Page images
PDF
EPUB

taken out of the ruins dead, and the engineer was one of the number. In the whole, thirteen were dug out, terribly mangled.

The fire broke out at Mr. Morris's, the corner of Lambeth Marth, and from thence communicated to the workshops of Meffrs. Adams, builder to the Board of Works; the party walls were of no fervice, the fire having caught hold of the window frames from house to houfe. The damage sustained at this fire is eftimated at fifty thousand pounds, which falls on the Sun-fire Office.

[blocks in formation]

Mr. Jonathan Hartop, now living at the village of Aldborough, near Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, has attained to the amazing age of one hundred and thirty-feven years, having been born in 1653. His father and mother both died of the plague at their houfe in the Minories in 1666, and he perfectly remembers the great fire of London. He is fhort in ftature, has been married five times, and has now alive feven children, twenty-fix grandchildren, and one hun dred and forty great grand-children. He can read without fpectacles, and plays at cribbage with perfect recollection. Laft Christmas-day he walked nine miles to dine with one of his great grand-children. He remembers Charles the Second perfectly well, and once travelled from London to York with the facetious Killigrew. He eats but little, and drinks nothing but milk; he enjoys alfo an uninterrupted flow of fpirits. The third wife of this very extraordinary old man was an illegitimate daughter of Oliver Cromwell, who gave with her a portion amounting to about five hundred pounds. He has in his poffeffion a fine portrait of the Ufurper, by Cooper, for which the late

man.

SKETCH OF CAGLIOSTRO. The famous count Caglioftro, about whom public opinion has often varied, is at prefent, with his wife, under clofe confinement in the castle of St. Angelo, at Rome; on a strong charge of having harboured a defign against the government. A great number of perfons have been arrested—and, among the reft, the marquis de Vevaldi,-on fufpicion of being concerned with this fingular adventurer. His real name is Jofeph Balfamo: he was born at Paler¬ mo on the 8th of June 1743. In his fixteenth year he became a monk of the third order at Caltagiron; but not liking that ftate, he shortly after entered himself among the capuchins, by whom he was expelled. After defrauding a goldfmith, named Morano, of great fums, under pretence of poffeffing the fecret to make gold, he retired to Calabria, and diffipated his ill-gotten earnings. He afterwards went to Rome, where he turned tranfcriber; and married Laurencia Feliciani. In 1773, he vifited France; and the year afterwards appeared at Naples, as marquis of Pellegrini. He there met an uncle, with whom he returned to Palermo; where Marano arrefted him. After his liberation, he went to Malta, where he asfumed the name of count Cagliostro. From thence he vifited Mufcovy, Poland, Pruffia, and Holland; from which last place he embarked for Morocco. He afterwards profeffed the healing art at Strafburg, giving out that he poffeffed a fecret art of curing the most obftinate diforders. His fame in this way, called him to Paris; where, taking a part in the affair of the ever-memorable necklace, he was thrown into the Bastille. After being discharged from this prison,

through Holland, Switzerland, Revero, and Trente. His laft arrival at Rome feems big with danger; and the fuc. cefs of his future career appears in a doubtful point of view.

PHENOMENON.

There is now in the poffeffion of a gentleman at Leeds, a bean, the vege

tation of which must have lain dormant five hundred and twenty years; for on the removal of the wall of an ancient building of that place, in the spring of 1783, feveral layers being taken down, it remained fo for feveral weeks, when

there was a bean obferved to shoot out in full vegetation, from a very finall aperture in a piece of cement, to hard, that it required confiderable force to break it between two ftones: therefore it was concluded impoffible it could be conveyed there in any other manner but with the cement, when the caftle was first built, which was in 1263.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

The Royal Society have formed a plan of a most extenfive nature, for promoting discoveries in thofe parts of Africa at prefent least known. The first conduct of this fcheme is committed to a Mr. Walwyn, and Mr. Hercules Cramond, an English gentleman of the faculty. They lately embarked for Marfeilles, in their way to Tunis; from whence they are to penetrate into the interior parts of the country. Natural hiftory, botany, antiquities, and, above all, commerce, are to engage their attention. Government patronizes the scheme.

An ancient map of the world has been discovered in the British Museum, which lays down the coafts of New Holland as defcribed by Cook and Bougainville. This map, which is on parchment, appears from the character, and other circumftances, to have been made about the beginning of the fixteenth century. The names are in French, and it is adorned with Fleurs

[blocks in formation]

morning, about four o'clock, the vil The beginning of this month, one lage of Arnfide, near Milthorpe in lent fubterraneous explosion, much Weltmoreland, was alarmed by a vio¬ louder than thunder. The inhabitants, in the utmost confternation, ran to the fea-fide to avoid the impending danger. When day-light appeared, a chafm of menfe depth, was difcovered in the nearly two hundred feet, and of an imhoufes and a number of cattle were earth. By this dreadful accident, fix loft. Three miles from this chafin, a fmaller one was difcovered; which it is fuppofed fwallowed a horfe which was grazing near. Several hours after the fhock, the fands of the neighbour. ing coafts were confiderably agitated,

SUICIDE.

A young officer belonging to the Carysfort frigate, lately thor himfelf at Naples. He went on fhore to refent, as a gentleman, fome reproach caft on his birth by a fhipmate; but his ungenerous adverfary declining the meeting, he addreffed a farewel letter to captain Smith, his commander, and then fatally applied the contents of two piftols to his head.

DEATHS.

Lately, at Cherfon, in Tartary, Mr. Howard, the celebrated philanthropift; after an illness of a few days. Vifiting a young lady dangerously ill of a contagious fever, with a view to render her affiftance, he caught the infection which precipitated his death. It was his requeft to be buried in the garden near Cherfon.

The 14th, at Reading, Dr. Addington, in his feventy-eighth year, father to the speaker of the House of Com

mons.

The beginning of this month, Jofeph II. emperor of Germany. He is fucceeded as king of Bohemia and Hungary by his brother the duke Leopold.

1

REMARKABLE INSTANCE
OF COURAGE IN PETER THE GREAT.

[From the Ruffian.]

DURING the commotions oc-
cafioned by the boundless am-
bition of the princefs Sophia, it is
well known that the revolt of the
Strelitz brought the Ruffian em-
pire almoft to the brink of de-
ftruction.

A brother of the famous Totte-
lawitau, colonel of that corps, loft
his life upon the fcaffold. He was
named Ofakoi; and as his
money
and eftate were confifcated, he left
his fon in a very deplorable state of
mifery. This unfortunate youth,
having efcaped the pursuit of the
emperor's emiffaries, in a moft won-
derful manner, was concealed in a
certain obfcure village, by an old
flave who had lived with his father.
When he arrived at the state of man-
hood, this domeftic told him the fe-
cret of his birth, and propofed to him
a plan of avenging his family, by
affaffinating the czar. The
man started with horror upon
ing this propofal; but he diffembled
his fentiments, and the flave, who
imagined that he had brought him
over to his purpose, prevailed upon
him to fet out for Mofcow, where,
he informed him, he would find a

number of confpirators ready to fe cond his defign. Ofakoi, either through weakness, or in hopes of being revenged, followed his conductor. They arrived in the nighttime, and ftopped at an inn near Kremlin, where the emperor refided.

The flave having there found his friends, they refolved to hold a confultation that very night, in the ruins of an old houfe, which was not far diftant from the palace.

Ofakoi, who had in vain attempted to learn from his companion who the confpirators were, preffed him again to fatisfy his curiofity, but without fuccefs.

When the hour of appointment approached, the flave only told him that he was going to be in company with people who were animated with a defire of revenge; and who, notwithstanding his youth, and want of experience, earnestly wifhed to have him for their chief."The humi liating fituation to which you are now reduced," added he; the blood of your hearfather ftill reekingall ought to aroufe your courage, and banish every idea of the danger that may arife from profecuting your

young

* Eldeft fifter of the czar Peter, who carrving her views to the throne attempted

revenge.

[ocr errors]

66

These words made young Ofakoi tremble; and with more reafon, as the tavern was at that time full of Ruffians, who, according to the cuf

Ofakoi and the flave repaired to the ruins, where the fatal affembly was to be held. As the confpirators were already met, the most confpicuous among them addreffed young Ofakoi in the following manner"You see here," faid he, "a fet of unfortunate men, who have escaped from the tyranny of the czar. That barbarian, though he put to death by the hands of the executioner, and even by his own, the greater part of our companions, the Strelitz, has not been able to extend his fury to us. Heaven hath preferved us to execute its vengeance, and the fatal moment is now arrived. Shudder with horror, young Ofakoi! I have feen the blood of thy unfortunate father fhed on the fcaffold: I followed him to the melancholy fpot; but I could not fave him!-Wandering for ten years through the most frightful and dreary defarts, the mifery of our fituation compelled us to feek by fraud that fubfiftence, to which our rank, as foldiers and citizens, gave us a just title. But, to-morrow, that cruel tyrant and his courtiers fhall fall by our hands. We loved your father, who was our chief; do you in turn become fo, and let your refolution and courage prove you worthy of the choice which we have made."

Ofakoi perceived, that in the prefent juncture there was no alternative, and that even the appearance of weakness would be his fentence of death; he affumed therefore a courage which he did not naturally poffefs.

It was agreed by the confpirators, on feparating, that they fhould af femble next morning at the fame hour; and that, for the greater fe curity, Ofakoi and the flave fhould return to the inn by different routes.

Scarcely had Ofakoi advanced thirty fteps, when he was accofled by a Ruffian, who begged him to follow him. As he imagined this

perfon to be one of the confpirators, he readily obeyed. Having arrived at a very narrow staircase, which they mounted with fome difficulty, they entered a fmall apartment, the door of which the Ruffian immediately fhut.

"Be not furprized" faid the Ruffian to him, "at what I have done; what I have to tell you requires the most profound fecrefy. I am just come, as well as you, from that affembly, where the death of the czar has been refolved upon with a folemn oath. Like you, I have been admitted this night, for the first time, among the confpirators; and, like you, I have particular reafons for being the irreconcileable enemy of my fovereign: but if his blood be due for the cruelties with which he is accufed, our plot is very badly laid. For who, I pray, are thefe confpirators? Wretches ftained with crimes, who have eluded the rigour of the laws; and plunderers, who breathe nothing but robbery, murder, and pillage. And who are their accomplices? According to their account, the chief men of the empire, and yet they have not dared to name any one among ft them! Who would fo far difgrace himself, as to unite in any fcheme with fuch banditti ?— What plot have they opened to us?— For whom do we expofe ourselves to danger, and for whom do we labour? -Plan, means, refources-every thing is unknown to us. Yet they with us to become the blind inftruments of fuch an enterprise.Thefe, young Ofakoi, were my doubts and fears during this affem. bly. The confpirators have appointed you their chief; I readily fubfcribe to their choice; but make me fee a little more clearly into this dark and myfterious bufinefs, and you may depend upon the exertions of my arm."

Ofakoi was ftruck with the confi

dence of the Ruffian, and this confidence

fidence emboldened him to unveil his fentiments fully. "You must have remarked my furprife," faid he, "when I found myfelf in the midft of fuch an affembly: fatisfied with my condition, acquainted only with my cottage, and a stranger to ambition, I enjoyed the most perfect tranquillity-My eyes have been opened; I have been informed that I had a father to avenge; and that, in order to accomplish this end, I muft ftain my hands with the blood of my fovereign. But was I ever acquainted with this father? Am I certain whether he was innocent or guilty? And, whilft under this doubt, I must affaffinate my master ! -Thefe thoughts, I confefs, are repugnant to my feelings. For who am I, to judge of the emperor's conduct? What right-what authority has Heaven given me to punish him? The propofal made me fhudder: but the fear of death repreffed my anfwer on my very lips. Since you have opened your heart to me, read what paffes in mine; -Ideteft crimes, and above all, a crime of this nature: a voice within me feems to cry out, Love and respect thy fovereign.' Have pity therefore on my youth; I give myfelf up to your direction -Save me from the fury of thefe barbarians, who have chofen me to be the executioner of their mafter, and of mine. For if I must either perifh, or attempt the life of the czar, I choose rather to perifh inno

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

The perfon who spoke to him was indeed the emperor himfelf, who, under the difguife of a flave, had overheard part of the plot in the tavern. This discovery fuggefted an idea to him of being prefent at the affembly where his deftruction

was to be refolved upon. He had the courage to go thither, and efcaped · obfervation, by mixing with the confpirators. Having obferved Ofakoi much confufed, and to falter in his anfwers, he determined to fave him, in cafe he fhould be found not absolutely guilty.

After having freed Ofakoi from fear, by loading him with praise and careffes, he required of him that he would return to his companion at the inn, and give as an excuse for his delay, that he was unacquainted with the streets of Moscow.

The flave believed what he faid, and Ofakoi next morning went with him to the affembly. It was there decided that they fhould fet fire to the palace; that during the confufion occafioned by the conflagration, a part of the troop fhould employ themfelves in pillaging, whilft the other, headed by Ofakoi, fhould join the confpirators in the castle, who were particularly named, and who were people of the firft eminence in the state: that they fhould afterwards advance towards the apartment of the emperor, who would no doubt come forth, alarmed by the noife, and that they fhould then difpatch him with their poignards. Every thing was thus fettled, and they were going to pronounce the oath, when the guards of the czar furprised them. They were immediately feized, and thrown into pri. fon; and the accomplices whom they named were also arrefted, and fpeedy punishment followed their crime;-they were committed into the hands of the executioner, and fuffered that very day.

Ofakoi rofe rapidly, and foon faw no one between himself and the emperor, except prince Menzikoff.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »