ELIEV'D from the jurors occafion'd by death, For ye all may perceive I've recover'd my breath, I am happy indeed to difcern--by your eyes, That the critic your hearts could not take by furprife. And that generous candour moft kindy has fpread Her mantle alike o'er our living and dead. 'Tis true that our females, who never appear On a stage for applaufe more than once in a year, With reluctance attempted your thoughts to employ, An Occafional PROLOGUE to Mifs HOOD. Performed December 31, 1783. Written and spoken by Mr. MARSHALL. THO' fome may rail at this degen'rate age, Yet Candour owns that virtue rules the stage; Which our immortal Shakespear has defined la Virtue's caufe, it is our boaft to feel, And move the gentle breaft with fancied Here fterling fenfe may please th' attentive ear, La ancient Greece, that feat of arms and arts, a fmile. Who delights but in drefs-or his family's worth, Cries, "George, don't you see now my taylor's a bore ?" "This coat is not cut in the ton, George, before." "Egad, at Almack's it will never go down.” Yet thinks he employs the best snip in the town. The piece was reprefented in a school. And. And the whem ill-nature ftill terms an old To act in a line-which to maft is uncertain, Still hope your dread cenfure won't bid us maid, Who of men's fubtle arts is (tho' needlefs) afraid, While recounting the joys the experienc'd when young, Lansents that her heart was conceal'd-by her tongue. But we, who to-night have emerged from the curtain, depart Nay, with, if ye praife-it may come from the heart; And if your good fenfe cannot fan&tion our caufe, Remember, we've died to obtain-your ap plaufe. MONTHLY TH FOREIGN Paris, Dec. 23. CHRONICL E. INTELLIGENCE. HE American Packet, Wathington, arrived at Havre-de-Grace on the 8th infant; Major L'Enfant came paffenger on board, and brings over the infignia of the Cincinnatus's fociety. This affociation, whose regulations are foon to be published, was formed by American offcers, as a monument of their fraternity, and union in the good caufe. The order by which the members are to be diftinguished is the bald eagle; the cross or ftar bearing emblems, relative to the glory and difinterestedness of Cincinnatus, hangs from a blue ribbon edged with white, in token of the alliance of the United States with France. Augsburgh, Nov. 22. There are in this city fome copies of a work published at Naples, under the title of "A general history and theory of earthquakes, and particularly thofe of Calabria and Meffina." We learn by this work, that in February and March, Calabria contained 439,776 fouls, and at present there is reckoned to be only 410,326. Rome, Dec. 10. By letters from Naples we are informed, that on the 13th and 16th of last month feveral shocks of an earthquake were felt in the Pouille, which did great damage, and fo terrified the inhabitants, that they left their habitations, and paffed both the nights in the fields. Paris, Dec. 28. Several letters from TouJon affure us, that the Chevalier de Bonneval, in la Mignonne, has taken poffefion of the inland of Candia and of Morea, which now belong to Louis the XVIth, to dipole of as he, may pleafe; and it is even thought the Ottoman Porte will be obliged to make further faerifices. For this fortnight past the greatest alacrity has been used in fitting out 15 fail of the line at Toulon, which joined to ten Dutch, and 15 Spanith men of war, will form a fleet of 40 fail, which are to cruize in the Mediterranean. About 6coo of our failors have entered into the Turkish fervice. Naples, Dec. 6. Befides the earthquakes which have defolated Calabria, and which are ftill felt in divers places, the unhappy inhabitants of this province are now experiencing the fcourge of epidemic difeafes, owing to those diforders, and the confequent want of every neceffary. General Pignatelli has orders to go there to their relief, and to preferve that good order which is often interrupted by public calamities. Paris, Jan. 8. We have juft learned that a fmall Portuguese fquadron has poffefied itfelf of all the places on the coaft of Guinea, where are the principal markets for purchafing negroes. Paris, Jan. 11. Baron de Breteuil has juft removed all the prifoners from the castle of Vincennes to the Baftile. The administration of the first mentioned state prifon had become very bad. Meffrs. Mirabeau and Linguet, who have wrote an account of these two prifons, have touched the humanity of the king and miniftry, fo that all the ftate prisoners being so near them, and under the management of the Chevalier de Launay will enjoy the benefit of being treated in the most humane manner. Vienna, Jan. 3. The public papers have amufed themselves with an account that the ancient city of Salonica was entirely destroyed by an earthquake. This falsehood is contradicted by feveral letters from the Levant, and from Salonica, of a more recent date. Paris, Jan. 8. At Port L'Orient a fhip is preparing, which is to fail immediately for China, and to depart in the courfe of February. The King having been accustomed to fend annually to the Emperor of China fome merchandizes and rarities of his country, has this year added to other curiofities 12 air bal loons of taffety, with bottles of vitriolic acid, and every neceifary intruction, addressed to the ancient Missionaries who refide in the palace of the Emperor at Pekin. Without doubt this new spectacle will give infinite pleasure to a Prince who loves the arts and fciences. The Taft fhips from Canton confirm what we related concerning the exemplary juftice inflicted by the Emperor about a year ago, on feveral Mandarins who difturbed his people. On one day 1500 were convened, arrefted by the order of the Emperor, and fent to Pekin; 300 were condemned to lose their heads, 300 were difcharged, and 900 others degraded and condemned to the public works. Petersburgh, Dec. 2. Yesterday evening Prince Potemkin arrived here from Mofcow; he has travelled in 54 hours the 100 werfts which feparate the ancient capital of the empire from this city. Hungary, Dec. 12. The regulations of the Emperor, with regard to the higher order of the Clergy, has occafioned fome alarm on .. DOMESTIC DECEMBER 27. the part of the Bishops: It is faid that those of this kingdom have unanimously agreed to make fome representations to his Imperial Ma jefty on this fubject. It is faid that the Emperor, on his departure for Italy, carried with him all the papers relative to the Clergy, and to his negociations with the Holy See, from whence it is inferred that his Imperial Majefty will vifit Rome. Cherfon, Nov. 20. The plague has not yet ceafed its ravages, though its malignancy lefiens. They reckoned 16,000 to have died here and at Gloubakow, a port fituated at the mouth of the Nieper. In the last mentioned place every inhabitant was carried off, except feven or eight people. OCCURRENCES. HIS Majefty's floop Oreftes, commanded by Capt. Ellis, has had the good fortune to fall in with and capture a very capital fmugging cutter. The Oreftes was at Weymouth a few hours before, repairing her rigging, which was not quite completed, when Capt. Ellis gave orders to weigh and put to fea; his object was to cruize for two fmugglers, who had efcaped him in a fog a few days before. On the fnuggling cutter above-mentioned appearing in fight, they gave chace to her, when the fet all the fail fhe could poilibly go under. The Oreftes, however, came up with her at fve in the evening, and fired a fhot at her, after which a running action commenced, that continued for three hours, when the fmuggler truck her colours. Capt. Ellis fent an officer on board to take poffeffion of her, and carried her immediately into Yarmouth port, on the wet fide of the Ifle of Wight, and the next Morning brought her to Spithead. The above cer had feveral men wounded in the action, macy of whom have fince died. She did not Like till her canvas and rigging were entirely rugered uteles by the fire of the Oreftes. She is faid to be the finest fea-boat which has been taken fince the war, being near 300 tons burthen. She mounts 22 fix-pounders. Her carconfifts of teas, brandy, filks, and lace, and is estimated at upwards of 30,000l. the riety of which fum will fufficiently reward Capt. Ellis for his vigilance. From the London Gazette. Whitehall, Jan. 10. Extract of a dispatch to his Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, from his Excellency Major-General James Stuart, Commander in Chief of his Majesty's and the Eat-India Company's forces a the Coaft of Coromandel; dated Camp, vac mile fouth of Cuddalore, June 27, 1783, received yesterday by Captain Thomas, of the 23d Light Dra oons, who arrived in his Majelly's fhip Melea. I do my cli the honour of acquainting you, by this feparate letter, of the very fignal victory obtained over the French and Tippoo Saib's auxiliaries, by the troops of his Majesty, and of the Honourable East-India Company, under my command, on June 13th, being the fourth day after our operations began fouth of Cuddalore. The particulars will be found in the form of a letter, inclosed to your Lordship, nearly the fame as I had the honour to address to this Government. Every account which I have received, induces me to believe, that the enemy, in killed and wounded upon this occafion, fuffered in Europeans to the extent of 42 Officers, and 6oo men. I do myfelf the honour to tranfmit to your Lordship the general orders to the army, and the fe arate instructions to the Officers commanding the four divifions of the army in the action of that day. There is also another letter inclofed, containing the particulars of the total repulfe of the enemy in their attack upon our parallel, the morning of the 25th of June; an action which give, additional luftre to the steadiness and bravery of this army. The particulars are all nearly the fame with what was my duty to acquaint this Government of. The name of the Officer who commanded the for. tie, and now our prifoner, is Monf. Des Damas, Chevalier de Malte, Colonel of the regiment of Aquitaine. There are, befides, two Captains, and oe or two Subaltern Officers, prifoners. The total Europeans of the enemy, killed, wounded, or prifoners, are reported to exceed 400. I enclofe to your Lordship a return of the killed and wounded on our part, which, I am happy to find on this occafion, are in no great number. In this fortée of the enemy, it happened that a small party, in the dark, got over one particular place of the trenches, where two chance hot killed one Jemindar, and badly wounded another, both of whom carried the colours of the 24th Bengal regiment, which full from their hands, and, in the scramble, K fome French foldiers ftole off, unperceived, with the two ftands of colours. But your Lordship will fee, both from the return of our inconfiderable lofs, and from the narrative annexed, that the honour of the regiment was in no fhape affected by this lit.le dark exploit, which, as I am informed, the enemy make fuch a parade of. Your Lordship will know, from the feparate difpatches, that the army under my command were in the impoffibility of proceeding towards Cuddalore with effect, until May the 28th, when the rice, and other neceflary articles, were landed, and received from the ship at Conjemeer; and that on our coming to the high ground, near Pondicherry, we received certain information that Monf. Suffrein had found the means to fend fupplies of stores and provifions under an efcort, fuperior in force, as I believe, to the efcort with our main convoy expected from Madras, and on which every thing turned. Some of the French ships were indeed (from our camps) feen at anchor. nevertheless continued the march, in the way I fixed in my own mind for months before, and getting round that fide of Cuddalore where the enemy expected us, I fixed this as our ultimate encampment in the afternoon of the 7th of June. To fpeak of the enemy's ftrength in Europeans only, the French, my Lord, at little more than a mufquet-fhot from us now in Cuddalore, are upwards of 2500 Regulars of the Old Etablishment, befider what M. Suffrein, who is now here with 19 fail at anchor, has in his power to land at an hour's notice; and, previous to the late fally, he had landed upwards of 1500 land troops, or marines. I take the liberty, my Lord, to tranfmit to your Lordship what I judged as a mark of private gratitude, as well as public duty, to give out in general orders to this brave army, in fall confidence that your Lordship will do them the honour to communicate to his Majefty whatever you think proper, and particularly what regards the detachment of his Majefty's 15th 16th regiments of his Electoral fubjects, and to Col. Wangenheim, who commanded them. and Upon the whole, I request your Lordship to lay before his Majefty my mott humble recommendation of this brave army to his Majesty's most gracious favour, as highly deferving of it; and, as a mark of that favour, that his Majelly will be gracioufly pleased to approve of the promotions which, as commanding his Majetty's troops, I have taken the liberty to make, in regular fuccefon by feniority, to vacancies during the prefent very fevere fervice; for fich it has been in every fenfe of the word. The Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel Catheart, as your Lordship will perceive, has had very great merit at the head of the corps of Grenadors, both on the 13th and 25th. He will have the honour to deliver this letter; and there is none more capable to fupply any information, which, in the hurry, I may have omitted. I beg leave to recommend him to his Majesty as an Officer attached to his profeffion, and of very good abilities. [N. B. The original difpatch, of which the above is a dupl cate, brought by the Medea, was entrusted to Lieutenant-Colonel Cathcart, who is now on his paflage from India, in the Pondicherry.] Extract of the Letter first referred to in the preceding dif atch, containing the particulars of the action on the 13th of June, 1783. I most fincerely congratulate your Lordship on the fuccessful efforts of this brave army, in carrying, at one stroke, the whole of the outpofts and redoubts of the enemy, with †18 pieces of artillery mounted on them. Their lofs in artillery, killed and wounded, according to the prifoners report, being 26 Officers, and 600 men. We have alfo loft many excellent Officers and brave men. On the preceding day (the 12th) I called as a council of war the two officers next in comn and to me, Major General Bruce and Colonel Stuart. I acquainted them of the Rate of our affairs in general; the letters I had received from the admiral, reprefenting the fickly condition of his men, and the ftate of the waters which might oblige him to return to Madras; alfo the approach of the French fleet; but above all, the indefatigable industry visible in the vast works they were making on the high grounds and lines, in communication with the poft commonly called Brickmyre's, thus stretching along the neck by which we must approach the place; and I requested General Bruce and Colonel Stuart freely to speak their minds. I had called the chief engineer and the commanding officers of the Bengal and Coaft artillery, as deliberate, defiring to know in their diffcrent departments if they were in readiness, fo far as regarded materials for closing the redoubts after we should get poffeffion, and to form a firft parallel, and as to guns, with a fufficient fupply of ftores for the enterprize. They agreed that every thing was in readinels, and we were unanimoufly of opinion that there was not an hour to be loft in driving the French from all their out-pofts into Cuddalore, or under the guns. I immediately prefented the plan I meant to follow in effecting our purpose, a copy of which I have the honour of inclofing. It was in general moft exactly followed. Lieutenant Colonel Kelly, in the precife moment agreed on, got rofeffion of the pofts of the enemy on the Bardipollum hills, with their guns, and Lieutenant Colonel Cathcart, at the head of the grènaliers, July 1783. It has been fince found from the returns, that the French Regulars and Dutch Europeans, exclufive of the Marines, exceeded 4000. + Upon examining the turns, the number was 16. 1. It was alterwards found they hat 42 Officers killed or wounded. 3 Tupported furported by Colonel Stuart, commanding the advanced picquets on the left, confifting of the remains of the 734 regiment, under Captain Lumont, and two battalions of Sepoys, made a movement to turn the enemy's right flank. In advancing they fuftained fuch a heavy fire, and the ground fo difficult, that with great judgment Colonel Stuart covered his people until he could better reconnoitre, and me further disposition could be taken to approach the enemy from different quarters nearly about the fame time. He fent me a report of his fituation, and I gave orders in confequence to the referve, under Colonel Gordon, to-make a movement in advance to their left, and to Major General Bruce to march from the right in the direction of the redoubt, if the ground could admit of it. The general had very properly pofted Lieute Bant-Colonel Edmondfon upon the land hills, near the fea, to fupport the four brais eighteens, and prevent our being flanked on that fide. Upon further information that the redoubt, which principally annoyed the Grenadiers, was to be got at in the rear, orders were given for the grenadiers, the referve, and the right under General Bruce, to close upon the enemy with their mufquetry, leaving their guns under cover. I defired the Commanding Officer of Artillery to fire three guns as a fignal, and to continue a heavy fire for five minutes on the enemy's redoubt on the front, oppofite to Col. Stuart and the Grenadiers, whilst the referve uader Colonel Gordon was moving on; upon ear fire ceafing, the attack on all fides to begin. The referve, which confifted chiefly of the remains of his Majefty's 101ft, and of the detxhment from the 15th and 16th Hanoveri125, with five companies of Captain Muirbeau's battalion of Sepoys, advanced in the best under imaginable, under the heaviest fire of muiquetry, round and grape, from the enemy, tat i ever beheld. The greater part had got within the enemy's entrenchments; many of Our Officers fell there. The detachment of his Majefty's Hanoverians, under Lieutenant-Colonel Wangenheim, 13 Major Varrennius, behaved remarkably well. The Major fell in the attempt. The Company of Grenadiers and Light Infantry of His Majesty's 101ft, and the Officers of that corps, and the Officers and Sepoys of the 20th Camatic battalion, fhewed the greatest fpirit and fleadiness; and if the other men of the 1019 had feconded the efforts of their Officers and their Grenadiers and Light Infantry, there is not a doubt but the businef, would have been over at once; but they did not; and our People, on that attack, were for a certain time driven back, and purfued to a confiderable diftance by the enemy. However, at that precfe time, when the French were in the purfurt, our grenadiers, under Lieutenant-Colonel Cathcart and Major Moore, with Colonel Stuart and Captain Lamont, with the precious remains of the 73d, entered the redoubt on the fide where it was not entirely clofed, and not only took poffeffion of it, but pushed forward to a poft called Brickmyre's, confiderably in advance, and were for fome time in poffeffi n of it, with the guns, but obliged to quit, upon fresh troops pouring in upon them. Our people kept hold of the first redoubt, as commanding or enfilading every thing in front or to the right of it, and therefore a good point to go from in our approaches; it was ordered to be clofed by the chief engineer as foon as poijible. The havock done by our guns from the Heights, now appeared plain; and having thus fecured, by Lieutenant-Colonel Kelly and his brigade, the commanding points of the Bandipollum Hills, giving an opening to the large Tank that lies between them, and feeing from thence, in reverfe, the whole bound hedge of Cuddalore; and having fecured a polt to approach from of fuch importance as before-mentioned, I thought it fufficient for the day, confidering the numbers of our brave men that had fallen. The fpirit of our people, even after fo fevere an action, was fo undaunted, that I was urged to proceed further, and to drive the whole of the enemy into the fort the fame evening, although we must have had both heavy guns and mufquetry to encounter with; but I declined it, both for the above reason, and becaufe, from my knowledge of the French, I was fure, that after a night's reflection of what had pafled, they would not try a fecond day out of the fort. It happened fo, for they abandoned, in the courfe of the night, all their remaining out-pofts, and drew off their guns, excepting three, which we brought into the redoubt. The inclofed return will fhew your Lordihip the guns we have taken from the enemy; two of them are upon the hill, and two in the redoubt, ready to open against their for mer mafters. I fhall in a feparate letter, fo foon as I know it with precision, acquaint your Lordship of the lofs on our fide. It is with infinite regret that I mention the lofs of Captain Doug.as, Deputy Adjutant-General, as an Officer, and as a Member of Society; and the fame of Lieutenant Peter Campbell, my first Aid de Camp. Major Varrennius reil haranguing his men, advancing to the redoubt. The Hon. Captain Lindley, commanding the Grenadiers of the 734, was wounded and taken prifoner, refusing to fuffer his on people to remain behind with him . In a word, nothing I believe in hiftory ever exceeded he heroilm and coolness of this army in general, vifible to every one; for it lafted from four in the morning to two in the afternoon. The Admiral, with the whole fleet, is now at an anchor near our rice hips, and, by our laft accounts, Monf. Suffrein was feen by him to the fouthward, with fifteen ships of the line, and two frigates. Captain Lindfey died of his wounds at Cuddalore. K 2 I have |
