tion of beholding their ingenious and afpiring countryman afcend the air. On account of the heavy rain which fell the preceding night, and part of that morning, the inflation of the balloon was confiderably retarded, and about one o'clock Mr. Crofbie having entered the carriage, found to his mortification that it would not rife. The bufinefs of inflation was continued, and at half paft two our brave adventurer found every thing ready to complete his wishes-he accordingly again refumed his car, and the cord being cut, he mounted awfully majestic, while the air refounded with the houts-the prayers-the admiration of the delighted multitude. In three minutes and a half an envious cloud fecluded him from mortal fight, and all was folemn filencefear for the fafety of the gallant youth beat high in every breaft, till in about twelve minutes he appeared defcending at the northward.-The latenefs of the hour preventing the aeronautic charioteer from taking any further journey, he alighted in perfect fuafety on the North-ftrand, where he was inftantly furrounded by the populace, who teftified their approbation and regard for the triumphant hero, who made the air fubfervient to his wifhes, by carrying him in proceffion to Earl Charlemont's, amid unbounded bursts of congratulation and applaufe. The ballcon and chariot were beautifully painted, and the arms of Ireland emblazoned on them in fuperior clegance of tafle. Mr. Crofbie's figure is genteel; his aerial drefs confifted in a robe of oiled filk, lined with white fur, his waistcoat and breeches in cne, of white fattin quilted, and Morocco boots, and a Montere cap of leopard-fkin. The Duke of Lein

fter, Lord Charlemont, Right Hon. George Ogle, Counsellors Caldbeck, Downes, and Whiteftone, attended with white ftaves, as regulators of the bufinefs of the day.

5th.

FEBRUARY 1785.

At twelve o'clock, the Com. mittee appointed to wait on Mr. Pitt with the freedom of the city of London, proceeded from Guildhall to Mr. Pitt's houfe, in Downingstreet, Weftminster, in the following order:

Sir Watkin Lewes, as Chairman of the Committee. Mr. Alderman Pickett.

Mr. Alderman Sanderfon. Mr. Wilkes, as Chamberlain. Mr. Deputy Young and Mr. Deputy Hilton.

Mr. Deputy Percy and Mr. Merry. Mr. Dornford and Mr. Anderfon. Mr. Withers and Mr. Dowling. Mr. Birch and Mr. Toulmin.

Mr. Rix, Town Clerk. When the committee arrived at Mr. Pitt's, they were immediately introduced to that gentleman, when Sir Watkin Lewes addreffed him in the following speech:

firmnefs for permanent fecurity and extenfion of our commerce as citizens, and our happiness as Britons. "The committee feel with fatisfaction the honour conferred upon them, in being thus delegated to fo pleafing and diftinguished a commilion.

"Be affured, Sir, that the city of London will ever ftand foremost to fupport the measures of government, whilft they continue to be fo manifeftly founded in wifdom and integrity."

Mr. Pitt returned an answer, the fubitance of which was as follows: "He must firft," he faid, "thank Sir Watkin Lewes for the very flattering manner in which he had conveyed the fentiments of the committee. He truled the city of London would do him the juftice to believe, that the fecurity and extenfion of their commerce, and the maintenance of the true principles Of the conflitution, would continue to be the first objects of his atten

tion."

A

door, and gave the alarm to the neighbourhood, which prevented their taking the plate alf, which they had begun to pack up. great crowd immediately affembled about the houfe, and the rufians falle forth, with dreadful menaces, waving their fwords, and directing their piftols at the mob, who tamely fffered them to efcape without making the leaft refiftance. Mrs. Abercrombie is wife to the captain of one of the Eaft India Company's fhips, now on its voyage to China.

Counfel on the part of Lord 8th. Peterborough moved the Court of King's Bench to change the venue, in the action brought against his Lordship by Mr. Foley, for crim.con. The caufe affigned was, Mr. Foley's intereft and influence in the county where he refides. A rule to fhew caufe was granted.

Yesterday the Countess of Strathmore appeared in the King's Bench, and exhibited articles of the peace against Mr. Bowes her husband, on the fcore of mal-treatment; but whether the charge be well or illfounded, the writer of this article does not prefume to know.

Wednesday the Ilchefter elec9th. tion ended, when after five whole days polting, John Harcourt, efq; was declared duly elected. The numbers on the poll were: For Mr. Harcourt,

118 Commodore Johnstone, 101

Majority for Mr. Harcourt 17

11th.

In the Court of King's Bench, the great question was decided refpecting the Infurance Offices having a right to recover of the inhabitants of this city about 22,000l. which they paid to Mr. Langdale, and other fufferers, during the late riots. The Court [2] determined

determined in favour of the city of London.

Three feparate bills in 27th. chancery have been filed by the relations of the late Richard Ruffell, efq; of Bermondfey-street, Southwark, against the executors of the laft will of that gentleman, in order to fet afide the bequest relative to his perfonal estate.

DIED. At Upper Yeld12th. ham Hall, in Effex, Mr. Hurrel, farmer and maltfter, aged 95. He ordered in his will, that his body should be interred in one of his woods; be covered with one of the hair-cloths he used to dry his malt on; and that fix hedgers and ditchers fhould carry his corpfe, fix others be pall-bearers, and fix more follow as mourners, all with their bills and hedging gloves; and likewife ordered a hogfhead of old beer to be drank.

MARCH 1785

This day the right honour28. able carl Mansfield completed his eightieth year, and prefided on the bench at Guildhall at nine o'clock, in perfect health and fpirits. As foon as his lordship entered the court, Thomas Gorman, eic; a gentleman as well known for his integrity as a merchant, as for his legal and conftitutional knowledge as a juror, prefented his lordthip with his annual offering of a bouquet, which the chief received with his ufual politeness and affability.

Monday evening about eight 7th. o'clock, the fame atrocious expedient, which was lately fo fuccefsfully practifed at the houfe of Mrs. Abercrombie, in Charlotte-freet,

was repeated at col. Arabin's, in Greffe.treet, in the fame neighbourhood. A man knocked at the colonel's door, which the footman did not open, but asked who it was, and was told it was the 'taylor, upon which the man opened the door, and five men immediately entered, whofe faces were disguised, and who were armed with the ufual inftruments of violence. They threw a cloth over the face of the footman, pinioned him, two female fervants, and the colonel's lady; after which they proceeded to rifle the house, from whence they took plate, jewels, money, and linen, it is fuppofed to the value of near two thousand pounds. How noble and well conducted is the police of this happy country, and with what gratitude and affection muft the inhabitants of this metropolis look up to the magiftracy, by whofe zeal and activity their property is fo laudably fecured!.

One of the men who fo 10th. daringly entered and rifled the houfe of colonel Arabin, on Monday evening, in Greffe-ftreet, Rathbone-place, it is fuppofed is taken, as a man is in cuftody, to whofe voice, and the lower part of his face, which is peculiarly formed, the maid-fervant can fwear; the fame man was pointed out amidst many people, by one of the colonel's children, who was prefent during the whole of the tranfaction, as one of the ruffians. This man is fufpected on account of many myfterious circumftances, which plainly fhew that his fubfiftence depends up on fecret ingenuity. An urn was luckily overlooked in the plate-box, by thefe villains, which was worth an hundred pounds.

30th.

The fon of a tradesman of eminence in Chandos-ftreet,

is faid to be among the gang who lately committed the defperate robbery in Greffe-ftreet, Rathboneplace.

February the 24th came on at the fittings at Guildhall, London, before the right honourable the carl of Mansfield, the trial of an ir dictment against a perfon refiding in Hertfordshire, for contracting with, enticing, foliciting, and endeavour ing to feduce feveral artificers and workmen in the art of a currier, to leave this kingdom, in order to carry on that trade at a manufactory at Pontaudemer in Normandy; when upon hearing the teftimony of only one witness on behalf of the profecu tion, the fact appeared fo plain and clear that the jury without hefita. tion found the defendant guilty, who will receive the judgment of the court of King's Bench in the next term for his faid offence, pursuant to the ftatute upon which he was in dicted.

Some time fince two convictions for offences of the fame nature were obtained in Surrey; and it is hoped that the conviction of thefe offenders will be a means of preventing the feducing artificers in the different manufactures of Great Britain in future.

The fame day was tried before lord Loughborough, in the court of Common Pleas, Guildhall, London, a cause wherein Huxley Sandon, efq; was plaintiff, and count Dus roure defendant, for crim. con. with the plaintiff's wife; when, after a hearing of near three hours, the jury brought in a verdict for the plaintiff, with near 5ool. damages.

Hague, March 19. The compte de Maillebois, who is to command the army of the republic in the expected conieft with the emperor of Germa

ny, is at length arrived: he made a private entrance into this place last right, as there were many reafons for avoiding the pomp of a triumphal entrance, there being many perfons highly incenfed against the admiffion of this Frenchman to a poft of fuch high truft and respect; some refignations have already taken place in confequence, and others are to be expected. The queftion of peace or war is not finally determined; and if our friends continue fincere, it may yet be avoided. The English ambaffador fet off this morning for London, leaving his affairs in the hands of his fecretary; his return will, however, as we expect, be very fpeedy. The marquis Verac, French plenipotentiary, has exchanged with the grand council of the ftates the treaty of alliance, fo that the much wifhed-for bufinefs is fully compleated. An alliance with the court of Great Britain is alfo on the tapis, nor is it at all unlikely but that bufinefs has carried the British ambassador to London. A courier from Utrecht brings the conceffion of the states of that province to the propofed military arrangements. Thofe of Groningen and Friefland are not arrived.

238.

A very numerous concourfe of people affembled in the vicinity of Tottenham-court road, to be witneffes of the afcenfion of court Zambeccari and fir Edward Vernon in the balloon, which had been exhibited at the Lyceum in the Strand for fome time back. Notwithstanding the proprietors had taken every precaution to keep the place of af cenfion a fecret, there was not an avenue for a confiderable distance from the place in which the balloon was lodged, but which was crowded by twelve o'clock. The fpectators feemed infenfible of the cold, nor [2] 2

did

did the falling fnow occafion the departure of many, but the principal part of them feemed to bid defiance to the weather until near four o'clock, when the two hardy adventurers bid adieu to earth, and took their aerial excurfion-just on the eve of their departure, a mifs Grice, of Holborn, offered to accompany the aeronauts, which offer was readily accepted, and the entered the car; but notwithftanding they threw out a great quantity of ballaft, after making three or four attempts, the heroine was obliged to give up the ple fore of an afcenfion, the balloon being incapable of taking more than the two gentlemen, which, on the lady's quit, ting her feat, afcended with amazing velocity, took a fouth-west direction, and was out of fight in a few mi

nutes.

Count Zambeccari and fir Edward Vernon defended fafe in King's Fields, near Horfham, in Suffex, about five o'clock the fome day, and returned in the evening to the Lyceum, without receiving any other damage than a fprain in the wrift, which the count received in managing the balloon, which required rather extraordinary exertion, on account of the brifknefs of the wind. Horsham is 37 miles from London, and the journey was performed in rather more than an hour.

Admiral Vernon is the firft admiral who has ever navigated the atmofphere. The globe was not fufficiently inflated till half-paft three o'clock in the afternoon, at which time the two gentlemen, with a very elegant young lady, took their feats in the car; but the machine not having fufficient capacity for three voyagers, they made three experiments

to afcend without effect. The lady manifefted great spirit, and yielded her place with apparent reluctance, after trying her eloquence on the old admiral in vain. She burst into tears with difappointment, and retired from the boat amidst the acclamations of the multitude. The machine, thus lightened, rofe with fmall grandeur into the upper regions; and though a shower of fnow had just fallen, the fky became clear, and the fpectacle was uncommonly brilliant. globe was carried by the wind, which was very high, to the weft, and made a rapid progrefs.

29th.

The

By letters from the Hague we learn, that five peasants, who, under pretence of attachment to the Prince of Orange, had been guilty of a riot, fuffered the punishment to which they were fentenced on the 19th inftant; three of them whipped, and the other two stood by with papers on their breafts, on which were written, in large letters, the words, SEDITION and REBELLION. Several more are to undergo the like punishment at Delft.

DIED. General Honeywood, who received no less than twenty-three broad-fword wounds at the battle of Dettingen, in which he fo much diftinguifhed himself by his perfonal valour; he likewife, on the fame day, received two mufquet-fhots, which were never extracted to the day of his death. The general died poffeffed of a fine eftate of near 6oool. per annum, which, together with a confiderable fum of ready money, he has bequeathed to his coufin, Filmer Honeywood, efq. one of the members for the county of Kent.