returning from Paris to Dieppe, having occafion to change his horfe, ftopped at a house on the road for that purpose, at a time when no horfe happened to be at home. Rather than wait the return of one, he chofe to walk forward, defiring, at the fame time, if one fhould return foon, that it might be fent after him; he accordingly fet out, but had not been gone long before a horse came home, which, agreeable to his defire, was immediately fent after him by a fervant, who, overtaking the captain, alighted for him to mount, which he was a bout to do, when the villain, tak ing advantage of his pofture, drew out a long knife, and gave him three ftabs in the back, of which he inftantly died on the fpot. The affaffin then robbed him of what money he had, and having dragged the body to fome distance out of the road, remounted his mafter's horse and rode home, faying, on his return, that he could not overtake the gentleman. He had not been at home long before fufpicions fell on the perpetrator, who, it was remarked, was unufually flufh of money, and not being able to give an account how he came by it, he was taken up, and confeffed the fact.

Two days after, the body was difcovered by fome perfons of fa-. thion, who were led to it by their dogs. By fome papers found in the deceafed's pockets, his name and connexions were known.

The murderer had feen Capt. Roberts take out his purfe at his mafter's houfe, which, he faid, tempted him to the commiffion of the horrid crime.

2. This evening the daughter of the carl of Salisbury was chriftened at his lordship's houfe in Arlington-ftrect. Their Majefties, with the Princess Royal, were fpon

fors. Every preparation was made to celebrate the ceremony with the utmost fplendor. The Princefs Roy. al went first in her chair. The Queen next in her chair. The King laft in his chair. Lady Salifbury fat up in her bed to receive them. The bed was of green damafk, with flowers in feftoons, and lined with orange-coloured filk. The counterpane was white fattin, The queen was dreffed in dark green, coloured with filver gauze ; but ornamented with the greatest profufion of diamonds perhaps ever feen at one time. Her head was covered with diamonds; diamond ftomacher; diamond fleeve bows ; diamond bouquet, &c. &c. The king was dreffed in fcarlet, most fuperbly embroidered with gold; diamond George, diamond hatbuckle, &c. The Princefs Royal was in light green, covered with filver gauze. The company prefent were the earls of Hillsborough, Talbot, Exeter, Effex, Clarendon, Denbigh, Waldegrave, Aylesford, Aylesbury, marquis of Lothian, countefs Talbot, lord and lady Fairford, countefs of Effex, countefs of Clarendon, and Mrs. Strode.

The archbishop of Canterbury performed the fervice.-The queen received the child from lady Effex, and the archbishop received it from the queen, who named it, GEORGINA CHARLOTTA-AUGUSTA. Their majefties ftaid about an hour and a half, during which time none of the company fat down. About ten o'clock their majesties, and the princefs royal, returned to the queen's house.

The prefent which his majesty gives on this occafion, is a piece of plate of one hundred and twenty ounces weight, which is inferibed with the name of the child, the fponfors, &c.

MAY.

MAY

1. About fix o'clock there was a very finart fall of fnow for near 20 minutes; which was fucceeded by an intense froft, which proved fatal to the bloffoms wherever it was felt; and, between 10 and 11, were fome of the most luminous appearances of the aurora borealis ever seen in this kingdom: the corrufcations were as vivid as the flashes of lightning in the hotteft feafon. Utrecht, April 30. The affembly of the Seventeen have addreffed an official letter to Mr. Pitt, minifter of state to his Britannic Majesty, thanking him for the generous affiftance he gave to the Verboorg Eaft Ind aman, while in the harbour of Dartmouth. [This ship bad put into the port of Dartmouth in great dift efs, a contagious diforder raging among the crew. The inhabi

examination, the excommunication will be published in the face of the church on Sunday next, forty days after which (your lordship fill perfifting in your refufal to undergo your examination), your contempt of the authority of the court will be fignified to his majesty, and (the ecclefiaftical courts having no farther power) the temporal courts will be applied to for a writ de excommunicato capiendo, by virtue of which you will be imprifoned till you comply with the order of the court.

I have only to add, that it is, aud has been, during the whole of this bufinefs, my earnest wish to fhew every refpect and attention to your Lordship's rank and fituation; and nothing but my indifpenfable duty to my clients could induce me to proceed to these extremities. "I am, my Lord, "Your Lordship's

"My Lord,

"In aufwer to your lordship's letter, I acquaint you, that it is impoffible to hear the caule of Hendry against Kidd, with any fafety to my client, without your evidence; and though I would do every thing which propriety would admit of, to accommodate your lordship, I cannot facrifice the interest of my em ployers to the fcruples of others. It therefore only remains for me, in compliance with your lordship's request, to acquaint you, that if you do not obey the compulsory, by appearing and undergoing your 1786.

"Moft obedient fervant, "R. JENNER. Doctors Commons, May 5." Lord George Gordon was excommunicated yesterday from the pa. rish church of St. Marie-le-bonne. The excommunication was very long, and took near twenty minutes to read it before the fermon.

On monday the 1st inft. earl Cornwallis embarked on board the Swallow packet at Portfmouth, and failed immediately for the East Indies. After beating about the Ifle of Wight for fome days, the Swallow was obliged to return to Portfmouth.

His Majefty, previous to the departure of earl Cornwallis, conferred on him the honour of knighthood, as a preliminary to his hav ing tranfmitted to him, and being inveft.d in India with, the Blue Ribband.

The manner in which the king m de known his intention of giving (B)

the

the vacant blue ribband to lord Cornwallis, reflects the higheft luftre on his character. It was after his lordship had taken his final leave, and was preparing to withdraw."I now do it," faid his Majesty, "to obviate every unworthy idea that might be entertained, that your lordship had made terms with your fovereign."

The above is fact; but for the return of the Swallow packet the above circumftance had not tranfpired, as lord Cornwallis kept it a fecret here from his most intimate friends.

8. Yeflerday between one and two in the morning, a fire broke out in Mr. Gillebrand's houfe in Ludgate-street, which confumed the fame, and the houfe of Mrs. Newbery adjoining, together with one other houfe backwards, and greatly damaged the houfe of Mr. Shuttleworth, opician, Mr. Wightwick, watchmaker, in Ludgate-ftreet, the houfe of Mr. Gould in St. Paul's church-yard, and the back-part of Mr. Wall's, adjoining. The flames were fo rapid, that the maid fervant of Mr. Gillebrand fell a facrifice to their fury; and Mr. Gould with difficulty faved his two daughters at the imminent danger of his own life.

11. The celebrated caufe between Mifs Mellifh and Mifs Rankin was reheard before lord Loughborough, in the court of common pleas, when, after a trial of eleven hours, the jury brought in a verdict for Mifs Rankin. (See Vol. VI. page 49.)

New York, March 28. A gentleman of outh Carolina, has invented a machine, that will raife water in any quantity, from 50,000 to 100,000 gallons per minute, from 26 feet in height to 200 feet perpendicular; alfo pumps that will fill an indigo vat in one minute; their construction fimple, and easily worked; pumps to throw an a

mazing quantity of water out of fhips or veffels, fo as to prevent them from finking, fhould they unfortunately ftart a plank; pumps for ftopping and putting out fires in cities, &c. even when the wind blows high.

18. The purfer of the Rodney Indiaman, Henry Wakeman, commander, from Coaft and Bay, came to the East India houfe with an account of the fafe arrival of the faid fhip in the Downs; the Rodney failed outward bound from the Downs, the 15th March, 1785.

The Rodney has brought the following account of the lofs of the Montague Indiaman, written by Mr. James Ellior, who belonged to that unfortunate fhip.

"December 6, 1785, as we lay at Diamond Point, about feventy miles below Calcutta, we had taken in 4100 bags of falt-petre, and were towing them; the caulker's mate was going to heat pitch upon the upper deck, to pay his work: he called down the fore-hatchway to the gunner's boy, to hand him up fome fire, upon a finali fhovel of the armourer's, te make a fire in the forge, to heat his pitch; the boy handing the fire up the fore-hatchway (the fore-hatches being unlaid) let a piece of the fire fall down upon the faltpetre (one of the bags having burit); there was locfe falt-petre in the fquare of the hatchway, which immediately caught fire. We attempted to fmother it; but the flames increased fo faft, that we could not stay above three minutes in the hold after the first took fire. Mr. Benger, the chief officer, came down into the hold, but was forced to go up again immediately. Our cutter and yawl were hau'ed on fhore, and the long-boat was aground in Diamond Creek. I came out of the hold with the chief of.

ficer, and went into the ftern gallery to look for a boat. The third officer was then almost along-fide the Dutton, with fome men in the jolly-boat. Perceiving there was no affittance near, I left Mr. Benger in the fern-gallery, and got out of one of the quarter-ports into the mizen chain, and jumped overboard; when I fwam under the ftern, Mr. Benger was hanging by a rope, which he quitted, and immediately the fhip blew up. I never faw any more of Mr. Benger. M. Williams, the third officer, picked me up in the jolly-boat, with a great many more. I was not above twenty-yards from the fhip when he blew up. From the first of her taking fire till her explofion, did not exceed five minutes. We lost Mr. Benger, the chief of ficer; Mr. M'Intofh the fifth officer; Mr. Sampfon, furgeon's-mate; Mr. Wier, Mr. Vincent Williams, Mr. Collins; Mr. Chamberland, midshipman; Mr. Sangiter, gun ner; and twenty-five foremaft men." Peterborough, May 17. On Sunday morning, about one o'clock, a murder was committed near this place, by a young man named Hen. ry Lowe, on the body of Mr. Robert Shentone, a grazier, three mil s from hence. Mr. Shenftone kept an inn, which Lowe used, and was got in his debt, and refused being trufted any longer, and know ing Shenstone was come to this mar ket on Saturday to fell fome fat beafts, and that he generally returned home late in the evening, he took that opportunity of revenging it, for which purpofe he had planted himself on the fecond step of Mr. Shentone's door with a large wooden hammer; about one o'clock Mr. Shenlone got home, put his horfe in the ftable, and was going into his houfe, the family be ing all gone to bed; as foon as he

came to the first step of his door, and teeing a man fand upon the next, with a great club in both his hands extended over his head, Mr. Shentone topped fhort, and fid, "What now?" The words were fcarce out of his mouth before the blow came upon his head, which felled him to the ground; after that the villain ftruck him feveral times, then picked his pockets of eight guineas, half a crown piece and a fixpence, but did not take any bank notes or b.lls, though Mr. Shenftone had many about him. During all this time none of the family were disturbed, fo that Mr. Shenftone lay in that condition till his people got up, at their usual hour, on Sunday morning.

Lowe was feen loitering about this city all day on Sunday, and obferv. to look very dull, and tremble much, which gave people reafon to fufpect that he was the man; however he went off on the fame evening, but the coroner the next morning, after fitting on the body, difpatched two men in quest of Lowe, who was found playing at nine pins, at Market Deeping, on Monday afternoon, and brought to this city before the Justices, when he confeffed the whole. When the two men entered the fkittle ground iu fearch of him, he cried out, "Well, my lads, I am the man you feek: come, I will go with you, for it was me that killed Mr. Shenstone."

20. The foreign prints mention, that the famous Mr. Blanchard afcended, on the 8th ult. for the 17th time, from Douay, in French Flanders. This voyage, from the violence of the wind, may be confidered as the most perilous experi. ment which this wonderful aeronaut ever made. He went 95 miles in the fame number of minutes, and defcended at l'Etoile, a village in (B2)、 Picardy