The following threatening letter has been wrote to Mr. William Goddard, of Watford, in the county of Hertford, viz.

"December 4, 1760. Mr. Gorrord if you intend to go an in the manner as you go an you may gefs watt I mean you fhall fhorly have a brafe of Bollots thru your head or your Body, as ever you are borne for if I cant have you by Night I will have you by Day you fhant tell hu aurt you you damd onder minden Roge thar is no ways to manage you But that I think you have run your Rafe long anuff in this Toune but now you have got in to good hands to due your Jobb."

His majefty's pardon, and a reward of 201. is offered to any perfon that fhall difcover the author of

the above letter.

Letters from Guadaloupe, dated the end of September laft, and confirmed by others to the Admiralty office, mention, that his majefty's fhips the Temple, capt. O'Bryen, and Griffin, capt. Taylor, being fome fhort time before on a cruize, in concert, off the Grenados, received intelligence that his majefty's floop of war the Virgin, (which had been forumerly taken by the enemy, her commander, capt. St. Loo, being killed in the engagement) was then lying, together with three privateers of 12 guns and 165 men each, under protection of three forts, in a bay belonging to Martinico, and were preparing to fail in company together on a cruize. Upon which capt. O'Bryen relolved to go in queft of them; accordingly Loth the faid commanders got clofe with their fhips in fhore, and came up with the faid forts, one of eight 24 and 32 pounders, another of

fix 18 and 24 pounders, and a third, flanking the entrance into the bay, of two batteries of two guns each, twelve and fix pounders; that the attack was carried on fo brifkly from both fhips, that notwithflanding a vigorous defence of feveral hours, they filenced all the enemy's guns, demolifhed, and beat down into the fea, both forts and batteries, and cut out and carried off all the faid four prizes: that afterwards they attacked another fort on the faid ifland of fix 24 pounders, and after beating down and demolishing the fome, entered the harbour, where they lay four days, firing morning and evening guns all the time; and at their departure, cut out and carried off with them three more of the enemy's fhips that in their feveral attacks, though the enemy made a flout defence, the Temple had but one man killed and two wounded, befides the first lieutenant, who had loft his thigh by a cannon fhot. On board the Griffin the cockfwain of the Temple was killed, and only five men wounded.

Died lately. At Munich in Pavaria, one John O'Farrel, in the 99th year of his age, feventy fever of which he was a foldier in the fervices of feveral foreign princes, and died in the elector of Bavaria's.

In France, madame Clifton, an English lady, dame of honour to the queen of James il. aged 103.

At Nancy in Lorain, Dr. Cha. Eroomgood, an able phy fician, aged 103. He pracfed till within ten years of his death.

In the parish of Chaldon, near Gedftene in Surry, Humphry Saunders, aged 106: he had followed the farming business, man and boy, upwards of 90 years. It is remark

able,

able, that in the parish where he died, there is neither a tradefman nor an alehouse.

George Lechman,of Camentz, in Upper Silefia, aged 113.

2d.

MAR CH.

The flow of the tide was fo little, that the ftarlings of London bridge were not covered at high-water, a thing not known in the memory of man. Probably owing to an earthquake in fome diftant part of the globe.

Theodore Gardelle,, was committed to Newgate for the murder of Mrs. King, who kept a lodging houfe in Leicester-fields. For an account of this murder and the murderer, fee our article of Characters for this year.

It is faid that numbers of perfous have been immediately relieved in appopletic fits, by flashing with a launcet or penknife, the temporary artery; the common practice of bleeding in the arm, frequently not reaching the cause time enough to fave life.

Extract of a letter from Newry. "Laft week our gabbards and lighters began to navigate the new canal from this town to Fadam Point, where the large fhips lie, and it is allowed by all people to be compleatly finished. It was began about two years ago, and executed by Mr. Golberne of Chefter, with the money granted by parliament for that purpose."

3d.

His majefty went to the houfe of peers, and gave the the

royal affent to

An act for the better fecuring and encouraging the trade of his majefty's fugar colonies in America.

An act to difcontinue, for a li

mited time, the duties payable on tallow, hogs lard and greafe imported from Ireland.

And, to 40 other public and private acts.

After which his majefty was pleafed to make a moft gracious fpeech to both houfes, recommending a law for making the commiffions of the judges perpetual, during their good behaviour, notwithstanding any future demife of the crown; which fpeech, with the addreffes of both houfes thereupon, and his majefty's moft gracious anfwer, the reader will find in the article of State Papers.

The next day the judges, having waited on his majefty with their addrefs upon this occafion, were moft gracioully received. And on the 5th, the houfe of commons came to the following refolutions, nem. con. viz.

That provifion be made for continuing the commiffions of judges, notwithstanding the demife of his majefty, or of any of his heirs and fucceffors.-That his majefty fhall be enabled to grant, and establish the falaries of judges, in fuch manner, as to be abfolutely fecured to them during the continuance of their commiffions. And that fuch part of the falaries of judges, as is now payable out of the yearly rent, or fum, granted for the fupport of his majefty's houfhold, and for the honour and dignity of the crown, be, from and after the demife of his prefent majefty, (whom God long preferve) charged upon and payable out of all or any fuch duties or revenues, granted for the use of his majefty's civil government, as shall foblift after the demife of his majefty, or any of his heirs and fucceffors: and a bill pursuant to thefe

refolutions

refolutions was ordered to be prepared immediately.

At a previous meeting of 4th. the livery held at Guildhall, for the nomination of candidates at the general election of members to reprefent the city of London in the enfuing parliament: it was unanimoufy agreed, That the grateful and refpectful thanks of the livery of London be given to Sir John Barnard, knight, for his eminent and difintercfied fervices to this city, both as a magistrate and as one of their reprefentatives in Parliament, during a course of eight and thirty years; for the dignity, juftice, and humanity with which he fupported his former fiation; and for the honour, weight, and influence derived to his conflituents frem his conduct in the latter; where the integrity of his heart, his moderation, and gentleness of manners, were no lefs confpicuous and perfuafive than the folidity of his judgment, and the powers of his natural eloquence.

Mr. Paterfan having waited on Sir John with the above rcfolution, he returned the following compli

ment.

"It was altogether the favour of the citizens of London, undeferved, that raifed me to any dignity. In my endeavours to promote their intercit to the utmost of my abilities, I only did my duty. This their laft kind acceptance of my fervices, does me particular honour, for which I return them my laft thanks."

A poor woman at Topfhem 5th. in Devonshire, was delivered of four children.

Laft Saturday four Welsh women walked from the foot of Weltminfter-bridge to the Boot and Crown

'over Deptford bridge, and back again, in an hour and three quar ters, for a wager of 201. They were allowed two hours and a half. The wager was between a gardener and a farmer; the gardener laying they performed it.

Three perfons were killed, 6th. and others bruifed, by the fall of a wall at Old Windfor.

At the affizes at Oxford, 7th. Ifaac Darkin, alias Dumas, &c. was capitally convicted, for robbing Mr. Robert Gammon on the king's highway,near Nettlebed, of his watch and money. See an account of him among our Characters for this year.

The court went into third

mourning for his late majesty of bleffed memory.

8th.

Being the anniverfary 12th. feaft of the Magdalen charity, a fermon was preached before the governors, &c. at St. Bride's, by the Bishop of Offory, and the collection at church and dinner amounted to 4401. 2s. 3d.

A pretended ghoft, which has lately appeared in the cloifters of Weltminster Abbey, St. John's church-yard, Milbank, Malhamftreet, &c. was feized on Wednefday evening, and found to be a fervant to one of the gentlemen belonging to the abbey, wrapped up in a large white fheet, with the corners hanging over his head, in imitation of feathers. He had truck fuch a terror into the credulous inhabitants thereabouts, that thofe who could not be brought to believe it a ghoft, entered into a fubfcription, to give five guineas to the perfon who would feize him, in order to remove the fuperftitious error adopted by their weak-minded neighbours.

The

The following odd affair lately happened at a church near town; a couple prefented themfelves to be married, and producing their licence, the parfon obferved it to be dated eight years ago, and upon expreffing his furprize, the man acquainted him, that the night before he was to have been married, he was obliged to go abroad, which had prevented his being married for the above space of time, but was then come to finish the affair.

Corfe Caftle, Dorfet, March 4. On Saturday last a remarkable accident happened at Mr. H. Stickland's, at Chalwell Farm, near this town; as he and his family, confifting of a wife and five children, were drinking tea in the afternoon, he observed, after drinking two or three difhes, that the tea looked of a darker colour than ufual, and had no flavour in it, upon which, after various furmifes of what should be the reafon, the kettle was examined, wherein, to their great aftonishment, they found a large toad, boiled to that degree, that the legs were feparated from the body; upon this alarming circumftance, they all feemed greatly indifpofed, concluding themfelves poifoned, and fent directly for an apothecary, who very prudently gave each of them a large dofe of falad oil, which both purged and vomited them plentifully, and thereby, 'tis prefumed, happily recovered them, as they all feem out of danger.

Extract of a letter from the minifter

of Glencairn, dated March 4. "Laft week a farmer's wife in this neighbourhood was delivered of four boys at a birth; one of them died foon after he was born, the other three I baptized on Sunday laft. The farmer is about 70 years VOL. IV.

of age, and was formerly married; his wife is about 44, and was ne ver married till June laft: fhe is a little woman, and of a flender make."

The following propofal is under confideration, viz. that Epping Foreft be cantoned into enclofures, (and thofe enclosures planted with oak, the chief bulwark of this nation) for the benefit of fattening lean cattle for the ufe of his majefty's navy; the expence would be but fmall, if any; for the underwood and other timber would partly, if not quite, pay the charges; or it might be burned into charcoal for the ufe of his majesty's powder mills.

It is faid that in a houfe at Amfterdam, occupied by fome merchants lately become bankrupts, there was a moft elegant and wellfurnished room, the floor of which was inlaid with English crownpieces, and which has been only ufed on extraordinary occafions, and for the fight of strangers.

Three men and three women having taken a whim into their heads to divert themselves gratis, during the carnival at Paris, affumed the titles of dukes and ducheffes, and thereby obtained many things neceflary to their pleafures; but the fraud being at length dif covered, they have been expofed on the pillory for three days; and on the 14th ult. the laft day of their public fhame, they were conducted to the Greve with two papers fixed to each, proclaiming them fharpers and impoftors. The men were afterwards whipped and branded, and fent to the gallies for nine years; and the women were condemned to the hofpital for the fame term. The moft diftinguished person of the band was a student in surgery. [G]

The