parental caufe, inferring moles, frogs, birds, fishes, &c, and concludes with this pious obfervation, That animals, when become unfit for the uses annexed to their life, im mediately after their death acquire others; and thus, even in their deftruction, concur to the univerfal defign of the Creator, whose wifdom and goodness is over all his works,

The reading the hiftory and memoirs of the foreign academies of sciences, must neceffarily hinder the notion of our vaft fuperiority in scientific abilities and improvements, from degenerating into a contempt of foreigners, like the narrow question of Nathanael, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? On the other hand, as there may be foreigners, though probably very few, infected with the like national prejudices, we would refer them to our Tranfactions and other publications, as thining proofs that the poet did not flatter his country when he says, its natives are

In genius and fubftantial learning high

Her fons of glory many.

The following are fome particulars relating to the death of fir William Peere Williams, lately killed at Belleifle. Being eager to reconnoitre the works of the cita del, he drew near the glacis, notwithstanding the repeated warning of his fervant, whom he ordered to attend him, and who was very fenfible of their being within the reach of a musket: But his advice being difregarded, fir William was hot by a centinel, and expired on the spot. His body being taken up by fome men belonging to

the garrison, the French comman dant judging it to be a perfon of diftinction, fent out a drummer to general Hodgfon, to request him to fend for the corpfe; which drammer was fhot dead by an over-forward foldier in our army, who, for this breach of the laws of war, was ordered to be hanged; but the French commandant, judg. ing it to be a mistake, proceeding from ignorance and zeal to revenge the death of fir William, fent off another drummer with a polite interceffory letter on behalf of the delinquent, who has been pardoned in confequence, and the corpfe of fir William was brought back to our camp. 'Tis faid fir William had in his pocket, notes to the amount of 250l. which were returned with the body.

Was held the anniversary 7th. feaft of the fons of the clergy. The collection at the church, and after dinner, (including a benefaction of zool. by the hands of earl Talbot) amounting to 1078 1. befides 1001. given (as ufual) by Sampfon Gideon, efq;

Ended the feffions at the 8th. Old Bailey, when seven were capitally convicted; one for horfe ftealing; one for ftealing mercery goods out of his mafters's warehoufe; three for robbing on the highway, one for forgery; and one for fodomy. Thirteen were ordered to be tranfported, two were branded, and eight were discharg ed for want of profecution. Ŏf. thefe capitally convicted, four were executed the 27th, the rest have been pardoned; one was reprieved at the place of execution, and fince pardoned on condition of ferving his majesty.

A book

canons.

The following is a tranflation of the Turkish manifefto againft the Maltese:

"From the mighty powerful grand fultan Ofman, &c. &c. The grand Amurath, illuftrious fultan of the Turks, our predeceffor, and well-beloved brother, of immortal memory, had conceived the defign of wrefting the little rock of the knights of Malta from the Chriftians, and to deftroy their fhips which cover and infeft our feas, but death fnatched him off and prevented his project from taking effect; to us he has left it in charge by his will to fee his defign put in execution. Perhaps we hould have deferred the enterprize, had we not been obliged to it by our juft wrath against these knights and their abetters; the behaviour of whom, in regard to our fhips, is but too fhocking. Therefore, taking a quick and lawful refolution, we ordain by this prefent ordon-nance, that our fubjects appear at Conftantinople in the moon of March, with their galleys, and their other armed veffels; and that all hips in our arfenals be ready at the fame time, that we may em

bark our army, in order that it may imprint terror in the universe: that the whole chriftian world may feel our just indignation; and the; by our invincible power may be made the laft maffacre of the Christians, &c. &c. &c.”

The fleet of the Grand Signior might perhaps be able to exterminate the Maltese, if they were abandoned to their own ftrength; but it is likely they will be fuc. coured by Spain, who has 36 ships of war all equipped, which joined to thofe of Naples, the gallies of the Pope, and those of Genoa, &c. may be more than fufficient to render all the defigns of the Sultan abortive.

7

Admiralty-Office. Extract of a letter from vice admiral 9th. Saunders, to Mr. Cleveland, dated at Gibraltar bay, April 6, 1761.

I have the fatisfaction to defire you will acquaint their lordships, that his majefty's fhip Ifis fell in with the Oriflame, on the 1ft inftant, off Cape Tres Forcas, and, after a running fight of fome hours, took her; and they are now both arrived in this bay. She had been 29 days from Toulon, and one from Oran. The particulars of her lading are not yet known, as her papers of that fors are not yet found.

I am extremely forry to acquaint their lordships, that although the Ifis had only four men killed, capt. Wheeler is unfortunately one of that number, who, with two others (a midshipman and quarter-mafter) were killed by one fhot, very foon after the beginning of the action. The Ifis had nine wounded, two of them badly. The numbers killed and wounded in the Ori

flame,

flame, are not yet afcertained, but are fuppofed to be between forty and fifty.

They began to engage at fix in the evening, and continued a running fight till half past ten; the Oriflame endeavoured to get to the northward of the Ifis, in order to get over to the Spanish fhore, to prevent which, lieutenant Cunningham (commanding officer of the Ifis) found it neceffary to run on board her, which he did, with no other damage to either fhip, than the lofs of one of his own anchors, very foon after which the ftruck. She had forty guns mounted, 26 of them twelve pounders, and 14 eighteen pounders, and upwards of 370 men.

As lieutenant Cunningham, and all the officers and people, appear to have behaved extremely well in this action, I cannot omit recommending him earnestly to their lord hips favour; and, for the prefent, I have given him an order to command the Oriflame, till their lordships pleasure be known, whether the fhall be taken into his majefty's fervice. She fails remarkably well; has lately had a thorough repair; is well found in all refpects, and carries her ports extremely well, though now deep.

Paris, April 27. The publick cannot guess what may be the crime of the counfellor who drew up the memorial for Ambrofe Guy against the jefuits: it is to be fuppofed that the judges of the Chatelet, by whom he has been tried, knew what they were about. His fentence imported, that he should be whipped, branded, and fent to the galleys for three years. After this fentence was read to him the azd

inftant, he found means to cut his arteries, and the next day he was found expiring in his cell upon which a profecution was instantly commenced against the corpfe, and in the afternoon of the fame day it' was hung up by the heels, and then dragged through the ftreets in a hurdle. [Probably it was not for drawing up a memorial, but forging an arret of the council of ftate in favour of Ambrofe Guy's heirs, with which the jefuits were regularly ferved, but which the the council foon after disclaimed.]

11th.

The feveral divifions of the Middlefex militia were muftered in the Artillery ground, Tothill-fields, Lambs Conduitfields, and White-Conduit-fields, where they received their new cloathing, &c. and afterwards marched off in different parties, for Hampftead, Highgate, Hendon, and Finchley, to be quarter-' ed there till further orders.

12th.

A fire broke out at Waltham crofs, which in a short time reduced the whole building to afhes; and another at Hungerford, Berkshire, by which feveral houfes were confumed.

By the laft advices from Malta, they were very bufy in fortifying the places that are moft acceffible, cleanfing the cifterns, changing the water in them, airing certain provifions in the magazines, infpecting the arms in the arfenals, and making new mufkets, &c. On numbering the people in the island, they have found fifteen thoufand men fit for military fervice. They write from Rome, that the Pope is going to make an augmentation in his troops, and has ordered his galleys to keep conftantly cruifing

on

on the coafts of the ecclefiaftick ftate.

There has lately been publifhed at Wittemberg, a fecond edition of a very curious piece, intitled, De

Polyphago et Allatriophage Wittebergenfi Differtatio, præfide D. G. R. Boebemer. refp. C. G. Trenzel. This is an account of one of the moft prodigious eaters ever heard of: This man, at pleasure, for he did it only to get money, would eat up a whole fheep, or pig, and fometimes a bushel or two of cherries, ftones, and all; and even things of a destructive quality, and which other men would on no confideration attempt, did not affrighten him, breaking with his teeth, mafticating and swallowing earthen and glass veffels, and flints. He has been feen to ingurgitate a bag pipe with all its appurtenances, living creatures, birds, mice, and catterpillars by handfuls. And, what feems beyond all belief, a tin ftandish being offered him by way of defiance, he made no bones of it, but devoured it, together with the pens, penknife, ink, and fand. This last fact, indeed, is fo ftrange, that though there it paffes for certain, though the celebrated author of this differtation makes no queftion of it, and feven credible witneffes made oath of it before the worshipful fenate, it is apprehended, many will reject it as an impofture. This enormous eater, however, was uncommonly ftrong and robuft, and continued his atchievements, which turned to good account, to the age of fixty years; when, betaking himself to a regular life, he reached his 79th year. On opening his body, the author discovered many extraordinary particulars, of which he gives a very circumstantial account, together

with the history of several other exceffive eaters; and concludes with an enquiry into the causes of fuch a ftrange faculty.

Six hundred prifoners fet out from the King's-bench, 13th. the new goal, and marthaifea for Ryegate, to take at the feffions there, the benefit of the late infolvent act.

To the Printer.

"SIR,

The machine (fee page 98.): lately mentioned in the publick papers, being painted in fuch glaring colours, obliged me to think the picture (no other than what the witty apes of these times call. humbugging) drawn by fome finished Boniface of Richmond, by way of invitation to the curious Londoners, that he might have the opportunity of fhewing them the excellence of his wines, &c. But having bufinefs at Richmond yefterday, I found myself most agreeably deceived in my conjectures. That there is a machine (there for the capture of fish, is moft certain, your defcription of which, I affure you, is far fhort of its excellency. I faw it work, and in my opinion, there never was an invention fo fimple in itself, and fo ferviceable to mankind in general, and to this nation in particular. To me it is plain, if this invention is properly encouraged, Great Britatn cannot fail of rivalling all Europe, in the cod and ling trade.-I should not have troubled you with this, had I not thought it the duty of every individual in Great Britain, to expose his thoughts in all things that may tend to the honour and interest of the nation'

Thames street May 15.

I am, Sir, &c. John De vil.".

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