voidably fink in the fame proportion as the number of draft horses shall be leffened.

I am quite tranfported with the pleafing idea of the infinite fervice I am doing to my dear country. I already fee, in imagination, the road crowded with fails carrying travellers and expreffes between London and Harwich, the fhepherds loft in amaze, whilft they are gazing at the ships failing over Salisbury Plain, and the fond couples fcudding it away for Scotland with much greater velocity than Paris crofled the feas with his fair Helen. Expedition and difpatch are the very life and foul of bufinefs; and though I do not propose to fail at the rate of thirty miles in an hour, as a noble Lord lately failed in an ice-boat, yet I affure myself of all due encouragement from the public, by carrying them twenty miles or more within the fame pe

riod. The very grave and learned Hugo Grotius was fo transported upon feeing Stephinus's flying chariot, that he burft into poetical raptures, and paid him a very high compliment in the following epigrams:

Ventivolam Tiphys deduxit in æquora navim,

Jupiter in ftellas, æthereamq; domum, In terreftre folum virtus Stevinia, nam nea Tiphy tuum fuerat, nec Jovis iftud opus. And in another place,

Impofuit plauftro vectantem carbafa, malum,

An potius navi fubdidit ille rotas ? Scandit aquas navis, currus ruit were prono, Et merito dicas, hic volat, illa natat

The SPARROW, HAWK, and BUTTERFLY.

IN

N Elop's days, when birds could chat, And judge the right of this, or that; And infects then, as well as man, The merit of each action fcan.

A fparrow once, who fought a place Of fafety from the Hawk in chace, Fainting, a faug retreat efpies, To which with force, reviv'd, he flies; And while a fearful view he caft On danger that was fearcely past. In piteous, fad, lamenting ftrains, Of his hard lot he thus complains: “Unhappy me! how fad the ftate! "In which I here am plac'd by fate: "Sure fcenes of danger ftill attend, "Which way fo'er my flight I bend; "But worst of all this monster here, "This Cannibal, the most I fear,-

Tis ftrange that there should live 'mong
birds.

"(But vain, alas! my plaintive words)
"A wretch, whofe fole delight's to kill,
"And blood of innocents to fpill;
"For me for ever I renounce,
"The cruelties that pleas'd me once;
"For this retreat a vow I make.
"(Which, may I die, when'er I break)
"No more to tafte of infect's blood,
"But grain fhall be my only food.
"Let favage hawks ftill thirft for gore:
"But I'll defile my beak no more.'

His proteftation having dene,
And thinking now the hawk was gone,
He plum'd his wing, and peeping out,
To fee if danger lurk'd about;
Prepar'd again to take his flight,
His bofom beaming with delight

As thus he flood, a butterfly,
In life's gay pride, came flutt'ring by;
The danger o'er, too like mankind!
His virtuous thoughts he gave the wind;
All former fears were fled away;
He iffu'd forth, and feiz'd his prey:
The victim ftrait, with mournful cries,
In vain, to urge his mercy, tries;

O fpare! O pare, my innocence, "Who ne'er to you have giv'n offence?' The Sparrow cries, with cruel taunt, "Put not on me your piteous cant; "Your being deitin'd for my prey, "Gives me a caufe of death each day: "Therefore, prepare to die, make hafte, "For I no longer time will waste." The butterfly, with fear, once more, Did, trembling for his life implore; "O mercy fhew, or you may want "That mercy now you will not grant," Die," cried the Sparrow," fpare your "breath:"

Then with a grip, he feal'd his death,
At th' inftant, lo! the hawk return'd,
Whofe breast with inward fury burn'd;
Who not far off the fcene had stay'd,
And the whole action well furvey'd:
Like lightning darting on his prey,
He bore him inftantly away.
For mercy quick the fparrow cried,
Which justly thus the hawk denied;

How can't thou, villain, hope to gain "That mercy fued of you in vain ; "This inftant die," he faid no more, But ftrait the wretch in pieces tore.

Learn that great maxim to pursue, To do, as you'd be done unto.

EAST INDIES.

The Seige of Tanjour. About the middle of July, the English army began to affemble at Trenchinopoly; the 31ft they took the field, and August 3, they took the field, Sugar-loaf Rock, under the command of General Smith, and the Nabob's fecond fon, Modallul Mulch, The 6th of Auguft they came before the place, and after a fmart fkirmish between the Nabob's two regiments of regular cavalry and the Tanjour horfe, in which the latter were entirely broke and difperfed, the army encamped to the weftward of the place, about two miles and an half diftance, and they feized upon a village half way between them and the fort, where they eftablished a post. As we were in doubt what part fome of our neighbours might take in this quarrel, our engineers were immediately fet to work to fortify the camp, which they finished in a very compleat and regular manner by the 20th; and as the rest of the army had been employed in opening a communication with the country round, and in preparing materials for the future operations of the fiege, plenty appeared in the camp, and the evening of that day all the enemy's outpofte were attacked at once,-Fletcher, at the head of a chosen body of men, marched into the very centre of their horfe camp, while Vaughan ftormed and attacked two pagodas in front of our encampment, and within 500 yards of the fort. The fame night an entrenchment was thrown up between these two pagodas, of about 300 yards in length; and thus commenced the beginning of the fift parallel.

Next morning a heavy fire from the fort took place upon the poft. Although the trench was incomplete, the pagodas served as an excellent shelter to the men. All hands were employed the fucceeding nights in compleating the trenches, extending them to the right and left, and in forming redoubts for their defence; but before thefe could be accomplished, the morning of the 24th the whole force of the enemy made an attack upon the trenches, their horfe towards the rere, and their feapoys and colleries in front and flank; in the defence of which, Fletcher, who commanded, was wounded in two places with arrows; and when Colonel Vaughan came down to relieve him, he was in doubt whether he should be able to maintain his poft; However, by fending a fmall party to attack the enemy's feapoys and colleries, which drove them from their ground, while the Colonel, with the eft of the detachment, kept the horfe in awè; though he was obliged to draw his whole force out of the trenches, he kept his poft till the Nabob's horse and the grenadiers of the army Fame to his affiftance.

The enemy then retired, and the trenches were faved. About fix in the evening, the grenadiers took poffeffion of the five pagodas to the left of their lines, about 400 yards from the fort, Towards evening the trenches were extended, and their flank covered with a redoubt, the whole forming the first parallel, and embracing a very large proportion of the west face of the front.

At the right extremity of the parallel a fix-gun battery was erected, a four-gun battery to the left; and in the centre two batteries were conftructed, one intended for four pieces of cannon, and another for 12 pieces of ordnance, of the mortar tribe, of all forts and fizes. Thefe opened on the morning of the 27th to take off the defence of the place, and to difmount their guns, and with good effect. The night of the 29th the fap began a little on the right of the centre battery, and ran 300 yards in that night. Trenches were run from right and left of the firft approach, and at the extremity of the left a battery of four guns was erected in the night of the ift of September, at about 250 or 300 yards from the walls; and in the night of the 2d, the trench to the right, with another battery of four guns, at about the fame distance was conftructed. Thefe formed a fecond parallel, and the batteries were to ferve for broaching the inner wall and cavaliers. All these, and the mortar-battery at about 150 yards from the walls, were finished by the 4th, the night of which the approaches from the fecond parallel began. By the 6th, they had advanced within a few yards of the creft of the Glacis; at night they extended a communication about 150 yards along the face; and the 7th they eftablished a lodgment for their infantry. Here the fap-battery was conftructed, and from thence a shaft or gallery was funk for a paffage into the ditch. Both were finished by the night of the 13th; and the 14th, in the morning, the two batteries upon the flanks of the fecond parallel were opened about noon; the fap-battery of eight 24 pounders opened alfo to batter the fauze braye; and the gallery into the ditch was unmasked. That night they filled up a great part of the ditch with loaded fafcines and fand-bags. The 15th the batteries continued to play upon the place; a practicable breach was made by night, and before day-break of the 16th the paffage over the ditch was compleated: However, as they were not preffed for time, and had abundance of ammunition, they continued to play upon the adjoining works fo as to make the breach large and capacious, all that day; and at eight o'clock this morning (19th September) accounts arriv ed at the Durber, that the place was

take

taken by florm the morning of Friday the 17th of September.

By the lait accounts arrived this 19th of September, at five this afternoon, they did not attempt to defend the breach; our people marched through the town almoft without oppofition; they fay only three grenadiers are wounded. The Rajah, Monagee, Dabier, &c. are retired to a Pagoda, and at that time had refufed quarters.

The 13th of September, the Rajah, Mopagee, and all their families, were made prisoners.

The king of Tanjour was reputed one of the richest princes in India. This induced the late General Lally to besiege his capital, in which attempt he was foiled, and his army was thereby fo weakened, that he afterwards failed in his defign of taking Madras.

FRANCE.

Marfeilles, March 15. Orders have just arrived from court, to the commiflary of marines, commanding all the gallies in this harbour, to be immediately infpected, and an account to be returned with the utmost speed of their respective states. In the mean time, large quantities of timber, cordage, iron, &c. are tebe laid into the ftore-houfes, for building and repairing of the gallies and fhips of war. A confiderable extra number of men were taken on to work in the dockyards, and feamen are to be raised. Orders of the fame nature, we hear, are gone to Toulon and Breft.

GERMANY. Extract of a Letter from Hamburgh, Feb. 14.

"All our letters from Ruffia contain relations of the Revolt of Pugatfcheff. Every particular of the life of this extraordinary man is enquired into, his criminal attempt having rendered him fo famous. The following are fome fresh accounts of him tranfmitted from Mofcow. This Coffack is of a diftinguished family in his country. The Sieur Rafomowski, whom the empress Elizabeth made Hetman (general) of the Coffacks, diftingnifhed him, and brought him to Peterburgh, where he was made page to that emprefs. He was thence fent to Berlin, to perfect him in fome ftudies, and ferved among the Pruffians during the last war. He was afterwards appointed a gentleman to the grand duke, in which station he fhewed fuch a spirit of turbulence and independence, that he was driven from court ter this he travelled in foreign countries, his natural reftleffness not fuffering him to fettle any where. He afterwards returned again to Ruffia, then made fome campaigns againit the Turks and Poles; from whence returning to his own country, he secretly fomented the rebellion which is now on foot, In order to impofe on his accomplices, he distributes among them the titles, offices

Af

and military orders of the empire, and decorates the chief of his army with the ribbands of the different orders of Ruffia, in the deferts where he commands. And to the lower fort he has greatly endeared himfelf by allowing them to wear their beards, and to make the fign of the cross with two fingers, both which custom Peter the Great took much pains to abolish. By fuch methods, and by other fingularities, he has had the addrefs to attach to him vaft numbers, who have fuffered themselves to be imposed upon by his devices.

ITALY.

Rome, February 26, A declaration of the vicar general was published here the 22d inftant, forbidding the Jews, under the penalty of corporal punishment, on occafion of their approaching feast of Purim, (called by abufe, their Cornival) to wear masks, either within or out of their houses, to give feafts, balls, or other public diverfions, or to receive into their houfes any Chriftian, of whatever ftate, fex or condition. This declaration further gives notice, that any that fhall contravene the above order, whether Chriftians or Jews, fhall be rigorously proceeded against by the Inquifition Extract of a Letter from Bologna, dated March 2.

"Their royal highneffes the duke and duchefs of Cumberland left Milan the 24th of February; the 26th passed through Modena, where they were conducted to the Ducal palace by his Serene highness the he reditary prince, and their Serene highnesses the four princeffes; a magnificent entertainment was prepared for them, and in the evening their royal Highnefes continued their route towards this place; his eminence the Cardinal Legate complimented their Royal Highneffes from the Pope immediately upon their arrival in that city, and the Senate waited upon them at their hotel, but they declined every further public teftimony of refpect, and declared a fixed refolution to remain incognito during their ftay in Italy: they however accepted the Cardinal's invitation to dine at his Ėminency's palace with a felect company of La.' dies of the firft nobility. They purpose fetting out for Rome to-morrow by way of Loretto, but have refused to be lodged at the governor's or cardinal's in the towns through which they are to pass and take the titles only of earl and countess of Dublin.

We learn from Venice, that the fteeple of the Abby of St. George, lately fell down, ad destroyed great part of the choir. One of the monks was killed by this accident, and feveral others wounded dangerouflv. The damage is computed at 150,000 ducats.

Rome, March 5. In digging in a fubterranean place on a country eftate belonging to the Meil. Dominici, brothers, fituated

beyond

beyond the church of St. Sebaftian, a small marble urn of a spherical figure has been difcovered ftopt up with a small cover of lead, and on the top a little pot of the fame marble, and in the field two little children, having between them a feroll with the following infcription in Roman characters: Serviliæ S. V. M. Pherufe conjugi incomparabilli M. Servilius Tauranus fecit quæ mecum vivit A. XXXI-An unlucky vine dreffer forcibly opened the cover of this ura; it was found full of an odoriferous liquor like bergamote, a part of which exhaled, diffufing a very agreeable odour; and the furplus which is preserved carefully, having been applied to different wounds and other difeafes, worked a fpeedy cure. The majority of such skilful persons as have been to this fpot to examine the liquor, believe it to have been buried in this place with the abovesaid Serviliæ, fome time before the birth of our Saviour.

RUSSIA.

Peterburgh, Feb. 15. We have received fome favourable advices from the army of general Bibikow, one of which is, that a detachment of 6000 of our troops had beat a body of the rebels near Cafan, had killed fome hundreds, and had taken a great number of prifoners; and that a detachment had re-taken Semara, garrifoned by a thousand of the rebels: fince which feveral have furrendered themselves to general Bibikow, to implore the emprefs's forgivenefs. Nevertheless our advices do not feem to fpeak of the rebellion as crushed; on the contrary the emprefs has promifed 100,000 roubles to whoever shall deliver up Pugatfcheff, dead or alive, together with a promife of being decorated with all the Ruffian orders.

March 3. Great preparations are making for the next campaign, which will begin with the fiege of Oczakow. The train of artillery which is to be employed there, have received the neceffary orders. General Bibikow has fent a courier from Cafan with the agreeable news that the troops which he fent toward the province of Warrha, against the rebels, have had a battle with them, in which the rebels were routed, and driven into the woods, whither they were pursued by the conquerors; fix hundred of the rebels were killed on the spot, and two hundred made prifoners, among whom is one Bergman, formerly a lieutehant in the guards, who with his younger brother were banished to Silefia, after having undergone the punishment of the knout, &c. for robbing and murdering a merchant about fix years ago.

The zeal which the inhabitants of Cafan have manifefted on the late occafion, in saifing a body of cavalry for the fervice of government, and other marks of their affection to their fovereign, have been thought to merit her imperial majefty's thanks,

Stockholm, April 1. We have juft received advices here of the difcovery of a new filver mine at Saltzbers, where the va luable filver-mines formerly were, but few are now remaining of any confequence. The perfons who made the difcovery of this new mine made immediate difcovery of it to his Swedish majefty, who fent proper perfons to infpect it, who have made their report, that they imagine it will yield vaft quantities of filver, as they have taken fome pieces pure within a few yards under the furface; and the mine is apprehended to be in a very fafe fituation for working. Preparations are making for the work of it, and it is expected to be opened as foon as the weather will permit. Great attention is now paid to the fhips at Care Ifcroon, which are now cleaning and repairing. TURKEY.

Conftantinople, Feb. 3. Immediately on the death of the late grand Signior on the 11th paft, the great officers were called into the feraglio; upon their arrival the prefent grand Signior was conducted out of his apartments, in which he has been confined forty-four years, into the apartments of his deceased brother, and after viewing the corpfe, he retired to a throne erected for him, where the great officers were permited to kifs his garments. The late grand Signior was interred in the mofque of Laleh Jamefi, four hours after his death. Thursday the 20th, the day appointed for what is called here the coronation, the proceffion by land was numerous and magnificent to the mofque of Ejup, where the fword was girt on the grand Signior by the Nahib Effendi, or head of the Emirs, vicar to the Sheich of Conia; from thence he returned by water to the feraglio. One hundred and twenty frank veffels contributed greatly to the fhew, by faluting the Suftan as he paffed.

On

The new Sultan has already given proofs of his generosity and juftice; for, instead of following the example of fome of his predeceffors, in mutilating and even strangling his neareft relations, his highness has heaped favours on the young Sultan Selim, fon of the deceased emperor. He kept the young prince with him eight days, promised to be a father to him, ordered the apartments allotted for him to be made more fpacious and agreeable, and directed an apartment for the young prince's mother to be contiguous to her fon's.

They write from the army, that the grand Vizier has fummoned all the troops that are to reinforce his army, in order to review them next month, and open the campaign as early as pofiible. It is afferted that the

grand