clover cut for hay is to be tithed by tion for his offence, he had already the fwarth. 14th. At Maidftone affizes came on the trial of Thomas Purefoy, indicted for the wilful murder of colonel Roper, in a duel in December, 1788, fince when Mr. Purefoy had chiefly been out of the kingdom. In the year 1787, major Roper was commander-in-chief at the ifland of St. Vincent, and Mr. Purefoy was enfign in the 66th regiment. The latter having obtained leave of abfence, had a feftive day, with fome others of the junior officers, in which they committed fuch exceffes as occafioned a complaint to major Roper, by whom the abfence was recalled. The remonftrances of Mr. Purefoy were made in fuch a fivle as to induce major Roper to bring him to a court-martial. By their verdict he was declared to have forfeited his commiffion, and this verdict was afterwards confirmed by his majefty. This fentence was difficult, faid the counfel, undoubtedly to be borne, as breaking in on all the purfuits of a young and ardent mind. Yet it was till the duty of Mr. Purefoy to have fubmitted. The witnefles were then examined, amongst whom were general Stanwix, the fecond to colonel Roper. The pritener being called on for his defence, faid, "that he entertained no malice against the deceated. He felt not the afperity of revenge. He was led by a call of honour, or, more properly fpeaking, driven by the tyranny of custom, to an act, which in early life had embittered his exiflence, but without which, he was taught to believe, that he should Jofe all the confolations which fociety could afford. The laft challenge, he obferved, had come from colonel Roper; and, as feme expia fuffered near fix years of exile, and nine months of close confinement.— [The latter part of his address was read from a written paper by Mr, Erfkine, the feelings of Mr. Purefoy being fuch as to overpower his utterance.] The prifoner called nine gentlemen to his character, moft of whom had known him from early life. They all fpoke to the general mildnefs of his character, and the goodhumoured cafe and averfion to quarrel which marked his general deportment. After a charge by the judge, Mr. baron Hotham, which did equal honour to his juftice and fenfibility, the jury, without hefitation, returned their verdict " Not Guilty." 15th. About two o'clock, a melancholy accident happeneft in Johnfon's court, Charing-crofs. George Howe, a genteel young man, was taken to a recruiting-office there, belonging to the Eaft-India company, to be enlifted; and, upon attempting to make his efcape, his hands were tied behind his back, and in that fituation he was put into a garret, where he was not many minutes before he jumped from the window, and was killed upon the fpot. This circumftance very naturally attracted the attention of paflengers, and prefently crowd was collected, who, fired by indignation, pulled down the houfe. A detachment of the Guards was cal led in, and with difficulty the mob was difperfed. 16th. The populare feemed inclined to attack fome other recruiting-houtes in the neighbourhood of Charing-crofs. The foot guards had remained upon the fpot; and a detachment of the horfe guards was was added to them, who patroled during the night round Charingcrols, St. Martin's lane, and their vicinity. The coroner's inqueft returned this evening, after a deliberation of eight hours, was, that George Howe, the deceafed, had come by his death in confequence of endeavouring to escape from illegal confinement in a houfe of bad fame. 17th. This morning, between one and two, a fire broke out on the Surrey fide of Weftminster-bridge, at Aftley's amphitheatre, which was foon in a general blaze, and totally deftroyed, together with feveral houfes in front of the Westminsterroad; a public-houfe and fome other fmall dwellings down Stangate-fireet: and it was with difficulty prevented communicating to the wheel-manufactory, the boat-builders, and a timber-yard in the neighbourhood. 18th. Mrs. Hanau, the miftrefs of the houfe in Johnfon's court, was brought to the public-office, Queenfquare; but as no evidence was produced to criminate her, the was confequently difcharged. John Jacques, who kept a recruitingoffice in the next houfe to that of Mr. Hanau, was alfo examined relative to a perfon fouud fick of the fmall-pox in his houfe, who, on the recommendation of Mr. Reynolds, an eminent furgeon, had been fubfequently removed to the work-houfe of St. Martin's parith, where he died the next morning. He alfo was difcharged. 19th. The White-horfe publichoufe, Whitcombe-ftreet, Charingcrofs, a recruiting-houfe, wherein Edward Barrat, a mariner, had been ill-treated, was faved this evening from deftruction by the intervention of the military. 22d. On this and the preceding days fome riots took place in the city, in confequence of which the following hand-bill was pofted up and circulated in the city this morning: The lord mayor fees, with inexpreffible concern, that notwithstanding all the caution which has been given, and the endeavours of the good citizens to preferve peace and good order, that the fame daring attempts to overpower the civil of ficers of this city, which were made on Wedneiday night, were last night renewed in Shoe-lane. The inha bitants of this city must be convinced that the authors and actors in these tumults have no other view than that of overturning and defiroying our laws, our conftitution, and the liberties which through them we enjoy, in order to introduce among us the fame bloody and ferocious government which France now groans under. "The lord mayor, therefore, gives notice, that, if any farther riots or tumults fhall be attempted, he fhall feel himfelf obliged to ufe the most effectual means to fupprefs the fame, and therefore enjoins you to keep your lodgers, fervants, and all others of your family within doors as foon as it is dark, as you will antwer for the confequences which may arife from any breach of the peace. "Manjion-houfe, Aug. 22, 1794." Plymouth county, New England. This is become one of the moft populous diftricts of the United States, notwithstanding the barren and late uncultivated ftate of this part of the country. The inhabitants are enligtened and virtuous: crimes apparently are unknown, or, at least, seldom if ever committed; for a capital execution has not taken place there for upwards of fixty years. A dread A dreadful fire took place at Bofton nearly at the fame time as the late shocking fire at Radcliffe, London; and, what is very remarkable, from the fame caufe (the boiling over a pitch-kettle), which burnt with fuch rapidity as to confume nearly one-fourth of the place, deftroying feveral wharfs and flores in a few hours. The lofs of property is eftimated at 100,0001. fterling, and, it is believed, the whole is uninfured; if that is true, it will occafion the ruin of many very respect able families. An action was tried at the laft Shrewsbury affizes, before a fpecial jury, brought by two young gentlemen of the name of Pailingham, against a Mrs. Lloyd, of Chefter, to recover eftates of the value of 150,000l., which he had enjoyed for 20 years. The plaintiffs produced 104 witneffes in fupport of their claim, which was clearly eftablished; and the jury returned a verdict in their favo r. One hundred and five fuakes, in one neft, were difcovered and killed in a dunghill, at Haletbury, in Wilts. Stanley, who was lately executed at Ilchefter, was about three years fince elected king of the Gypfies.His wife and daughter attended at the place of execution, and were not more remarkable for the beauty of their perfons than for the very coftly appearance of their drefs. The Dutchefs of Marlborough has juft built and endowed fix almshoufes at Blenheim, for the refidence of as many indigent females, who are to have an annuity of 101. each, and linen and fuel, for life. DIED. At Paddington, George Colman, e'q. patentee of the theatreroyal Haymarket. Farther particu lars of this gentleman will be given in a fubfequent part of this volume. In the Fleet prifo, after an imprisonment of eleven years and three months, in his 67th year, Benjamin Pope, efq. He was nearly as remarkable a character as that of old Elwes, of ufurious and penurious memory. He was originally a tan ner in Southwark, and dealt fo largely and extenfively in this branch, that his flock in trade was for many years fuppofed to be worth 60 or 70,000l. In the latter part of his time in this trade, and when he was well known to be worth fo much money as to be called Plumb Pope, he took to the lending of money, difcounting, and buying annuities, mortgages, &c. In this branch of bufinels, it appears, Mr. Pope was not fo fuccefsful as in his former trade; for the name of Pope the ufurer every now and then appears in the proceedings of our courts of law, when our fages in the law commonly differed widely from Mr. Pope in their opinion of his practices in this branch of bufinefs. The moft remarkable and the laft inftance of this fort was, when he was caft in 10,000l. damages for fome ufurious or illegal practices in fome money tranfactions with fir Alexander Leith. This was generaily thought a fmart fentence, and perhaps the well-known and well couted character of the man contributed not a little towards it. Mr. Pope himfelf thought it fo oppreflive and unjust, that he never, in all his life afterwards, left off complaining loudly of it, and even printed a cale, fetting forth the hardship and great lofs he fuffered. At first Mr. Pope, to be even with his plaintiff, went abroad to France with all his effects and property, where where a man in his advanced years, ample fortune, and without any family but his wife, a moft worthy and refpected woman, might certainly have lived very comfortably, But Mr. Pope abroad was removed from his friends and cuftomers; and, his money being idle, which was always confidered by him as a great misfortune, he refolved to come home; and, to fhew his refentment (as he faid) to all this oppreffion, fubmitted to imprifenment rather than pay the money. This he did moft heroically, and futtered the long impriforment of eleven years and three morths. In the course of this time Mr. Pope's affairs wore very different complexions; and at one time he might have got his liberty for a thoufond pounds, but he remained inflexible, and fent them word, that "this would be acknowledging the juftnefs of their debt, which he would die fooner than do," and he kept his word. Mr. Pope, in prifon, had many opportunities of indulging thofe propenfilies he had all his life been remarkable for. He looked always at the pint pot of fmall beer before he paid for it, to fee that it was full; a precaution that in him was fomewhat excufable, as the pint lafted him generally two days, water being his common drink; and as to ftrong beer, it ufed to be a note of admiration with his fellow-prifoners when he drank any with them at their apartments; but as for his fending for any for himfelf, of that he never was guilty. His three-farthing candle he always bought by weight, that is, had the heaviest of fix, eight, or ten, for his money. In all this time, near twelve years, he has never had a joint of meat on his table; his greateft luxury was a great plate from the cook's flop, and that generally ferved him for two meals. But in thefe points he was not much at a lofs; for his family, though living at a great diftance, knowing of his penurious dif pofition, fent to him very frequently a very comfortable and proper fupply: and on thefe occations he has even been known, fometimes, to give fome leavings to his errandgirl, or elfe to fome diftreffed object. To do juftice to fuch an eccentric character as Mr. Pope, it is proper to state, that, while in trade, he had early begun the benevolent practice of giving away, every week, a stone of meat, and often more, among his workmen and poor neighbours; and this practice he never left off, not even when he was every day weighing his candle, or looking after the meature of his fmall beer. money tranfactions Mr. Pope fuffered many frauds and impofitions in prifon; as he had not that fcope of cuftomers in his confined ftate, and, always bent upon making the most of his money, was more eafily impofed upon; fo that he is fuppofed to have loft, by fuch means, more money than would have paid his debt and cofts, large as they were. SEPTEMBER. In 1ft. As the corpfe of a gentleman was proceeding to the burial-ground, it was arrefted by a fheriff's officer and his followers, under the ufual warrant on a writ of capias ad fatisfaciendum. The friends, who fol lowed, immediately left their coaches, and told the officer, if he chofe, he was welcome to take the body, but he fhould not have coffin, fhroud, or any one particle in which the body was enveloped, as thofe things were were the property of the executors; and farther infifted, that, as the deceafed had, by his will, bequeathed his body to them, no execution would hold good againft the corpfe. The bailiff, after attending to many literary and perfuafive arguments, and having difcuffed the matter as fully as the time and place would admit of, was very properly convinced that the fpirit of the law meant a living and not a dead body, and accordingly marched off without infifting farther on the legality of his capture. This, it is prefumed, is the first and only inftance of the kind that has happened fince the arreft of the dead body of a fheriff of London, not many years fince. Among the vast number of perfons liberated from the King's-bench prifon, a now almost uninhabited place of confinement, under the late infolvent act, was a farmer, who had remained in cuftody there eleven years, for the cofts of an action, in which he failed, for having killed a hare on his own grounds. 3d. Edinburgh. On Wednesday came on, before the court of over and terminer in this city, the trial of Mr. Robert Watt for high treafon. The particulars of the charge were, that he belonged to certain committees of the Friends of the People in Scotland, called the committe of union, and the committee of ways and means, whofe profeffed aim was, in conjunction with certain focieties in England, to form, at a certain time and place not fpecified, a convention of perfons, whofe avowed aim was to ufurp the powers of government, to compel the king and parliament by force to make laws, altering the mode and duration of parliament, and thereby to fubvert the conftitution; with having, to effect this purpofe, caufed certain pikes and battle-axes to be fabricated; with having formed a defign to feize the caftle, the bank, the judges, &c. and with having attempted to feduce the foldiery from their allegiance, by caufing a number of printed handbills, addreffed to a regiment of fencibles, to be diftributed at Dalkeith. After evidence had been adduced in fupport of the facts, Mr. William Erikine, counfel for the prifoner, faid, that he would reft his defence on the correfpondence carried on he tween the right hon. Henry Dundas, the lord-advocate, and the prifoner, by which it would appear, that he had attended the meetings of the Friends of the People with no other view than to give information of their proceedings. A letter from the prifoner to Mr. fecretary Dundas was read, which stated, that, as he did not approve of the dangerous principles which then prevailed in Scotland, and was a friend to the conftitution, he thought it his duty to communicate to him, as a good fubject, what information he could procure of the proceedings of thofe who ftyled themfelves Friends of the People. From an acquaintance with feveral of the leading men among them, he flattered himself he had this in his power; and he then went on to mention fome of the names of thofe leading men in Perth, Dundee, and Edinburgh. It concluded with enjoining fecrecy. To this letter an anfwer was returned, which was alfo read. It acknow ledged the receipt of Watt's letter, and, after exprefling a hope that things were not fo bad as he had reprefented, defired him to go on, and he might depend upon his communications |