there were thirteen other fhocks before midnight, no fuccour could be given towards putting a ftop to the progrefs of the flames; every one endeavoured to make his efcape; many of thofe who ftaid to take away their effects were crushed in ruins of houfes; every building was confumed as far as St. Venerando, when, there being nothing more to burn, the fire ftopped in the mountains; more than half the city, and all the richest quarter of it is burnt down; the houfes of the French, English, Neapolitan, Venetian, and Ragufan Confuls, were confumed among the reft; and, what was more terrible, three dervres, or places built on purpose to fecure things from fire, were burnt down, which was never known to have happened before, and they were full of valuable effects; and many magazines were confumed. Notwithstanding thefe calamities, there were people who had villainy enough both to be incendiaries and thieves. The defolation is beyond conception, and the damage fo great that it is much doubted whether this city will ever recover it. It is a molt fhocking fight to fee the neigh bouring mountains covered with people of all nations wanting the neceffaries of life; and their fituation is the more deplorable, as the magazines of wheat, rye, barley, coffee, &c. are burnt."

SUMMER ASSISES.

At Northampton 1 condemned, but afterwards reprieved.

At Guildford 5,-2 of whom, viz. Jofhua Crompton, for forgery; and R. Pendleton, for the murder of his wife, were executed.

At Abingdon 5,-2 reprieved. At Winchester 5,-3 reprieved. At Kingston upon Hull, 1 for coining.

At Huntingdon 2; but reprieved.

At Salisbury 1-reprieved. -
At York 1-reprieved.
At Maidstone 5-2 reprieved.
At Lincoln 4-all reprieved.
At Nottingham 2-reprieved.
At Derby 1-reprieved.
At Shrewsbury 2-1 reprieved.
At Exeter 1,

At Chelmsford 8,-4 of whom were executed.

At Warwick 5-2 of whom, (women) for the murder of their children, were executed.

At Gloucester 6-reprieved. At Hereford 1, for murder, executed.

Hertford, Leicester, and Worcefter, proved maiden.

AUGUST.

Friday laft, about eleven o'clock, during a violent ftorm of thunder and lightning, as a team of fix oxen, belonging to farmer Pincott, of Saddlewood, in the parish of Hawkesbury, were at work in Trefsham Field, the whole team in an inftant was ftruck dead by a flash of lightning. The boy who was driving them had ftopped the beafts, and was ftanding, by way of fhelter, clofe by the middlemoft ox; he was rendered infenfible for fome time, but afterwards recovered. One of the yokes was fplintered, and it is fuppofed that the chain ferved as a conductor to the lightning. The boy's back was fingularly marked; the lightning had perforated his coat in two

different

Came on

different parts, and left five places in his back where the fkin was erafed about the fize of a fhilling, and had the appearance of a burn from gunpowder. before Earl gd. Mansfield, at Guildhall, an action brought by the city against the fruit-people of Kent, Effex, Berkshire, &c. for refufing to pay Is. 8d. for landing their goods at Blackfriars-stairs; when after two hours hearing the city was nonfuited.

The court of feffion of Scotland have lately determined a cause of great importance to the public. The proprietors of the bank of Douglas, Heron, and Co. having loft their whole capital paid in, a demand was made upon them fome time ago of 300l. more upon each fhare; this was refufed to be paid by fome of the proprietors, upon the grounds, that they were not liable for more than their flock, and that great part of the lofs was occafioned by the directors borrowing money on annuities, which they had no power to do. To this it was replied, that the directors had full power to borrow money for the ufe of the company; but at any rate the creditors of the company must be paid, in whatever manner the directors and proprietors might fettle the matter betwixt themselves afterwards. The court unanimoufly found the proprietors obliged to pay the additional call of 300l. each fhare, and alfo found them liable in cofts of fuit. Mr. Thomas Lindley, a 5th. celebrated performer on the violin, and eldest fon of Mr. Linley, one of the proprietors of Drury-lane Theatre, fell out of a boat into a lake belonging to his

He

Grace the Duke of Ancafter, at Grimfthorpe, in Lincolnshire, and was unfortunately drowned. remainded under water full forty minutes, fo that every effort made ufe of to restore him to life proved ineffectual.

Laft year there were upwards of 400 lottery-offices in and about London only; but the late act obliging the keepers of them to take out licences at the expence of 50l. the whole number at prefent for all England, as appears by the lift published by authority, amounts to no more than 51.

7th,

This day died, raving mad, the only daughter of Mr. Graffing, a wine-merchant, in Thames-ftreet; who was bit by a favourite cat about three weeks ago.

This morning about five o'clock, by virtue of an in- 9th formation, fome cuftom-houfe officers, affifted by a file of mufqueteers, entered the Fleet Prifon, in fearch of run goods, on which the prifoners were much alarmed, and fome little refiftance was made; but after the foldiers had knocked two or three of them down, they retired, and left them to fearch for the goods. Previous to their going, the officers had obtained leave from the Chief Juftice of the Common-Pleas, to enter with their arms, to prevent any mischief being done to them by the prifoners. The feizure confifted of 2491 lb. weight of tea, 1874 lb. weight of coffee, feveral large bags of chocolate, weighing 1020 lb. and a large quantity of lace, worth about 1500l. The way these contraband articles were got into the above prifon, was by ladders raifed on the outfide, and the goods let down on the infide, but not for the use or [N] 2

benefit

benefit of any of the prifoners, except what they got for warehouferoom from the fmugglers, who for a long time paft have fecreted articles in the above prifon to a very large amount.

an

Norwich, Aug. 11. This day a very interefting caufe, refpecting common rights, was tried between Henry Wells, of Banham, plaintiff, and Thomas Watling, of Winfarthing, defendant, on action brought by the plaintiff, on behalf of himself and the other inhabitants of Banham againft the defendant, for his keeping and depafturing upon the large wafte called Banham Heath, a very confiderable number of fheep more than he could keep levant and couchant upon the lands in his occupation; when, after a hearing of three hours, the jury found a verdict for the plaintiff, with damages and cofts.

Same day paffed the great feal, a commiffion empowering the Lords of the Admiralty to flue letters of marque, alfo authorifing them to fend like powers to the Governers of the Leeward Iflands, and in the West Indies.

The fame time a commiffion paffed the great feal empowering the High Court of Admiralty to condemn fuch prizes as fhall be

taken from the French.

This morning a terrible 14th. fire broke out at farmer Auger's, at Walthambury Farm in Effex, occafioned by a ftack of hay being put up too foon, which entirely confumed the fame, together with the barns, ftables, out-houses, granaries, all the waggons, carts, ploughs, &c. two hories, and produce of 150 acres of corn un threfhed. The damage is com

puted at 3cool. and upwards. The dwelling houfe and furniture are faved.

when

Lately the court of feffion 15th. of Scotland determined a caufe of great importance to the liberty of the fubject. The law regarding recruiting, to prevent perfons being trepanned, drunk, &c. humanely gives a certain time for those who are inlifted to get off, upon returning the inlifting money, and what is called the fmart money. It has been doubted whether the time allowed by act of parliament is twenty-four hours or four days. Three perfons who had taken the inlifting money had offered to return it, with the fmart money, on the third day, which was refufed, as it was alledged it ought to have been returned within twenty-four hours. This gave rife to the prefent action. The court unanimously gave the caufe in favour of the three men, and eftablifhed this important point, that any perfon inlifted may be fet at liberty, upon returning the money within four days.

17th.

On Saturday a French fignalment, or hue and cry, was received at the Public-office in Bow-ftreet, from the Lieutenantgeneral of the police at Paris, giv ing an account of a most, horrid murder, committed by a fellow whofe furname is Richard, and a woman whofe name is Scrard, or Suer, with a particular defcription of their perfons. The murder they committed is perhaps beyond example: after having poifoned her hufband, in concert with the above Richard, in order to put him out of the way, that he might not be as interruption to their criminal cor refpondence; he had scarcely been

buried before they formed the hellifh defign of poifoning five children, the offspring of the above Richard. This infernal purpofe they completed, and poifoned every one, with fo ftrong a potion, that they fwelled inftantly beyond credibility, and died in a few hours in the most excruciating torments; the eldeft was a fine young girl of about feventeen, and the youngest about three years of age, all of whom were buried together in one grave, at Lalande upon Maine Although the ftricteft fearch has been made all over France, and the conquered countries, yet thefe deteftable beings have efcaped that justice due to crimes as accumulated as they are monstrous.

Laft week Mrs. Johnfon,

18th. of Thames-ftreet, coming over Moorfields, found a pocketbook containing bank notes to the amount of 10ool. which fhe carried to Mr. Drummond, banker, at Charing crofs, when he generously gave her 50l. for her honefty. And the next morning the fame gentlewoman found a gold watch belonging to Mr. Drummond's brother, which the carried home, and received a reward of 201.

In the Weft-India iflands 25th. there has been fome difturbance about the King's duty, which ftands thus: four and a half per cent. is to be paid to the crown out of all fugars and rum exported from the islands. The ufual method has always been, to pay in rum and fugar, the former of which was ufually fold on the island, and the latter fent to England to be difpofed of. Hogfheads of fugar are efteemed at 12cwt. though fome run as far as 13, 14, and fometimes 5 cwt. yet the duty was al

ways paid reckoning them at 2cwt. Sometimes the fugar was not fo good as that for which it was paid, and on the paffage to England accidents have happened by weather and leakage; to prevent any lofs in future, and to make the utmost of the duty, a collector on a certain ifland has refufed to accept the fugars, as formerly, at an eftimate, but infifts upon a full four and a half per cent. agreeable to what is fhipped. The planters have therefore agreed not to fhip any till the matter is fettled on the old foundation and ufage; and we are happy to hear that this matter will be shortly fettled, as Admiral Barrington carried over inftructions to receive the duty as heretofore it has been accustomed to be received.

There is now growing in a gentleman's garden at Spondon, near Derby, a cucumber that measures 19 inches in length, and 30 in circumference. It is fuppofed to weigh near 20 pounds, and is ftill in a thriving ftate. There are others on the fame bed, which, though not fo large, are neverthelefs of an amazing fize.

There is alfo now growing in a garden belonging to Mr. Richard Hobcraft, in the parifh of Bucknall, in the county of Oxford, a thistle called the Carduus Benedictus, which meafures above feven yards in circumference, is upwards of feven feet high, and has upon it more than 120 heads.

A remarkable inftance of the fury of difappointed love manifefted itfelf in the defperate attempt of one Empfom, a footman to Dr. Bell, on the life of a maid-servant belonging to Lord Spencer. The fellow, having courted her for fome

[N] 3

time

executed.

Copy of a Letter from the French King to Count d'Orvilliers.

Verfailles, Aug. 1.

her

The following are the particulars of the evidence on which Mary Knight was convicted of the wil ful murder of her eldest fon. The only witness was a younger brother. The story the boy told was credible: That the deceafed was fent into a field to glean; that when he came home his mother beat him with a great stick, for not bringing more corn; that he cried fadly, and the fhut him up in the pantry; that fome time after the witnefs called to him to come to play, but he made no answer; that he opened the pantry door, and took hold of his hand; that it felt cold; that he told his mother that Roger (the deceased) felt cold, and asked her to let him come to the fire; that his mother went into the pantry, brought Roger wrapped up in her apron, and carried him out of doors; that he looked under the door, and faw her throw him into the well; that when he came in again fhe put the fick fhe had beat him with into the fire; that before it was burnt out the neighbours came in, took the deceased out of the well, and the ftick out of the fire, which laft was produced in court. On this evidence, and thefe circumstances, the woman

"I have received, Sir, with the greatest joy, the news of the combat which you have fuftained against the English fleet; and am exceed ingly pleafed to find that, by your prudent conduct, and excellent manauvres, you have justified the choice I have made of your naval abilities. I defire you will let the officers, and all your feamen in general, know, that their gallant behaviour has met with my full approbation. I fincerely feel for the wound of Mr. Duchaffault, but I hope that it will have no dangerous confequence, and that he will foon be able to profecute his good fervices. I have given ftrict orders that every proper care fhould be taken of the wounded, and I defire you to affure the widows, as well as the relations of the deceafed, that I am extremely grieved for their lofs.

"Mr. de Sartine fhall impart you my further orders, and I have every reafon to believe that they will be executed with fuccefs.

(Signed)

"LOUIS."

Paris, Aug. 21. This day the pregnancy of the Queen of France was publickly declared, and received with all the ufual rejoicings and demonftrations of joy.

DIED. At his house in Chif. well-ftreet, Mr. William Caflon, to whofe fkill and ability, added to the ingenuity and invention of his father, (dead twenty years fince,) Great Britain is indebted for the fuperiority the enjoys over every

country

!