and proved how excell ut is art, when exempê from affectation, and ambitious only of the genuine effect of truth Mrs. Dickons was likewise exclient bo h as an actress and a singer; indeed, in all she does, there is so much simplicity, modesty, and effective sci ence, that she is deservedly deemed the mos popular musical performer of the stage. both parties were soon out of sight. All this was the work of only a few seconds; during which, Bishop seeing the Malay stunned on the ground, al gated in order to secure him, or, if necessary, to kill him with one of his own weapons. No sooner, however, was he off his horse, than the Malay was on his feet, and began a desperate struggle with his rash ass ilant. It was the business of the Malay merely to employ his own offensive weapons ; Bishop had the double necessity of defeating their use, and of applying them to his own advantage. This contest for life continued for almost an hour, when Bishop, pearly fainting with fatigue, was thrown on his back, and the Malay, kneeling on him, drew his dagger, and with all his force aimed at his breast the fatal blow. At that moment Bishop, exerting verted the point of the dagger as it descended; and c anging its direction, drove it upwards into the throat of the Malay, who inmediately fell down dead upon him. Bishop, unable to walk, crawled on his hands and knees to his horse; be mounted him with some officuly, and was soon afterwards joined by bis friends, who had chased their opponents into some dangerous passes. This gallant EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE FROM DEATH. In the attack f Mauilla by Sir W. Drape, in the year 1762, Captain Richard B.shop, of th Marines greatly distinguished himself by his intrepidity and profession 1 knowl dge; || in consequence of which he was by that General mede Governor of the twn and fort of Cavito the principal port of the island of Luconia. At this tim there was in the wigh-bes last remains of strength, with both hands bourhood a Malay of extraordinary bulk and strength and of the most ferocious disposition, who had formerly worked in the d ck-yard, bnt had deserted, and having collected a hundred men of like characters with himse f, committed every sp cies of lawless violence on the pe:s us and property of the peacable inh bitants. Fo the appr hension of this man Captain Bishop had long offered consid rable rewards, but without ffect; when one day riding out with a brother officer, attended by about forty men, he saw this desperado, armed with a carbie, a brace of pistols, a scymilar, and a dagger, issue out of a wood at a short distance, at the head of his troop. Instigated by a sudden emotion of resentment, Bishop determined to inflict on this man the just punishment of his offences; but being himself without weapons, he borrowed a pist, I from the holsters of the officer who accompanied him. Thus provided, he galloped up to the Malay, and presented the pistol to his head The Malay and his followers, confounded at this bold act of a single man, off red no resistance. The pis ol missed fire; on which Bishop, striking the Malay a violent blow on the head with it, knocked him off his horse: in the meanwhile the English troop, hastening to the assistance of their leader, and concluding him to be fully equal to cope with his fallen antagonist, pursued the banditti, who immediately fled, and || countrymen. || officer was afterwards lost on board his Majesty'a sh p the Thunderer, commanded by ommodore Walsingham, in the great hurricane which occurred in the year 1780. MECHANISM. It is not generally known at the vast block of stone (weighing by com putation 3,000,000 pounds, or 1339 tons), which forms the base of the statue of Peter 1. of Russia, was transported, without any ac cident, on thirty-two brass balls, of five inches diameter, on moveable hollow railways of the same composition with the balls, by sixty-four men working two capstans, under Count Morin Carburi Lascaris, whose skill in mechanism on this occasion will ever do honour to his memory. Perhaps the above-mentioned simple, though powerful mode of transporting so ponderous a body, will in some measure account for the conveyance to Salisbury plain of those stupendous stones which form an extraordinary relic of the ancient superstition of our A CIRCUMSTANTIAL ACCOUNT OF THE ASSASSINATION OF mr. percEVAL BY JOHN BELLINGHAM, The viously searched, to which he made no re- On the 11th May, about a quarter past five, as the Right Honourable SPENCER PERCEVAL, Chancellor, of the Exchequer and First Lord of the Treasury, &c. &c. was entering the lobby of the House of Cominons, he was shot by a person of the name of Be lingham, who had placed himself for teat purpose at the side of the door leading from the stone staircase. Mr. Perceval was in company with Lord F. OSBORNE, and immediately on receiving the Ball, which entered || the left breast, he staggered and fell at the feet of Mr. W. Smith, M. P for Norwich, who was standing near the second pillar. The only words he uttered were-" Ok! I am murdered," and the latter was inarticulate, the sound dying between his lips. He was instantly taken up by Mr. Smith, who did not recognize him until he had looked in his face. The report of the pistol immediately drew great numbers to the spot, who assisted Mr. Smith in conveying the body of Mr. Perceval into the Speaker's apartments, but before he reached them, all signs of life had departed. Mr. Perceval's corpse was placed upon a bed, and Mr. Lyun, of Great George-street, who had been sent for, arrived, but too late even to witness the last symptom of expiring exist-appeared as if summary justice wou'd have ence. He found that the ball, which was of an unusually large size, had penetrated the heart near its centre, and had passed completely through it From thence the body was removed to the Spe ker's drawing-room, by Mr. Lynn and several Members, and it was laid on a sopha. The horror and dismay occasioned by the assassination of Mr. Perceval prevented any attention from being paid to other persons, and it was not until the Right Hon. Gentle man was raised from the floor that a person belonging to the Vote Office exclaimed, "Where is the rascal that fired?" when a person of the name of Bellingham, who had been unobserved, stepped up to him, and coolly observed, "I am the unfortunate man!" He did not make any attempt to escape, though he had concealed the pistol by which he had perpetrated the horrid deed, but re signed himself quietly into the hands of some of the bye-standers. They placed him up B a bench near the fire place, where they kept him, and all the doors were closed, and the egress of any persons prevented. When the assassin was interrogated as to his motive for this dreadful act, he replied, " My name is Bellingham; it is a private injury—I know what I have done-It was a denial of justice on the part of Government."-At this time the pri soner was in no legal custody, but was surrounded by many Members, who insisted that be should be taken into the body of the House. The criminal was, however, pre Two Messengers, Weight and Skelton, then conveyed the prisoner to the Bar of the House of Commons, where the utmost confusion and anxiety prevailed. Members rushed from the Hou-e, strangers from the gallery, and adjacent parts, and Peers from the Lords, who a came to the spot, filled with the utmost horror and dismay at an event so truly alarming. Great confusion consequently ensued; numbers pressed round the spot where the prisoner was held in custody, and the expres sion of indignation was so great, that it almost been done upon the offender The SPEAKER having taken the Chair, was unable, for some minutes, to controul the general disorder and agitation that pr vailed. A number of Peers were also in theHouse, among whom were Lord Liverpool, Lord Spencer, Loid Radnor, &c. Some degree of calm having been at length obtained, the SPEAKER suggested to the House the propriety of having the pri soner immediately taken from the Bar to the prison-room, and to prevent the confusion which might be apprehended if he were taken through the ordinary passage, that he might be conducted through the private passages and side stairs This proposition meeting the ideas of the Men.bers present, he expressed his opinion that it would be better for a select number of Members to precede and accompany the Serjeant and the prisoner to the room in question, and there to take the xamisation of all persons who could give any information touching the circumstances of the case -We ought also to mention, that many individuals who had witnessed part of this transaction, were mingled with Members at the Bar of the House, presenting a scene altogether new and extraordinary. These persons were desired in the lobby and in the House not to depart until they had given their evidence. All the doors leading toWestminster Hall, and elsewhere, were ordered to be locked, and the egress and ingress of all persons prevented. Immediately after the prisoner was removed, the House adjourned, without pro, ceeding in any other business, as, in fact, the sensation was too great to admit the possibility of further attention. The prisoner having been conducted up stars to the prison room, was stripped of his coat, waistcoat, and neckcloth, for the pur pose of ascertaining whether any offensive we pon Was concealed ab ut hs person; no bing of the kind, however, was found. By direction of the Members he was then piuioned by a Messenger, belonging to the House, on each side, in which position he was held during the whole course of the examjuation. Mr. Alderman COMBE, as a Magistrate, was called to the Chair, to take the depositions of the various witnesses in attendance, a duty in which he was shortly after aided by Mr M. A. TAYLOR, who is also a Magis trate. The examinations having been brought to a conclusion, the prisoner was asked what he had to say against the fact with which he was charged, and cautioned by Sir J. C. HIP PISLEY not to say any thing that would be inju ous to himself. The prisoner spoke to the following effect. - I have admitted the fact-I admit the fact, but wish, with permission, to state something in my justification. I have been denied the redress of my grievances by Government; I have been ill treated They al know who I am, and what I am, through the Secretary of State and Mr. Becket, with whom I have had frequent com· munications. They knew of this fact six weeks ago, through the Magistrates of Bow-street. I was accused most wrongfully by a GovernorGeneral in Russia, in a letter from Archangel to Riga, and hure sought redress in vain. I am a most unfortunate man, and feel here (placing his hand on his breast) sufficient just fication for what I have done" Here Lord CASTLEREAGH interfered, and informed the prisoner that he was not then called on for his defence, but merely to say what he had to urge in contradition to the fict which he was charged. Any thing he might feel desirous of stating in extenuation of his crime, he had better rese.ve for his trial. The Prisoner said, "Since it seems best to you that I should not now explain the causes of my conduct, I will leave it until the day of my trial, when my country will have an opportunity of judging whether I am right or wrong." He was conveyed to the Secretary of State's Office for the Home Department, where he was placed in a room in which he walked Bearly the whole time. On the breaking up of the Council, he was sent to Newgate. His commitment was signed by Michael Angelo Taylor, Esq. M.P. who accompanied him in the coach to Newgate, where he was double ironed. CORONER'S INQUEST. The body of Mr. Perceval was removed from the Speaker's House during Monday night, May 11, to his own in Downing-street; and on Tuesday morning, at 11 o'clock, a most respectable jury was summoned to attend A. Gell, Esq Coroner for Westminster, at the house of Francis Dukes, the sign of the Rose and Crown, in Downing street. After taking a view of the body, the following witnesses were examined: Henry Burgess, of Curzon-street, Mayfair, solicitor, being sworn, saith: Mouday afternoon, abɔut five, I was attending in the lobby of the House of Commons, near the Doorkeeper's seat; I heard the report of a pistol apparently as if fired at the entrance of the lobby; in less than half a minute I saw a Gentlemau com ng forward towards the door of the House, staggering; and at the same time I heard a cry of "murder, murder." This Gentleman had his hand on bis breast, and exclaimed, "Oh!" faintly, and fell forward en his face. heard a cry," that is the person,” pointing to the seat near the fire place; on which I sprang forward to the seat, and there I observed a man in extreme agitation sitting on the seat, and one or two others on his right. I immediately looked at his hands, and observed a small pistol eicher under his left hand or close by it; I immediately seized the pistol, and asked him what could induce him to do such a deed or act? he immediately replied, "want of redress of grievance, and a refusal by Government," or words to that ef fect. I immediately said to him, "have you another pistol?" he replied, “yes.” I asked him if it was loaded; and he replied, yes." I then took several articles out of his waistcoat pockets; and some one took from his person the pistol which he before told me was loaded. The pistol which I took from him was warm, at least so far as a small pistol usually is recently fired off. In the course of the afternoon, I believe, I was the first person examined; and when my evidence was read to me, in the presence of the prisoner, on his being asked if he had any remarks to make, or words to that effect, he replied, "I think Mr Burgess's statement is correct; only I wish to ob serve, that instead of my hand being upon or near the pistol, I think he took it out of my hand," or words to that effect. When I first saw the prisoner he was greatly agitated; but by the time I was examined, that agitation had subsided, and he appeared to me perfectly calm. HENRY BURGESS. General Isaac Gascoyne, Member for Liverpool, of Hertford street, Mayfair, sworn.About a quarter after five o'clock on Monday I was writing a letter in the Committee-room; I heard the report of a pistol shot, and jumped up, exclaiming, that it was the report of a pistol; I went down stairs; I saw a number of people standing about, and a person pointed out a man to me sitting on the bench by the fire-side; the person saying that is the man who fired the pistol; I sprung up. n him, and grasped him by the breast and neck; I perceived him raising his left hand with a pis tol in it, I let go my hold, and seized his wrist with both hands, and twisted his arm round with all my force; he seemed to have son to take care of it, and, on subsequent exlittle hold of the pistol: I desired a person standing by to take the pistol from ishind, which was done. I took papers from his pocket, and tied them up: he appeared to be dragging from my hold, but I kept him fast. I delivered the papers to Mr. Hume, and then told the prisoner it was impossible he could escape: he replied, "I am the person who shot Mr. Perceval, and I surrender myself. We took him to the body of the House of Commons, and delivered him into the custody of the Messengers. I saw him lodged in the prisoner room before I ever lost sight of him. The deponent farther states, that the prisoner Bellingham called upon him in Hertford-street, May-fair, about three weeks ago, and he had a conversation with him of nearly an hour, though he knew nothing of the prisoner, nor the prisoner of him. He stated that he had clains on Parliamen, and asked for my parliamentary assistance, he having been a merchant at Liverpool. He represented having suffered at St. Petersburgh under a false arrest, for many mon hs; and that he applied to the then resident Ambassador for redress but without effect. He stated that he had lost many pounds, and wished me to bring the business before Parliament; but I did not think his case required my interfe rence in that way, and recommended him to memorialise the Ministers He left Liverpool four year ago, and only had been there two years. During this conversation, he was as calm and as collected as any man could be, and had not the least appearance of a persoa insane. He was much agitated on Monday, when he, the General, seized him; but before he was examined by the Committee, he was more composed; and before he went to Newgate on Monday night, he was quite calm again. (Signed) ISAAC GASCOYNE. amination, I found that same pistol to con⠀tain a ball and powder,-1 held the prisoner, and assisted to conduct him to the bar of the House of Commons, where I quitted my hold, leaving him in the custody of two servants of the House, as directed by the Speaker. The Speaker having directed she prisoner to be conducted to the prison-rom; and all Members who had witnessed any part of the transaction to follow, I accompa■ ed them, and attended the examination of witnesses for about one hour: the agitation under which the prisoner seemed at first, appeared to me gradually to subside; and by the time the first deposition was taken, he was able to answer, and to speak distinctly and calmly. The Magistrate, Mr. Michael Angelo Taylor, told him, it was his duty to caution him not to answer any thing that might criminate himself. He answered, that he was obliged to the Magistrate, but that he would use his own discretion. On the evid nce of Mr. Burgess being read to him, he stated, that he thought there might be a little inaccuracy in the evidence given by Mr. Burgess, in saling that the pistol, when first seen by him, lay near to his (the prisoner's) hand: whereas, if his recollection served him well, his hand was either upon the pistol, or that he grasped it. During the time I remained there, after he had heard the different depositions read over to him, he either assented to their correctness, or pointed out wherein he thought there was any difference, observing, particularly on the evidence of General Gascoyne, that he could not positively correct the exact words, as the General would materially be less agitated than he was at that time, or words to that effect. On the whole, I do consider that he was perfectly sane, making a little allowance for the agitation of the moment. JOSEPH HUME. Joseph Hume, Esq. of Gloucester place, Port- William Smith, Esq. of Park-street, WestHe deman-square, Member of Parliament for Wey-minster, Member for Norwich, sworn. mouth, being sworn, saith,-1 was sitting in the House of Commons yesterday evening, a few minutes after five, when I heard the report of a pistol, and an immediate bustle or noise; I left the House, and went into the lobby, pushed immediately towards the fire place, where the crowd was; I saw a man sitting on the bench, who has since in my presence declared his name to be John Bellingham; he appeared to be forcibly pulled on every side, by the bye-standers; appeared to suffer considerably from the force used by such byestanders; appeared considerably agitated, and in the act of disengaging his hand from the person who grasped it severely. I seized his left arm at the moment that General Gascoyne was pulling from the person of the prisoner a bundle of papers; one of the General's hands being occupied grasping the prisoner, I seized hold of the papers from the General's right haud, informing him that I would take care of them; I still retained hold of the prisoner, and saw a person in the act of pulling from about the waist of the prisoner a smal pocket steel pistol, which he immediately examined, and found primed; I desired that perNo. XXXII. Vol. V.-N. S. posed as follows:--Yesterday afternoon, about a quarter past five o'clock, passing through the lobby to go to the House of Commons, I stopped to speak to a Gentleman about the centre of the lobby, and while in conversation with him, I heard the report of a pistol. I immediately turned my head, and observed some conversation at the end of the room. Several voices called out to shut the door to prevent any person escaping. There might have been present in the lobby from 30 to 40 persons. In an instant I observed a person rush from the cluster of people who were standing about the door, and come staggering towards me; he reached about the spot where I was first standing, and then fell flat on his face on the floor. I walked round him, not immediately recognising his person; and not supposing he was mortally wounded, but observing he did not stir, I stooped down to assist him, and on raising his head I perceived him to be Mr. Perceval. I then requested the assistance of a Gentleman who was standing close to the body, and we carried him between us into the Speaker's Secretary'sroom. We set him on a table, he resting on M m our arms. I think he was not only speechless, but perfectly senseless, and blood came from his mouth. His pulse in a few minutes ceased, and be soon died. I think he was quite dead when Mr. Lynn, the surgeon, came. He died in less than a quarter of an hour. The body was afterwards deposited in the Speaker's Drawing-room. I am quite incapable of giving any evidence of the person who committed this horrid murder. (Signed) WILLIAMSMITH. William Lynn, of Great George street, Westminster, Surgeon, sworn.-I was sent for on Monday afternoon, soon after five o'clock On reaching the Speaker's Secretary's room, 1 found Mr. Perceval supported by two gen tlemen; his body was partly on and partly off the table that was standing by; his shirt and white waistcoat were bloody; and on examining the body, I found a wound on the skin about over the fourth rib on the left side, near the breast bone. The wound had the appearance of a large pistol-ball having entered. On examining his pulse, I found he was quite dead; I then passed a probe to ascertain the direction of the ball, and found it had passed obliquely downwards, and inwards in the direction of the heart. The wound was at least three inches deep, and I have no doubt but it caused his death. (Signed) WILLIAM LYNN. VERDICT OF WILFUL MURDER AGAINST JOHN BELLINGHAM, alias BALLINGHAM. With respect to the manner in which he passed the previous part of the day on which be committed the murder, he states, that he weat with a lady to the European Museum, where he was detained till past four o'clock He parted from the lady at the extremity of Sydney's-alley, and went down immediately to the House of Commons without having dined, and with his pistols loaded. He was so anxious not to be disappointed by the failure of his weapon, that, after he had bought his pistols, for which he gave four guiueas, he went to Primrose-bill to try how they would go off, and, when he had ascertained their efficacy loaded them for his purpose. LIFE OF THE ASSASSIN. This wretched man is stated to be a native of St. Neot's, in Huntingdonshire, and aged forty-two years. It is added, that he was brought up in a Counting house in London; and some years ago went to Archangel, where he lived with a Russian merchant, in whose employinent as clerk, be continued three years. Having formed a connexion with a Mr. Borbecker, in the timb r line, he returned to England in order to seek a contract for the supply of timber; and entered into consider. able engagemen's with the merchants of Hull. Ships were in consequence sent out to Archangel to bring home cargoes; but Mr. Borbecker having meanwhile become a Bark upt, the vessels returned in ballast. Bellingham, who still remained at Hull, was arrested, and thrown into prison by the disappointed merchants, for the non fulfilment of the contract; and during his confinement, or soon afterwards, he wrote a pamphlet with the intent of ridiculing the merchants of Hull. On the recovery of his liberty, he proceeded again to Archangel, where he entered into various speculations, which ended in his involving himself in still more numerous difficulti s. He was there very troublesome to the Government, sending to them memorial after memorial, on subjects relative to his private concerns; and he, moreover, generally conducted him. self with so much passion, that at length he was sent to prison, where he remained a considerable time; claiming, in vain, the protection of the British Minister, who, indeed, could render him no assistance. The term of his confinement having expired, Bellingham repaired to England fuil of complaints against the Russian Government. He married in Loudon, but took up his abode at Liverpool. He commenced the business of an Insurancebroker, whilst his wife pursued that of a milhuer. He continued at intervals to present memorials to the British Government on the subject of his claims; but these were concerns with which Government bad nothing to do. Bellingham is a tall, large-boned man, about forty years of age, with a thin, long visage and aquiline nose; his eyes are suuken, and his complexion, after the assassination, of a ghastly, pallid bue. After committing the horrid deed he quietly sat himself down on the bench near the fire in the lobby; but before he was taken into the House, he appeared greatly agitated and clasped his hands, as though he was far from supplicating pity. His principal anxiety seemed to be, to persuade the woudering spectators that the act was justifiable from the provocation he had received. TRIAL OF JOHN BELLINGHAM, FOR THE MURDER OF MR. PERCEVAL, AT THE OLD BAILEY, MAY 15, 1812. Before Lord Chief Justice MANSFIELD, Justice GROSE, and Baron GRAHAM. On Friday morning the Court at the Old Bailey was crowded to an excess.-The Couяsel retained for the Crown were the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, Messrs. GARROW, KNAPP, GURNEY, and ABBOTT.-For the prisoner, Messrs. ALLEY and REYNOLDS. At ten o'clock the Duke of Clarence and the Judges appeared and took their seats on each side of the Lord Mayor, and immedi ately the prisoner was produced and placed at the Bar. At this moment a deep horror was visibly depicted on every countenance. Even Bellingham himself seemed dismayed. But in a few seconds he assumed the same species of deportment, which he all along displayed, and was astonishingly calm and easy. The indictment was read by Mr. Skelton, Clerk of Arraigus, and Mr. ABBOTT opened the pleadings. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then addressed the Jury. He began by saying, that the pain 1 |