Hunter, Elq. 648; John Smith, Efq. 647; John Travers, Efq, 628; George Tatem, Efq. 444; John Lewis, Efq. 417: whereupon the first fix were declared duly elected.

The Court of Directors granted an annuity of 1500l. per annum to Lord Macartney, as a confideration for the unexampled integrity and ability difplayed by that nobleman during his administration at Fort St. George. The Norrisian prize for 1786 13th. was affigned to the Rev. Mr. Pearfon, A. M. Fellow of Sydney college, for his Effay on the Goodnefs of God, as manifefted in the miflion of Jefus Christ.

17th.

At half paft fix in the evening, the weft tower of Hereford cathedral, erected with the nave, in the reign of William Rufus, by Robert de Lozinga, the fecond bithop of that fee, unfortunately fell down. This accident had been expected fome days, from the gradual dropping of mortar and small ftones from it, and from the fettling of the walls and arches from their perpendicular for two or three years before, to which very little attention had been paid, or the affiftance given by filling up arches of the nave been ineffectual. Fortunately no lives were loft, though numbers of people were walking in the church-yard. This front was one of our fineft remains of Norman architecture.

DIED. At his feat in the New Foreft, Hants, Charles Studwick, Efq. aged 101. He acquired a confiderable fortune in being an agent for prisoners in the wars of Q. Anne and Geo. I.

At Scarborough, in her 106th year, Mrs. Hunter, who retained her faculties to the laft. An hour before the expired, the defired her maiden name (Noel) might be put

upon her tomb-stone, being a defcendant of that family, alfo third, coufin to the prefent Duke of Rutland, and third coufin to the Earl of Gainsborough.

MAY.

On the 11th of last month [April] Blanchard performed his 27th aerial excurfion. He took his departure from Doway in Flanders, and defcended near l'Etoile, a village in Picardy, a voyage of 90 miles (as the papers fay) in as many minutes. The ancient and honourable

fociety of Free and Accepted Ma-3d. fons held their anniversary feast at their elegant hall in Great Queenftreet, when his Royal Highnels the Duke of Cumberland was unanimously re-elected grand mafter of the fociety; and the earl of Effingham acting grand matter; Rowland Holt, efq. deputy grand matter; Sir Nich. Nugent, bart. and N. Newnham, efq. alderman, grand wardens; James Hefeltine, elq. grand treafurer; Mr. Wm. White, grand fecretary; Rev. A. H. Eccles, grand chaplain; and Mr. John Paiba, grand fword-bearer.

Lord Geo. Gordon was excommunicated from the parifh 4th. church of St. Mary le-bonne.

The celebrated caufe between Mifs Meilish and Mifs Rankin 11th. was re-heard before lord Loughborough, in the court of common pleas, when, after a trial of eleven hours, the jury brought in a verdict for Mifs Rankin.

The Rodney Indiaman brought the following account of the lofs of the Montague Indiaman, written by Mr. James Elliot, who belonged to that unfortunate ship. "December

5

"December 6, 1785, As we lay at Diamond Point, about feventy miles below Calcutta, we had taken in 4100 bags of falt-petre, and were ftowing them; the caulker's mate was going to heat pitch upon the upper deck to pay his work he called down the fore hatch-way to the gunner's boy, to hand him up fome fire, upon a fmall fhovel of the armourer's, to make a fire in the forge, to heat his pitch; the boy handing the fire up the forehatchway (the fore-hatches being unlaid) let a piece of the fire fall down upon the falt-petre (one of the bags having burft); there was loofe falt-petre in the fquare of the hatchway,which immediately caught fire. We attempted to fmother it; but the flames increased fo faft, that we could not ftay above three minutes in the hold after fhe first took fire. Mr. Benger, the chief officer, came down into the hold, but was forced to go up again immediately. Our cutter and yawl were hauled on fhore, and the long-boat was aground in Diamond Creek. I came out of the hold with the chief officer, and went into the ftern-gallery to look for a boat. The third officer was then almoft along-fide the Dutton, with fome men in the jollyboat. Perceiving there was no affiftance near, I left Mr. Benger in the ftern-gallery, and got out of one of the quarter-ports into the mizen-chain, and jumped overboard; when I fwam under the ftern, Mr. Benger was hanging by a rope, which he quitted, and iminediately the fhip blew up. I never faw any more of Mr. Benger. Mr.Williams, the third officer, picked me up in the jolly-boat, with a great many more. I was not above twenty yards from the fhip when The blew up. From the first of her

taking fire till her explosion, did not exceed five minutes. We loft Mr. Benger, the chief officer; Mr. M'Intofh, the fifth officer; Mr. Sampfon, furgeon's mate; Mr. Wier, Mr. Vincent Williams, Mr. Collins; Mr. Chamberland, midfhipman; Mr. Sangfter, gunner; and twenty-five foremaft men."

Was held the anniversary meeting of the Sons of the 18th. Clergy, at which were prefent the lord mayor of London, the two archbifhops, twelve bishops, feveral peers and gentlemen of diftinction, (amongst them Lord Monboddo and Sir J, Reynolds) with many dignified and other clergy. The fermon was preached by the Rev. Samuel Horfley, LL.D. archdeacon of St. Alban's, from Deut.

"Marie Antoinette de France," were fraudulently used in the bargain which took place relative to the diamonds, and those words are falfely attributed to the Queen. The Comte de la Motte is fully convicted of contempt of court, and condemned, when taken, to be whipped, and marked with the letters GAL, and to be fent to the galleys for life. Madame Jeanne Valois de la Motte to be whipped, and marked with the letter V upon the two shoulders, with a halter round the neck, and confined for life in the Salpetrierre. Villette is condemned to perpetual banishment from the kingdom. The Cardinal de Rohan, and M. de Caglioftro, are discharged from all accufation; and Mademoiselle Oliva difmiffed the court.

Oxford. The chancellor's prizes for the prefent year are feverally adjudged to Mr. Abbot, A. B. of Corpus Chrifti College, for an Englifh effay on the "ufe and abufe of fatire:" and to Mr. Le Breton of Pembroke, for Latin verse on "painted glass."

Yesterday the grand mufical feftival commenced at Westminster Abbey with a mifcellaneous felection of fome of the best works of Handel. By ten o'clock the aile and galleries were filled with a company the most numerous and elegant that ever were affembled on a fimilar occafion, which, with the prefence of the Royal Family and their attendants, and an orcheftra confifting of 640 musicians, formed a coup d'œil, the effect of which it is impoffible to describe. The difpofition of the church was most beautifully conceived in the manner of a grand faloon, with two rifing galleries. The nave of the church contained the platform, and

the two ailes formed one gallery, which was continued in one range under the king's box to either fide. The fronts were hung in feftoons with rich crimson filk furniture. That part which forms the front was variegated with white fattin, The difpofition of the king's box, was the fame as last year.

A duel was fought near 8th. Kenfington, between Lord Macartney and Major-general Stuart, of which the following is an authentic account:

"The place and time of meeting having been previously fixed, the parties arrived about half past four o'clock in the morning, and took their ground at the distance of twelve fhort paces, measured off by the feconds, who delivered to each one piftol, keeping poffeffion of the remaining arms. General Stuart told Lord Macartney, he doubted, as his lordship was fhort-fighted, he would not be able to fee him; his lordship replied," he did, perfectly well." When the seconds had retired a little on one fide, and as the parties were about to level, General Stuart obferved to Lord Macartney, that his piftol was not cocked; his lordship thanked him," and cocked. When they had levelled, General Stuart faid, he was ready; his lordship answered, he was likewife ready; and they both fired within a few inftants of each other. The feconds, obferving Lord Macartney wounded, stepped up to him, and declared the matter muft reft here: General Stuart faid,

this is no fatisfaction ;" and afked if his lordship was not able to fire another piftol; his lordship replied,

he would try with pleasure," andurged Colonel Fullarton to permit him to proceed. The feconds, however, declared it was impoffible,

and

and they would on no account allow it. General Stuart faid, " Then I muft defer it till another occafion!" on which his Lordship anfwered, "If that is the case, we had better proceed now. I am here in confequence of a meflage from General Stuart, who called upon me to give him fatisfaction in my private capacity for offence taken at my public conduct; and, to evince that perfonal fafety is no confideration with me, I have nothing perfonal: the general may proceed as he thinks fit." General Stuart faid, "It was his lordihip's perfonal conduct to him that he refented." The feconds then put an end to all further conversation between the parties, neither of whom had quitted their ground; General Stuart, in confequence of his fituation, having been under the neceffity from the firft of putting his back to a tree.

The furgeons, Mr. Hunter and Mr. Home, and who were attending at a little distance, were brought up by Colonel Fullarton. Colonel Gordon, in the mean time, aflifted his lordship in taking off his coat, and requested him to fit down, apprehending he might be faint through lofs of blood. Colonel Gordon then left the ground, in company with General Stuart; and an easy car. riage was provided to convey his lordship home.

Signed, W. FULLARTON,
A. GORDON.”

Came on to be tried be19th. fore Lord Loughborough, in the court of Common Pleas, the action brought by the right honour able Charles James Fox, againft Thomas Corbett, Efq. high bailiff of Westminster, for not returning him as a representative for Westminfter, when duly elected by a le

gal majority of votes; the damages were laid at 100,oool. and the jury, after a few minutes confultation, gave a verdict of 2000l. damages.

This fum, Mr. Fox has declared, fhall be diftributed among the charities of Westminster.

On the 21ft of June the sentence on Madame de la Motte was carried into execution. At a quarter after fix in the morning, one of the turnkeys of the prifon went up to her fleeping apartment, and, without any apology for difturbing her at that early hour, told her, in a brutal manner, to rife and follow him." The affrighted lady refufed to obey; but when she was shewn a royal mandate, fhe, though reluctantly, followed the turnkey, and was by him conducted to the inner gate. She no fooner defcended the laft step of the stairs, than fhe was seized on by two fatellites of the law, by them hand-cuffed, and inexorably embraced. When the countefs appeared before the Greffier, and her fentence was read to her, it threw her into the most frantic rage; fhe uttered calumnious and unheard-of imprecations against the court, the parliament, and the cardinal; but this fame great fpirit deferted her when fhe felt the hangman putting the rope about her neck; he was at that inftant feen in tears. inftruments for her further punishment, the brand, fome other tools, and a red-hot fire, called up all her former rage: fhe then curfed and fwore in the moft unwoman-like manner, and uttered alternate cries of grief and defpair. It was with difficulty that the hot iron could be applied to her fhoulder; the exe. cutioner muft have been an adept, to have fucceeded in that part of his profeffion. She rolled herself

The

on

on the ground, and kicked at him with fuch violence, that fome ftrength was required to perform the ignominious operation. The very inftant the execution was over, fhe was conducted to the Salpetrierre, where the is deftined to spend the remainder of her days. All Paris is incenfed at the barbarous conduct of the magiftrates who prefided at the execution of Madame de la Motte; their inhumanity reflects the greatest dishonour on them. The unhappy comteffe was burnt in three places, through the inattention of these guardians of our laws! She is now dangerously ill in the infirmary of the Salpetrierre; a burning fever deprives her of her reafon; and in the height of her delirium fhe utters the most outof-the-way imprecations. The fuperior of the house treats her with all poffible humanity.

A very interesting caufe 30th. was determined in the cockpit, by an appeal to the lords of the council from the court of admiralty. The queftion related to the prize, or capture, made by Commodore Johnstone laft war. It was, Whether the capture was prize or booty; and then, confequently, whether the property then taken by the flect and land forces under his command came within the prize act. As the deftination of the armament was against the Cape of Good Hope, and as a confiderable land force, under the command of General Meadows, was aboard, and fhared in the action, their lordships determined that the cafe in queftion did not come within the prize act. The confequence is, that the whole property is claimed by the crown, and the captors must relinquish their hopes of prize-money, and depend

on the royal bounty for whatever compenfation his majefty may think proper.

DIED. Lately, at Woolwich, aged 105, Ifabella Dryden. She had been twice in America fince the was 85 years of age, and retained her fenfes to the day of her death.

At Dunbar, aged 114, Magnus Reid. He was born at Polmaise near Stirling, and was bred a hufbandman near Dunblain, and continued in that profeflion till about thirty years ago, when he commenced travelling chapman, which he practifed till within eight weeks of his death.

JULY.

An action of trespass was lately tried in the court of King's Bench, by which the right of following hounds in pursuit of game, by qualified perfons, was clearly afcertained.

Came on before the lords commiffioners of appeals, two 5th. caufes against Lord Rodney, General Vaughan, and the other captors of Euftatia.- Mr. Lindo and Mr. Ingram, appellants-the first to the amount of about 12,000l. the latter 1000l. Upon both thefe appeals the captors were caft in damages, and full cofts. The lords who attended were Camden, Grantley, and Mulgrave.

Aylett's (the attorney con6th. victed for perjury) writ of error was folemnly argued before the House of Lords. There were nine alignments of error, all which their lordships were pleafed to fet afide by the unanimous opinion of the judges prefent. Earl Bathurst then