I immediately went to a very ingenious philofopher of this town, who applied a large telescope to the place of its diffolution, but by that time the fire was incorporated, and almoft vanished. MAL. HITCHINS.

A fea-coal meter's place of this city lately fold for no less than Saiol.

Since the beginning of this year, the fcheme for bringing fresh fish by land carriage to London, has fucceeded beyond the expectation of moft people, and therefore we give, in the appendix to the Chronicle, the prefent ftate of it at length, as published by the infpector captain Blake.

Was the most numerous 9th. house of commons that has been known this year, in order to take into confideration the preliminary articles of peace; when they were approved by a very great majority. Mr. Pitt was prefent, tho' unable to ftand, and was, by the indulgence of the houfe, permitted to speak fitting. The addreffes prefented on this occafion to his majefty by both houses, are among our State Papers.

Tranflation of a letter from the emprefs of Ruffia to M. d'Alembert, at Paris, whom he had invited into Ruffia to educate her fon.

"Mr. d'Alembert, "I have just received the answer you wrote to Mr. Odar, in which you refuse to tranfplant yourself to affift in the education of my fon. I eafily conceive that it costs a philofopher, like you, nothing to defpife what the world calls grandeur and honour thefe, in your eyes, are very little; and I can readily agree that they are fo. Confidering things in this light, there would be

nothing great in the behaviour of queen Chriftina [of Sweden] which hath been fo highly extolled; and often cenfured with more juftice. But to be born and called to contribute to the happiness, and even the inftruction of a whole nation, and yet decline it, is, in my opinion, refufing to do that good which you wish to do. Your philofophy is founded in a love to mankind: permit me then to tell you, that to refufe to ferve mankind, whilft it is in your power, is to miss your aim. I know you too well to be a good man, to afcribe your refufal to va→ nity. I know that the fole motive of it is the love of cafe, and leisure to cultivate letters and the friend. fhip of thofe you efteem. But what is there in this objection? Come, with all your friends; I promise both them and you, every conve niency, and advantage that depends upon me; and perhaps you will find more liberty and eafe here, than in your native country. You refufed the invitation of the king of Pruffia, notwithstanding your obligations to him; but that prince has no fon. I own to you, that I have the education of my fon fo much at heart, and I think you fo neceffary to it, that perhaps I prefs you with too much earnestness. Excufe my indifcretion for the fake of the occafion of it; and be affured that it is my eftrem for you that makes me fo urgent.

Moscow,

Nov. 3, 1762.

CATHERINE.

In this whole letter I have argued only from what I have found in your writings: you would not contradi&t yourself."

The prize queftion for the year 1764, propofed to the literati of all nations by the Berlin academy of 1712

fciencea

fciences and belles lettres, is, "When the fovereignty of the Grecian emperors at Rome totally ceafed, What was then the government of the Romans? And at what time was the papal fovereignty eftablished ?"--The prize is a gold medal of 60 ducats weight: the effays to be tranfmitted before the ift of January, 1764, directed to Mr. Forney, fecretary to the academy: a motto to be put to them, and inclosed a fealed note, containing the motto, the author's name, and place of abode. The academy's judgment will be declared at the public meeting of the 31st of May, 1764. The academy farther gives notice, that the author of a,fatisfactory memoir on the following fubject, which was to have been determined this year, is, at whatever time it fhall be fent, entitled to the prize: "An explanation of Hearing, relatively to the manner in which the perception of Sound is produced, in virtue of the inward texture of the Ear."

The feffions ended at the 13th. Old Bailey, when three received fentence of death; 26 received fentence of transportation for feven years; three to be branded in the hand; 34 acquitted; 12 difcharged by proclamation, and three remanded back to take their trials at the affizes for Surry and Radnor. Two for the murder of their baftard children, were acquitted, their circumftances being favourable in both cafes.

Among the felons for tranfportation was one Derbin, a house-breaker, against whom several indictments were laid; but there appeared no evidence against him ftrong enough to affect his life. This man carried on his bufinefs fyftematically, not felling his ftolen

goods till he had fufficient reason to believe that nobody thought any more of them, and keeping them in the mean time in a house at a confiderable distance from that in which he lived, fo that in case this hap. pened to be difcovered, no body could prove they were in his cuftody. A prosecution was lately commenced in Ireland against Mr.Foote, for introducing the character of Mr. George Faulkner, printer of the Dublin Journal, a man of property and character, upon the public ftage. After a long hearing, a verdict was given in favour of Mr. Faulkner, and Mr. Foote was feverely fined.

The following is the receipt against the diftemper amongst the horned cattle, which rages with great fury in Thuringia, Erfurth, and other parts of Saxony, as it was prescribed and published by the war and domaine chamber at Magdeburg, and which has been adminiftered with great fuccefs..

Take eight pound of allum, eight pound of coriander feeds, eight pound of an herb called chamælion, or carlina,one pound of black cummin feeds, and one pound of chimney foot. After all these ingredients are reduced to a powder, mix with it two measures of falt, and give to a full-grown beast a spoonfull at a time, with fome four leaven dough, and fomething luke-warm. You must not give them any thing cold to drink, nor cold greens to eat, and must keep the cattle warm, and feparate the diftempered from the found. Give them no ftrong liquors, for it has been remarked that it makes them worse."

Paris, Dec. 1, 1762. "The fate of the Jesuits in this kingdom is at laft determined; at leaft fo much as our parliaments

сав

can determine it. In fpite of their remonftrances against the fairness of the quotations made from fome of their writers, and their abfolute renunciation of the doctrines contained in fome others; in fpite of their appeal to the king, and of his majesty's endeavours to put a ftop to the proceedings of parliament; nay, in spite of the interpofition of the nobility, clergy, and burghers of feveral places where they had fettlements; they have been turned out of their houses, forbid, under the feverest penalties, to wear the Jefuits habit, hold any correfpondence with their general, or affemble above four or five in a body. Many of their books have been publicly burnt, and what may remain of their effects, after fatisfying the intentions of the donors, and the creditors of the order, and a small allowance to fuch among them as may be fuppofed incapable of otherwife providing for themfelves, confifcated to the king. It is faid, indeed, that fome parliaments have come into thefe meafures, merely to avoid difputes with other parliaments, who claim a jurifdiction over them. Thofe fathers, however, are not without friends; for prince Charles of Lorraine, and several corporations in the Auftrian Netherlands, have given fuch, as thought proper to take shelter among them, a favourable reception."

October, 1762, at fix o'clock in the evening, came on a moft violent gale of wind at fouth, with thunder and lightning, the fea running very high, when the ship sprung a leak, and we were obliged to lieto under bare poles, the water gained on us, with both pumps conftantly working. At ten, P. M. endeavoured to put the fhip before the wind to no purpose. At twelve the fand ballaft having choaked our pumps, and there being seven feet water in the hold, all the casks afloat, and the ballaft shifted to leeward, cut away the rigging of the main and mizen mafts, both which went inftantly clofe by the deck, and immediately after the fore mast was carried away about 20 feet above. Hove overboard all our guns, upon which the fhip righted a little. We were then under a neceffity of letting all our flaves out of irons, to affift in pumping and baling.

Thursday morning being moderate, having gained about three feet on the fhip, we found every cafk in the hold ftove to pieces, fo that we only faved a barrel of flour, 10 lb. of bread, 25 gallons of wine, beer and fhrub, and 25 gallons of fpirits. The feamen and flaves were employed all this day in pump. ing and baling; the pumps were frequently choaked, and brought up great quantities of fand. We were obliged to hoist one of the pumps up, and put it down the quarter deck hatchway. A fhip this day bore down upon us, and, though very near, and we making every fignal of diftrefs, fhe would not speak to us.

On Friday the men flaves being very fullen and unruly, having had no futtenance of any kind tor 48 hours, except a dram, we put one [03

half

half of the ftrongeft of them in irons.

On Saturday and Sunday all hands, night and day, could fcarce keep the fhip clear, and were conftantly under arms.

On Monday morning many of the flaves had got out of irons, and were attempting to break up the gratings; and the feamen not daring to go down the hold to clear our pumps, we were obliged, for the prefervation of our own lives, to kill 50 of the ringleaders, and ftouteft of them.

It is impoffible to describe the mifery the poor flaves underwent, having had no fresh water for five days. Their dismal cries and shrieks, and most frightful looks, added a great deal to our misfortunes; four of them were found dead, and one drowned herself in the hold. This evening the water gained on us, and three feamen dropt down with fatigue and thirst, which could not be quenched, though wine, rum, and fhrub were given them alternately. On Thursday morning the fhip had gained, during the night, above a foot of water, and the feamen quite wore out, and many of them in defpair. About ten in the forenoon we faw a fail; about two fhe difcovered us, and bore down upon us; at five fpoke to us, being the King George, of Londonderry, James Mackey, mafter; he immediately promifed to take us on board, and hoifted out his yawl, it then blowing very fresh. The gale increafing, prevented him from faving any thing but the white people's lives (which were 36 in number) not even any of our cloaths, or one flave, the boat being fcarce able to live in the fea the last trip fhe made. Capt.

Mackey, and fome gentlemen, paffengers he had on board, treated us with great kindness and humanity."

The king went to the 21ft. houfe of peers, and was pleased to give the royal affent to,

An act for granting an aid to his majefty by a land tax to be raised in Great Britain, for the fervice of the year one thousand seven hundred and fixty-three.

An act for continuing and granting to his majesty certain duties upon malt, mum, cyder, and perry, for the service of the year one thoufand feven hundred and fixty-three.

An act to continue and render more effectual two acts of parliament for repairing and widening the road leading from the Black Bull inn in Dunftable, in the county of Bedford, to the way turning out of the faid road up to Shafford houfe, in the county of Hertford.

Ae act to continue and render more effectual two acts of parliament for repairing the roads from Lemsford Mill through Welwyn and Stevenage, and by Cory's Mill to Hitchin, and from Welwyn through Coldicot to Hitchin, in the county of Hertford.

And to five private bills.

The queen has graciously given 100l. towards enlarging the chapel of the Afylum.

At a meeting of the fociety of arts, a gold medal was adjudged to the earl of Plymouth, for having planted the greatest number of the mall leaved English elm for raising timber, and for effectually fencing and preferving the fame. lordship planted, on this occafion, 610p elms.

His

And at a former meeting of the fociety

foeiety of arts, a gold medal was adjudged to John Freeman, Efq; of Chute Lodge, for fowing the greateft number of Spanish chefnut-trees, which was about 100,000.

At a late trial ou the ftatute a gainst usury, a verdict was given for the plaintiff, with 900 1. damages, and treble cofts of fuit.

Two men lately working in a crane at the custom house, one of them, without any previous notice, jumped out of the wheel, which went round with fuch velocity that his companion was dafhed to pieces.

The earl of Bute has prefented to Winchester College à bronze ftatue of their founder William of Wykeham, fuppofed to have been done in the fourteenth century. It is a full length figure, in the epifcopal habit, fixteen inches high, and executed with remarkable elegance.

A legacy of 800 1. was paid by the executrixes of Mrs. Ifabella Smithfon, for the use of the county hofpital at York.

Letters from Spain take notice, that the king has fettled a penfion of 3000 crowns on the widow of Don Velafco, who fo bravely defended Fort Moro; created his fon a peer of Caftile, by the title of marquis de Fort Moro, and had ordered that one fhip of the Spanish navy should always bear the name of Velafco. The governor of the Havannah, and the admiral who commanded the fleet at that place, have been ordered to repair to Madrid, and an enquiry into their conduct is already begun.

Being a high feftival, their 25th. majefties, preceeded by the heralds, &c. went to the chapel

royal, and with others of the royal family received the facrament from the hands of the bishop of London, and afterwards made their offerings at the altar, for the benefit of the poor, in feveral purfes. The king's is a byzant, or wedge of gold, value 30 1.

A moft intense froft fet in with a north-easterly wind, and continued with very little intermiffion to the 29th of January, when it broke up by a gentle thaw. Befides the gcneral appearance of nature, fome experiments, tried during the course of it, proved, that it was fome days no lefs fevere than that of 1740. Particularly, on the 31ft of Decem ber a glafs of water placed upon a table in the open air, in fix minutes froze fo hard as to bear five fhillings upon it; a glafs of red port wine, placed upon the fame table, froze in less than two hours; and a glafs of brandy in fix, both with hard ice. By the 2d of January the river Thames was completely frozen over at Richmond; as was the Severn in feveral places; fo that, in many places carriages paffed over the ice, and booths were erected and fairs held; the ice being in fome parts fix feet thick.

Below bridge, the river afforded a moft melancholy profpect; the ice, floating up and down with the tide, cut the cables of the shipping, and fet whole tiers adrift, many of which were driven on shore, and, with their cargoes, damaged, to a great amount. One fhip was driven with fuch violence against London bridge, that her bowfprit beat down upwards of twenty feet of the new stone balluftres. Sea gulls came up as high as London bridge, and birds were driven from their [7] 4 ufual