lection of Poems," "The Preceptor," &c. &c. and commenced, in 1758, "The Annual Regifter." Robert, who quitted bufinefs early in 1759, died Sept. 28, 1764, at the age of 61; James perfevered in acquiring wealth by the moft honourable literary connections. In 1782 he communicated to the Rockingham administration the plan of the tax on receipts, which, though troublefome to the trader, has been productive of confiderable revenue to the ftate. A few years after, (1786) he was nominated as a proper person to be sheriff of London and Middlefex; in excufe for which he cheerfully paid the customary fine. It is worthy noticing, as a literary anecdote, that he fold no lefs than 18,000 copies of Mr. Burke's famous "Reflections on the French Revolution;" with confiderable advantage both to himself and to the author; to whom he made a very handfome compliment for the profits. His property (which is eftimated to be about 70,0001.) he has given principally to nephews and nieces, and their defcendants: to fome of them 8000l. 3 per cents each; and to others 4 or 5000l. each, in fpecific fums, or in higher funds: to each of his executors 10001. Thefe are Mr. Tho. Tawney, of Brooks-place, Lambeth, who married a daughter of his brother Ifaac; Mr. J. Walter, of Charing-Crofs (with whom he had been in habits of friendfhip, Mr. Walter having ferved his apprenticeship with his brother Robert); and Mr. G. Nicol, his Majefty's bookfeller, in Pall-mall. To his attorney, Mr. Webfter 1000l.; to Mr. John Freeborn, who had been for feveral years his affiftant in bufinefs, 40001; to his maid-fervant:5001; to his coachman 500l.

2

and alfo his carriage and horfes; to the poor of St. James's, Weftminfter, 2001. 3 per cents; and to the company of ftationers nearly 4001. By a habit of fecluding himfelf from the world, Mr. James Dodfley (who certainly poffefed a liberal heart and a ftrong understanding) had acquired many peculiarities. He at one time advertised an intention of quitting trade; but in lefs than a fortnight, repenting the refcin tion, again advertifed that he fhould continue in bufinefs, and refolicited the favour of his friends. For fome years pat, however, he kept no public fhop, but continued to be a large wholefale dealer in books of his own copy-right. Of thefe a part, to the amount of fome thoufand pounds, was burnt by an accidental fire in a warehouse which he had not prevailed on himself to infure; but the lofs of which ke was philofopher enough to bear without the leaft apparent emotion; and fold to a gentleman the chance of the fragments of wafte paper that might be faved, for a fingle hundred pounds. This agreement was not fulfilled, but the whole remainder was afterwards fold for 80 guineas. He kept a carriage many years, but ftudiously withed that his friends fhould not know it; nor did he ever ufe it on the eastern fide of Templebar. He purchased fome years fince an eftate with a fmall houfe on it, between Chislehurst and Bromley. On the house he expended an incredible fum, more than would have rebuilt one of twice the size; which afterwards he rarely vifited, and at length let, with the eftate, on a long leafe, at a very low rent. Though he has often expreffed his apprehenfion that the law (if he fhould die inteftate) would not dif pofe of his property as he could

wifh,

wifh, he never could perfuade himfelf to make a will till he was turned of 70; fince which he has made four: the laft of them on January 4, 1797, not long before his deceafe. He left every legacy clear of the tax, and appointed fix refiduary legatees.

MARCH.

Ift. A very fevere affray took place this evening in Market-lane, Pall-mall. An order had imprudently been given to the foldiers, guarding the entrance of the Opera-house in that lane, to turn out the fervants of the nobility who flood in the lobby; which the fervants refifted, and the chairmen taking their part, attacked the foldiers fo violently with their poles, that it was found neceffary to call in the affiftance of the guard at the front of the houfe to quell the riot. Several of the fervants were much wounded in the affray.

3d. Public rejoicings took place in London, on account of the victory of Admiral Jervis over the Spanish fleet; and a fubfcription was entered into at Lloyd's for the relief of the widows and orphans of the brave men who fell on that

occafion.

4th. Twenty fhilling notes were iffued by the Bank of England.

8th. This day was obferved as a general faft throughout the kingčom.

10th. Spanish dollars were this day iffued from the Bank, at four hillings and ninepence each.

11th. At the police-office Marlbro'-ftreet, Lady Buckinghamshire, Lady E. Lutterell, and Mrs. Sturt, were convicted before N. Conant and T. Robinfon, Efqrs. in the pealty of 501. each, for playing at

the game of faro; and Henry Martindale was convicted in the fum of 2001. for keeping the faro-table at Lady Buckinghamshire's houfe. The witnefes were two ci-devant fervants of Lady Buckinghamshire. There were informations against Mr. Concannen and Mr. O'Burne for fimilar offences. Both the defendants were found guilty, and paid the penalty.

Thomas Muir, tranfported by the British government to Botany-Bay, reached Cadiz about the beginning of this year. The veffel in which he failed carried him only to Nootka Sound, from whence he travelled nearly the whole length of the weft coaft of America, and reached Panama, the governor of which fhewed him every civility. He crofled the isthmus of Darien, and went in a Spanish frigate to Cuba; but the governor not thinking it proper to fuffer a man of his principles to be at large, confined him on the north fide of Cuba till a proper opportunity occurred to fend him to Spain.

A boat, in which were two midfhipmen and fix failors, belonging to the Europa Ruffian flip, at Chatham, coming from Sheernefs, was overfet by a fquall of wind; by which unfortunate accident one midshipman and four men were drowned; the others were taken up by a failing barge, and put on fhore in the marih, near the Folly-houfe; but not knowing the direct road, and the tide approaching very faft, overwhelmed the remaining unfortunates, who also fell victims, except the midshipman, the only furvivor left to relate the fhocking circumftance: and he now lies dangeroufly ill on board the Archipe lago Ruffian frigate.

15th. A fire broke out in a maltkiln at Burwell, near Newmarket, occupied by Meffrs. Barlow and Wedge, which entirely confumed the fame, with the malting, in which were 351 coombs of malt and barley, moft of it damaged; alfo a house and workshop, the property of Mrs. Brown, fell-monger, widow; a houfe of Mrs. Mary Ifaacfon, another of Richard Bunting, a coal-fhed of Mr. Robert Edwards, and part of the premifes belonging to Mr. William Shaw. Fortunately the wind blew from the fouth-eaft, which drove the flames towards the Fen. Bunting is a great fufferer. Being a waterman, he had several fums of money belonging to Lynn, all of which were loft in the flames, not having time to get any thing out of his house.

3d. The inhabitants of Weftminfter affembled in Palace-yard, and refolved to petition the king to difmifs Mr. Pitt and his colleagues from their offices.

16th. At a court of common council the Lord Mayor called the attention of the court to a requifition figned by forty-three liverymen, deftring him to call a common hall, "To confider of an humble addrefs and petition to his Majefty upon the prefent alarming ftate of public affairs, and praying him to difmifs his prefent minifters from his councils for ever, as the first step towards obtaining a speedy, honourabie, and permanent peace." That he had answered he would confult the court, and had received a protest against fuch a measure. His Lordfhip fubmitted the feveral papers to the court, who were unanimoufly of opinion, that it would be highly improper for them to give any opi

nion refpecting the propriety or expedience of convening a common hall.

19th. This morning about four o'clock a dreadful fire broke out at Mr. Brigg's timber-yard, adjoining Haydon-fquare, in the Minories; which burnt with unoppofed fury for near two hours before water could be procured, and spread fo wide that, notwithstanding the utmoft exertions of the engines, nearly thirty houfes were deftroyed, including fix or feven in front in the Minories. A great quantity of property belonging to the unhappy fufferers was fecured in the church of the Trinity, in the Little Minories, under the protection of parties of the Guards and Weft London militia.

23d. At a numerous common hall, a petition to the purpose before exprefled, was almost unanimoufly voted; and the fheriffs, with the city's reprefentatives in parliament, were requested to prefent it to his Majefty on the throne.

24th. The fheriffs of London attended at St. James's, to know when his Majefty would be pleafed to receive the petition of the Livery upon the throne; and were informed that his Majefty would reeeive no petition from the city of London, except in its corporate capacity: but that he was willing to receive it at the Levee, in the ordinary manner of accepting addreiles.

A riot of a ferious nature took place at Derby, on Monday night laft. A number of perfons having affembled in the Baptift chapel to hear Thelwall lecture on political fubjects, a mob collected in the ftreet with drums, horns, &c. and, after contenting themfelves tome

time with drowning the voice of the orator in tumult, they at length broke the windows, wounded feveral perfons with brick and ftones, and threatened to deftroy the chapel. Thelwall, with a piftol in his :hand, declared he would fhoot any perfon who molefted him; in confequence of which he was fuffered to depart without receiving any injury. It was a long time before the mob feparated.

At the aflizes for Hampshire (Lent affizes) there were fixty-four prifoners on the calendar for trial, of whom fifteen received fentence .of death.

At the aflizes for the county of Suffolk fix prifoners were capitally convicted, and received fentence of death; four of whom were after'wards reprieved.

At the Suffex affizes at Eaft-Grinftead, eighteen prifoners were tried, two of whom were capitally convicted, and received fentence of -death, viz. John Green and George Mafon, for robbing Edward Whitten of half a guinea and nineteen fhillings on the highway, at Cafitle-lane Corner, in the parish of -Weft Grinstead, in Auguft laft. They were, however, both repriev

-ed.

At York aflizes five received fentence of death; one of whom was left for execution, and the other four were refpited.

At Stafford affizes three only were fentenced to tranfportation for feven years. The trial of Mr. T. Oliver, charged with fhooting Mr. J. Wood, was poftponed.

At Warwick aflizes ten prifoners received fentence of death; of whom three were left for execution.

At Worcester aflizes eight prifoners received fentence of death.

They were all, excepting one, reprieved.

At Oxford affizes ten prifoners were capitally convicted; four of whom were left for execution.

At Thetford affizes five received fentence of death; one of whom alone was left for execution.

At Kingston affizes thirteen prifoners were capitally convicted; of whom three were left for execution.

At Winchester affizes, out of fixteen prifoners capitally convicted, three only were left for execution.

At the Chelmsford affizes, ten prifoners were capitally convicted; of whom four were left for execution, and the other fix were refpited.

At Reading aflizes two were fentenced to be hung, one to be trans ported for fourteen years, four for feven years, and one to four years imprisonment.

At Salisbury affizes four were capitally convicted; who were left for execution.

At Lancaster five criminals were capitally convicted.

17th. Elizabeth Brokeby was executed at Lincoln, purfuant to her fentence, for the murder of her hufband by poifon. After fentence fhe was taken from the bar in a ftate of infenfibility, and continued in fo entire a state of ftupefaction as to make it neceffary to fupport her on the fledge which drew her to the gallows, and lift her on the platform. Her body was delivered to the furgeon to be diffected and anatomized.

21ft. Pursuant to his fentence, William Suffolk, aged 46, was executed on the Caftle-hill, Norwich, for the wilful murder of Mary Beck, of North Walsham. An intimacy

fubfifted