days fince at a gentleman's table. And from Swanfey, in South Wales, we have the following letter, dated the 23d inflant. "Laft week feveral flocks of fwallows, and other fummer birds, were feen here, occafioned by the mildness of the fealon; but 'tis thought the prefent froft (which came pretty fudden and fevere) must have deftroyed the greatest part of them, as many have been fince found frezen to death.A few days fince there was a peartree in full bloffom, in a gentleman's garden not far from this town; and a goofeberry-bufh, which flood under a well and was fenced from the north wind, had goofeberries as large as cherry-ftones; and 'twas thought, had the mild weather continued, feveral forts of fummer fruit would have been ripe before Eafter."

We likewife hear from Efhgill, near Alfton in Cumberland, that on Christmas-day laft, a gentleman there had marigolds, and ten other different kinds of flowers, in full bloom (the fame as in the months of May or June) and all the trees in his garden in bud, owing to the mildness of the feafon a circumftance never known before in the memory of man, fo far north.

Died lately.GeneralHufke, whofe remarkable will fee amongst our Charaters.

At Bononia in Italy, dame Jane Wilks, an English lady, aged 101 years. She went over from England at the age of fifteen years and four months. It is faid fhe has died very rich, and has left great part of her fortune to convents, and ten thousand pounds to one John Willes, a diffant rela

tion, who went as a common foldier to the Eaft Indies twelve years ago.

At Camentz, in Upper Lufatia, George Lehman, an inhabitant of that place, aged 111 years; he never had a fit of ficknefs, and retained his fenfes till the laft, except his fight, which he loft three years before he died.

At Koningberg, in Pruffia, Capt. Bromfifh, aged 112; 93 years of which he had been in the fervice of Pruflia.

At Philadelphia, Mr. Charles Cottrel, aged 120 years; and three days after his wife, aged 115. This couple lived together in the marriage-ftate 98 years, in great union and harmony.

FEBRUARY.

The Sea-horfe, frigate being 4th. refitted, failed from Plymouth for the Eaft Indies, with the Dorfetthire, of feventy guns, captain Campbell, who was to efcort her fome leagues to the weftward. The aftronomers, being too late for their intended deftination, are to be landed in the most conve nient parts of the fouthern hemifphere, fo as to fave the day of obfervation.

The ftationers company gave 501. to the marine fociety, being their third donation.

Between 11 and 12 at night 6th. a fhock of an earthquake, attended with a rumbling noife, was felt at Sturminster, and feveral adjacent towns in that neighbourhood.

DiedatFbrenbriellein,in hiswayto Munich, Clement Auguitus, elector and archbishop of Cologn, bifhop of Munfter, Paderborn, Ofnaburg, [F] 3

and

and Hildesheim, and grand mafter of the Teutonick order.

The bishoprick of Ofnaburg, by the treaty of Weftphalia, in 1648, was made an alternative between the roman catholicks and lutherans ; and in confideration that the houfe of Brunswick had, for the fake of a general peace, made feveral valuable facrifices, the lutherans that were to have the alternative, were to be the younger princes of the houfe of Brunfwick-Lunenburg,

Laft week, as fome workmen were making a plantation in Shawdon, in Northumberland, they found two Roman urns with human bones in them; the fhapes of them were globular, but a little oblong, and were made of a blueifh earth, about eighteen inches in diameter. This way of burial was practifed among the Romans, and deemed a grand manner of interment. They muft have lain at leaft 1400 years in the earth. Near thefe urns were alfo found an arca lapidea, or fione cheft, which, it is fuppofed, there had been more urns in. This they alfo made ufe of for the prefervation of the urns. Juft by this there was likewife found an entire foundation of a triangular ftone building, with three rows of fteps, and also a Roman caufeway.

A gentleman at the court end of the town has laid a wager of a thoufand guineas, that he will produce 29 horfes that will run 2900 miles in 29 days fucceffively; that each horfe fall run 100 miles in each day, and the whole to be ridden by one man.

Letters from Ratisbon, of the 20th ult. Jan. advife, that the froft was fet in there very exceffive and fudden; that the river

Danube was froze over, and faft, in 24 hours, which was hardly ever known before, the fwiftnefs of the current of that river being very great.

Came on in the court of 7th. King's-bench a hearing in regard to an information against capt. Holland, for publishing a libel on Mr. Sutton, in the account of Mifs Bell's death (See our last volume, p. 133) when the court, upon examining evidence, ordered Mr. Sutton to be tried at the next feffions at the Old Bailey,

Advice was received at the Admiralty, that capt. Alexander Wood, in his majesty's fhip the Minerva, of 32 guns and 220 men, was arrived at Spithead, after taking the Warwick, formerly belonging to his majefty, pierced for 60 guns, but now carrying but 34 and 295 men, 74 of them foldiers, bound with ammunition, ftores, and provifions, to the French fettlements in the Eaft Indies. Both fhips had about 14 men killed and 20 wounded.

10th.

An account was received from rear admiral Holmes, at Jamaica, dated November 11, that being informed that five French frigates were preparing to fail from cape Francois to old France, he made a proper difpofition of his fleet to intercept them: that the enemy failed from the cape 0. 16, and the next day were dif covered and purfued by the Hampfhire, Boreas, and Lively. The commodore, after two fmart engagements, was taken off the east end of Cuba by the Boreas, as was alfo the Valeur, after an action of an hour and an half, by the Lively. The three other frigates were purfued and attacked by the Hampshire. One of them having the

wind escaped into Port au Paix, and the two others being run on fhore, on the Hamphire's approach, were blown up. The Syrenne, Fleur de Lys, and Valeur, were king's frigates, and landed 613 veteran troops, with a brigadier general in their way from France. They were all loaden with indigo and fugar. The admiral gives the higheft commendation of the conduct and spirit of the three commanders, &c. who were engaged, and of the diligence and attention of those who were not, and has annexed the following ac

count.

The Sirenne, 32 guns, and 123 men, was taken by the Boreas, capt. Uvedale, of 23 guns and 170 men. Duke de Choifeuil, of 32 guns, and 180 men, efcaped.

Prince Edward, of 32 guns, and 180 men, and the Fleur de Lys of 32 guns, and 150 men, were deftroyed by the Hampshire, capt. Norbury, of 50 guns, and 350

men.

The Valeur, of 20 guns, and 160 men, was taken by the Lively, hon. capt. Maitland, of 20 guns, and 150 men.

10th. In the morning, between one and two o'clock, a dreadful fire broke out at Mr. Cope's, baker, in Thames-ftreet, oppofite College-hill which confumed the fame, and his dwelling houfe adjoining, with many houfes and warchoufes between that and Joiner's-hall, which was full of whalebone, the property of feveral merchants in London, and of exceeding great value; and communicated to Sir Charles Blunt's, Bart. where it was got under. It is romputed to have done 60,0001. damage. Several perfons buried in

11th.

the ruins were all happily Jug out. Two ufurers were eat at Guildhall by the fame plaintiff; one in 3001. for exacting fix guineas to difcount 1001. for fix weeks; the other for exacting two guineas to difcount a 501. note for fix days, being treble the fums difcounted, befides treble cofts, according to the ftatute.

This day died Richard Nah, Efq. generally called Beau Nafh, mafier of the ceremonies at, and the friend and patron of Bath, where he was interred in the abbey church with grateful folemnity. This gentleman had a warm and a generous heart, and felt for, and relieved, the diftreffes of his fellow creatures. He was in the 87th year of his age. See his character more at large in an epitaph on him attributed to doctor K-g of Oxford, among our characters of this year.

The theriffs of London

12th.

waited on the king with a petition from the court of commoncouncil, praying his majefty to grant a commiffion for the mayor, aldermen, and common-council men, and their fucceffors, to be the commiffioners of the lieutenancy for the city of London. His majefty was pleafed to receive the theriffs very gracioufly, and they had the honour to kifs his majefty's hand.

Being the day appointed by 15th. authority for a general faft, the fame was daly obferved as ufual; the collection made at Mr. Whitfeld's tabernacle, for the fufferers by the fire at Botten, in NewEngland, and the plundered proteftants in the New March of Prandenburg, amounted to upwards of 500i.

There are letters from Stock[F] 4

holin,

holm, that fince the return of Mr. Schultz, who, on the recommendation of the board of health, was fent to England in 1754, to inform himself of every thing relating to the inoculation of the fmall рох, that operation gains ground daily; the free mafons have erected an hofpital for inoculation at Gothenbourg, and another will foon be establifhed at Stockholm The board of health is diftinct from the royal college of phyficians. It was established in 1719. The bufinefs of the commiffioners is, in times of contagion, to take the propereft methods for ftopping the progrefs of epidemical difeafes. All projects and establishments that have any relation to medicine, fall under their cognizance. Thofe which they approve of, they fupport with all their influence, and procure for them the king's protection and patronage.

There are letters from Salamanca in Spain, that an English gentleman on his travels, was married there the 24th of December to a Spanish lady, aged 14 years, daughter to John Byde Colo, with a fortune of two hundred thoufand Spanish dollars; and that he had embraced the Roman Catholic religion.

We may form a judgment of the immenfe trade the Dutch have acquired during the war, from the following lift of the fleet which failed from the Texel the 26th ult. which confifted of 72 fail for France, 20 for Lisbon, 22 for Cadiz, 30 for the Streights, 10 for England, 8 for Curacoa, 17 for Euftatia, 17 for Surinam, and 10 for East-India, all under convoy of men of war.

14th.

Died the right hon.Sir Rich. Annelley, Bart. earl of Anglefey, baron Altham, in Ireland, aged 75. Mr. M'Kercher foon after his decease, took poffeffion of the manor of Newport Pagnel, and the toll of the market for the young lord Anglefey, fon to the unfortunate James Annelley, who died laft year; and alfo of the Anglesea eftates in the counties of Warwick, Caermarthen, and Pembroke.

15th.

The wife of a labouring man, near Kingston, in Surry, was delivered of three girls. At a court of common18th. council, part of the London work-houfe was agreed to be applied for, and fitted up, for the reception of the prifoners in Ludgate.

Letters from Briflol mention, that there is arrived there in a fhip lately come from America, an Indian woman about 21 years old, taken at Lake Champlain; that for fine features and fhape, few in England can equal her. She is very curious in painting, and is configned to an officer's lady in Scotland, whofe hulband has a command now in America, under the brave general Amherft.

Wintourn, Doriet, Feb. 7. Friday night, between eight and nine o'clock, when it was extremely dark, as I was returning home in my coach with the canvales up, I was fuddenly furprized with the moft extraordinary appearance of. light I ever beheld; which rendered every object fo visible (not only on the fpot where we were,. but for miles around) that my fervants, who, but juft before could⠀ fcarce perceive the beads of the horfes they rode on, could now :

fee: