The fame happened in North Holland. About two hours before, two great flashes of lightning were feen, which were followed by a very fenfible tremor of the earth: fo that there muft have been three fhocks. At Maeftricht the fhocks were fo violent, tha, in fome parts of the town, chimneys were thrown down, and the walls of the guard-houfe on the parade were cracked in three or four places. At Cologn it was felt in the morning of the 21st. At Antwerp it was likewife felt, but no day mentioned. At Aix-la-Chapelle it was more particularly obferved, as appears by a letter dated from thence, of which the following is an extract: "The thy was extremely clouded here for fifteen days, without the leaft breath of wind, or any other change than now and then fome flakes of fnow; nevertheless, the mercury in the barometer was ftill very high. This made me think, that the thaking of the earth, which has not ceafed fince the year 1755, fill threatened us with fome violent thocks. On Wednesday the 16th of January, about half paft one in the afternoon, the earth fhook with great force, but became ftill next day. The sky continued cloudy; and on Friday we felt fome flight fhocks attended with blafts of wind. On Saturday we felt another, but of fuch long continuance, that the earth feemed to have loft its natural ftability. On Sunday cloudy and no wind: this calm continued till about eight at night, at which time we had a confiderable shock, and about half after ten at night another; then the bells of our doors rang of themfelves; china and glafs by ftriking together, were dashed to pieces, chimneys were thrown down, and the streets filled with rubbith: in a word, it was a shocking fpectacle. We had continual flocks the whole night; and I obferved that the wind blew more or lefs, according to the greater or leffer motion of the earth. Yefterday it grew fair; but the wind rofe fomething like the fqualls we feel in fummer; and we were not quite free from fhocks that day, which were lefs frequent during the night: at prefent the barometer is low, it rains, and the earth is quite ftill." At Wicklow, in Ireland, and for feveral miles round, about feven in the evening, a very rumbling noise was heard, as if fome unusual carriage had been driving through the ftreets, to the great dread and terror of all the inhabitants, who felt the flock of an earthquake very fenfibly. In the night between the 21ft and 22d ult. there was felt likewife at Hamburgh, and its neighbourhood, a fhock of an earthquake that lafted about a minute. It was felt at the fame time at Slefwick, Flenfbourg and Keil, and other places in Holftein. It was felt alfo at Copenhagen, where it was followed by three fhocks lefs violent, and lafted about half a minute, and happily no damage was done: all that could be obierved was, it came from the north, and paffed toward the fouth, and was moft felt in the little ifland of Amagh. It was the fame at Elfineur, where the fea was fo agitated that feveral ships in that port were driven from their anchors. Shocks have been likewife remarkably felt in Portugal, France, and other parts of Europe. St. 4th. St. James's. This day a chapter of the most noble order of the garter was held in the council-chamber; prefent, the Sovereign, the P. of Wales, his royal highnefs prince Edward, the dukes of Newcastle, Kingfton, and Leeds, earl Granville, the earls of Lin-. coln and Cardigan, the duke of Devonshire, the earls of Northumberland and Waldegrave; when Charles marquis of Rockingham, and Richard earl Temple, were knighted, and elected companions of the faid moft noble order; and afterwards invefted with the garter, ribbon, and George, with the accustomed folemnities. The royal affent was, by commiffion from his majefty, given to an act for granting to his majefty feveral duties upon malt; and for raifing the fum of eight millions, by way of annuities, and a lottery, to be charged on the faid duties; and to prevent the fraudulent obtaining of allowances in the gauging of corn, making into malt; and for making out duplicates for exchequer-bills, tickets, certificates, receipts, annuity-orders, and other orders, loft, burnt, or otherwife deftroyed. as the king his mafter was not at war with the houfe of Auftria, he expected to be fupplied with refrethments from Oftend, altho' it was garrifoned with French troops, otherwife he would make prize of every vettel belonging to the place, that should prefume to come out of the harbour. No notice being taken of this meffage, he proceeded to put his threats in execution, and detained three fishing-boats. The governor finding he was in earnett, fent out a flag of truce, with a compliment affuring him, that he would comply with his requeft, and the captain received daily fupplies from fhore. In the courfe of this correfpondence, the commander of a French frigate of thirty guns, then lying in the harbour, fent notice to capt. Tinker, that if he would difmifs his fmall craft, and give his honour that none of the fquadron under Mr. Boys should interfere in the conteft, he would next day come out and give him battle. Mr. Tinker defired the metfenger to tell him, that he would difmifs the cutters; and not only give his word, but even an officer as a hoftage for the performance, that he should not be affifted by any fhip of the commodore's fquadron, which lay feven or eight leagues to leeward; but that he would engage him fingly at a minute's warning. He accordingly made the fhip ready for the engagement next morning, when he weighed anchor, hoifted the Britith enfign, and stood in fhore to the mouth of the harbour, where he brought to, with his courfes clewed, and his main-top-fail to the maft. In this pofture he lay, with flying colours, as long as the tide would permit him to remain, almoft close to the fortifications of the 14 place, 11th. Between three and four in the afternoon of the 27th ult. one of the dykes of the Rhine, about'a league diftant from Cleves, was broken down by the ice, and in lefs than a quarter of an hour all the neighbouring country to the weft of that city was overflowed, quite from Calcar to Nimeguen; a great number of the country-people were left deftitute both of houfes and provifions, and reduced to a state of the moft deplorable poverty and ditirefs. A meilage from his grace the Lord Lieutenant was prefented to the commons of Ireland, acquainting them, that his majefty has been pleafed to order a confiderable augmentation to be made to his forces upon that eftablishment, an estimate of which, and the particulars of the augmentation, he had ordered to be laid, before them, not doubting but they would chearfully make good the expence of a measure which appeared neceffary for the security and defence of that kingdom. The eftimate that accompanied this meflage amounted to 241,5221. The report of the refolu12th. tions of the committee appointed to take the Lord Lieutenant's meffage into confideration, was made to the houfe, when an addrefs was refolved upon to thank his majefty for the seasonable augmentations which he had lately commanded to be made to his forces for the defence of that kingdom, and to affure him that they will be ready to concur with his majefty upon every occafion as far as the circumftances of the nation will permit. Lord Ferrers was this day 13th, examined at the bar of the houfe of lords, and afterwards committed clofe prifoner to the Tower. On the 4th of December laft the fquadron in the bay of Cadiz, under the command of adm. Broderick, met with a terrible gale of wind, by which they were driven out to fea, and several of them dif mafted, and in the greateft danger of perithing: but providentially they all got into Gibraltar, though in a moft hattered condition. The remains of de la Clue's fquadron, confifting of eight fail of the line, who had been blocked up ever fince the engagement with admiral Bofcawen, taking advantage of this dilatter, failed from Cadiz the 2d of January, and about the middle of that month agreeably furprized Toulon with their unexpected arrival, This day and on the 12th it blew a hurricane, by which 15th. much damage was done both by land and in the river. A fìack of chimneys falling in Newcattle-court near Grovenor-fquare, demolished the bed and furniture of two rooms, The lead was blown off the house of earl Cowper in Great George-fireet, into the street. A house in Hanover-ftreet had the gable end blown off. One of the pinnacles of a building adjoining to the house of commons was blown down, and broke through the roof of the room over the fpeaker's chamber. The Mall in St. James's Park was covered with branches of trees. Upwards of twenty-feven feet of lead on the admiralty-roof was rolled up by the force of the wind like a feroll; and a great number of chimneys, fences, &c. were blown down in Weftminster. Many fhips in the river were driven from their anchors, fome loft their rudders, and received confiderable damage by running foul of one another. The country likewife feverely felt the effects of this terrible ftorm. In many places it was attended with thunder, lightning, hail, and rain; it untiled houfes, blew up trees by the roots, and fwept away ricks of corn, hay, and cottages. Admiral Boscawen returned to port with his little fleet, who had failed again on the 6th for the bay, but much shattered in his rigging. Alas! the Ramilies, a ninety-gun fhip (the fame that admiral Byng had his flag on board, in the affair off Minorca) was loft, and all her hands drowned, except one midfhipman and 25 failors. By the beft accounts, when the gale of wind came on the made the best of her way for Plymouth: but the weather being hazy, the overfhot the entrance into the found, and got herfelf embayed near a place called the Bolt-head, about four leagues diftant from thence, the came to an anchor, but her cables were not fufficient to hold her, and the drove In upon the rock called Bolt-head, went to pieces, and every foul on board perished, but the above-mentioned 26; 700 fouls and upwards! fhort, the wind this month has done great damage alfo in most of the European feas and coafts. In the night of the 28th past, died at Rintelen upon the Wefer, William, 8th landgrave of HeffeCaffel; on whofe death her royal highness princefs Mary, confort of Frederick the prefent landgrave, took upon her, as governefs of her children, the regency and adminiftration of the country of HanauMutzenberg, by virtue of a fettlement made in the life-time of her father-in-law, and confirmed by her husband: as the had for fome years lived feparate from her husband, and refided with her father-in-law, upon his death fhe retired, and is gone with her children to refide in the city of Zell. Her husband, the now landgrave of Heffe-Caffel, being at Magdebourg, where he has for fome time refided as vice-governor under the king of Pruffia, fent to his majefty to notify the death of his father, and to acquaint him with his defign of going to visit his own dominions. A fubfcription was fet on foot at Leeds, for the relief of the widows and orphans of our brave countrymen, who fell before the wails of Quebec, and on the plains of Minden; a charity highly deferving imitation. Laft night a man, habited like a failor, with a vizard maik on, and a piftol tucked into the waistband of his trowzers, a dark lanthern in one hand, and a broad butcher's knifein the other, came to the bed-fide of Mr. Lloyd, merchant, at his houfe in Devonshire-fquare, and in a menacing low tone demanded all his money, ordering him not to speak aloud, or he would cut his throat; and when told where the cafh was, demanded the key of the counting-house. In the morning, the counting-house, and two deiks therein, were found broke open, and to the value of about 150l. in fpecie mifling out of the latter. The new bridge committee 32d. met at Guildhall, when they agreed upon Mr. Myln's plan; and they are to meet on the 25th to determine whether it fhall be erected from Fleet-ditch, or the landingplace to the oppofite fhore. The lords of the treafury have directed exchequer-bills to be made forth for feveral fums payable in courfe on the credit of the land-tax act, which bills are to bear intereft at the rate of two-pence by the day forevery 100l. and are to pafs and be current in all revenues, aids, taxes, and fupplies whatsoever, and at the receipt of the exchequer. And all collectors are required, out of any current money in their hands, to pay fuch bills when offered to them. Died Mr. John Warner, 24th. merchant, near Eaft Lane, Rotherhithe, in the 86th year of his age-a gentleman eminent for his kill in the most curious articles of horticulture. His extenfive garden, of fome acres, was planted with a treble row of dwarf pears and apples, on each fide a long canal. Thefe trees are now arrived at a furprifing magnitude; as no pains were fpared to 1 procure the best collection of them, fo his great fkill in the art of pruning was very vifible, for the trees, if the feafon was favourable, were always loaded with fruit. Some years ago, when pineapples were rarities, and in but few gardens, he raised them on ftoves to great perfection, and had befides a curious collection of exotic plants. About the year 1720, Mr. Warner obferved the Burgundy grape to ripen against a wall, much earlier than others; he therefore concluded, that it might ripen on ftandards, and, upon planting a few for a trial, he found them to fucceed beyond his expectation.This encouraged him to enlarge his vineyard.The novelty of the experiment brought many curious people to fee it. Mr. Warner, to encourage a plantation that might in time prove advantageous, freely imparted his method of cultivating a vineyard fuitable to our climate, and gave cuttings of his vines to all that would plant them; they gave cuttings to others, and thus the Burgundy grape was propagated over the nation. Mr. John Warner is defervedly intitled to the honour of being the planter of the firft vineyard with Burgundy grapes in this country; for at the time he began, there were only two vineyards, one at Darking, and the other at Bath, and both were planted with a grape not suitable to our climate. This gentleman was very happy in a ftrong healthy conftitution, which was principally owing to his temperance and daily exercite in his garden. By his longevity he saw the fruits of his ingenuity and in dustry |