drops. But the fellow, forgetting the caution, gave the bottle into his master's hand, who in his agony drank up the whole contents, and expired in lefs than an hour after. For the great efficacy of coffee, in counteracting the power of opium, &c. fee the laft article of our Projects for this year.

The very celebrated Dr. Thomas Townsend, alchymift to his Majefty; at his lodgings in Southwark.

Mr. Carey, of Dartford, Kent, who loft both his legs, and one arm, in an engagement in the rebellion of 1745..

Mrs. Ann Simpfon, widow, aged 101, at Sunbury.

Jofeph Dobyns, a fhepherd, aged ioz, at Rickmanfworth, in Herts.

ift.

NOVEMBER.

A motion being made by Mr. Saxby, at a court of commen-council at Guildhall, that an additional falary fhould be allowed the Lord-mayors, to enable them to fupport that office with dignity, without expending any part of their own fortunes, after fome warm debates, it was, at length, carried by a majority, that 1000l. per annum be added to their falary; on condition that the money arifing from the fale of all places be, for the future, paid into the chamber of London, the LordMayors till to retain the benefits of the Cocket-office. See the 1ft of Auguft.

By a lift of hips already 4th. in commiffion, and put into commiffion this day, it appears,

that Great Britain had now a fleet of one fhip, of one hundred guns; five, of ninety; one, of eighty-four; feven, of seventyfour; four, of feventy; and ten, of fixty-four; in all, twenty-eight capital fhips, ready to put to fea at a very short notice.

An elegant picture painted by Mr. Gainsborough, of Lord Folktone in his coronation robes, was put up in the great room of the So. ciety for the encouragement of Arts, &c. as a juft tribute of gratitude to his lordship, for his having been the first nobleman, both by his purfe and his perfonal attendance, to patronize that moft ufeful inftitution.

An appeal to the Houfe 8th. of Lords, from the court of feffion in Scotland, and of great confequence to trade, in which Campbell, Robertfon, and pany, merchants in Glasgow, were the Appellants; and William Shepherd, and others, merchants in London, were the refpondents, was this day determined by their lordfhips. The contest was for payment of a large fum of money for thirty-five bags of cotton fold by the refpondents to one Rt. Vallance, which cotton was afterwards feized at Glafgow by the appellants for money due to them from Vallance. The Lords affirmed the decree of the court of feffion in favour of the refpondents Shepherd, &c. with 100l. cofts.

Hull, made the fixth and laft public trial of his method of preferving buildings from fire. But, as this is á matter not to be kimmed over, and too long, if treated at length, as it deferves, for this part of our work, we shall referve what we have to fay of it, for our Appendix. 13th.

The flate-lottery began drawing at Guildhall.

Their Majefties went to 14th. the Earl of Derby's houfe, in Grofvenor-fquare, and stood fponfors, in perfon, with the countefs of Carlisle, to his Lordship's new-born daughter, who was bap tized by the name of Charlotte. Mr. Dunning moved the 15th. court of King's-Bench for an information against two juftices of the peace for Middlefex, for refufing to compel two perfons, charged with being Roman Catholics, to take the oaths; when Lord Mansfield refufed Mr. Dunning's motion; and, at the fame time, expreffed his difapprobation of this attempt to revive the feverities of thofe very penal laws.

Not many years ago, the government of Ireland thought proper to free, in a great meafure, the Roman Catholics of that kingdom from the galling yoke of the penal laws there, by framing a new oath for them, by which they might fufficiently exprefs their loyalty and allegiance, yet without injury to their religious principles; and, accordingly, all the Roman Catholics of that country chear.

1

add, that the court of Vienna has abolished the ufe of the torture in her tribunals of juice, and the ftate of villainage in her demefnes; and growing every day more and more fenfible of the advantages arifing from the spirit of toleration [fee p. 146.] has published an edict, which gives permiflion to all Turks, Armenians, Greeks, Ja-. cobites, and other fubjects of the Ottoman empire, to trade in the archduchy of Auftria, provided they fettle there with their families. The king of Sardinia has forbidden any perfon to be imprisoned by order of the inquifitors, till the matter has been made known to his Majefty, and one or more of his privy council have examined the accufed perfon, and fifted the accufation to the bottom; as likewife to put any man to death in the prifons of the inquifition. The Emprefs of Ruffia, befides effectually beginning to make feveral of her rivers navigable, and join them, and of courfe the feas bordering her vaft dominions, by canals, and pushing her difcoveries towards Japan and North America, has planted feveral villages in the road to China, in order to render the long journey there lefs dangerous, dreary, and uncomfortable. The emperor of Morocco treats fome of his captives more like prifoners of war than flaves. And the Spaniards have begun to adopt inoculation. In 1771, Don Timothy Efcanlan, principal phy

fician

fician to the department of the marine, introduced it into Galicia, and inoculated 115 children in the city of Corogui; among others, the fons of Don Emanuel de Flores, Vice-roy of Santa Fe, and thofe of Don Jofeph Anthony d'Armina, Intendant of Galicia, all of whom have done very well.

Fort Washington, and 16th. next day, Fort Lee, the only places on New York ifland which ftill remained in the hands of the Provincials, furrendered to his Majefty's arms.

A motion was made in 19th. the court of King's-Bench for a money-broker to fhew caufe why an information fhould not be granted against him, at the fuit of Lord Mountftuart. The moneybroker, it feems, had made very free with his Lordship's name, to procure, without his orders, or even knowledge, two fums of 2.100l. each, on annuities, at fix years purchase, thinking that his Lordship greatly wanted the money, and therefore, when it was ready, would be glad to accept of it, and on the above terms. But in this he found himself greatly miftaken. Lord Mounttuart, however, might have forgiven the af front, had not the affair reached Lord Bute's ears, and given him the greatest concern, though his Lord. fhip had too much delicacy to take any notice of it to his fon. The rule was immediately granted.

At a court of aldermen at Guildhall, at which feveral aldermen were prefent, befides the Lord Mayor, the two Sheriffs, and the Recorder, John Sawbridge, Efq; late Lord Mayor, received the unanimous thanks of the court, for his diligent and faithful difcharge of the

duties of that important office, for his steady and impartial administration of juftice, his zealous defence of the rights and franchifes of this great city,, and the conftant protection he gave to all its inhabitants, by refufing the fanction of his authority to prefs-warrants; and for his politenefs, deference, and attention, to the members of this court, during the whole course of his mayoralty.

This night and the two following days there blew the greateft ftorm of any that had happened for fome time paft, in the Low Countries, fome part of France, and all over England. On the night of the 20th, it demolished the vane of the cathedral of Ely, and all its appurtenances, with part of the ftone-work of the turret upon which the vane was fixed; broke down a dyke at Delfthaven, in Holland; and, being at northweft, drove the water through the ftreets like a river; fo that, had it not been for the wife measures taken by those who had the direction of the dykes, and the indefatigable labour of the workmen, the whole town must have been overwhelmed. In other places, many loft their whole fubftance, which consisted in cattle; and fome, their lives. Part of the city of Rotterdam was overflowed; and the water role there half an inch higher than last year; and continued rifing full four hours and an half longer than ufual. By thefe inftances, the damage done to houses and hips, in the above and other places, may be easily computed.

jefty a Land-tax of four fhillings in the pound. 25th.

A new bason, thirteen hundred yards broad, and fhut in with a large lock, was opened at Oftend; when feveral fhips entered it with the morning

tide.

27th.

About a quarter paft eight in the evening. the fhock of an earthquake was felt at Canterbury, Sandwich, Afhford, and all over Eaft Kent, particularly on the coast. Its direction was from fouth to north; it lafted about eight feconds, and was at tended by a diftant rumbling noife. The morning was gloomy and perfectly calm, wind fouth, Fahrenheit's barometer (at Sandwich) 29. 8. thermometer, within doors, at the fide of an east window on a ftaircafe, 37. 3. Some china on a cheft of drawers at Folkstone was moved an inch or two, each piece; and two bits of wood were fhaken from under the feet of a table. The fhock caufed a bell in the church, at Dover, to found, as likewife a hand-bell on St. Martin's Hill, near Canterbury. The fame fhock was ftill more fenfibly felt at Calais, where it threw the loaves in the bakers fhops from off the fhelves, to the no fmall confteration of the inhabitants.

Lord Howe and General 30th. Howe iffued a proclamation, inviting all ranks of people in the North-American colonies and provinces to receive a general pardon, on their furrendering themfelves to any of his Majefty's General Officers, Admirals, &c. commanding any armed veffels or fhips in his fervice, in any of the different ports, and, at the fame time, tellifying their obedience to the laws, by fubfcribing a declaVOL. XIX.

ration in words to the following effect, viz. "I, A. B. do promife and declare, that I will re. main peaceable and obedient to his Majefty and his government, and will not take up arms against either, nor encourage others to take up arms, in oppofition to his authority."

Sir Robert Ainflie, his Britannick Majefty's Ambaffador to the Porte, went in great ftate, accompanied by the gentlemen of the factory and the drugomen, and had an audience of the Grand Vizir, who received him with all poffible marks of esteem and friendfhip. The next day he went in the fame ftate, and had an audience of the Grand Sighior, who was feated on a magnificent throne, attended by his great officers of flate, and received him with politenefs, expreffed great friendship and reffect for his Britannick Majefty, and was pleafed to fay, by the Grand Vizir, that his Majefty's fubjects fhould be protected in the enjoyment of all the articles of the capitulations between the two ftates.

Came on, in the court of King'sbench, the affair of John Tubbs, an impreffed feaman, whose difcharge was claimed, as one of the Lord mayor's watermen, by the city of London. But, as this is a matter of too public and interefting a nature not to be taken notice of in the History of Europe, we fhall refer our readers for an account of it, (as likewife, of the trial between Lord Rochford and Mr. Sayre, and for the fame reafons) to that part of this work.

At the anniversary meeting of the Royal Society, their Prefident, Sir John Pringle, Bart, after an [N]

elegant

elegant difcourfe on the occafion, prefented, in their name, James Cook, Efq; Captain in his Majelly's navy, with the gold medal, called Sir Godfrey Copley's medal, for his ufeful paper on the means of preferving the health of feamen in long voyages, &c. which the reader may fee in our fecond part, with fome interefting extracts from Sir John's difcourfe. The Society afterwards re-elected Sir John for their Prefident; and Samuel Wegg, Efq; for their Treafurer; and elected Samuel Horfley, LL. D. for their firft, and John Planta, Efq; for their fecond Secretaries.

In the courfe of this month there happened a dreadful fire at Breft, in which a great number of poor fick in the hofpital, and upwards of fifty galley-flaves, perifhed; and feveral more of the galley-flaves made their escape. To prevent the rest from doing fo, they were all ordered into a large court under the guard of five hundred foldiers, and there to lie down on their bellies, on pain of the first man's being fhot who fhould attempt to lift his head. This method having the defired fuccefs, every thing was afterwards carried on with all the tranquillity that the natural confufion of fuch an accident would admit of; and by very great labour the progrefs of the Hames was at length stopped.

DIED, the 11th inflant, the Rev. Doctor George Wigan, Rector of Old Swinford, Warwickfhire, and Ashbury, Berks; both which livings he had enjoyed fiftyfour years; in the 86th year of his age.

The 16th, Mr. James Ferguson, lecturer in natural philofophy and

aftronomy; an excellent mechanic, and no bad miniature-painter, at his houfe, in Bolt-court, Fleetftreet. He was a man, who, by mere force of genius, made a confiderable progrefs in the mathematical arts and fciences; wrote feveral ufeful works; and both projected and executed a great number of ingenious inftruments and machines. [The reader will find a further account of this truly felftaught philofopher, in our fecond part.]

Lately, Mr. Brice, commander of a fquadron of armed fhips fitted out by the Continental Congress, and styled Admiral; at Boston.

pages

William Owagan, Efq; fenior alderman of Corke, in Ireland, aged 93. He was one of the who attended King James II. in 1689, when entertained by that city.

Read Peacock, Efq; fenior al derman of Huntingdon, as he was coming to London in the diligence.

Mr. Matthias Vento, a celebrated mafter of mufic.

Mr. Edward Shuter, the celebrated comedian, in Windmillftreet.

Mr. John Chefmeare, who, in the reign of George the First, had an annuity of rool. fettled on him from Monfieur d'Ibberville, the French minifter to the court of London, for having protected him from an English mob.

Mary Thompfon, at SouthBenfleet, Effex, whofe death was occafioned by a piece of grille fticking in her throat. She lived fourteen days after the accident, in the moft miferable condition, not being able to swallow any thing whatever, every attempt to remove the grifle, particularly by a piece

of