dend of 1 3-4ths was declared for the last half year.

The theriffs of London prefented the houfe of Commons with a petition on occafion of the hardfhips the poor labour under from the prefent dearnefs of bread, and the probability of its being much dearer, in cafe the exportation of corn fhould be any longer permitted. 26th.

At Lisbon, about eleven in the morning, after a violent ftorm, fucceeded by a perfect calm, was felt the fhock of an earthquake, in a perpendicular direction, which, though fhort, is faid to have been the most violent that has happened there for many years paft. The damage done by it was, however, very inconfiderable.

A duel happened at the Star and Garter tavern in Pall-mall, between the right honourable lord Byron and Mr. Chaworth of Nottinghamshire, wherein the latter unfortunately received a wound, which he furvived but a few hours. [For a fuller account of this affair, fee the Appendix to this part of our work.]

A royal charter paffed the great feal for incorporating the fociety of artists of Great Britain; which fee likewife in the Appendix. His majefty went to the 28th. houfe of Peers, and gave the royal affent to an act for the importation of falted beef, pork, bacon, and butter from Ireland, for a limited time.

M. Francis Maria Rovere was chofen doge of Genoa by a majority in the great council of 246 againft 233, who voted for M. Sebaftian Pallavicino.

Mr. Simon Spurrit of Ifleworth has received a premi31ft. um of 100l. from the fociety of arts, for difcovering a method of dying cotton yarn, &c. of a durable Turkey red.

The thip Eagle, capt. Hutton, having lately overfet, the crew, eleven in number, remained eleven hours on the ship's bottom, till, the boat coming up from under water, they got into her, and continued there nine days before they difcovered any veffel. The carpenter died the third day, and on him they fubfifted till they were taken up; when they were juft going to draw lots who fhould die next for a further fupply.

The work intitled Lettres ecrites de la Montague, par 7. J. Rouffeau, has been condemned in Holland to be torn and burnt by the common executioner, as containing impious and fcandalous expreffions, and licentious remarks.

The Dictionaire philofophique por tatif, a book which has been publicly burnt in France, and condemned in other countries, having been generally attributed to M. de Voltaire, that gentlemen has thought

thought fit to publish the following declaration:

"Being advertised, that for fome years paft the foreign bookfellers have printed under my name writings which I knew nothing of, nor ever read, I am obliged to declare, that I have no correfpondence with any bookfeller in Europe; that whoever makes ufe of my name is guilty of forgery; and I refer it to the magiftrate to reprefs fo fcandalous a practice.

(Signed)

VOLTAIRE.

Caftle of Ferney,
Dec, 23. 1764.
Gentleman of the bed-chamber
to the king."

Some time ago M. Peter Kretzchmar, councellor of ftate to his Pruffian majesty, published a treatife on the incredible increase of a fingle barley-corn. A grain of barley, fays he, was planted laft fpring was twelvemonth in a garden well dunged; it quickly hot forth a tuft compofed of feveral ftalks, which the gardener feparated from the main root, and tranfplanted fingly. Each of thofe branches formed a new tuft as at firft, which were feparated and planted as before; and thefe plants, thus tranfplanted, produced new fhoots, which being multipled in this manner fucceflively for fixteen or eighteen months, were found to produce from one grain above 15,000 ears. This gentleman is fince dead, greatly regret ted for his merit, particularly his fkill in agriculture, in which he had made a great many more very curious experiments.

Some time ago, on the Tyber's overflowing his bed, the impetuofity of the current wathed afhore a great number of curious antiqui.

ties, which probably had lain many ages in the bottom of that river. Among them were two brazen ftatues in miniature of exquifite workmanship, one reprefenting Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, and miftrefs of Mark Antony, and the other the heathen god fculapius.

The bishop of Sodor and Man, and the fociety for promoting Chriftian knowledge, have received large fubfcriptions for the promulgation of the gospel, and the diftribution of books of devotion, in the Manks tongue, among the inhabitants of that ifland, who are computed at more than 20,000 men, women, and children, very few of whom underftand English.

During the course of this month there fell fuch heavy rains in all parts of Ireland, as did vaft damage by the currents they occafioned, washing away hay, corn, cattle, and many public as well as private buildings.

Sir William Pynfent, bart, lately deceased, having no fon to inherit his title, though feveral relations, it is faid, in indigence, has left the bulk of his fortune to the right honourable William Pitt, efq; a thousand pounds to J. Wilkes, efq; and but a thousand guineas each to three grand nephews.

It is faid that Sir William, to prevent anydifpute concerning the validity of his will, not only figned every fheet with his own hand, but alfo ordered the whole will to be read, in the prefence of the fubfcribing witneffes; and that Mr. Pitt has taken care to have their teftimony upon record in the court of Chancery,

There is, in the poffeflion of Mr.

H.

H. Haynes, whitefmith, at God manchester, a piece of oak-board (formerly the top of a cheft) which is grown over with a fubftance, that exactly refembles human hair, both to appearance and touch; and has grown, within thefe three weeks, above two inches in length. On emptying a pool which had not been fished for ages, at Lillithall lime-works, near Newport, was found an enormous pike, weighing upwards of 170lb.

An infectious diforder which lately broke out amongst the crew of the Edgar man of war, is generally afcribed to the noxious effluvia of the paint in the inner parts of the fhip, when confined by the thutting down of the hatches. This confideration induced the late admiral Mofton, when fitting out a fleet of fhips, to ftrictly forbid any paintings in thofe places, where the air had not at all times a free circulation; and fhould induce all others in the fame circumftances, as well afhore as at fea, to ufe the fame precautions; or, if paint cannot be avoided, to admit the air to it as freely as poflible. [See our article of Projects for this year]

The French ambaffador having offered to pay 670,000l. in full for the fubfittence of the French fub, jects prifoners of war in the British dominions during the laft war; 13,000l. of it immediately, and the remainder at the rate of 40,cool. a quarter; and his majefty having been graciously pleafed to refer the faid propofal, along with the accounts, &c. belonging there to, to the houfe of Commons, they refolved unanimously on an bumble addrefs to his majesty, to return him their unfeigned thanks

for this mark of his confidence and to reprefent to his majefty, that, having taken into their confideration the ftate and nature of the accounts communicated to the houfe by his majefty, and the difficulties and delays which muft neceffarily attend a complete liqui dation of them, they were humbly of opinion, that it would be mot advifcable for his majesty to accept the propofal contained in the declaration made by the French ambassador.

Last month the Ruffian and Pruffian minifters at Warfaw delivered to the diet the following propofitions, viz. 1. That the Greeks, and other diffenters from the established church, may enjoy the public exercife of their religion in Poland, and may be admitted to honours and dignities. 2. That a bishop of the Greek church may have a feat in the fenate. 3. That an alliance defenfive and offenfive, be concluded between the republic and the king of Pruffia. 4. That the limits be fettled between Poland and Ruffia. But none of these propofitions, except the laft (the fettlement of the li mits) was agreed to; and the king, it is faid, has moreover declared, that he will never enter into any measure prejudicial to the Catho lic religion.

The deputies from Royal Pruffia having warmly afferted, in the fame diet, their right of exemption from the general tax, it was voted by a majority, that the faid pro vince fhould pay the general tax, as well as the other provinces.

On the zoth the diet closed with the confent of all the ftates of the republic; fo that this is the third diet, that, fince the last vacancy

of

of the throne of Poland, has gone through its bufinefs and ended regularly; whereas, for many years before, there was not one Polish diet but what broke up in confufion before they had done any bufinefs.

On the 21ft the hereditary prince of Courland did homage, and took the oaths for, and received the inveftiture of, the duchies of Courland and Semigallia from his Polith majefty, in behalf of his father as well as himself.

Some time before the diet closed, on a false report being spread, that an act had paffed in it prohibiting the Jews from marrying under thirty years of age, all the Jews were in fuch a hurry to marry their children before the law could take place, that even the children at the breaft were not permitted to be undifpofed of.

"A propofal lately made by the French to the Swedish court, to pay the arrears of fubfidies, due by the former to the latter, amount ing to twelve millions of livres, in the space of eight years, on the footing of a million and a half per annum, has been approved by a majority of the fenate, in hopes the diet will agree to it. Some members of the fenate were of opinion, that it would be better to liften to the propofitions of the court of London. Others, again, were for having the nation renounce all fubfidies, and depend entirely on frugality and economy for the recovery of their finances. But in fo cold and barren a country as Sweden, without any extraordinary means to compenfate these disadvantages, fuch methods alone might appear infufficient 4

!

even to keep the finances in an healthy condition.

On the 18th ultimo, the tribunal da Cafa da Supplicacam at Lifbon pronounced fentence on the principals and accomplices of the affaffination of M. Viera de Andrade, chief judge of the Cape de Verd Inlands, and others, which was committed on the 13th of Dec. 1762. The fentence was executed the 22d. Colonel de Oliveira, a knight profeffed of the order of Chrift, was drawn at the tail of a horse to a gibbet at the square du Rocio, and there hanged, together with Capt. de Fonfaca, and adjutant Oliveira. Three mulattoes, and four negroes, who were accomplices, were hanged at another gibbet. After this execution, the criminals were all beheaded; and their heads are to be fent to Cape de Verd, to be fixed up where the crime was committed. Major da Sylva, a clerk, a foldier, a negro, and a mulatto, were condemned to be whipped, and fent to the galleys. The captain in chief of the town of Praya was exiled to the Indies for ten years, and fentenced to pay a large fine. The eftates of all the criminals, except the laft, were given, by the king's order, to the widows and children of the perfons affaffinated.

According to private letters from Conftantinople, there have been more ftate victims during the months of October and November laft, than during all the preceding part of the prefent emperor's reign. The khan of the Tartars has been fent on board a man of war to Scio; but with his wives and concubines and all his domeftics. The aga of

the

the janiffaries was depofed and banished. Abdi Aga, formerly governor of Cyprus, loft his head, which was expofed before the feraglio.

The wife of Mr. Jordan, peruke-maker, in Southwark, was lately delivered of two fons in one day, and the next day of another; who are all likely to live.

Died about the middle of this month, Mir Jaffier Aly Cawn, nabob of Bengal, in which dignity, he is fucceeded by his fon.

Lately. Mrs. Carter, at Dublin, aged 104.

Mrs. Moore, at Enneskellen in Scotland, aged 120.

The bill to indemnify perfons who have omitted to qualify themfelves for offices.

The bill for allowing further time for the importation of goods, &c. from the ceded iflands, upon payment of the duties they would have been liable to, had thefe iflands remained in his majefty's poffeflion.

And to fome private bills.

The peruke-makers having peti tioned the king, humbly befeeching his majesty, in confideration of their diftreffed condition occafioned by fo many people wearing their own hair, and employing foreigners to cut and drefs it; or, when they employ natives,obliging them to work on the Lord's day, to the neglect of their duty to God, &c. that he would be pleased to grant them relief; fubmitting to his majefty's goodness and wifdom, whether his own example was not the only means of refcuing them from their diftrefs, as far as it occafioned fo many people wearing their own hair. His majefty was graciously pleafed to receive their petition, and to return for answer: "That he held nothing dearer to his heart than the happiness of his people, and that they may be affured, he thould at all times use his endeavours to promote their welfare."

Several of the peruke-makers, who attended on this occafion, gave fuch offence by their incon fiftency in wearing their own hair, that they had it cut off by the mob.

The