pre occafioned these he cannot be a proper judge; but from their being unafual in the quarter from whence they have proceeded, they must probably be occafioned by circumftances equally unavoidable in a beginning work, as those which affected himself. Had time permitted, rather than have allowed fome of the numbers to have gone abroad in their fent incorrect ftate, he would willingly have been at the expence of having them reprinted: but this was impoffible: measures, however, must and shall be adopted at any rate to guard against fimilar defects in future. If ever another edition of this volume fhall be called for, in circum ftances which admit of its being done more leisurely and correctly, the editor will think himself bound to exchange that more correct copy for the prefent, to fuch of his subscribers as fhall defire it. As to the mixture of paper, and the inaccuracies in folding which were unavoidable at the beginning, he hopes his subscribers find already much less room for complaint than before, and that in future things will still be better. It was proposed to extend the prefent number fo far beyond the usual fize, as to include the chronicle (which for this volume will be lefs perfect than is intended in others,) and index ; but it was found that this would have retarded the publication of this number beyond the ufual time of publication; it is therefore published without them. The chronicle and index will be published feparately with all convenient dispatch, and fhall be delivered gratis to the subscribers. No endeavour fhall be wanting to render the succeeding volume more deferving the public favour than the prefent. But the editor will be cautious of exciting expectations which he may not have in his power to the extent he would incline. The difpute with Sin has greatly interrupted his communications with that kingdom and the fouthern parts of Europe; and the winter has precluded communications by fea with the coafts of the Baltic, which has greatly curtailed his correspondence with Germany. But these interruptions it is hoped will now be soon removed. On the 12th of December laft, the 24th. The lightning was uncom inhabitants of Banbury were alarm-monly vivid, equal to what it ufued by the fudden fall of the prin- ally is in the hot months of fumciple aifle of the church, for the mer, and fet fire to a feed mill in taking down and rebuilding of the neighbourhood. In the city which, an act had paffed in the of Coventry, the battlements at laft feffion of parliament. Provi- the weft end of St. Michael's dentially feveral perfons had juft church received confiderable daleft the church; and had it not mage. Lewis, Dec. 27th. The fallen, it was intended that the hurricane, thunder, and lightning workmen fhould begin to take it was exceedingly alarming at Hordown on the morrow, in which cham. The lightning stripped onc cafe many lives would probably fide of the church fpire of all its have been loft. The crack was fhingling, and melted the lead at heard near two miles from the the top; it had also taken fire, but fpot. On the following day the the rain extinguished it. At Hack'tower alfo fell. wood park, belonging to the Duke The late ftorms and hurricanes, of Bolton, near a hundred very attended with thunder and light-large trees were blown down; the ning, were more violent than has leads of the mansion in fome places been known for many years. The rolled up like a fcroll; the tornado ravages they committed on land, (for such it might be called) had particularly in England, were very its direction S. W. by W. and its uncommon; of which the follow- apparent width fcarce exceeded ing are a fpecimen. In Manchef- 100 yards. ter, a large manufactory and house The civilization of modern manwere entirely levelled with the ners has been frequently contrasted ground. In Liverpool, feveral new with thofe of ancient Greece and built houses in the town and its Rome; and the difference has been vicinity were blown down; many in no circumftance more confpicubuildings unroofed, and chimnies ous, than in the inhuman delight demolished; the top of a mill, with which the ancients fhewed for the its machinery, was violently car, fights of wild beafts, and the more ried off, and thrown into the ad- cruel contentions of gladiators. joining land: Canterbury, Dec. we have always expreffed a just VOL. I. 3 A I There was a fecond battle between the Ruffian and Johnson's brother, which was a very fevere trial of ftrength without skill. They were both dreadfully beaten; but the Ruffian had his jugular vein opened, and bled fo copiously from the neck, that they were obliged to take him from the stage to save his life. abhorrence of thefe favage fpec-[nift with great courage, skill, and tacles, and our public amusements activity; he was much less bruised are now for the most part of a than Johnson, who was carried off more elegant kind. Some modern apparently, very much affected in entertainments of a fimilar nature mind and body. are now much gone into difufe. Bull-baiting, bear-baiting, and eock-fighting have already affumed the fame horrid afpect. The uncommon rage which has of late taken place for those vulgar battles called boxing matches, is on this account the more unaccountable. The battles of Humphries and Mendoza have interested the pubfic as much as the most important political deliberations. Those of the firft rank have honoured them with their prefence; and thoufands have expected the event with the utmoft anxiety. A future age may There has been no public buildperhaps philofophife upon them as ing which has of late attracted fo a national curiofity. We fhall give much the general attention of the an account of one of these undig-nation as Somerfet house. The exnified fhews, as recorded with all pence has already amounted to the ferious folemnity of a judicial | 334,7001.; a fum of 33,502 1. is trial. The emperor has established the states of the Milanese in the poffeffion of all the rights and privileges of which they had been divefted during the late reign. General Pao further to be expended, exclufive This day the long expected bat- of what may be neceffary for retle was fought between Big Ben pairs. It is foon to undergo a reand Johnson, in a final field at gular furvey, at the particular deWrotham in Kent. Upwards of fire of a great perfonage. 2000 perfons were affembled on Baftia, Nov. 10. this occafion; Johnfon having Joe li is re-established in his former Ward for his fecond, and Mendo-charge of general of the national za for his bottle-holder;-and Big troops, and has been appointed Ben, with Humphries for his fe- Prefident of the General Affembly cond, and W. Ward for his bottle-of the Ifland of Corfica. At the holder. Col. Tarleton, and Major opening of the Afembly, that geHanger officiated as unapires, aud neral made a fpeech, in which he Mr. H. Afhton as arbitrator. Af- drew a faithful picture of the mifter fighting for 29 minutes, a most fortunes of his country, and con defperate blow, which Johnfon gratulated the Corfican nation upreceived on his right ear, brought on its acceffion to the glory of the him to the ground; and at the French nation; he afterwards ex24th round he gave in. Johnfon preffed his gratitude to the English was knocked down 17 times, fell nation and their beneficent king, once by accident, and feveral times for having generously succoured dropped on one knee. Ben never him in his misfortunes. fell but when he was knocked down, and stood up to his antago On the night betwixt the 8th and 9th November, a dreadful earthquake happened in the town, of easy virtue, and found not guilty of Oran. Within a very short space 18th January The Queen's of time, twenty reiteratedfhocks birth day was celebrated with the were felt, which shook the whole ufual folemnity. town, and buried a great number On the last day of 1790, there of the inhabitants, and part of the was a fog at Amfterdam more garrifon, under the ruins; on this thick and dark than any which melancholy accident more than memory or tradition can parallel. 2000 perished. The people could not see their way A curious discovery, which may along the streets, and ran against throw fome light upon the means each other, even though they had of curing the bites of poifonous lights in their hands. The acci reptiles, &c. bas been ately pub-dents on that day were fo nume lished by a phyfician ol New Eng-rous and remarkable, that they land, viz. that when a rattle fnake must be attributed in part to the bites the nofe of a dog, the latter confternation and terror, which digs a hole in the ground, and, by must be the confequence of fuch laying the part affected in it, is an uncommon phenomenon. It commonly cured. faid that more than 230 perfons Northampton, Jan. 8. A boy perifhed by falling into canals. was brought to the country hofpi- The English cotton manufactotal on Wednesday last, having ex-ries fuffer much by the importa ifted fix days and nights without tions from India, and this matter any kind of nourishment. His will therefore be feriously taken up mafter, who is a fhoe-maker at in parliament. Rotherfthorp, near this town, or- Some idea of the great impordered him to go on the evening of tance of the woollen manufacture Wednesday the 29th ult to a to England, may be formed from neighbouring town with a wallet; the vast quantity of goods in this and the boy not liking his business, branch, manufactured in Yorktook that opportunity of eloping, fhire only. It appears by the reand was not heard of till Tuesday turn of the proper officer, that night last, when he was discovered there were fent to market last year by his groans in a calf pen in Kin-woollen goods manufactured in the flingbury-field, where he had re- diftrict of Yorkshire, taking in mained from the time of his de- Rochdale (a space of ground not parture from home, and must very more than thirty miles fquare) to foon have perifhed for want, had the value of three millions, four he not been thus fortunately dif- hundred thousand pounds. covered; though it seems the wal- It has been in contemplation to let contained a pork pye, which cultivate fugar in the Fandarch the boy knew nothing of. A islands, which lie midway in the mortification has taken place in great Pacific ocean, and very nearhis feet, in confequence of being fo ly in the fame parallel latitude of long exposed to the cold. Jamaica; these isles are very nu On the 17th January, the trial merous, and remarkably fertile. of Lord Viscount Dungarvan, eld- The removal of the convicts from eft fon of the Earl of Cork, took New South Wales to fo very deplace; he was profecuted for a fireable a fituation, and the hopes obbery by one Welden, a woman of being able to fupply the Chị 1 nefe markets with fugars, and o-, which the poor were allowed to ther tropical products, from which remonftrate on their grievances empire they are not very diftant, with impunity. may poffibly induce our governThe Abbé Reynal, who was ment to confider this fubject with lately restored to his rank as a ciferious attention. tizen by the National Affembly, We may infer the profperous has prefented the Royal Agricul ftate of trade and commerce, in tural Society at Paris, with a bond Glasgow, from the great advance for a perpetual annuity of 1200 of landed property which has tak-livres, or 50 1. Sterling, for the en place of late in the county of purpose of purchafing implements Lanark. of agriculture, to be distributed anThe following lift of veffels nually amongst husbandmen in the which have paffed the found laft different departments of the kingyear, may give fome idea of Euro- dom. To this fum, Mr. Volland pean commerce. British, Danes, Ruffian, Dantzickers, *་་ Paperburghers, Imperialifts, Pruffians, Dutch, Bremeriers, Swedes, Lubeckers, Portuguese, French, Americans, Spanish, Hamburghers, Venetians, has added, for the prefent year, 3788 300 livres; and the fociety 500 1559 livres, taken from the fund deftin 6ed for prizes of encouragement. 248 The Irish parliament have in99 ftituted an inquiry into the proper 6 means for preventing the inordi599 nate use of spirits among the low2009 er clafs of people.. 177 Feb. 2. The tide rofe in the ri430 ver Thames full twelve inches 89 higher than has been for twenty 24 years paft. A confiderable part of 339 the city was overflowed. This has 22 happened feveral times before, viz. 28 in the years 1235, 1730, Feb. 123 1735, Dec. 24. 1736, Oct. 14. 44 1747, and Feb. 9. 1762. 32 The following is the amount of 104 the capital fum redeemed by the 6 commiffioners for the liquidation of the national debt, on the laft In all, 9732 day of January 1791. The history of the natural world 3 per cent confols, for the last two years, is fomewhat 3 per cent, reduced, remarkable. There has been no Old South Sea, froft of three days continuance; New South Sea, and the winds of Europe have been South Sea, 1757, almost as violent as the tornados of America. L. 2,753,800 1,878,450 1,091,100 807,000 242,000 L. 6,772,350 In October laft 6,365 1. Exchequer annuities fell in, and 48,515 1. granted in 1692, for 99 years will foon fall in, which, with the inter By the latest accounts from Spain, the people in various parts of the kingdom begin to talk audibly of accumulated taxes, and the felicity of fome former age, ineft of the capital fum redeemed |