HISTORICAL AFFAIRS.

TURKY.

"Vienna, Jan. 11. By the lateft advical, the Perfians have taken Bagdat, and pata ftrong garrifon into that place. Letters from Conftantinople, dated Dec. 11. mention, that war was declared in the Divan against the Perfians on the 3d of that month, and that a Seraikier was appointed to go immediately with an army of 50,000 men against them."

SWEDEN.

«Hamburg, Jan. 7. Letters from Sweden mention, that fome perfons who regretted the lofs of thofe times of anarchy which favoured their own affairs, tho' they made worfe for the ftate, thought it would be for their advantage to perfuade a young man of parts, whom they met with, to become one of their party. Accordingly this poet compofed feveral very fevere fatires againft the King. Guftavus, hearing of it, fent for the fatires; and having read them, ordered the author to be brought to him; who came trembling and afraid, left he should be at least imprisoned for life." Young man, (faid the King), you write extremely well; and there is but one thing you feem to want, which is bread. I appoint you my Librarian, continue to cultivate your understanding. I pardon you all that you have or may write araint your King." Some days after, Es Majefty ordered the fame poet to read fome verfes of his compofing; and Ending he read remarkably well, he made him his Lecturer as well as Librarian."

wings are faved, which contain the Elector's apartment, the gallery, and the cabinet of natural curiofities, on one fide, and the fine apartment for ftrangers on the other. The lofs is esteemed at above 200,000l. Sterling. About twelve perfons are loft in the flames, or killed by the falling in of the floors, while they were endeavouring to fave the archives. His Electoral Highness is retired to the houfe of the Vice-Prefident of the Aulic Council." Lond. gaz.

"Bonn, Jan. 26. The most diligent researches have not yet enabled us to find out who were the incendaries concerned in fetting fire to the palace. All that we can conjecture is, that it was done by part of a gang of banditti who infeft this country, and are called Herzogeuraden, in order, as is fuppofed, to find means in that time of tumult and confufion to release their chief, and fome of their comrades, who had been taken and imprisoned fome time ago. The palace was on fire in three different parts at once."

UNITED PROVINCE S.

"London, Jan. 28. We are assured by a letter from the Hague, that Sir Jofeph York, after prefenting feveral memorials, to no effect, to the States-General, refpecting the clandeftine traffick carrying on by the Dutch, from St Euftatia and Curacoa, with the British colonies in America, and affifting his Britannic Majefty's rebellious fubjects with military fores, has, in plain terms, told their High Mightineffes, that the commanders of the Britifh fhips and veffels of war have orders from the Admiralty of G. Britain, to feize all veffels of any nation whatever, and make reprifals of fuch as may in future be detected trading in the above manner with the colonifts, whilft the prefent rebellion continues."

"London, Jan. 30. Letters from Holland mention, that the States finished their laft feffions with the reduction of the import upon Eaft India ftock, to the amount of 45 guilders on every share, which equitable meafure was carried without one diffenting voice, though not until the members were thoroughly fatisfied of its propriety and rectitude, through the means and indefatigable public fpirit of Mr Ifaac de Pinto, whofe great abilities have been exerted with equal zeal and fuccefs, on a former moft

interefting

English Eaft-India company, for which he now enjoys an annual reward." "Amfterdam, Jan. 20. The college of Admiralty of this city hath received the agreeable news, that two Dutch frigates of war, commanded by Capt Dedel and Bentink, have attacked and deftroyed the two only frigates and the largest of the chebecs which the King of Morocco had armed; fo that the marine of that prince is now entirely ruined, having loft already his three largest chebecks."

FRANCE.

Paris, Jan. I. Advice is received here, that as a religious affembly of Proteftants in the province of Saintonge, fome troops were sent against them, who fired on them, killed feveral, and took near 30 persons of both fexes prifoners; and tore numbers of young ladies from their parents houfes, and fent them to convents."

"Paris, Jan. 16. On the receipt of your letter, I paid a vifit to the school in which the deaf and dumb are instructed, and which in my opinion is one of the greatest curiofities in this city. Improbable as it appeared to you, it is however a fact, that the mafter of this fchool, L'Abbé L'Epée, will not accept of any gratuity whatever for perhaps one of the moft difagreeable tasks that man ever undertook; on the contrary, it cofts him, as I have been informed, near three hundred pounds a-year, in fupporting his poor pupils. To fee a number of people converfing together by figns is, you must allow, a very extraordinary fight; but this is fucceeded by another, which is fo improbable, that I would not mention it to a tranger, left he fhould imagine I meant to impofe upon him, but as you know me too well to entertain a thought of that kind, I will tell you, that I have feen fome of the Abbé's pupils take down in writing what he faid, merely from the motion of his lips. This you may depend on to be a fact, and no deception; but I must observe to you, that they must be very well acquainted with any one to understand him from the motion of his lips. They learn to write with great eafe; but to fpeak to be underftood they find very difficult; the founds they articulate are imperfect and difagreeable. However, as the Abbé leaves this part of their inftruction almoft entirely to their parents and friends, who, it is more than probable, are not qualified

faying to what degree of perfection they might be brought to fpeak if they were to live in the fame house with their mafter, as the pupils of a Scotchman who teaches the deaf and dumb at Edinburgh do, as I have been informed [xxxi. 342. xxxii. 662]. The Frenchman's method has, however, in other respects much the advantage: for he makes figns represent things; whereas the Scotchman makes figns reprefent words; and of course his pupils may fpeak like parrots, without knowing what they fay, whereas the other comes at once to the point, and never gives a word without the full explanation of it. The government has, out of their great humanity, lately ordered proper perfons to vifit the school, and examine into the Abbé's method of inftructing; which they accordingly did; and they have, it is faid, made fo favourable a report of it, that it is thought that a public permanent school will be eftablished at the expence of government under the immediate inspection of the first virtuous promoter of it. Should fuch an inftitution take place, I am fure you will think, with me, that it will redound more to the honour of Lewis XVI. than building a palace could do. If the Abbé's method be preferable to what is called the old method, which it is generally fuppofed here to be, I should hope that fome one, from a principle of humanity, or intereft, or both, would be induced to come over from London to receive his inftructions; which I am told, he says, cannot be communicated by writing; though he has attempted it, in a fmall treatife, which I have, and will fend you by the firft opportunity. yet no foreigners have attended his lectures with a view of learning his method, except an Irish physician, who is at prefent here. The number of his pupils at prefent are above forty, to whom he gives two leffons every week; which, by the by, are too few to expect any rapid progrefs from: but his other avocations probably prevent his giving up more of his time to his children, as he calls them: and though flow the progress is, it would attonith one to fee what exquifite pleafure every little additional knowledge they acquire gives them; indeed they

As

you themselves, that from the moft wded or miferable of human beings, are now made the happiest by their pomus benefactor."

BRITISH WEST INDIES.

The general affembly of Jamaica met 1 Jago de la Vega on the 22d of Oc- From the fpeech of Sir Bafil Acth, the Governor, on that occafion, we paffages are felected, viz.

Connected with you as I am, no t of my duty can be more agreeable me than the prefent, which is to act you, that your addreffes of the kemon were very graciously received the King; and I am now to exprefs , his Majefty's very great fatisfactaa the zeal and harmony with which public business has been carried on, more efpecially in the attention hich the affembly has fhewn to the acmodation of his troops ferving in Jaa, by the grant of 3000l. towards the eding an hofpital and barracks. The late confpiracy among the flaves the parish of Hanover [xxxviii. 531.], ich was moft providentially difcoverwhen on the point of being carried inexecution, was of a very alarming naand it is with the greatest satisfacalcan now inform you, that from meafures taken from the firft intellithereof, the Admiral's ready afance, and the martial and active fpirit ally fhewn by all ranks in the horfe foot militia, this ifland is, to the best of owledge and belief, happily secured danger, with respect to that cony; and, I truft, the means ufed to ate it will, in their confequences, ther contribute towards our internal arity, till we are reinforced with thofe "xps which I have reason to think may on expected for our protection." Dutiful and loyal addreffes were aded to his Excellency by the Council and Affembly, on his speech.

We have been favoured with a partiar account of the difcovery of the Neplot, viz. "The overfeer on Richand plantation ufed to ridicule thofe rode with piftols, though cuftomary that country. One day, however, he obferved by a company with whom he ed, to have piftols; and being asked reafon, he said, the Negroes were commonly infolent, and he refolved crush any infurrection, by blowing e of their brains out. One of the

company jocofely faid, he could not fire his piftols. He failed in the attempt; and on a narrow examination into the caufe, found oil poured into the touchhole, and afhes inftead of powder. Whereupon the whole company examined theirs, and found them all unfit for ufe. The Richmond overfeer had his cleaned, and loaded afresh; and on his return home, called all his houfe Negroes into a room, and, with dreadful threatenings of immediate death, got one boy to confefs the whole plot: whereby a ftop was put to the maffacre of the Buckroes, (a cant term for the Whites), and himself in particular, who was marked out as the first sacrifice."

ENGLAND.

In the gazette of Jan. 25. there are three addreffes to the King from the city of Briftol; 1. one from the Mayor, Burgeffes, and Commonalty, in common council affembled, prefented by Sir James Laroche, one of the reprefentatives for Bodmyn; 2. one from the Master, Wardens, and Commonalty, of the fociety of Merchant-Venturers, prefented by Richard Combe, Efq; one of the reprefentatives for Aldborough; 3. one from the Freeholders, Clergy, Burgeffes, and Inhabitants, at Guildhall affembled, prefented by Thomas Tyndall, Efq; of the Fort.

Thefe addreffes are fubftantially the fame: the laft, as it goes the fartheft, will exhibit the fenfe of the whole, viz.

"We-beg leave to approach the throne, to offer to your Majefty our Addrefs of congratulation upon the late glorious fuccefs of your arms in America, and the fignal advantages moft providentially obtained over the rebels, with fo fmall lofs of your Majefty's forces.

Inclined, from the dictates of humanity, deeply to lament the calamities of civil war, fo feverely, though juftly, felt by the deluded colonifts; we at the faine time find ourfelves called upon by the feelings of a grateful heart, moit thankfully to acknowledge the many and great bleffings we, your Majefty's loyal fubjects of G. Britain, enjoy under your mild and aufpicious government.

Fully fenfible that a continuation of thefe bleffings can alone be fecured to us by a due fubmiffion to legal authority, we look forward, with ardent hope, for the re-establishment of law and liberty in America; when, by the irrefiftible

force

force of your Majefty's arms, the difobedient and rebellious fhall be effectually fubdued, and Peace, with its attendant bleffings, completely reftored to that diftracted land.

Anticipating in idea that happy period, when G. Britain and America may again constitute one united people, permit us, fubjects of a moft gracious Sovereign, to exprefs our hopes, that, at the fettlement of the prefent unhappy conteft, fuch juft and determined lines of legiflation will be drawn respecting the diftant parts of this great empire, as may serve to establish the future peace, order, and government of it, upon the moft folid and permanent foundation; whilft at the fame time, as inhabitants of a great commercial city, we truft, that, through the wisdom of your Majefty's councils, the trade of America will be made fubject to fuch regulations and restrictions, as fhall, not lefs in the eye of reason than of policy, be judged expedient to render it in its feveral branches moft conducive to the intereft of your Majesty's subjects.

Subfcribed by 1271 perfons.

The gentlemen who prefented_thefe addreffes were attended by Ifaac Elton, Matthew Brickdale, Henry Lippincot, John Vaughan, and George Daubeny, Efqs; and were alfo accompanied by the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Clifford, William Bromley-Chefter, Efq; one of the reprefentatives for the county of Gloucefter, the Dean of Briftol, and feveral other gentlemen.

By an advertisement in the London gazette, of Jan. 18. it appears, that in the night between the 15th and 16th of January, the Savannah La Mar, and the Fame, two fhips lying in Bristol quay, were wilfully fet on fire, whereby not only thofe veffels, but likewife the other veffels at the quay, and all that part of the town, were in the most imminent danger of being totally deftroyed; that at the fame time the ship Hibernia, lying at the faid quay, was attempted to be fet on fire; and that, likewife at the fame time, a warehouse fituate in Cypher lane, near Corn street, the property of Meff. James Morgan & Sons, was attempted to be burnt, the faid warehoufe having been broken open, and a box therein, containing feveral combuftible materials, fet on fire. For difcovering the perfons concerned in thefe atrocious offences, a pardon was offered to any of

them (except the perfon or perfons who actually fet fire to the fhips or warehoufe) who fhould difcover his or her accomplice or accomplices, fo that he, fhe, or they, might be apprehended, and convicted: and rewards for making such discovery were offered by the Mayor and Aldermen of Bristol, the fociety of Merchants Venturers, Melf. Meyler & Maxfe and Davis & Prothoroe, Meff. Morgan & Sons, and the proprietors of the feveral fire-offices of Bristol. This advertisement was repeated in the gazette of Jan. 21. with an addition, im porting, that on Sunday morning, Jan. 19. about feven o'clock, a dreadful fire broke out in a range of warehouses in Quay-lane, Briftol, whereby that whole range of warehouses, with the feveral dwelling-houses adjoining and oppofite, were immediately in flames. For dif covering the perpetrators, a pardon (with the like exception as before) and 1000!. reward was offered by the King for fuch difcovery, if made in three months. It is faid the damage amounts to 15,000l. To prevent further mifchief the citizens patrolled the streets.

An advertisement was published in the Gazette, dated, Navy office, Fan. 24. ime porting, that there was great reafon to fuppofe, that the incendiary or incendi aries at Portsmouth dock-yard [xxxviii. 673.] and at Bristol might have been the fame; defcribing a perfon who was feen in the rope-houfe in Portsmouth dock yard on the day the fire happened, whose conduct was fufpicious, and who was called John, and was a painter; and of fering a reward of fifty pounds to whoever would apprehend the faid John the Painter, or give fuch notice as he might be produced before the commillioner of Portfmouth dock-yard, or before the commiffioners of the navy in London; or, if the faid perfon, knowing himself to be innocent, would so produce himfelf, he fhould himself be intitled to the fame reward.

And an advertisement was published in the Gazette, dated, Admiralty - ise, Jan. 25. importing, that there was great reafon to fufpect, that the rope-house at Portsmouth was wilfully and maliciously fet on fire, Dec. 7. by which the Fach rope-houfe, ftores, and materials, were totally confumed and destroyed; and offering a reward of 1000l. unto or amon gift fuch perfon or perfons as should, within three months, difcover any of the offend

ers

ers,fo as any one or more of them should be apprehended and convicted; befides a pardon to any of the offenders, except the perfon who actually fet the premiffes on fire.

"Amiralty-office, Dec. 30. By letters ceived from Vice Adm. Young, commander in chief of his Majesty's fhips at the Leeward iflands, dated, Sept. 30. and from vice Adm. Gayton, commander in chief of his Majefty's fhips at Jamaica, dated Nov. 4. laft, it appears, that the cruifers of the former had taken twelve veffels belonging to his Majefty's rebellious colonies fince the 24th of July, and that the cruifers of the latter had, fince the 8th of October, taken eight velies belonging to the faid colonies, making in the whole fifty fix veffels taken by the cruifers from Jamaica." "--Jan. 16. Capt. Fitzherbert, of his Majesty's fhip the Raisonable, arrived at Plymouth on the 8th inftant, with an American brigantine privateer, which he id in with, and took on the 24th of laft mooth, between 20 and 30 leagues to the reward of Cape Finifterre. She is call the Dalton, mounted with 20 cartage and 20 fwivel guns, and 120 men; was commanded by Eleazar Johnfon, and belonged to Newberry, in the Maf chulet's-bay, from which place the filed the 16th of November laft, but had not taken a prize."

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probation with which all his political proceedings have been crowned by the real friends of this country, they flatter themselves in a vain expectation of what, with all their artful machinations, they will never be able to compaís. Every ftep he has taken, during the course of his adminiftration, the more it is ferutinized by the prying eye of malevolence and faction, the more it has difcovered the abilities and genius of a man, who has fhewn himself capable of guiding the reins of government, at a time when no other than a confummate knowledge and judgement could have prevented his fall from the feat of power, and the overthrow of the dignity of this kingdom, by a daftardly fubmiffion to her rebellious fubjects. In a war that has raised the attention of every power in Europe, he has exercifed the feeling of compaffion towards a deluded people, who, hurried by the impetuofity of their treacherous leaders, are rifking that liberty which they pretend to be in fearch of, and flamefully permit themfelves to be the tools of a tyrannical congrefs. They bend under the yoke of this affembly, who, covering their defigns by the mafk of the common intereft of the people, are endeavouring to fecure themselves beyond the reach of danger, without any thought of the fafety of their infatuated followers, whom they will not hesitate to facrifice to the beft advantage. At the outfet of this unhappy difpute, the olive-branch might have been embraced it was held out with as much condefcenfion as could be, confiftent with the fupremacy of the Britifh parliament; and the leaft advance on the part of America would have theathed the fword, and prevented the ravages of our infulted troops. But no: America, fostered by the fupport of this country, had reared her lofty head to an idea of independency; - fhe ungratefully determi ned to shake off her allegiance to that parent who had cherished her in diftrefs, and to whom he was indebted for that formidable fituation in which she dared to withstand the call of duty and obedience: fhe flattered herself with foreign affiftance, and was amufed with affurauces that were never meant to answer any other purpose, than by lulling them into a belief of the folicitations being complied with, to secure their commercial alliance.-Now they are fatally convinced of the deiufion, they have now felt the fcourge of the British arms, which G

- Fan, 27. Capt. Griffith, of his Miety's thip the Nonfuch, has fent to Plymouth a rebel privateer floop of war fen carriage guns and eighty men, called the Charming Sally, Francis Brown amander, which he took on the 16th t to the weftward of Cape Finisterre. belonged to Dartmouth in the Maffachufet's-bay, had been out about five weeks, and had taken a fchooner called the Betfey, Wm Clark matter, from Gafpee to Jamaica, and a brig called the Hannah, Henry Bealy mafter, bound From Newfoundland to Lisbon, both laden with fish.

And by a letter received from ViceAdm. Gayton, dated Nov. 16. laft, it appears, that fince his letter of the 4th of that month the cruifers of his fquairon had taken and fent into Port- Royal Sve more North-American veflels."

“London, Dec. 29. If thefe gentle men who diftinguith themselves by an waiform oppofition to every measure of vernment, think, that a clamour railed gainst the minifter, will alienate the apVOL. XXXIX.

have