light having appeared on the island for some days, the anxiety of the people in the neighbourhood was much raised, but no boat dared approach the island by reason of the violent storms: these being somewhat abated, one of the best boats belonging to the town reached the island in safety, but found the door of the light-house bolted. This they broke open, and were at last, after some delay, met on the stairs by a man in such a state as to be unable to give them an account of what had happened. They therefore went to the light-keeper's apartments, where they found the man and his wife dead, with an infant, alive, sucking its dead mother's breast. In another bed three children dead, and two but just living; they were exposed to the air, and seemed to revive, and with the two men, assistants to the keeper, were carried to Crail, where the eldest of the children died the next day. This sad scene was produced by the carelessness of the assistants, who had neglected to brim the ashes in the lower apart ments, which the high winds had blown up, and the smoke having no vent, occasioned suffocation. 27th. The ground on the N. E. side of Whitehaven fell in, in three places, to the great terror of the inhabitants; but the accident was soon discovered to have been occasioned by the earth giving way over an old coal-work, which had been worked about fifty years ago, and left unfilled up. About the time the above accident happened, the water broke in upon the present coal-work, by which two men, one woman, and five horses, were drowned. 28th. Liverpool.-The consternation at Ashton-under-Line, be tween five and six o'clock on Mon day evening was great. Every person in the streets was so terrified as to shriek and run into shops and houses for shelter. The thunder burst from a cloud which seemed to hang over the town, and the lightning was perceived almost in the same instant, the thunder making only one tremendous crash. It was probably well for the town, that the electric fire was attracted by the iron work which ornaments the church steeple. It struck the weather-cock, melted some part of it, and threw many stones from the steeple; it then entered the belfry, and melted the wires, &c. and also those of the clock; from thence it followed the iron rod that guides the hand of the clock, to a dial within the church, placed on the top of the organ, and in its way wrested a piece of knotty oak of four inches square from one of the beams that support the roof of the church, besides taking with it a considerable part of the cornice of the dial; from the dial it proceeded down the organ to the curtainrod in the front of it, and running from the south to the north end of the rod, it took down an upright iron from the ceiling, and rent it with such violence, that splinters were found sticking in the opposite ceiling, as if discharged from a gun. It then penetrated through the floor of the gallery, and followed an iron pillar at the foot; and from thence it is supposed to have gone different ways, after splitting many of the pews, as there are marks where it passed, both in the windows at the west, as well as that at the end of the earl of Stamford's chapel in the east. DIED, aged 66, the celebrated Andrew Mercati, of Rome, of an B 2 ancient with Humphries for his second, and W. Ward for his bottle-holder. Col. Tarleton and major Hanger officiated as umpires, and Mr. H. Aston as arbitrator. After fighting for 29 minutes, a most desperate blow, which Johnson received on his right ear, brought him to the ground; and at the 24th round he gave in. Johnson was knocked down 17 times, fell once by accident, and several times dropped on one knee. Ben never fell but when he was knocked down, and stood up to his antagonist with great courage, skill, and activity; he was much less bruised than Johnson, who was carried off apparently very much affected in mind and body. There was a second battle between the Ruffian and Johnson's brother, which was a very severe trial of strength without skill. They were both dreadfully beaten, but the Ruffian had his jugular vein opened, and bled so copiously from the neck, that they were obliged to take him from the stage to save his life. 18th. In honour of the queen's birth-day, there was a most brilliliant drawing-room at Saint James's. 19th. The sessions at the Old Bailey ended, when judgment of death was passed by Mr. Common Serjeant on the following capital convicts, viz. Ann Rhodes, Ann King, Thomas Pointer, Thomas Herbert, John Randall, Neal McMullen, William Smith, Seze de Souza, John Wallis, Charles Alden, Daniel Buckeridge, and George Cook, a boy about 13 years of age; 17 were sentenced to be transported beyond the seas for seven years; two to be imprisoned in Newgate for one year, and one for three months; six in Clerkenwell Bridewell; nine to be publicly, and five privately, whipped; one was permitted to enter as an East-India soldier, and 14 were delivered by proclamation. The university of Dublin, in full convocation, conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on the right honourable Edmund Burke. At Powderham Castle, this day, as the hon. Miss Courtenay was standing near the drawingroom fire, in conversation with another lady, her clothes unfortunately took fire, and she was almost instantly enveloped in flames. Lord Courtenay, who stood near, had the presence of mind to throw her down and to roll the carpet round her; by which her life was saved, but not without being terribly scorched. His lordship's hands and face were likewise much burnt. 20th. Dundalk.-A most shocking transaction took place on Friday night last at Forkhill, within two miles of this town; at the dead hour of the night, the house of the parish schoolmaster was surrounded by a banditti, who, having broke in, took the man, his wife, and their son, a boy of fourteen years old, and cut their tongues out of their heads; after which, they took the father and mother and chopped off their fingers. So black and atrocious an act stands unparalleled in the annals of this country. 26th. A letter from Pattenweam brings an account of a most melancholy catastrophe which happened there; where the keeper of the light-house on the island of Mayo, with his family, where almost all found suffocated. No light having appeared on the island for some days, the anxiety of the people in the neighbourhood was much raised, but no boat dared approach the island by reason of the violent storms: these being somewhat abated, one of the best boats belonging to the town reached the island in safety, but found the door of the light-house bolted. This they broke open, and were at last, after some delay, met on the stairs by a man in such a state as to be unable to give them an account of what had happened. They therefore went to the light-keeper's apartments, where they found the man and his wife dead, with an infant, alive, sucking its dead mother's breast. In another bed three children dead, and two but just living; they were exposed to the air, and seemed to revive, and with the two men, assistants to the keep er, were carried to Crail, where the eldest of the children died the next day. This sad scene was pro duced by the carelessness of the assistants, who had neglected to brim the ashes in the lower apart ments, which the high winds had blown up, and the smoke having no vent, occasioned suffocation. 27th. The ground on the N. E. side of Whitehaven fell in, in three places, to the great terror of the inhabitants; but the accident was soon discovered to have been occasioned by the earth giving way over an old coal-work, which had been worked about fifty years ago, and left unfilled up. About the time the above accident happened, the water broke in upon the present coal-work, by which two men, one woman, and five horses, were drowned. 28th. Liverpool.-The conster nation at Ashton-under-Line, be tween five and six o'clock on Mon day evening was great. Every person in the streets was so terrified as to shriek and run into shops and houses for shelter. The thunder burst from a cloud which seemed to hang over the town, and the lightning was perceived almost in the same instant, the thunder making only one tremendous crash. It was probably well for the town, that the electric fire was attracted by the iron work which ornaments the church steeple. It struck the weather-cock, melted some part of it, and threw many stones from the steeple; it then entered the belfry, and melted the wires, &c. and also those of the clock; from thence it followed the iron rod that guides the hand of the clock, to a dial within the church, placed on the top of the organ, and in its way wrested a piece of knotty oak of four inches square from one of the beams that support the roof of the church, besides taking with it a considerable part of the cornice of the dial; from the dial it proceeded down the organ to the curtainrod in the front of it, and running from the south to the north end of the rod, it took down an upright iron from the ceiling, and rent it with such violence, that splinters were found sticking in the opposite ceiling, as if discharged from a gun. It then penetrated through the floor of the gallery, and followed an iron pillar at the foot; and from thence it is supposed to have gone different ways, after splitting many of the pews, as there are marks where it passed, both in the windows at the west, as well as that at the end of the earl of Stamford's chapel in the east. DIED, aged 66, the celebrated Andrew Mercati, of Rome, of an B 2 ancient ancient and honourable family at Florence, who, with a natural genius, aided by a liberal education, arrived at the highest degree of eminence. Before the age of twenty he was unrivalled in the science of fencing, and was elected an Arcadian poet. Exclusive of these, for his excellence in the art of drawing and painting, he had the honour of invitations from four different sovereigns, viz. the empress of Russia, the kings of Spain, Naples, and England. To this country he, however, gave the preference. He died insolvent. In Cleveland-row, St. James'splace, in his 72nd year, of a violent urinary complaint, George Augustus Selwyn, esq. M. P. for the borough of Ludgershall, co. Wilts, and formerly representative for the city of Gloucester. He was surveyor-general of the crown lands, surveyor of the meltings, and clerk of the irons in the mint, and re gister in the court of chancery in the island of Barbadoes. To these places, vacant by his death, we might add the post of receivergeneral of waif and stray jokes. He was educated at Oxford, to which place he returned, after making the tour of Europe, in order to finish his studies on a more improved plan, which he had adopted whilst abroad. He had not been at Oxford long, when, on account of some supposed religious irregularities, he had a hint to leave the college; which he took, and, being possessed of a good fortune, he threw himself into the fashionable circles of the town. He was highly qualified for this sphere, being possessed of much classical knowledge, a brilliant wit, good humour, and a considerable share of observation. He therefore was soon noticed as a wit and bon vivant, and divided with the late lord Chesterfield most of the good things of their times. Mr. Selwyn took care not to be ruined by his wit (as has been the case with many others); he had "pudding as well as praise," being in possession of several advantageous places, which he enjoyed under several administrations without the least hindrance. He was at one time of his life much in the habit of gaming; but he soon gave it up (except for trifling sums), being, as he said, “ one of the greatest consumers of time, fortune, constitution, and thinking." His places, being mostly sinecures, enabled him to enjoy the otium cum dignitate, which he did with singular advantage to himself and his friends. Amongst the latter he will be long lamented as the centre of good humour, wit, and conviviality. It was amongst the wellknown singularities of this witty character, that he had a particular penchant for public executions. Whether it arose from a principle of curiosity or philosophy, it is perhaps difficult to determine; but so it was, that scarcely any great criminal was carried to the gallows, but George was a spectator upon the opposite scaffold. The execution of Damiens, the celebrated assassin, who made an attempt on the life of Louis XV., the late king of France, about thirty years ago, 80 excited Mr. S.'s curiosity, that he went over to Paris a month before that event, to purchase, in time, a convenient place to behold so novel a spectacle. Every thing being previously prepared, and the day arrived, George took his stand, dressed in a plain brown bob wig, and a plain suit of broad cloth, an undress undress he generally wore, and which at that time of day evidently pointed him out as an English Bourgeois. The horrid ceremony commenced, when Mr. Selwyn, from his dress, and the sympathy which he shewed upon this occasion, so attracted the notice of a French nobleman, that, coming round to him on the scaffold, and slapping him on the shoulder, he exclaimed, "Eh bien, Monsieur Anglois, êtes-vous arrivé pour voir ce spectacle?" "Oui, Monsieur." "Vous êtes bourreau?" "Non, non Monsieur, je n'ai pas cette honneur, je ne suis qu'un amateur”— "Mr. Englishman, and are you come here to see this sight?" "Yes, Sir." "You are a hangman, then?" "No, no, I have not that honour, I am but an admirer of the art." Mr. Selwyn being asked, at another time, whether he would not attend the execution of a man who happened to be of the same name with one of our distinguished orators; pettishly replied, " Psha! what signifies going to rehearsals; I'll wait for the real representation."-By Mr. Selwyn's will it appears, that he leaves the young lady, Maria Fagnani, whom he calls the daughter of the marquis and marchioness Fagnani, 10,000l. four per cent. annuities, and the principal sum of 23,000l. on her coming of age, or day of marriage; but in case of her death before either of those periods, to go to the younger children of the earl of Carlisle. The legacies are, 100 guineas to each of his nephews, the hon. Charles Townshend, and Elbro' Woodcock, esq.; 301. per annum to Pierre Michalin, his valet, and his wardrobe. The rest and residue of the real and personal estates (except Ludgershall) to go to the duke of Queensberry. There are three codicils, two of them relative to the bequest to two servants; and one reserving the Ludgershall estate to the Townshend family, agreeably to the will of Mr. Selwyn's father. The executors named in the will are, the marquis of Stafford, the earl of Carlisle, and Elbro' Woodcock, esq. The two last have administered. FEBRUARY. 5th. In the Court of King's Bench, Bartholomew Quailn, labourer, in the Isle of Ely, had been indicted for the wilful murder of Ann, his wife, when the jury found a special verdict, which was sent to the Court of King's Bench for their consideration. The facts stated in this verdict were these:-Bartholomew Quailn and Ann, his wife, came peaceably out of a public-house, where they had been drinking together, he in liquor, she not; that when they got into the highway, they appeared to be quarrelling about a bag which she wanted him to give her; that during the time they were so quarrelling, the said Ann was sitting in the street; and the jury found that the said Ann rose from the ground and walked along the said street, and her husband followed her, and gave her two or three kicks; that afterwards, several shrieks and cries were heard, and the said Ann was seen to run away from him, so crying and shrieking: and when she ran away he overtook her and kicked her down, and afterwards, when he had kicked her down, and retired a few paces from her, he returned |