ago, at this feafon, finer cherries were fold at zd. a pound. Laft week at a chriftening at Widaker, near Whitehaven, of the 21ft child of Mr. Wright, by the fame woman, the company came from 21 parishes, and the entertainment confifted of 21 pieces of beef, 21 legs of mutton and lamb, 21 gallons of brandy, three times 21 gallons of ftrong ale, three times 21 fowls roafted and boiled, 21 pies, befides feveral hams, a great number of puddings, &c. &c. At a court of common-council held at Guildhall, the freedom of this city was voted to be prefented to the right hon. Charles Townfhend, chancellor of the exchequer, ina gold box, for acknowledgment of his kind and fuccefs. ful endeavours to ferve them in their application to parliament for the feveral improvements to be made in the metropolis.

At the fame court alfo a motion was made, that a piece of plate of 200 guineas value be prefented to deputy John Paterfon, Efq. as a mark of the court's gratitude for the many fervices rendered the corporation by that gentleman, but mere efpecially for his late excellent plan which was adopted by the city of London, and now lies ready for the royal affent, having paffed both houfes of parliament.

was

The report made laft December, relating to London-Bridge, taken into confideration; when Mr. Milne, the furveyor, being examined, it was, after a long debate, agreed, that the proprietors of the London-bridge water-works fhould be allowed the fifth arch of the faid bridge, agreeable to the terms contained in the city lands-report, but under the

exprefs conditions, that should this grant be hereafter found prejudicial to the navigation of the river, the city fhould have liberty to revoke their grant, upon paying the faid proprietors their whole expence in occupying the faid arch.

The emprefs queen, who had got the fmall pox by her clofe attendance on her daughter-in-law, the emprefs confort, is now entirely out of danger.

One Mr. Nathaniel Jardine, a linen-draper at Cambridge, was feized with a fit, as he fat upon a bench by his door, from which he fell, and received a violent cut upon his head, that rendered him fenfelefs; he was immediately blooded, which fomewhat recovered him, and he was carried, by his own defire, to the houfe of Mr. Clay, grocer, in Trompington-street, where he died on Wednesday morning. His brother, a few months ago, was taken much in the fame manner, but died inftantly. There is fomething fo fingular in the lives of these two brothers, that we should not do juftice to our readers, if we passed it by unnoticed. They were about fixty years old, had lived together from their infancy, and had, for more than forty years, kept a linendraper's fhop: during which time, we are informed, they never had their houfe cleaned but once, which was when their mother died, whom, to fave expences, they laid out themselves; they feldom admitted any perfon beyond their fhop or ftore room; and it is afferted that they had no bed, but used to lie upon fome old packing cloths, that their goods came in: And fo continually difturbed, left any of their effects fhould be ftolen, that they frequently watched alternately. So

miferable were they, in order to amafs wealth, they did not even allow themselves the common neceffaries of life, not a whole joint of meat having been known to enter the houfe for twenty years paft. Thus pinched for want of fultenance within, and through neglect in their linen and apparel, peftered with vermin without, no wonder they always carried a very meagre afpect. It is fomewhat remarkable, that if a publican or other perfon laid out a few shillings with them, they would enquire their place of abode, and frequently go a mile or two to fetch a quart of beer, yet cautious that they should not be feen, left others might be offended. On the death of their father they found upwards of 1000 guineas concealed in his bed; and at the deceafe of the first brother, the furvivor found a confiderable fum of money that had been fecreted from him. It is not certainly known what he died poffeffed of, but it is generally fuppofed from 6 to Soool, the whole of which, except a legacy of zol. he has left by will to the above Mr. Clay; who, it feems, had lately fhewn him fome civilities, by now and then fending him a comfortable dinner, &c. The deceased had often de. clared, he did not know of any relations.

Letters just received from Rome mention, that an exprefs was arrived there from Civita Vecchia, with advice, that 15 Catalan vessels, escorted by three armed xebecks, were arrived there from Barcelona, with five hundred and feventy jefuits on board; the pope, though with reluctance, confented to their being landed, and ordered them to be conducted to Ferrara.

The archdutchefs, intended confort to the king of Naples, is expected in that city by the beginning of November; and the marriage ceremony of their majefties will be performed on the 4th of that month, the festival of St. Charles, whose name the king of Spain bears."

An edict of the emprefs queen has juft made its appearance in Bruffels, prohibiting the admiffion into that country of any of the jefuits expelled from Spain, or exiled from France; it matters not whe ther they are fubjects, by birth, of her imperial majefty, or whether or not they wear the habit of their order.

They write from Madrid, that a treaty is negociating with Ruffia, and another with fome of the German princes for allowing a number of their fubjects to fettle, with their families, in Spain, in order to cultivate a barren track of ground, called Serra Molenos. They are to be allowed the expences of their journey, and, on their ar rival in the Spanish territories, are to receive the king's pay, and be provided with neceffaries for a year. They are alfo to be furnished with materials for building, and tools for husbandry; but after the expiration of the abovementioned term, they are to maintain them, felves with the produce or revende of their refpective lands, which will be granted to them as their full property, befides an exemption from all taxes for ten years to