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who had refigned their places, and fer- horfe, as he walked through the court to ved them with letters de cachet, exiling the gate at the top of the steps; a page them to various towns, with an injunc- of the bedchamber walked before him tion to set out in twenty-four hours; du- with lights; the Dauphin was behind, ring which time they were not allowed with the Duke d'Ayen, the captain of to ftir out of doors, or to see any perfons the guards in waiting; and several exbut those of their own households. The empts and equerries followed. officers were ordered to stay with them The King's footmen were waiting till the moment of their departure, and for him at the coach-fide juft without to accompany them fixty miles on the the gate. Clofe to this gate ftood Daroad from Paris, after which they were mien, in a brown coat, with a great coat to let them proceed to the refpective over it, the cape of which was buttoned places of their exile. The whole city up round his neck. One Selim a footof Paris was greatly alarmed at this pro- man, who was next him, seeing the King cedure. A deputation from the grand approach, and perceiving that Damien chamber waited again on the King the had his hat on, which was of an enor2d of February, with a petition in be- mous fize, faid to him hastily, "Take off half of those fixteen members; but his your hat; do not you fee the King?" Majefty's answer was, that orders had al- The words were scarce spoken when the ready been fent to reimburse them the King came up; and Damien at the fame purchase-money of their employments, inftant gave the blow [43]. He was and therefore it was needlefs to think immediately feized by the guard; who, any more about them. The parlia- in the firft tranfport of their zeal and rement of Rouen, capital of Normandy, fentment, burnt his legs with the torches, have come to the following refolution. which gave occafion to a report of his "The court, all the chambers being af- legs having been pinched with hot irons. fembled, has refolved, that commiffaries The Duke d'Ayen, captain of the guard, be appointed to confider of expedients hearing his fhrieks, and being zealous for obtaining from the King's juftice and to preferve him from being torn to pielenity, that he would be pleased to re- ces, that his accomplices might be dif ftore his confidence to the parliament of covered, rushed in among the tumult, Paris, and to reunite all the members of and cried out, " Which is he? which is it." We learn from Bourdeaux, that, on he?" Damien immediately answered, the 25th of January, the parliament of Scoundrel, it is 1." He was then reGuyenne came to a refolution of much the fame import.

We are informed, that the French King is perfectly recovered of his wound.

The following account of the attempt, and of the affaffin, is taken from the Gentleman's Magazine.

"The King having been fome days at Trianon, went from thence to Verfailles on the 5th of January in the forenoon, to vifit the royal family. About three quarters of an hour after five o'clock in the evening, being about to return, his coach was ordered to draw up to the fteps at the end of the marble court, leading from the royal apartment. A bout fix, the King came from his clofet, by the stairs that came down upon the marble court. He was fupported by the Count de Brianne, and the mafter of the

fcued from farther violence, and carried to the guard-room; where he was fearched; but nothing was found upon him, but the knife, a New Teftament, and about thirty-five louis-d'ores. He was then conducted to the prison at Verfailles, where a ftrong detachment of the guard were appointed to do duty.

"In the mean time the King was car ried back to an apartment of the palace; where his wound was examined, and found not to be dangerous. He could not, however, be perfuaded but that he was dying: he confeffed himself; and thinking he might have forgotten fomething, he confeffed him felf again. He was alfo very defirous to receive the viaticum; but he was at length, though with great difficulty, perfuaded to defer that till it fhould be more apparently neceffary.

"The

"The prifoner was many times examined concerning his motives and his accomplices. His anfwers to this part of his examination are kept impenetrably fecret; but as many people have been taken into cuftody, there is reason to fup. pofe that fome important difcoveries have been made, and that more are expected, the prisoners that were in the Baftile having been removed to Vincennes to make room for those who may hereafter be feized on Damien's account. Among those who have been feized already, are the wife and daughter of the criminal, and his brother and his brother's wife, who were both fervants to members of parliament, though in different families, and who have acquired very good characters in their ftations. He has another brother fettled at St Omer's, and a fifter, the widow of a joiner at Arras. One of his uncles was long houfe-fteward, or maistre de hotel, to a college of Jefuits, where he acquired a confiderable fum, with which he purchased an estate in Piccardy, where he now lives.

"The discoveries that have been made with respect to his person and circumstances, are in fubftance as follows. -His name is Robert Francis Damien. He is the fon of Pierre Jofeph Damien, who is yet alive. He was born in the fuburbs of Arras, called the Fauxbourg St Catherine en Moulin-les-Arras, and is about forty-two years of age. He was formerly a fervant to the college of Jefuits in St James's- ftreet, Paris. This place he left in 1738; when he married a woman of Metz, named Elifabeth Mellerzin, now about fifty years of age; by whom he has one daughter, who is now eighteen years old, and fubfifts by painting dolls for children. Since his marriage he has lived as a fervant with many families in Paris, where he has always paffed for a bachelor, and went by the name of Flamand; particularly with Madame de la Bourdonnois, to whom he was recommended by the rector of the Jefuits college; and with Madame de St Reufe, who difmiffed him about a year ago. In July laft, he entered into the fervice of a Ruffia merchant; who

would have taken him with him to Peterfburg; but four days after he had been hired, he found means to rob him of 240 louis-d'ores, and made off undiscovered. He was purfued to Arras, whence he was traced to St Omer's, Dunkirk, Brusfels, and other places; but was not overtaken. On the 31st of December last he returned to Paris, by the Bruffels ftage-coach, and went to fee his wife, who was then cook to Madame Baudinelli. He continued at Paris till the 3d of January, contrary to the remonftrances of his wife and his daughter, who were not ignorant either of the robbery he had committed, or the purfuit that had been made after him.

"On the evening of the 3d of January, he took leave of them, and faid he would go where-ever chance should direct him. From that time to the 5th of January, the day he committed the fact, he fculked about from place to place between Paris and Versailles; and, as he fays, did not refolve upon the attempt till the very day on which it was made. He pretends, however, that he did not rob the Ruffian merchant, but that he went to Bruffels to fee his relations, and tranfact fome private affairs; alledging that the money found upon him was his own, and that he had faved it out of his wages. It is remarked, that his anfwers fhew him to have had an education much fuperior to his rank. With refpect to his character, as a man, his whole life appears to have been one perpetual tranfition from debauchery to fanaticifm, and from fanaticism to debauchery, and his behaviour fince his confinement perfectly agrees with fuch a life. He appears fometimes perfectly compofed, and fleeps as long and as foundly as if he fuffered nothing, and had nothing to fuffer: at other times, he starts into fudden and outrageous paffions, and attempts to deftroy himself againit the walls of his dungeon, or with the chains that have been put upon his arms and legs. His health has been much impaired by the inflammation caufed by burning his legs, and by fome violent emetics and cathartics, that were adminiftered the night he was feized,

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upon a fuppofition that he might have fwallowed poifon. It is alfo faid, that having, in one of his furious fits, at tempted to bite off his tongue, an order had been given to draw out his teeth, which was immediately executed.

"On the 17th of January, at three quarters of an hour after ten at night, Damien was removed from Verfailles to Paris. The prifoner was put into a coach and four, with one of the King's furgeons, and two of the provoft's guard: in another coach and four was a man who had been feized upon fufpicion as his accomplice, with three of the provoft's officers; and four more of thefe officers followed in a third. Thefe coaches were preceded by a detachment of the marshal's guard, with their fire arms ready to prefent. The way was lined with other detachments of the fame guard; fixty grenadiers, commanded by four lieutenants and eight fublieutenants, mounted upon the King's horfes, attended the coaches; and eight ferjeants, each armed with a firelock, marched at each of the coach-doors.

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In this order they arrived at Seve; where the fixty grenadiers fell into the rear, and fixty other grenadiers took their place about the coach. They proceeded through the villages of Iffi and Vaugirard, a company of Swifs guards lining the way. At Vaugirard, the efcort was joined by a company of grenadiers of the French guards. They entered Paris by the bar of Seve, paffed by the Croixrouge, and through the streets of Tour, Buffy, Dauphine, le Pont Neuf, and the quay called Orfeores.

"About three o'clock in the morning the three coaches arrived at the Conciergerie; where the criminal was taken out of the coach, and being put into a kind of hammock, was carried up to the tower of Montgomery; where he was guarded by four ferjeants, who continue with him night and day; eight other ferjeants are pofted in the upper part of the tower, and below were a corps of ten French guards. In the court-yard was another guard of feventy men, which was relieved every twenty-four hours. The officers of the guard are

never permitted to fee the criminal, nor even permitted to enter the prison, without a written order from the first prefident. He was removed in the night for greater fecrecy and fecurity; and all perfons were forbidden to come into the treets, or even to appear at their windows, while he was paffing, under pain of being fired at by the guards.

"The fame morning at ten o'clock, the criminal was examined by the firft prefident of parliament, and feveral affiftants, and his examination lafted till four in the afternoon.

"The fubftance of his examination was registered the fame day in the proper office; where the knife with which he wounded the King is also depofited, and all his other moveables."

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We are informed, that the French King, in writing to his daughter, the Duchefs of Parma, concerning his recovery, expreffed himself in the following terms. The wound of my body is healed, but has left fo deep a wound in my mind, that I would willingly part with life, to efface fo great a blot from the annals of my reign.' Many threatening letters have been found dropt both at Paris and Versailles, importing, that though Damien has failed in his attempt, there are not wanting others of equal refolution, who are not difcouraged, nor will be prevented in their defign, by his ill fuccefs. Even the Dauphin has been threatened. It is faid he received a letter, the purport of which was, to inform him of his being poifoned, but that the poifoner, touched with remorfe for fo execrable a crime, had, in order to atone for it, sent him inclosed an infallible antidote. This, we are told, proved, upon examination, to be rank poifon. There have been great commotions in many parts of France; and according to late accounts, every thing at Paris continued in the ut moft confufion.

On the 3d of February, M. Machault, keeper of the feals, and the Count d'Argenfon, minifter at war, were difmiffed from their feveral employments by the following letters de cachet,

"Monfieur

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Monfieur Machault, Though I am perfuaded of your probity, and the uprightness of your intentions, the prefent fituation of affairs obliges me to demand your refignation of the poft of fecretary of ftate for the marine. Depend still on my protection and friendship. If you have any favours to ask for your chil dren, you may do it at all times. It is proper that you should stay fome time at Arnonville. [Signed,] Louis. -P. S. I referve to you your penfion of minister of 20,000 livres, and the honours of keeper of the feals."

"Monf. d'Argenfon, Having no further occafion for your fervices, I order you to refign to me your poft of fecretary at war, and your other employment, and to retire to your estate at Ormes. [Signed,] Louis."

The reafons of difmiffing those two minifters fo fuddenly, and of the great difference obfervable in the ftyle of the letters, is not known to the public; nor, according to very late advices, was it certain who were to fucceed to the employments vacated. It has been faid, that M. Pellitier, formerly first prefident of the parliament, has had the offer of the feals, but refused them; nay, fome have afferted, that no one inclines to accept of them, because the former keeper was removed on account of his refufing to affix them to a deed of a bad

nature.

The French have fent orders to Breft and Rochefort for the equipping of twenty-fix men of war, viz. eighteen from 80 to 64 guns, and eight from 50 to 30, which they fay will be divided into feveral fquadrons. They write from Paris, that the Toulon fquadron failed the 27th of January on a fecret expedition; and that of M. de Beaufremont, confifting of four fhips from 80 to 64 guns, and three of 30, put to fea the 31ft of that month from Breft for St Domingo.

According to advices from Bourdeaux, twelve privateers were to be lanched there within the month of January, one of them to carry 50 guns, and the least 24. The melting of the winter fnow did vaft damage in feveral provinces of VOL. XIX.

France, particularly that of Artois, where the rivers fwelled fo greatly and fuddenly. that churches, houfes, bridges, mills, perfons, and cattle, were carried away by the violence of the torrent, and the corn-fields were torn up and ruined in an aftonishing manner.

The fame calamity wa feverely felt in the UNITED PROVINCES, where most of the bridges were washed away, fome hundreds of veffels crufhed to pieces by the ice, many of the inhabitants with their cattle drowned, and large tracts of ground laid under water.- Five more men of war have been put into commiffion by the admiralty of Amfterdam, two of 60 guns, two of 50, and one of 40. A refolution has been taken by the States-General to augment their fleet with three veffels of 60 guns, three of 50, feven of 40, and one of 36. The city of Amfterdam ftill oppofes the augmentation of their land-forces.

As to PLANTATION affairs, a letter from Halifax in Nova Scotia, dated Nov. 6. bears, that a veffel fent by that government to Louisburg, capital of Cape Breton, as a flag of truce, being returned, reported, that the French there were in great want of provifions of all kinds, particularly bread, and that even horfe beef fold at 18 pence a pound.

Letters from Philadelphia advife, that the affembly there have voted 75,000l. Sterling for the common fervice, and paffed a bill for raising an useful militia.

Private letters from Virginia bear, that the Earl of Loudon had concerted fuch proper measures, in conjunction with Sir William Johnfon, and the reft of the commanding officers in North America, as to have an army of 30,000 men next campaign, befides parties of Indians in the British interest. are told that the officers of the provincials are, for the future, to rank with thofe of the troops from G. Britain, and that all the forces there are now`ùnited as one body.

ENGL A N D.

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All perfons may purchase as many tickets as they please, when public notice fhall be given that they are ready to be delivered at the bank. And all perfons, before the tickets are to be delivered, may fubfcribe at the bank for any number of tickets above twenty, paying down the full price, if under one hundred, and half the price if above one hundred.

The day of the second payment to be on or before the 1st of June, on which fubfcriptions receipts are to be given.

The prizes to be paid at any time after the 20th of January 1758.

And notice is given, of date Feb. 16. That books are opened at the bank of England for taking fubfcriptions to the lottery; that all perfons may fubfcribe for any number of tickets under a hundred, and not less than twenty, upon paying the full price of a guinea per ticket; and that fuch as fubfcribe for a hundred tickets or upwards, may pay only half a guinea a ticket at the time of fubfcribing, and the remainder on or before the ift of June next.

On the 15th of February the King gave the royal affent to

An act for granting to his Majefty a fum not exceeding 1,050,005 1. 5 s. to be raised by way

of lottery.

An act to difcontinue. the duties upon corn- -imported, &c. [57]

corn

An act to prohibit the exportation of from America, &c. [58] An act for punishing mutiny and defertion, and for the better payment of the army and

their quarters.

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T is always with reluctance that his Majefty afks any extraordinary fupplies of his people; but as the united councils and formidable preparations of France, and her allies, threaten, with the most alarming confequences, Europe in general; and as these moft unjust and vindictive defigns are particularly and immediately bent against his Majefty's electoral domi-: nions, and thofe of his good ally the King of Pruffia; his Majefty confides in the experienced zeal and affection of his faithful Commons, [that they will chearfully affift him in forming and maintaining an army of obfervation, for the juft and neceffary defence and prefervation thereof, and enable his Majefty to fulfil his engagements with the King of Pruffia, for the fecurity of the empire, against the irruption of foreign armies, and for the fupport of the common cause. G. R.

This meffage was referred, nem. con. to the Tupply committee: to whom the treaty between his Majesty and the King of Pruffia, figned at Weftminster, Jan. 16. 1756, was next day referred; and the houfe immediately refolved itfelf into the faid committee, and came to the following refolution, which was reported next federunt, Feb. 21. viz. "That a fum not exceeding 200,ocol. be granted to his Majefty, to affift him in forming and maintaining, during the prefent year, an army of obfervation, for the juft and neceffary defence and prefervation of his Majefty's electoral dominions, and thofe of his allies, and towards enabling his Majefty to fulfil his engagements with the King of Pruffia, for the fecurity of the empire againft the irruption of foreign armies," and for the fupport of the common caufe." Which refolution being read a fecond time, was agreed to by the

An act for the fpeedy and effectual recruiting of his Majefty's land-forces and marines. [61.] To two road-bills and three private bills, which house nem. con. rela e all to England.

An

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