announce the approach of the monarchs of the sea; and those on the back part carry the imperial fasces, topt with tridents instead of the ancient fasces. The driver's foot-board is a large scollop-shell, supported by branches of reeds, and other marine plants. The pole represents a bundle of lances, and the wheels are imitated from those of the ancient triumphant chariots. The body of the coach is composed of eight palm-trees, which, branching out at the top, sustain the roof. The four angular trees are loaded with trophies, allusive to the victories obtained by Britain during the course of the present glorious war. On the centre of the roof stand three boys, representing the Genii of England, Scotland, and Ireland, supporting with their heads the im. perial crown, and holding in their hands the sceptre, the sword of state, and ensigns of knighthood: their bodies are adorned with festoons of laurel, which fall from thence towards the four corners of the roof. The intervals between the palm-trees which form the body of the coach, are filled in the upper parts with plates of glass, and below the pannels adorned with paintings. On the front pannel is represented Britannia seated on a throne, holding in her hand a staff of liberty, attended by Religion, Justice, Wisdom, Valour, Fortitude, and Victory, presenting her with a garland of laurel: on the back pannel, Neptune issuing from his palace, drawn by sea-horses, attended by the Winds, Rivers, Tritons, Naiads, &c. bringing the tribute of the world to the British shore. On one of the doors are represented Mars, Minerva, and Mercury, supporting the imperial crown of Britain; and on the other, Industry and Integrity giving

a cornucopia to the Genius of England. The other four pannels represent the liberal arts and sciences protected; History recording the reports of Fame; and Peace burning the implements of war. The inside of the coach is lined with crimson velvet, richly embroidered with gold. All the wood work is triple gilt, and all the paintings highly varnished. The harness is of crimson velvet, adorned with buckles and other embellishments of silver gilt; and the saddle-cloths are of blue velvet, embroidered and fringed with gold.

The following proclamation was some time ago published by the Prussian governor of Freyberg. 'Whereas I have been informed that some of the inhabitants of Freyberg, and particularly certain merchants, have taken it into their heads to forge, and publish for true, reports to the disadvantage of the arms of Prussia; I declare by these presents, that the first who shall dare to utter one sentence, either to the disadvantage or the advantage of the Prussian arms, shall be taken up and punished as a spy.

It is an indecency not to be suffered, for burghers to presume to talk of state affairs, in which such pitiful creatures can do neither good nor harm: they only expose their ill intentions: but I shall certainly employ rigorous methods to make an example in terrorem. Every burgher, who favours the desertion of any of my men, shall be treated as a deserter himself. The magis. trates will take care to curb the burghers with more vigilance than hitherto : otherwise I shall make them answerable for all the malevolent reports that may be published, because it is their business to watch over the conduct of the merchants

as

The engine for eradicating trees is brought to such a degree of persfection in this country, that the peasant who invented it has engaged to tear up 2000 oaks with it, within a fortnight, at ninepence sterling for each oak. He has pulled up upwards of 300 in one day, with two engines and five men for both only. Our society has ordered a model to be made of it, to be sent to your society for promoting arts and commerce, which will be more complete than the rude draught after which theirs was made last summer.

A large sum has been subscribed for carrying into execution the farther laudable and public-spirited views of the marine society. Mr. Hicks, a merchant, who died lately. at Hamburgh, has left them his whole fortune, amounting to upwards of twenty thousand pounds. All which, it seems, that useful society intend to apply towards procuring employment, and, till that can be had, relief for the boys who may be discharged from the navy in consequence of a peace, the wages of the said boys being too small to enable them to lay by any part of it.

The following receipt was lately communicated to the Dublin society, by Mr. Will. Newby, jun. of Kendal in Westmoreland; being

an easy and expeditious manner of taking off all sorts of plants on paper. Take a flat cushion of about six inches square, covered with leather, and another of a round kind, bound up so as to form a handle to it; lay on the flat one some printing ink, and level it with the round one; lay any leaf between them, and press it gently, that the ink may be equally divided at each side; then put it between two white papers, and press it with the palm of your hand, and the impression will remain. The printing ink is made of three parts drying linseed oil, one part turpentine oil, brought to a proper consistency with lamp-black.

As some labourers were lately trenching near Polesworth in Warwickshire, they found a large earthen pot, full of small copper coins, most part of which appear to bear a beautiful image of Constantine, with the name of Constantinus round it; on the other side are two armed figures, defending Roman emblems of various sorts, and round them the words Gloria exercitus. Some few among them have an armed head on one side, with URES ROMA round it, and Komulus and Remus sitting under a wolf on the reverse side; others have an armed head on one side, with the word Constantinopolis round it, and Pallas on the reverse: some have a chariot and four horses on the reversed side; others, variety of single figures, something like Britannia with her shield; others, a woman, with a child in her arms. The workmanship of all the heads appears to be of a much more curious style than that of many coins of a later date. Some are so obliterated, that the inscriptions cannot be understood. it is certain they are very old, since the freshest of them

seem

seem to be those of Constantine, the first Christian emperor.

The following are the dimensions of an ox lately slaughtered at Cowbridge, in the county of Glamorgan, in which county he was also bred. The four quarters of this beast, which, for size, might, with much greater propriety have been supposed to have belonged to an elephant, weighed 1612 lb. his hide 161, tallow 148. His height was six feet three inches; his length, from head to tail, seventeen feet seven inches. He sold on the spot for twenty pounds.

Extract of a letter from a gentleman

at Rome, Oct. 16, 1762. "Nothing gives me more satisfaction, than to find so many fine things purchased for his majesty [the king of Great Britain] of late, in Italy. He is now master of the best collection of drawings in the world, having purchased two or three capital collections in Rome; the last, belonging to cardinal Albani, for 14,000 crowns, consisting of 300 large volumes, one-third of which are original drawings of the first masters; the others, collections of the most capital engravings. And lately there has been purchased for his majesty, all the museum of Mr. Smith, at Venice, consisting of his library, prints, drawings, designs, &c. I think it is highly probable that the arts and sciences will flourish in Great Britain, under the protection and encouragement of a monarch, who is himself an excellent judge of merit and taste

in the vertù.

And we have at present in Rome, of our own country, many ingenious and excellent artists in the different branches of painting, sculp

ture, and architecture. In this last an ingenious gentleman, Mr. Byres, obtained a prize in the first class; and has, greatly to his honour, got two medals from the academy of St. Luke.

The grand gallery at Florence lately ran a risk of being entirely consumed by fire; however, very happily, only a few things were lost, and some damaged. The noble group of the Laocoon, and his sons, an excellent copy by Bandinelli, from the original in the Belvidere, is quite destroyed." Translation of part of an intercepted letter from the king of P to count Finckenstein, handed about in Holland.

"So the poor emperor of Russia is dethroned by his wife: this was expected. The empress has a great deal of wit, no religion, and the disposition of the deceased empress; but, at the same time, pretends to be very devout. This is the counterpart of Zeno the Greek emperor, his spouse Ariadne, and Mary of Medicis. The late chancellor B- was the great favourite of this princess; and, as he had a strong liking to English guineas, I am in hopes that the present connections will continue. The poor emperor wanted to imitate Peter I. but had not his genius."

28th.

A number of people surrounded the house of John Pritchers, of West Langdon in Kent, and, under a notion of her bewitching one Ladd, a boy of 13 years old, dragged out his wife by violence, and compelled her to go to the said Ladd's father's house, about a mile from her own, where they forced her into the room where the boy was, 'scratched her arms and face in a most cruel manner, to

draw

draw blood, as they said, of the witch, and then threatened to swim her; but some people of condition interposing, the poor woman's life 2 was happily preserved; and the persons concerned in carrying on the imposture, particularly one Beard, and Ladd's wife, being carried before a magistrate, and compelled to make satisfaction to the unhappy injured woman, the mob dispersed, and the country that was everywhere in tumult is again quieted. The boy pretended to void needles and pins from his body; and his father and mother upheld the deceit; and collected large sums of money of those whose compassion was excited by so melancholy a situation.

The society for the encouragement of arts have adjudged a first premium of 15 guineas to Mr. Jonathan Spilsbury, of Russel-coyrt, portrait painter, for a mezzotinto plate of the earl of Carlisle, done by him from a painting of Mr. Reynolds. 29th.

Peter Annet was, by judgment of the court of King's Bench, committed to Newgate for one month. He was also ordered to stand on the pillory twice, within that time, and afterwards to be kept to hard labour in Bridewell, for a year, &c. for writing a piece called The Free Enquirer.

As three French men of war, viz. the Contente of 94 guns, and two frigates, the Pleiade and the Minerve, were lately chacing his majesty's ship the Sheerness into Villa Franca, the Minerve, by the ill management of the crew, struck upon a rock, and in less than two hours afterwards was entirely lost. The sea ran so very high, that Voz. V.

no boats would venture out from the shore to the assistance of the people on the wreck. In this situation, capt. Clarke sent his people to their relief, who exerted themselves so effectually, as to bring them all off, except about 25, who were carried away by the violence of the surf. The French commodore waited afterwards upon the British captain, to thank him for his timely assistance, aud to express the great sense he entertained of such benevolence and generosity.

They write from Paris, that one of their ablest mathematicians is going to give public lectures in one of the colleges of the university, on ship building and navigation.

Though the war between the Corsicans and the Genoese is not generally interesting, yet the following circumstance cannot be omitted. A nephew of Gian Carlo, one of Paoli's principal officers, having been taken prisoner, was generously set at liberty by gen. Matra. The youth on his return to Paoli, was made governor of the fort of Coscia, built by the rebels to cut off the communication of the Genoese with Macinaggio. As soon as he had taken possession of his new command, to testify his gratitude to Matra, he delivered up to him the fort with which he had been entrusted by Paoli, and which is so strong, that it cannot be easily retaken. The possession of it makes the Genoese masters of all Cape Corse.

A premium of five guineas was lately given by the Dublin society for the following receipt to kill rats. One quart of oatmeal, four drops of rhodium, one grain of musk, two nuts of nux vomica, the whole made very fine, and placed [

where

where the rats frequent, and continued while they eat it.

A button-maker's wife, near Birmingham, was lately delivered of three children.

A farmer's wife, at Whitstable, in Kent, of two girls and a boy. A farmer's wife, at Ashwellthorpe, near Norwich, of four children.

Died lately. The chevalier de St. Croix, at St. Domingo,the brave defender of the citadel of Belleisle. Mr. Evans, clerk to a lime wharf near Gravesend; he weighed when alive 40 stone.

Mr. Barnaid, an upholsterer, in Great Wild-street, aged 102.

Mr. Thomas Shorthall, an Irishman, at Landrecy in Flanders, aged 104. He had been lieut. col. in the Irish brigades, in the French service.

Madame Alexandrina Fatio, of Geneva, aged 104.

Lady Hannum, in St. Christopher's workhouse, near the Bank, aged 114.

DECEMBER.

6th, A cause was tried at the Common Pleas, Westminster, wherein a merchant of London was plaintiff, and a baronet defendant: the action was brought against the defendant, for winning a sum of money of the plaintiff at gaming; and a verdict given for the plaintiff, for 7001. damages, besides costs and suit.

Biddeford, Dec. 5. Last night, happening to be walking about a quarter before nine, I instantly saw the street so illuminated, as could not be equalled by a meridian sun. I immediately cast my eyes upwards, and, to my very great surprize, saw falling a luminous body, or flaming

meteor, equal in magnitude to the moon. This meteor when it first appeared to me, was in a right line with the bright star in Hircus; which I imagine was near the place of its commencement, since the sudden blazing, which it occasioned, must instantaneously attraft an amazed eye. It performed its descent gradually, so as to fall about ten degrees in four or five seconds, leaving behind it a long tail, or seeming liquid flame, which subtended, from one extreme to the other, an angle of about ten degrees; that part of the tail next to the body seemed to blaze like the meteor itself; but the other extreme turned blue and smoky. The body diminished or burnt out by degrees to support the tail, whose extremity continued to vanish into smoke, till the whole body was dissolved, which happened to be in a line with the bright star in Orion's shoulder, from whence the direction of its path is known. The tail continued to burn bright for about a minute afterwards, and the fire seemed to vanish last of all at that end where it first had its beginning; but the brightness and serpentine form continued for five or six minutes, though only as a bright cloud. The atmosphere, at the beginning of this extraordinary phenomenon, was extremely clear, and inclinable to freeze; but after the body was dissolved, a thick smoke descended from its path to the horizon; which disappeared in about a quarter of an hour. This meteor, which was, I believe, by far the greatest seen for half a century past, must have kindled very near the earth's surface, otherwise the blaz ing would not be great enough to dazzle the strongest eye.