Two meffages were fent yefterday from lord North to the bank, faid to be upon the subjects of the late failures in the city. Though the particulars of these meffages are not publicly known, they have given rife to various conjectures and much speculation among the trading part of the people.

Mr Payne, the governor of the bank, waited on the meeting of merchants, on monday laft, and did juf tice to the amiable character he has long fupported in the mercantile world.

Thuefday two noble law Lords had a meeting to confider of the most effectual methods of enabling Meffrs. Adams to proceed in their business. They are building a houfe for one of the above lords at the weft end of the town, and the other is largely concerned in Adelphi buildings; which circumstance is likely to be of the greatest utility, as fo many work. men otherwife would be without employment, and their families be reduced to the greatest neceffities.

Francis Mufcado, the unhappay cirminal who now lies under fentence of death in Newgate, for ftealing a filver tankard, is an Italian of good family and education: he was formerly a cadet in the Duke of Modena's service, and came over here in the train of the Venetian Envoy; but, from his bad conduct, being difmiffed, he applied to the most pityful fhifts to fupport himself, and he has gone by the various names of Car, De Silva, and Perrira; fometimes pretending to be an.officer of rank, and at other times a Knight of St. Louis, with which dress his character corroborated; he ufually appearing in a fuit of scarlet and gold, with a ftar on his breaft, and a diamond cross at his button-hole.

An ingenious correfpondent has fent us an experienced method of preventing damages done by flies and infects to crops of corn: He recom

mends when the wheat first begins to ear, that two men, each with a large bufh of green elder, go into the field early in the morning, while the dew remains on the corn, or in thẻ evening when the dew is falling, and proceed drawing the elder over the corn, one on each fide the ridge, from one end of the field to the other, covering the whole ridge, and bringing the tops of the elder to meet in the middle of it. When they get to the end of the ridge, let them turn back again, dragging the elderbushes over the ridge in like manner, whereby both fides of the ears of corn will be rubbed with the elder leaves, and ftrongly impregnated with the effluvia iffuing from them, the difagreeable fmell of which will deter flies and ipfes from fettling on the corn.

Yesterdy his Grace the Duke of Northumberland fet out from his houfe at Charing-Crofs for France. It is whispered that he is going on a meffage to the Court of Versailles.

A correfpondent fays, it may be depended on as authentic, that a patent is making out for a Peerage for Sir Robert Keith,lately arrived from Copehagen, and that he is the perfon fixed on to fucceed Lord Harcourt. at Versailles.

Private letters from Paris advife, that a jeweller of great eminence in the Place Dauphine has juft failed. there for upwards of 900,000 livres.

ELINBURGH, June 27.to July 3,

SCOTLAND. “

We hear from London, that befides the bankruptcies mentioned in. laft gazette, several houses more have ftopped, among them Sir Richard Glynn and Hallifax in Co. bankers, Meffrs. Bogle and Scott, Edie and Laird, Meffrs. Adams, Adam Wood and others.

It is not remembered by the oldeft perfon, that fo great a calamity in the way of trade, as the prefent bankruptcies, has ever happened in

Scotland.

Scotland. The affair of Darien, end of laft century, was a heavy ftroke to the little credit, that fubfifted at that period in this part of the island; but as the landed intereft was then conjoined with the mercantile, it was the more fupportable to the trading part of the nation. The diffolution of the Scots African or Darien company, was generally attributed to the English East India company, to whom they fell a facrifice. The South Sea fcheme, (and we may add, the Charitable Corporation) which like a deluge overwhelmed South Britain, hardly reached this remote corner, which had not then fully recovered from the loffes of its African company: The prefent calamity is owing to feveral concurring circumftances, the chief of which is generally reckoned to be a pernicious practice, that has been encreasing for fome years, and which of late has been carried to a great height, that of drawing bills on London on fictitious credit, for the purpose of raising money.

Since our laft,the following fequef trations have been applied for to the court of Seffion, in terms of the new bankrupt-act, viz. Meffrs, Fordyce, Malcolm, and Co. Mr William Anderfon, is appointed factor; Meffrs. Johnftone and Smith,merchants here; Mr Robert Trotter, writer, factor. A fequeftration has also been applied for Meffrs. Francis Garbet and Charles Gafcoigne, of the Carron Wharf in the county of Stirling, Mr George Home, clerk to the fignet, factor. The house alfo, of Meff. William Alexander and Sons, Meffrs Gibson and Balfour, and Meffrs Andrew ginclair and Co. have ftopped payment, and this morning, the Air Bank have circulated an advertisement, a copy of which is inferted in this night's pa

cept of the notes of this company in payment as formerly.

On Wednesday last was tried in the court of Exchequer here, an information against another private diftiller in Glasgow, for the penalty of 100l. for having diftilled and fold acquavita, in a ftill not containing 100 gallons; when, after a very fhort hearing, a verdict was found for the crown. By this, and the former decifions it is established, that no perǝ fon whatsoever can make spirits for fale or hire, in a still under 10 gallons content, without being fubject to the above penalty: And if any perfon fhall have in his or her cuftody or poffeffion, a ftill above the fize of 10 gallons, (including both head and body) and under 100 gallons, whether he or fhe fells fpirits or not, they are liable in 100l. It is there fore hoped, that from those examples which the Commiffioners of Excife have been under the neceffity of making in different places, all concerned will take warning, and by compliance with the law, avoid thofe difagreeable confequences to which the breach of it will unavoidably expofe them.

4

A letter from the North mentions the following melancholy accident.

One William Henry in the Blackhillock of Glenbucket, in lighting his fire in the morning, uncautiously made ufe of a gun, not knowning it to be loaded. The gun went off, and the whole fhot was lodged in the belly of a young lad who stood near him, of which he inftantly died. Tho' it does not appear there was a shadow of intention, the poor man, touched with the fatal accident, immediately; eloped, and has not fince been heard of.

On Tuefday fe'nnight came by exprefs from London, a refpite or stop of execution, till his Majefty's plea-i fure be further known, for Barbara Davidfon, under fentence of death at Aberdeen, for child murder.

Yesterday

Yefterday was taken up, and committed to the tolbooth here, by order of the Lord Provost, one Alexander Robertfon, who is believed to be an old offender, and a very daring fellow. He was detected on attempting to pick a pocket-book from a gentleman's pocket on the Pier of Leith. At fame time were committed eight others, all vagrants, and fufpected to be concerned in the feveral petty thefts lately committed in the city and neighbourhood.

We are advised from Glasgow, that a fubfcription was opened by the Dean of Guild,amongst the merchants and others in that city for continuing to take the notes of Douglas, Heron, and Co. as ufual, and, when the letter came away, above one hundred of the principal inhabitans had subsrib

ed.

We have the pleasure of informing the public, that a report which was propagated to the prejudice of the Carron Company,is entirely without foundation.

We hear that an order has been fent to the Carron works, from Ruffia, for 30,000 tons of iron cannon, mostly 32 pounders. This is one of the largest orders ever sent to Scotland; the value will amount to near half a million fterling.

We hear from London, that the panic with regard to credit has now greatly fubfided. Some people are of opinion that the bank of England's refolution of discounting few or no bills of any kind, was a scheme formed to distress the private bankers, and to alarm people, fo as to withdraw their cash out of thofe fhops, and lodge it with the bank; neither the bank nor private bankers in London,allow any intereft for money lodged with them, which makes banking a very lucrative trade, as they can employ great part of the money fo lodged, in difcounting bills, &c. The bank, it is faid, has now begun to difcount more freely, but not till after they had

*

been threatened by the merchants and bankers to have a run made on them felves, if any refused to discount good bills. We hope that the worst is now over, and the credit will foon flow in its proper channel.

Extract of a letter from Newcastle, June 27.

"Sunday fe'nnight,between 12 and one in the afternoon, we had here, and in this neighbourhood, the most terrible shower of rain and hail, accompanied with thunder and lightning, that has been remembered these many years, but happily little or no damage was fuftained here.-Chimley mill, on the fouth edge of the town moor, was ftruck by the lightning, and one of its wands fhattered to pieces.--A houfe, near the head of South Tyne, was fet on fire by the lightning, but was foon after got under.

"That day a meteor, or ball of fire was feen near Carlifle, defcending in a ferpentine courfe to the earth, which was foon after followed by very loud claps of thunder, and exceffive heavy fhowers.

"To the great joy of every good man, (fays a letter from London,) the workmen began work yefterday (Friday the 24) on Mr Adams's buildings of the Adelphi, which will be carried on with greater fpirit than ever."

The Magiftrates provided them in Lodging for the two nights they were in this place, and ordered them money for their immediate fubfiftance, and a Collection was intimated for them in the different churches in the Town, from which they received 231 fter. They are gone to Glaf. gow, not knowing where, or how they are to get their paffage to America.

the youngest of whom is 106 years of age: the has likewife left behind her about 70 grand-children and great grand-children.

Perth Lift of Marriages, Births, and Burials for June 1772.

MARRIAGES.

June 20. At Lazar's-hill Ireland, Mr Patrick Stephens, aged 109, to Mrs Barry, aged 102,

DEATH S.

June 15. At Petersburgh Chriftian Worger, a native of Holland, in the 103d year of his age. He went to Ruffa in quality of a furgeon's mate, and lived there under the reigns of seven Emperors or Empreffes. He ferved under Peter the firft, at the fiege of Afoph in 1696, in quality of furgeon, and in that of furgeon major during the war with Sweden, till 1721, alfo in that of the Emprefs Anne against the Turks; and of the Emprefs Elizabeth, till 1743. He afterwards practifed his art at Petersburgh till 1764. The Emprefs Catharine the fecond continued his appointments, but difpenfed with his attendance. During the fixty-fix years which he confecrated to the fervice of the fick, he never was affected with illness but twice the firft was when he had the plague at Pultawa, and the fecond time at the taking of Riga. It is remarkable that he never was let blood during the course of his life.

21. At Newham, in Gloucefterfhire Mrs Keith aged 133, fhe has left 60ool to her three daughters,

Page 7.

The SHARPERS.

A Melia having promifed me an

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account of Friendly's life, I foon had an opportunity of taking her at her word. -It is a pic ture, (faid fhe,) which not only reqnires ftronger colouring, and richer, decorations, but a much bolder attitude than I can beftow. The tale. I have undertaken however shall be told, if you have patience to hear it. Scarce any thing about Friendly is worth repeating till his fettlement in life. He had amaffed by his own perfonal industry two or three thoufand pounds, with which he commenced merchant, immediately after marriage. He continued at the fame time the business of furveying, which he acquired without the help of a mafter, and by which he made the moft of his money: fo that the joint profits of both, could not but be confiderable.

Mrs Friendly was every way as much an original as her husband. No ftoic Philofopher ever poffeffed a more stern infenfibility of foul, either with regard to pleasure or pain. And, yet they do her injuftice who charge her with the want of feelings. Her dog and her cat, animals never known VOL. I.

for hardness of heart, trudged perpetually at her heels, and always bore witness, that she never forgot them. The truth is, nature denied her the external graces, not the internal foftness of her fex. She felt more than fhe could exprefs, and has even been obferved to treat the tendernefs of others with contempt, at the fame time that she could not conceal her own.

Though there was but little congenial in two fuch compofitions, to endear, and felicitate the marriage ftate, few of their troubles arofe from that quarter. All who came any length of a numerous family were a boy and a girl whom they fondly expected to be their stay and comfort in old age, and to whofe education they were particularly attentive.

The girl in particular was adorned with whatever could embellish her. mind, or fet forth her perfon to advantage. Her Father was able to give her a liberal fortune and his reputation was now fuch that few, gentlemen would have thought their families difhonoured by an alliance, with his. Several advantageous offers were accordingly made her, but her father loved her too fincerely tointerpofe his authority where fo much of her future happinefs depend

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