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more confident in expressing a full persuasion that those sentiments which originally called forth our services will uniformly govern our conduct, so long as it shall be her majesty's pleasure to permit their continuance. Stimulated to the discharge of our duty by the most powerful motives that can influence the mind of man, the protection of every thing that is dear to us in private life, and every thing that is valuable in public estimation, our religion, our laws, our liberty, and our king; I can venture to assure her majesty, that the expectation she may have formed of our exertions, shall not be disappointed. And, if the day should come, when his majesty, actuated by that valour for which his family has ever been conspicuous, and by that affection which he has always manifested towards his people, shall think fit to share their dangers; if that anxious and animating period should arrive; then, may these colours, the gift of our most gracious queen, prove a shield to guard and defend the sacred person of our beloved sovereign against any hazard to which it may be exposed, by the desperate efforts of an inordinate and destructive ambition." Major Rolleston now untied the ribband, and gave the golden cord which supported the tassel into her ladyship's hand, and she gradually let the colours descend to the ensigns, who were on their knees ready to receive them they then arose and went to present them to their regiments, who received them with presented arms, while the band played "God save the King." After which Messrs. Incledon, Sale, &c. with a full chorus, sung "God save the King." The regiments did not march past

her ladyship; this part of the ceremony was rendered impracticable, from the concourse of spectators. Immediately on the countess receiving the royal salute, she, with her attendants, returned in the same manner as they came. The regiments marched four deep to lord Hobart's, and lodged their colours. They quitted them as they received them, with presented arms, officers saluting, &c. after which they were dismissed. The earl of Harrington, lord Hobart, and several general officers, dined with the officers of the queen's royal volunteers, at the British coffee-house, and spent the day in the most convivial manner. A number of loyal and patriotic toasts were given; and nothing was omitted, that could animate the mind to perseverance in the glorious cause.

7th. This morning about two o'clock, Mr. Salven's cotton-manufactory, at Durham, which comprises a very extensive range of buildings, near Elvet church, was discovered to be on fire. These premises have long been admired by strangers, on entering the town, for their stupendous size, and containing exactly as many windows as there are days in the year. The Durham volunteers were immediately roused from their beds, and with the greatest alacrity beat to arms; their example was followed by the Lanarkshire militia, quartered at that city. As fast as the military assembled, they repaired to the spot, where the fire was raging with incredible fury; both officers and men used their greatest exertions to extinguish the flames, by carrying buckets of water to aid the fire-engines which were collected from different parts of the town; nothing, however, could avail. About four

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o'clock, the conflagration had gained too much power to admit of any control; its blazes were seen for nearly 20 miles round the country, particularly at Gateshead-Fell, Hamsterly, and Houghton-le-Spring, which had a grand and awful effect. At seven in the morning, nothing remained of the stupendous building but the shell, which fell to the ground in the course of the day. It is understood that the loss sustained, after deducting what has been insured, will amount to upwards of 20,0001.

12th. At a meeting of the antiquarian Society, this day, a letter of Mr. Jackson's was read on the Antient Utica, which was next in extent and magnitude to Carthage, and in the same gulph. Here Mr. Jackson visited the subterraneous vaults, in which the ceilings were covered with bats of an enormous size, called, by Virgil, Harpies, which being disturbed, left their places, and nearly extinguished the flambeaux; and, but for a lanthorn, the curious visitors might have been lost in the dark. In the same place Mr. Jackson found foxes burrowing in the under-ground ruins. The air in these caverns was oppressive, but by discharging fire arms was much purified, and became respirable with safety.

13th. This day Francis Smith, officer of excise, was tried at the Old Bailey for the wilful murder of T. Millwood. It appeared on the evidence of Mr. Locke, wine merchant in Hammersmith, that, that town had been infested with a pretended ghost for five weeks previously to the alledged fact being committ›d. Several parties had gone out fo the purpose of discovering it. Its dress had been described as sometimes in

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white and sometimes as if in the skin of some beast. He was returning to his own house on the night of the 3d of January, in company with another person, about half-past ten o'clock, when he met the prisoner in wonderful trepidation, who informed him that he had shot a man, believing him to be the pretended spectre who had so long terrified the town, and wished to surrender himself immediately. had challenged the deceased twice, but who, instead of answering him, marched up to him, which increased the prisoner's fear. Mr. Locke, his companion, and the watchman, who had now come up, all proceeded to Limekiln-Lane, where they found the deceased lying dead, and observed that a shot had passed through his under jaw. The witness concluded his testimony by asserting his thorough knowledge of the prisoner, and his conviction of his mild disposition, humanity, and generosity, and the general high estimation in which he was held by the whole vicinage.

William Girdler, watchman, at Hammersmith, met the prisoner, with a gun in his hand, about halfpast ten at night, who told him he was going to look after the ghost, and further corroborated the whole of the preceding evidence.

The sister of the deceased said she lived in her father's house at Hammersmith; on the 3d of January, between ten and eleven at night, her brother came in. He had been to seek his wife, who was at a friend's in the neighbourhood. After remaining some time in the house, he again went out for the same purpose; a minute or two afterwards, standing at the door, she heard a voice exclaim "Damn you, who or

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what are you? Speak, or I'll shoot you." And immediately the report of a gun was heard, upon which, from solicitude about her brother's safety, she ran out, and about halfway between her father's house, and that to which the deceased was going, she found him lying dead on the ground! no person was near him at the time. The lane was very dark, so much so, that although narrow, it was impossible to see a person at, the opposite side of it. Her brother, at the time of his decease, was all in white, and his trowsers reached down to his heels. She did not believe that any animosity subsisted between the deceased and the prisoner. They hardly knew each other.

A surgeon of eminence ascertain ed the death of the deceased to have proceeded from a gun-shot wound, which had injured the spinal mar

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The prisoner spoke as follows in his defence. "I can most solemnly declare, that I went out with a perfectly good intention; after calling to the deceased twice, and receiving no answer, I became so agitated, that I knew no longer what I did: but I was innocent of any malicious intention whatever."

The mother-in-law of the deceased proved, that he had been, from his white dress, taken once before for the ghost, and she advised him, in consequence, to wear a great coat.

Several most respectable witnesses gave the prisoner the highest character for propriety of conduct, humanity, and benevolence.

The lord chief baron not being able to find, in the case made out by the prisoner, any thing which could take it off the legal definition of

murder, charge the jury accordingly; who, however, after retiring for an hour and five minutes, brought in a verdict of manslaughter!

The judge hereupon reminded the jury, on the oath they had taken, that this was a verdict they could not give-they must either find the prisoner guilty or not guilty of murder, and justices Rooke, Lawrence, and the Recorder, concurring in opinion, the jury, after a few minutes deliberation in their box, returned their verdict-Guilty of murder.

The Recorder immediately pronounced the judgment of the court, sentencing the prisoner for death on the following Monday, and his body to be dissected, &c. The lord chief Baron declared he would immediately report the case, and in consequence a respite was sent to Newgate in the course of the evening. (The prisoner has been since pardoned, on condition of a year's imprisonment in Newgate. At the close of the trial, he was obliged to be removed into the air, he was so much affected: his case seemed to excite universal commiseration.)

15th. This day two gentlemen, (and one in deacon's orders) brothers, of the name of Gordon, dined with Mrs. Lee, a lady of considerable income, in BoltonRow, Piccadilly; and in the evening, her footman being absent, they endeavoured to force her from her house. She made much resistance, and on being assisted by her two female servants, one of the gentlemen drew a pistol, and threatened to shoot them, while the other succeeded in forcing the lady into a postchaise in waiting at a short distance, and instantly drove off. The A a 4

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next day a hue and cry was raised by the friends of the lady, and the Bow-street officers apprehended one of the brothers, who had returned to Bolton-Row for Mrs. Lee's clothes.

The pursuit was of course continued, and on Thursday night (the 19th) Miller, the officer, arrived in London, with Mr. Laudon Gordon and Mrs. Lee, whom he had traced to Gloucester. On a further examination it appeared, that Mr. Laudon Gordon ordered his servant on Sunday to prepare him linen for travelling, and to hire a chaise for Uxbridge. On Tuesday evening, a letter was brought to Mrs. Lee's maid, in Bolton-Row, by a young man, who said that it came inclosed to him from his mother, who keeps an inn at Tetsworth, Oxfordshire, and where it appeared the parties had stopped on Sunday night; but from their strange behaviour to each other, much astonishment was excited, especially as the lady remain ed while her gown and stockings were washed. Mrs. Lee's letter, there is reason to believe, was written privately and in great haste; the words were very few, and nearly as follows: No clothes, no money; death or compliance!" Another examination took place on Friday the 20th. Mrs. Lee's deposition was first taken privately, and afterwards on being confronted with the Gordons, she stated that she had been acquainted with them about fourteen years, and that their acquaintance was renewed about two months back. The Gordons were again brought to Bow-street on the 27th, and, after a long examination, the parties were bound over to prosecute at the next assizes for Oxfordshire, the offence having been com

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mitted in that county. Mr. Lockhart Gordon then applied to the magistrates for permission for his brother to be committed to Tothillfields Bridewell with him, which was readily agreed to, both by the magistrates and Mrs. Lee's solicitor, and where they are to remain until trial.

The person who was the subject of the outrage, is the illegitimate daughter of the late lord le Despencer, and, before her marriage, was called Rachael Fanny Antonina Dashwood. She was married in 1794, to Mathew Allen Lee, esq. and after the marriage, a settlement of her property was made by the court of chancery, by which nearly the whole was vested in the trust of Mr. Parkin and three other gentlemen, who were authorised to pay a certain sum to Mrs. Lee for her own and separate use, and in 1795, a separation took place, when it was agreed that Mrs. Lee should receive 12001. per year for her life, which has been paid to her ever since that period, she continuing to live separate from her husband, still living, and by whom she has no children.

19th. This evening one of the most tremendous storms ever experienced, was felt throughout the whole kingdom; the following are among the most remarkable of its effects.

At Falmouth the roof of one of the stables of the new barracks there, a building 178 feet in length, though of the best possible materials and workmanship, was blown off bodily; and even of the walls little more than fragments remain. A high wall of a new house in Lemon-street was blown down, which beat in the wall and roof of another house, that of Mr. Almond Hitchem, about 20 feet distant from it. One of the pinnacles of the

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tower of Camborne-church fell through the roof, and has greatly damaged it. The roof of a large barn between Penryn and Truro was lifted whole and thrown upon the turnpike road at several yards distance, which for a considerable time prevented the passing of the mailcoach. A very great number of trees have been blown down at Carclew, Tregothan, &c. On the south-western part of the coast the storm was dreadful. Our channel fleet has suffered considerably. The following ships came into Plymouth with the loss of masts, yards, or other damage: the Dreadnought of 98 guns, the Neptune of 98, the Terrible of 74, the Plantagenet of 74. Our little squadron has also been driven in from off Boulogne, but without damage. A preterna tural ebbing and flowing of the tide happened at the same time at Falmouth and Plymouth. A tremendous gale came on at Hull from the south-east. Two sloops were sunk in the Humber, at the south end, and another off the Long Jetty. During the night, a considerable part of a house, building in Osbourne-street, fell down; and some other buildings in and about that town have received trifling damage. At Scarborough the weather was uncommonly tempestuous. Five sail of ships were sunk there close to the harbour, all laden with coals; but happily no lives were lost.Great numbers of dead bodies, however, continue daily to be thrown on shore by the waves along the whole coast. At Brighton, the wind blowing briskly from the southwest, the tide, though at neap, flowed as high, and more completely inundated the strand there, than is altogether usual when at full

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spring. A large fragment of the cliff, to the east of the half-finished crescent, undermined by the water, fell in, and was partly washed away in the course of the night, leaving a chasm in the road which leads to Rottingdean, dangerous to pass, and frightful to behold. At Birmingham, and in the neighbourhood, considerable damage was done; at Eagebaston, Hampstead, and other places, several large trees were torn up by the roots. Very great injury was done to the roofs of several houses and other buildings in Gloucester and neighbourhood; and in various parts of the country, trees have been torn up by the roots, outhouses unroofed, and a variety of other losses. At Worcester, a stack of chimneys falling on the roof of a house occupied by Mr. Harris, attorney, in Edgar-street, great part of the roof was forced into one of the upper rooms, where the nursery-maid was in bed, with two chil dren under her care, and who was instantly killed, by a beam falling upon her neck; but the children were providentially taken out of the ruins, without any material injury. At Stapleton, near Bristol, a great part of the wall of the French prison was blown down; in consequence of which, one of the loyal Bristol light horse was sent off express to that city; and such was the expedition of the courier, that a reinforcement to the guard of 50 men arrived at the prison in the short space of three or four hours.

The orchards have sustained, throughout the cyder counties, the most material damage, and the mischief universally done is incalculable!

24th. In the court of king's bench, Mr. Erskine moved for a writ of cer

tiorari,

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