his eyes plucked out, and nothing of them to be seen, neither was there the least string, nor a drop of blood to be observed. His brother was so astonished at the sight, that he fell sick, and died a week after.

"The truth hereof is attested by many honest considerable persons in and about Gloucester.

"It is credibly reported, that about a week since it did rain Wheat in the Forest of Dean, and several persons have some of the corns that fell."

THE UNFORTUNATE ELEPHANT.

It might not be a subject altogether unworthy the notice of the Police of London to consider what would be the consequence of an accidental conflagration in or near Exeter Exchange. There can be but two methods of proceeding, if such a calamity should take place; either to suffer the wild animals kept there to remain in their cages and perish, or remove them under circumstances which most probably would let half of them loose upon the publick. Either of these alternatives are shocking in contemplation; but as we are willing to hope the proprietors take every possible precaution to preserve their premises from danger by fire, we shall now turn our attention to the poor Quadrupede whose miserable fate is recorded in the Currant Intelligence for July 2d, 1681.

"Dublin, June 18th.-On Friday morning, about three of the clock, a fire broke forth in the Elephant's

Elephant's booth, which, being made of deat boards, and those exceeding dry, it was burnt down, with the Elephant in it, and the Boy who usually rode on him, before any help could come to prevent it, though 1000l. (it is said) was offered for to save the Elephant. Had the roof of the booth been built of solid timber, so that it might have stood half an hour longer, it would have undone not only many private families, but all the King's records, books, and papers, would have been consumed; for it was built upon a waste plot of ground at the end of the Custom-house-lane, which faces Essex-street and the Council-house; the wind blowing hard at West-North-West, it beat the fire hard upon the Council-house, and fired the windows of the Council-chamber; but the building being of brick-work, and help coming in, they saved the house with all the records and furniture. There was but little other damage done, besides the burning of the Elephant and Boy.

"It is said that the fire began through the carelessness of the man that attended the Elephant, who by accident fired the straw where the Elephant lay. The flesh of the Elephant is taken off, and will be boiled for the fat of it; and the skeleton is preparing to be shewed."

STOCKHOLM INVOLVED IN SMOKE.

"Stockholm, July 1, 1681.-Yesterday this City was all involved in clouds of Smoke, which

at

at noon-day rendered the streets so dark, that people could not discern one another across the way and what was the occasion of our extraordinary wonder; but that no man could tell the cause of it, or from whence it came; the people for the greatest part having no fires in their chimnies; or if they had, as they had not, it is conjectured by many understanding persons, that ten thousand chimnies, smoking all at once, and the smoke driven downward, could not have caused the like; so that every body conjectures, it happened by extraordinary means, and is the forerunner of some dire conflagration, or other approaching mischief,"

The vast forests of Pines which extend over leagues of the Northern Kingdoms offers a solution for this apparent phenomenon; fires accidentally kindled amongst the combustible bodies of those useful trees sometimes cause extensive and dreadful devastation; hence the smoke becomes very dense, and may be conveyed by a gentle gale to an incredible distance from the place where it originated. This was probably the cause of alarm to the good people of Stockholm; or the smoke may have reached them from the craters of Iceland.

THE DUKE OF GRAFTON AND THE DEAL BOATMEN,

This was Henry Fitzroy, the second son of Charles II. by the Duchess of Cleveland. Active

and

and spirited, he, according to Collins, "addicted himself first to Maritime affairs, and having been in several naval expeditions with Sir John Bury, knight, Vice-Admiral of England," was created Baron of Sudbury, &c. &c.

In the year 1687, he was employed as a ViceAdmiral to attend with a squadron at one of the ports of Holland, there to receive on board the Queen of Portugal elect, for the purpose of conveying her to her new dominions, which he accomplished much to the satisfaction of the British Government. During the reign of his natural uncle James II., he commanded part of the King's forces employed against the Duke of Monmouth, and acquitted himself with equal address and courage. The Duke was employed in the siege of Cork; and leading a party to an assault on the 21st of September, 1690, he received a shot which broke two of his ribs. On the 9th of October following, he breathed his last.

The anecdote that caused the preceding slight notice of the leading particulars of Henry Fitzroy's life is derived from Smith's Current Intelligence for July 19, 1681, and will illustrate the hardihood and bravery which has at all times distinguished English seamen from the illegitimate Prince to the foremast-man.

On the 17th of July, two large vessels, one a Swede and the other a Dane, were unfortunately stranded on the Goodwin Sands. The boat,

men

men of Deal immediately went to their assistance, and, at the risk of their own lives, saved those of the crews, their chests, and some other trifling articles.

Previous to the time when the ships were totally beaten to pieces, curiosity induced the Duke to visit the wrecks, which he did in a small and frail boat, rowed by two men only. During this excursion they were subjected to all the violence of a sudden and unexpected storm. Persons unacquainted with the management of a boat, under similar circumstances, must have perished; but the triumvirate were undismayed: the two men and the Duke, equally calm and collected, rowed with the utmost skill against each other; and, however surprising the fact, they succeeded in keeping the boat from being swamped, and arrived greatly fatigued, but in perfect safety, at Ramsgate.

CURIOUS ELECTIONEERING MANOEUVRE, 1681.

The observation of a contemporary, after relat ing the following particulars, is so extremely just, that the Editor has nothing to add to the weight of it. "Counterfeiters of money, or Highway robbers, not more deserve the gallows than such who, by forging members that are to be intrusted to so great a degree with our liberties and estates, endeavour as much as in them lies to destroy the happily constituted government of the nation."

An