tries, where a breach in the banks generally lays whole diftricts une der water; by a breach in Deepings bank, feveral thousand acres are now under water; and by the north bank of the river Glen giving way, the north fens are overflowed, by which the inhabitants of the villages between Pe. terborough and Lincoln are re duced to the most deplorable cir. cumftances; their cattle carried away, and their houfes laid three or four feet under water; many other places have fhared the fame fate; and, in fhort, their confter. nation and diftrefs is fuch as none can conceive, but those who have been in the like fituations.

In many parts of Scotland, the inundations, on the breaking up of the fnow, did incredible damage; at Lochmaben the waters ofc Annan came down with fuch rapidity, as to take houses, cattle, corn, and every thing along with them.:

In Ireland, the Liffey did the fame; and in Wales, no man living ever faw fuch floods. It is amazing, with what folemnity the Thames and Severn rife and fall on thefe occafions, flowing with an enlarged current and a quicker motion, but neither with fo much rapidity as to furprife cattle, nor with fo much increased depth, as to overflow houfes: the floods on these two rivers, inftead of a calamity, are, generally fpeaking, a common benefit, enriching the paftures on their banks, and fertilizing the countries thro' which they pafs.com

57 Á fchooner and three open boats, taken by his Majesty's armed cutters in the channel, and condemn

ed for fmuggling, were burnt at Torbay.

A man who lodged in Earl Areet, Seven-Dials, went home in expectation of having his dinner ready, but found his wife on the bed, intoxicated with liquor, on which he placed a train of gunpowder, with, the diabolical refo lution to blow her up, but in fetting fire to the fame, he was fo terribly burnt, that he was carried to the hofpital with little hopes of recovery. The woman escaped unhurt.

A poor old man and his wife, who lived near Chrift-church, Sur ry, and ufed to fell greens about the ftreets till the late fevere froft, were obliged to live upon their fmall capital till it was exhaufted, and were then forced to fell their bed, &c. for fupport, which lafted but a little time; after which being miffing fome days, the neighbours, who refpected them for their former industry, went to enquire after their health; when they found the old woman stretched out upon the floor, juft expired for want of common neceffaries, and her husband almost dead, who was carried to the work house without hope of recovery. He has fince, however, got better, and a collection has been made for him.

A farmer near Innerdale going after fome fheep that were miffing during the fnow, took with him å bottle of rum and a small glafs when he found them, fome feemed juft dying with the cold, to every one of which he gave a little of the rum, mixed with water, which inftantly revived them. To thofe that appeared least affected, he

gave none. What is remarkable, he got all that had taken the rum fafe home, but fome of the reft died by the way,

Last week Mr. Berrow of the Grange, fent his man to Chep. ftow, with feveral horfes loaded with meal. Chepstow bridge is repairing, and near completed. The man when he came to the bridge, led the first horfe as far as he apprehended there was danger, and then left him to fetch the o

thers, fuppofing he would go for. wards; but the horse turning round fhort before we had got within the part that was railed, trod on the end of a loose plank, which tilted up, and he fell into the river. It was then low water, and the height from the water between 50 and 60 feet. About 130 yards below the bridge, the horfe rofe, having broken the girths of the pad, and cleared from his load, fwam to the fhore without the leaft hurt.

proved the verdict, and have re turned the inquifition into the high court of Chancery..

They write from Cologne, that the waters of the Rhine having been very low for fome time, they had discovered oppofite that city the foundations of a bridge, and near the three kings gate a kind of guard-houfe; fuppofed to be two ancient monuments of the Romans.

Fourteen tranfports from 14th. Durham, Newcastle, and Morpeth, were put on board the Jenny, Capt. Blagdon, bound for Virginia; at which time ten young artificers fhipped themselves for America. One of the indent. ed fervants, we hear, who formerly belonged to Newcastle, has in lifted into 46 different regiments, been whipped out of 19, fentenced to be fhot fix times, but repriev ed, confined in 73 different goals, appeared under the character of quack doctor in feven kingdoms, and now is only in the 32d year of his age.

Five of the moft refolute prifon

in Salisbury gaol (among whom were White and Wheeler, two of the rioters) attempted to break out, threatening to murder the keeper, and fet the prifon on fire. They tore up feveral of the planks of the floor, and threw brickbats with great violence at their op pofers, and continued their noife the whole night, and were fo bold and daring the next morning, that the keeper was obliged to ap ply to the commanding officer for a party of foldiers, to affift in lay ing them in irons, or murder, in all probability, would have enfued.

Was committed to Chester caftle

the

the fervant maid of Mr. Torkington, of Overton-green, charged with poisoning two of his chil dren, by mixing arfenic in fome gruel, and endangering the life of Mrs. Torkington; and alfo one Elizabeth Hawkins, of Stockport, fortune teller, for being an acceffary in the faid murders.

A jeweller took fome girls, and their waiting-maid, in a hackneycoach to a coffee-houfe in Chelfea; when they came out to return home, the coachman was gone to a public-houfe; but it then raining, the waiter let the company into the coach, and called out for the driver, who not hearing immediately, the horses moved on, and one of them, being blind, turned towards the Thames, into which they dragged the coach, and, the water being very high, it was with the utmost difficulty that the lives of the ladies and maid were faved; but the gentleman, being ftunned by a blow on his temple, was drowned.

On Thursday died (as was fuppofed) Mrs. Margaret Carpenter, journey woman to Mr. Smith, li. very lace-maker in Little Queen ftreet, Lincoln's-inn-fields; and on Friday he was properly laid out, in order to be interred to-morrow; when, on Friday night, to the astonishment and terror of the whole family, the came down ftairs ftark naked, having only been in a trance; as foon as the furprise was over, they put her into a warm bed, and gave her comfortable things for her refreshment; the faid fhe was bitter cold; but her fituation fo shocked her, that the did not furvive above a day or two.

Thomas Davers, (fuppofed to be nearly related to the late Admiral Davers) who built, at a vast expence, a little fort, on the river Thames, near Blackwall, known by the name of Davers's folly, after paffing thro' a feries of mif fortunes, chiefly owing to an un happy turn of mind, put an end to his miferable life. Some few hours before his death, he was feen to write the following card: "Defcended from an ancient and honourable family, I have, for fifteen years paft, fuffered more indigence than ever gentleman be. fore fubmitted to: neglected by my acquaintance, traduced by my enemies, and infulted by the vulgar, I am so reduced, worn down, and tired, that I have nothing left but that lafting repofe, the joint and dernier inheritance of all.

Of laudanum an ample dose,
Muft all my prefent ills compofe;
But the beft laudanum of all
I want (not refolution) but a ball.

N. B. Advertise this. T. D. They write from Newcastle, that at Harrington, near Lambton, the wife of one Wilfon, as he was fleeping by the fire-fide, came behind him with an ax, and ftruck him on one fide of his neck, with all her force, and cut through the gullet; upon which he started up, with all the horrors of a dying perfon, but the repeated the blow, and clove him on one fide of his head, which brought him to the ground, and he expired directly.. She is committed to Durham gaol, but is faid to be out of her rea fon.

Jo. Story, a blackfmith, at Bel ford, having courted the daughter

of

of Mrs. Eleanor Elliot, widow, near Haggerston, going one day to her house to alk for his fweetheart, found none but the old woman, who told him her daughter was not at home, but afked him why he courted her daughter, who could not bring him above zol, and if he would pleafe her, fhe would help him to one of 500l. On which he replied, he would ever with gratitude acknowledge the favour. Then I am the perfon, (fays fhe) if you'll accept of the offer: on which a bargain was ftruck immediately, and on Tuefday fe'nnight they were married at Killo. The bridegroom is only 18 years of age, and the bride 64.

16th.

Came on before Dr. Hay, Dean of the Arches court of Canterbury, at Doctors'commons, a remarkable caufe be. tween a gentleman of fortune, and a young lady to whom he was fome time fince married in a pri. vate house, or room, in Scotland. The queftion before the court, and upon which the caufe turned, was this, Whether the marriage in

Two ladies (fifters to the gentleman who was lately drowned at Chelfea in a coach) coming to town, from Bath, were robbed on Hounflow heath, by a fingle highwayman. What is remarkable, the ladies met the robber about noon the fame day, upon Ludgatehill, who appeared much confounded; but the ladies let him: pafs, being fo much affected that they had not power to call for affiftance to take him.

A gold medal was prefented to Mr. Doffie, by the fociety, for his eminent fervices in communicaring the proceffes of making pot-afh and barilla in America, by which thefe articles are now become established articles of commerce in that country. He has alfo given in writing an ingenious and ufeful account of potafh, with inftructions for judging of its comparative value, and dir covering the fophiftications of it, in order that the fame may be printed.

a no

Articles of the peace were exhibited at Hicks's Hall, by ble Lord, against a woman, for his

then under age) was binding on the gentleman, or not? when, after many learned arguments by the civilians on both fides, the judge was clearly of opinion that the marriage was good in law, and pronounced accordingly. That marriages celebrated in Scotland do not come within the act of parliament in 1754, to prevent clandeftine marriages. It is remarkable this is the firft caufe of this nature tried fince the act took place, and it is faid is to be re-heard before the Court of Delegates.

and fet fire to his houfe; when the court ordered her to find fe curity, or be committed. found fecurity.

She

A perfon dreffed like a gentles man, went to a register office, and hired a young man for his fervant, giving him a direction to come to his lodgings in Weftminfter, the fame evening but the office-keeper having a fufpicion of the perfon, attended the young. fellow to the place, and found it to be a lock-up house for recruits and that the pretended gentleman, was no other than a crimg

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The feffions ended at the Old Bailey, when one for horfe ftealing, and two for highway robberies (ope of whom was a negro) were capitally convicted. Thirty-three to be tranfported for. feven years, four to be whipt, and three were branded.

This day his majefty went 21st. to the houfe of Peers, with the ufual state, and gave the royal allent to the bill to punish mu tiny and defertion-the bill to continue, for a further limited time, the free importation of wheat, and wheat meal, from any part of Europe, and to difcontinue the duties payable on the importation on barley-meal and pulfe. The bill to difcontinue the duties on the importation of tallow, hog's-lard, and greafe. The bill to diffolve the marriage of John Stort, Efq, from Ann his wife, to enable him to marry again, and for other purposes. The bill to build a new bridge over the Thames, from Swynford, in Oxfordshire, to the oppofite fhore. And alfo to feveral road, inclo fure, and naturalization bills.

A remarkable experiment in husbandry was tried laft fpring, by one Mr. Carpenter, of Cheltenham. In the beginning of March he fowed about fix acres with wheat, which turned out an exceeding good crop, and was fit to reap within nine days of that fowed at the ufual time. The land was a light fandy foil, and had been laid down with turnips, which were fed off with sheep du... ring the winter.

At a committee in St. 24th. Bride's veftry, an inhabi tant who had fome time before mentioned to one of the church.

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wardens, fome fufpicions he had relative to the bringing corpfes late at night to their burying ground on the fide of the Fleetmarket, came and declared to the gentlemen prefent, that he faw their grave-digger, laft Michaelmas day, at a little after 11 at night, with four bearers, bring down by the fide of the Fleet-market, a fhell or coffin covered over with a black cloth, which fomewhat fur prifed him; but he and his man followed, and prefently coming to the burying-ground door, the leader gave two knocks, on which a woman within-fide asked who was there? One knock more was repeated; on which the door was immediately opened, and the contents left in the paffage. On this extraordinary information, they fent for the grave-digger, and on his appearing, he was questioned concerning the corpfe that was brought at 11 at night fome time ago; he flatly denied being con cerned in bringing any fo late at any time; but, after fome other queftions, he owned bringing one a little after nine, from the lockup-houfe in the Butcher-row; and another time, one from a house of the fame caft in Chancery Lane. Being asked whom he had orders from, he named a perfon, who was fent for; but he politively denied giving any fuch orders. He afterwards named another, who was the undertaker, and he being fent for, acknowledged that he gave fuch orders, but could not recollect the time, but after going home to perufe his books, found one to be on Dec. 6, 1765 and another on Sept. 29, 1766, from the above places, by the de fre of Capt.

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