Yesterday arrived at Spithead, Admiral Greig, with five fail of Ruffian men of war, two of 74 guns, two of 64, and a frigate; and fix fail of tranfports are hourly expected to join them, in order to proceed to the Mediterranean."

This morning the fcru234. tineers for the Lord-Mayor and Mr. Roberts met at Guildhall. Mr. Roberts's forutineers had retained Mr. Serjeant Davy and Mr. Bearcroft; but the fheriffs refufing to admit the interference of counfel, Mr. Roberts's friends would not proceed on the fcrutiny, but left the hall, declaring that they fhould feek redrefs in another quarter. After this the sheriffs opened the court of huftings, and immediately adjourned to the court of King's-Bench, where Mr. Roberts and his fcrutineers were with the ufual form called to attend to the fcrutiny; but none of them appeared. Then the Lord-Mayor and his fcrutineers were called upon, who inftantly attended; but Mr. Alderman Wilkes, in the name of the whole, faid, that as Mr. Roberts's fcrutineers did not attend, they should not offer any objections to any of his votes; upon which the fheriffs adjourned to the next day, and gave notice that they would then, at eleven o'clock precifely, declare the numbers upon the poll.

Whilft the late extraordinary expedition of Mr. Fofter Powell to York and back again on foot within fix days, excites the admiration of the public, it may not be amifs to recall to memory a furprizing performance on horseback, which is recorded in hiftory to have been

done above a century and a half ago. It is mentioned in Drake's Hiftory of York, that one John Leyton, groom to King James the Firit, rode between London and York in one day, for fix days together; he fet out from Alderfgate the 20th of May, 1606, and performed his journey each day before it was dark; the days at that time of year are about 16 hours long, fo that he rode upwards of 12 miles an hour for 16 hours each day, for fix days together. We many of us remember Cooper Thornhill's riding between London and Stilton three times within twelve hours, in the year 1745, being 222 miles in the whole, and 18 miles and an half in an hour, for twelve hours together. It is left to the knowing-ones to determine which of thefe was the most extraordinary performance.

This day Hugh Elliott, Efq; had the honour 24th. to kifs the King's hand, on being appointed his Majefty's minifter plenipotentiary to the Elector of Bavaria, and minifter to the Diet of Ratisbon, in the room of Lewis de Vifme, A. M. appointed Envoy Extraordinary at the court of Sweden.

Paul Amfink, of London, Merchant, is appointed agent for the Hanfe Towns of Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburgh.

Saxony, Silefia, Bohemia, and Hungary, which is the more grievous to that city, as a great part of its poor were employed in the manufacture of that commodity, and a large commerce was carried on by way of the Elbe, by means thereof. The duty is collected at Magdeburg.

The barbarous cuftom of murdering as well as robbing travellers, which used to be peculiar to France and foreign countries, feems to gain ground in England. Mr. Bird, of Stonehoufe, in Gloucestershire, was fet upon by a villain, who firft knocked him down, broke his arm, and afterwards cut his throat; but having miffed his wind-pipe, he is likely to recover. The villain, however, touched with remorfe, ran away without robbing him, and has fince been taken, and confelfed the fact. About the fame time, a gentleman coming acrofs Stepney-fields, was attacked by fix ruffians, who robbed him of a confiderable fum of money, and then moft inhumanly murdered him. Three of the villains have fince been taken, and committed to different prifons. Several other robberies, attended with murders, have been committed in the courfe of the month, most of them in the country.

Oldenburgh, Dec. 15. Yesterday the poffeffion of the counties of Oldenburgh and Delmenhorst, which were lately ceded by the King of Denmark to the Grand Duke of Ruffia, were transferred on the part of his Imperial Highness to the Bishop of Lubeck.

Tranflation of a letter faid to have been written by his Pruffian Majefty to his agent at Rome: "Abbé Colombini, You have my

authority to declare to every body, and to inform the Pope, or his Prime Minifter, that my determination with refpect to the Jesuits is, to protect them in my dominions, in the fame manner as they have been hitherto. By the treaty of Breslau I guaranteed the religion. in ftatu quo, and I never met with better priefts than the Jefuits. You may add, that as I am of the clafs of heretics, his Holinefs cannot grant me a difpenfation for breaking my word, nor for deviating from the duty of an honeft man, or a king.

(Signed)

Yours, &c. FREDERICK." They write from Amfterdam, that upwards of 700,000l. fterling, in money and jewels, private property, were loft on board the Dutch homeward - bound Eaft - Indiaman named the Antonietta, which foundered on her paffage from the Ifland of Madeira.

Letters from Dantzick advise, that during the prefent unhappy fituation of their affairs, great numbers of its inhabitants have left that place, and feveral merchants have retired to Stralfund, to accept the advantageous offers made by the King of Sweden to fuch merchants as will settle there.

By an exact account of the ftate of population in the feveral countries under the dominion of the King of Pruffia, not including his late acquifitions in Poland, it appears, that during the last year the births amounted to 149,703, deaths 185,661, and marriages to 34,468.

By the fame computation it further appears, that the territories comprifed within this defcription contain three thoufand German leagues fquare; and that in the kingdom

kingdom of Denmark with Norway, and Dutchies of Schlefwick and Danish Holstein, which are twice the extent of the former, the number of christenings in the fame year were no more than 56,732, burials 62,600, and, weddings 8,752. On the whole it is therefore evident, that the King of Pruffia's dominions are about fix times more populous than thofe of his Danish Majesty.

DIED lately, at Huntley in Scotland, James Cruikshank, an errand-runner, and the moft perfect mifer upon earth. He never lighted fire or candle in his houfe, nor ever ate or drank therein, except what victuals he brought in his pocket from his laft employer, and never bought a coat in his life. When death made his awful approach, with reluctance and difficulty, he pointed to the place where his gold lay. In a hole of the floor were 60 guineas, in another 401. in filver, and in an old box, thruft into a third hole, were 60l. in filver. Befides the chief treafure, he had many halfpence, and only two bank notes, for he always abhorred paper-money.

At St. Ouen, near Compiegne, Peter Caffard, formerly farmer of the Ferry-boat at Choify, aged 98 years, leaving behind him 65 children and grand-children. He always enjoyed a perfect ftate of health, and walked every day to mafs almost to the last period of his existence.

In the town of Oldhorn, in the Province of Friefland, Fockje Joannes, a widow, aged 113 years and 16 days. She was born the 11th of November 1660. She has been a widow ever fince the year 1710, and never had but one child, a daugh

ter, who now furvives her. She all her days enjoyed a perfect state of health, and died in confequence of a feeming great cold at last.

In Lamb's Conduit-ftreet, Thomas Pyke, Efq; many years conful at Tripoli, in Syria. He has left to most of the hofpitals and public charities in and about London, 100l. each; alfo 1ool to the proteftant fchools in Ireland.

At Prefbury, in Chefhire, Mr. Ralph, aged 103.

Mr. Hopley, hop-merchant, at Newnham, in Gloucestershire, aged 114 years.

134. Decreased in the Foundlings 1687. Increafed in Marriages 199. At Newcastle and Gateshead, Deaths, 596. Baptifms in the five Parishes, 767. Decreased in Burials, 103. Increased in Chriftenings, 77.

In the course of last year, 4872 ships have been cleared at the Cultom-hoùfe, Newcastle, of which 4480 were coafters, and 392 for foreign parts, which is 219 more than were cleared out the year preceding.

BIRTHS for the year 1773Jan. 19. At At Copenhagen, Her Royal Highness the Princefs Louifa of Heffe, of a Princess.

20. The Right Hon. Lady Anne Simpfon, daughter.

of a

Lady of the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Harley, of a fon.

Lady Maria Carleton, of a fon.

27. Her Majefty, of a Prince. Lady of Sir George Cornwal, of a daughter.

29. Lady of Sir Benjamin

Thomas, of a daughter.

Feb.. Right Hon. Lady Hinchingbroke, of a fon.

12. Right Hon. Lady Bruce, of a fon.

Lady Harriot Butler, in Portman-fquare, of a fon. 16. The Lady of Sir Suffolk Grant, of a daughter, being her 2zd child. Her Grace the Dutchess of Beaufort, of a daughter. 27. Lady of Lord Viscount Lif burne, of a daughter.

loke, Bart. of a fon and heir, at Wingerworth, in Yorkshire.

3. Lady of his Excellency Ba-` ron Diede, the Danish Minifter, of a daughter. 9. Lady of Sir John Eden, Bart. of a daughter, at his feat at Windleftone, in the county of Durham. 22. Lady of Sir Watkin Lewes, of a fon.

24. Lady of the Hon. Archibald Douglafs, of a fon. Lady of Sir Peter Parker, of a daughter. April 5. The Princefs of Mecklenburgh Strelitz, spouse to the Prince of that name, a Lieutenant General in the Hanoverian fervice, Governor of Lunenbourg, and fecond brother to her Majelty, of a Princess, at Hanover.

6. Lady of the Hon. Francis Talbot, brother to the Earl of Shrewsbury, of a fon and heir.

21. Lady of the Earl of Dartmouth, of a fon.