famous predicateur; but chiefly to hear and wished for once that I had been a nun, celebrated for her vocal powers, pope. hing the fervice. Mademoiselle de - was a young lady of high connections, and Jarge fortune; endowed with every accomplishment that can adorn the fairest work of nature; and poffeffed of charms, both of perfon, mind, and difpofition, that attracted the love, the envy, and the admiration of the world. So rich a prize was looked at with a longing eye by the church. Accomplishments fuch as thefe, deftined to enrich fociety, and benefit mankind, were to be vefted in folitude and prifon, and devoted, falfely devoted, to the fervice of God. To this end, arts and perfuafions were eagerly and infiduously made use of: temptations were held forth with fafcinating luftre; and a falfe and glaring picture of vifionary joys prefented to her view. Her fufceptible and warm mind was prevailed upon; and, allured by the charms of zeal and fuperftition, and elevated at the idea of heaven, and eternal happiness, the confented to rob the world of what was its due; and to appropriate to religion, what could alone be ferviceable to fociety. Nature in vain had lavished on her the beauties of perfon, and the bleffings of capacity: care and attention had in vain affifted and improved them; the expectation of friends, and the claims of the world, were alike difappointed; and a lovely image of perfection was thus, as it were, annihilated. Such is the tale, "She fang the fervice, with a voice and powers that would have enraptured many an enamoured circle: now only destined to re-echo through the dreary walls of a convent; or lull fome fenfe. lefs monk, from a state of apathy to that of flumber. The chapel was too confined for her voice, which would have filled twice the fpace. I had a glimpse of her through the grate, as she was kneeling with others of her fifterhood. Seclufion and confinement had wafted away the bloom from her cheeks; and her fallow looks were rendered the more interesting, by the ftill beautiful black eyes that overhung them. O Superftition! how much haft thou to anfwer for, for thy many inroads upon Nature! I fighed as I looked upon her, 1 Aug. 27. "I went to the church of the Car melites in the Fauxbourg de St. Jaques, which is one of the richest repofitories, and contains fome of the choiceft valu. ables in all Paris. The floor of the church throughout is marble, and the altar-piece very elegant, being a tabernacle of intire filver; but its chief beauties are the paintings. The admirable piece of Guido, of the Annunciation, which ftands at the right of the altar, is wonderfully foft and beautiful; and that celebrated production, the chefd'œuvre of Le Brun, reprefenting a penitent Magdalen, is beyond defcription interefting and expreffive; her eyes feem to be newly fwoln with tears; and it is impoffible to look at her, for many minutes, without feeling fympathetic emotions. The face was taken from that of the celebrated Comteffe de Villaire, who, in an hour of penitence and remorse, flew from the world to this convent, and made an eternal folitude an atonement for the lawless love of a monarch. Aug. 29. "The wife of Rouffeau, I am forry to be informed, cohabits with a worthlefs fellow of a groom, that was once In the fervice of the marquis. She is now about the age of fifty, and lives at three miles diftance from Ermenonville. She is neglected by all her friends; and the marquis's family, who otherwife would have treated her with every en dearment and mark of friendship, now merely contribute to her fupport; which, with a penfion of fifty pounds per annum, generously beftowed as an acknow ledgment of fuperior merit, by the king of England, keeps her above indigence, and beneath profperity. "After returning to my inn, I enquired of the inhabitants every particular refpecting Rouffeau. They all remembered Jean Jacques, as they affectionately called him. I walked into a house, led by an infcription, intimating that the king of Sweden had once dined there. Being Sunday, I found the mistress, with a party of her neighbours, fitting round a table at cards; they arofe on my entrance, and invited me to come in. I prevailed on them again to be feated, and the good man of the house walked out with me into his garden. I asked him if he remembered Rouffeau. Oh! he remembered, he faid, Jean Jacques well; he fhould never forget him: He was the best man,' faid he, that ever lived! Often would he come here, and walk about the garden, and in this very fpot fit down, and watch the water as it ran along in the brook, and play with the marquis's children!' I asked him if he loved the village, if the village loved him. Sir,' faid he, they loved him as a father; it was his cuftom to wander out in the fields, and watch them at their labours, and talk to them about their separate concerns, in the kindeft manner.' 'He did not live long with you?' faid I. Only two months!-fuch a man,' faid he with warmth, fhould have lived two ages!' He was affected himself, and faw that I was also. He bade me follow him, and he would shew me fomething that would please me. "We went within doors, and he brought down a pair of fhoes that Rouffeau used to wear; the foles and heels were of wood, and the other parts matted with reed, and lined with hair: upon a paper palted on the outfide was written; Sabot que J. J. Rouffeau portoit habituelle ment, au moment de la mort, et qui fa veuve a donné au bon Antoine Maurice habitant d'Ermenonville. Gabriel Brezard a voulu honorer fon Non en le confecrant fur le de l'homme, que ne marcha jamais que dans le fentier de la verité. "The old man told me, that when the king of Sweden was here, he asked to fee them, hearing he had fuch in his poffeffion. He brought them down in a napkin, and laid them on the table where the king was at dinner. Take away the napkin,' faid the king; 'cannot I touch the fhoes of Rouffeau?' He eyed them with a look of regard; and, turning to his hoft, afked him, if thofe relics did not give him a great deal of pleature? The old man trembled, fearing that the king would want them; and told him, that they did, more than any thing in life. The king then copied the infcription, and returned them. Many have wifhed fince to purchase them; and the old man has refused five and twenty guineas for them; the Comteffe de Poligny begged fome of the hair from them to put in a brilliant ring. Dieppe, Sept. 2, 1788. "On fetting off from Rouen, I found myself provided with a pretty lit tle grey bidet, and a potillion, in favour of whom I was fomewhat prepof feffed, being the fmarteft of any I had met with, dreffed in a new royal livery of blue, with red and gold, and a waistcoat, finely fringed. "I mounted my nag, with no finall degree of felf-fatisfaction; when, giving him the whip, I difcovered that the only quality he had of going, was that of moving backwards, as he began to kick behind moft furiously, to the great derangement and endangering of my perfon; being obliged to have recourte to his mane, in order to keep my seat, on account of the huge and ill-thaped wooden faddle I was mounted on. At length, 1 found the only way to manage him was, to let him follow his companion; the poftillion then cracked his whip, galloped away as faft as he could go, and my horfe after him; and fo exactly did he follow step by step, that when the poftillion's horfe galloped, mine galloped; when his trotted, walked, or stood still, mine correfponded in every movement; till, by the time I had proceeded half a mile from the town, I found myfelf covered all over with dirt from head to foot, which flew from the heels of the other horfe. At length, when we had got about a mile from Rouen, as we were cantering over the pavé, the poftillion's horfe made a falfe ftep, and dafhed with great violence on the ground; the rider tumbled off, and the horse rolled upon his huge jack-boot. My bidet, who followed close behind, was fo ftrongly addicted to the vice of imitation, that without any visible caufe whatever, he immediately stopped short, and tumbled REMARKABLE DOMESTIC EVENTS. KING'S SPEECH. readiness to grant fuch fupplies as the circumstances of the feveral branches of the public fervice may be found to ANUARY 21.-His majesty went Jin ftate to the House of Peers, and require. opened the feffion with the following fpeech to both Houses. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "Since I laft met you in parliament, the continuance of the war on the continent, and the internal fituation of different parts of Europe, have been productive of events which have engaged my most ferious attention. "While I fee with a juft concern the interruption of the tranquillity of other countries, I have, at the fame time great fatisfaction in being able to acquaint you, that I receive continued affurances of the good difpofition of all foreign powers towards thefe kingdoms; and 1 am perfuaded that you will entertain with me a deep and grateful fenfe of the favour of Providence in continuing to my fubjects the increafing advantages of peace, and the uninterrupted enjoyment of thofe invaluable bleflings which they have fo long derived from our excellent conflitution. "Gentlemen of the House of Commons, "I have given directions that the eftimates for the prefent year fhould be laid before you; and I rely on your "My Lords and Gentlemen, "The regulations prescribed by the lative to the corn trade, not having act of the last session of parliament, rebeen duly carried into effect in feveral reafon to apprehend that fuch an exparts of the kingdom, there appeared portation of corn might take place, and fuch difficulties occur in the importation of foreign corn, as would have been productive of the most ferious inconvenience to my fubjects. Under thefe circumftances it appeared indifpenfably neceffary to take immediate meafures for preventing the exportation and facilitating the importation of certain forts of corn; and I, therefore, by the advice of my privy council, iffued an order for that purpose, a copy of which I have directed to be laid before you. "I have only further to defire, that you will continue to apply yourselves to thofe objects which may require your attention, with the fame zeal for the public fervice which has hitherto appeared in all your proceedings, and of which the effects have been lo hap pily manifefted in the. increase of the public revenue, the extenfion of the commerce and manufactures of the country, and the general profperity of my people." In the absence of the lord chancellor, lord Kenyon fat as fpeaker. The next day, addreffes from both Houses, were prefented to his majesty, and cordially received. INSOLENCE. As his majesty was paffing near the Horfe guards, in his way to the Houfe of Lords, a perfon of genteel appearance threw a large ftone with great violence into the carriage, but fortunately miffed the royal perfon. He was immediately apprehended, and underwent a long examination, in which it appeared that he is an officer on halfpay, of the name of Frith, who has been long known to be infane, and fays, he committed this outrage with a view of making himself famous. He proves to be the fame perfon who wrote a libel against his majefty, and stuck it on the whalebone in the court yard, St. James's, about a fortnight fince, and figned his name John Frith, lieutenant of the fecond battalion of royals. Next day a cabinet council was held at the duke of Leeds's office, Whitehall, when this perfon was brought up to be further examined: the council fat two hours, and was attended by Mr. Pitt, the two secretaries of ftate, duke of Richmond, earl of Chatham, lord Hawkesbury, fir William Faucett, lord Kenyon, attorney and folicitor general, and fir Sampfon Wright, who, after examining the conftables and two of the runners, ordered him to be returned to the care of Mr. Moulfey, one of Mr. fecretary Grenville's meffengers, who immediately carried him to his houfe in South Audley street. He has been fince examined feveral times, and was at last committed to Newgate fo that a Jury muft now decide on his true fate of mind. QUEEN'S BIRTH-DAY. The court was uncommonly fplendid on this occafion. The concourfe of foreign nobility was great beyond precedent, and they added much to the diftinction of the day. The king and princefs royal came from Buckingham houfe to St. James's before one o'clock her majefty and the princesses Augufta and Elizabeth foon after; and before two, the three younger princeffes with their attendants. The drawing-room commenced about two o'clock. The queen wore a velvet train, a crape petticoat, ftriped with a beautiful figured velvet ribbon, trimmed at each edge with blond; the fpace between each ftripe embroidered in little stars. The princefs royal's drefs was particularly elegant; her petticoat was ftriped with wreaths of laurel, embroidered on crape, intermixed with purple foil, that appeared like a worm twisted round the wreath; the fpace between the ftripes was covered with a small embroidery in gold and coloured foil, that formed a beautiful contraft to the ftripes. Princefs Augufta and princefs Elizabeth were dreffed exactly alike, in gold tiffue trains, and crape petticoats, richly ornamented with gold and coloured foil. The king.-A fcarlet cloth gala fuit, with a very rich embroidery in ftars of gold, entwined with wreaths of laurel : the loop, ftar, and George, of diamonds. Prince of Wales, in a most beautiful cut velvet gala fuit, of a dark colour, with green stripes, and fuperbly embroidered down the front and feams, with a broad embroidery of filver flowers intermixed with foil ftones; waist coat, white and filver tiffue, embroidered like the coat; the garter, faftened with a fhoulder knot of brilliants, brilliant ftar, George, &c. The effect of this drefs furpaffes any thing we ever have feen. Duke of Gloucefter, in full drefs regimentals, with a very brilliant star attached to his order of knighthood. Duke of Cumberland, in a pompadour velvet very richly embroidered. PRINCE EDWARD. Many ridiculous reafons have been affigned to the public for prince Edward's unexpected return. The truth however is, that the prince's allowance was finall, and that with the natural warmth of a youthful temper, he overrun it. He was ordered to Gibraltar, and and anxious to acquit his obligations, he returned to folicit his majefty to pay his debts. Through the fraternal feelings of the prince of Wales, their majefties have been happily reconciled to the youth. His debts, amounting to fomething above fourteen thouland pounds, are to be paid by the king: he is to embark for Gibraltar, and remain there for two years; at the end of which time he is to return and receive rank and establishment. PHILANTHROPY. The philanthropic Mr. Howard was on the 17th of November in perfect health at Cherfon, in Little Tartary, in his way to Turkey, vifiting the Ruffian military and naval hofpitals in that neighbourhood, after having infpected those of Riga, Cronstadt, &c. which he found in the most dreadful ftate of neglect, through which at least feventy thousand foldiers and failors are faid to have perished in the last year only. THE WEATHER. A gentleman of confiderable aftronomic genius afcribes the prefent mild temperature of the weather to the comet predicted many years ago by fir Ifaac Newton, and which is now expected to be faft approaching in its progrefs towards the western parts of Europe. AVERAGE PRICES OF CORN. The average price of wheat per bufhel, throughout the country, from December 28, to January 2, was as follows: In Northumberland, 5s. 5d. -in Lincoln, 5s. 9d.-in Durham, ss. rod.-in York, 5s. 11d.-in Cambridge and Suffolk, 6s.-in Norfolk, 6s. id.-in Effex, Cumberland, and Kent, 6s.2d.-in Weftmoreland, 6s. 3d. -in London, Huntingdon, Nottingham, and Suffex, 6s. 4d.-in Surrey, Bucks, and Cornwall, 6s. 5d. bin Bedford and Rutland, 6s. 6d. in Derby and South Wales, 6s. 7d.-in Hertford, 6s. 8d.-in Northampton, Leicester, Berks, Hants, and North Wales, 6s. 9d.-in Middlefex and Wilts, 6s. 10d.-in Gloucefter, Oxford, Lancashire, and Devon, 6s. 11d. -in Salop, 75.-in Cheshire and Somerfet, 7s. 1d.-in Monmouth and Dorfer, 7s. 20.-in Warwick, 75. 3d. in Stafford, 7s. 4d.-and in Wor cefter, 7s. 5d. SINGULAR INSTANCE OF HUMAN COURAGE! On In confequence of information being fent to the public office, Bow ftreet, of the houfe of colonel Steckalin at Woolwich Warren being broke open, fir Sampfon Wright fent two of his runs ners to examine into the affair. their making a proper furvey, they acquainted the colonel, that they were fully convinced fome of the fervants of the house must have been concerned : on which the man-fervant was taken into cuftody; and, on being examined, confeffed that he had made the alarm himself; he fired off feveral piftols and blunderbuffes, and broke feveral of the windows; that no attempt had been made; that he did it to make his master believe he was a very courageous man, and expected the colonel would have given him a halbert. He was committed to prifon for further examination. He has three times before ufed the fame ftratagem. ANIMAL COURAGE. For fome time paft the road between Capo di Monte and Miano, a few miles diftance from Naples, had been infested by a robber who had always found means to elude all purfuit. A merchant who had been well acquainted with him, having bufinefs at Miano, fet off for that place early one morning, and took with him in his chaise his Corfican dog, which he covered with his great coat, to keep him from the cold. At a narrow part of the road he was ftopped by the robber. The merchant at firft reminding him of their old acquaintance, hoped to perfuade him to be fatisfied with a prefent; but he anfwered that he knew nobody, and that if the merchant wished to fave his life, he must give up every thing valuable he had about him. The merchant pretending to comply, waked his dog, which was fleeping between his feet, and fet him on." The intrepid animal feized the robber by the throat, threw him to the ground, and found means to baffle the attempts he made with his piftols and dagger to rid himself of his affailant. In the mean time the merchant drove off at full speed, and ftop. ped |