DOMESTIC EVENTS.

A prison on a very extensive scale is to be built immediately near TorrRoyal, on Dartmoor, about six miles from Tavistock. The prison and its courtlages, within the boundary wall, will occupy 15 acres of ground, and contain 5000 prisoners of war. This will be the future grand depot of prisoners from all the ports of Cornwall and Devon.

ANECDOTE OF THE LATE KING OF PRUSSIA.-It has often been justly observed, that great events sometimes spring from trifling causes. This is exemplified in a circumstance that occurred at the commencement of the late war. The King of Prussia, the Duke of Brunswick, and General Clairfayt, had concerted an attack on the French. It was made at the appointed time, but the French were prepared, and the Allies retreated with success. The three Chiefs again met, and the King of Prussia opened the conversation by observing→→→ "Well, this attack has failed, and it now only remains to consult what farther is to be done." General Clairfayt answered, with some asperity-" Consultation will be useless; for though there are only three of us here, one of us is a traitor." It was utterly impossible that the French could have known of the attack itself, the point were it was made, and have prepared themselves as they did, unless our secret had been betrayed; and I therefore repeat that one of us is a traitor." The King immediately replied-" Upon my word, General, this is extraordinary language: I am a Sovereign, and accountable to nobody for any of my actions; but, however, to shew that your charge does not apply to me, I here declare, upon my honour, that I never mentioned the circumstance to a single creature alive-except to the Countess De Lustanou." This Lady was his Majesty's mistress, and no doubt knew the value of the secret too well not to sell it for a handsome bribe. She was banished from the capital after the King's death. Such are the effects of secret influence.

Dr. Herschel has made a new discovery respecting the planet Saturn: he states it to be a cube, with its angles and edges truncated, which he ascribes to the attraction of the belt.

DESTRUCTIVE EXPERIMENT-an experiment of a new invented machine, for destroying ships at anchor, has recently been tried in the Downs, and succeeded in the most complete manner. A large brig was anchored abreast of Walmer Castle, about three quarters of a mile from the shore. Two or three gallies then rowed off and placed the machine across the cable of the brig, which by the running of the tide, was soon forced under her bottoin, about the centre of the keel, where it attaches itself. In a few minutes, the clock work of the ma chinery having performed its operation, a small cloud of smoke was seen to arise from the vessel which, in a moment, after, was blown to atoms, without any noise, or any appearance of fire. In about twenty seven or twenty eight seconds, not a vestige of the brig was to be seen, as the fragments were then level with the water's edge. General Don, with a number of Military and Naval Officers, went with Sir Sidney Smith to Mr. Pitt's at Walmer Castle, to witness the experiment, and expressed the utmost astonishment at the destructive powers of the invention. The beach was lined with spectators, who could hardly believe what their eyes had witnessed, so sudden and powerful was the destruc tion of the vessel.

A machine has been invented for mowing corn, grass, &c. which greatly facilitates that operation. It consists of two wheels moveable on an axis, to the middle of which is fixed an upright bar, that turns round eleven times for one rotation of the wheels, and on this bar a circular knife or scythe, from 20 inches to three feet in length, is fixed. The knife rises out of its place if opposed by any obstacle in its course, and when that is passed it is adjusted again by its own weight: by another apparatus, corn that has been laid by zain or wind, is raised up and presented to the cutter. The machine is worked either by men or horses.

Lord Powis has succeeded Lord Hardwicke, as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Mr. Barry, the celebrated Artist, has agreed to paint a picture of the immortal Nelson, to adorn the Great Room of the Society of Arts.

On the edge of a small River, in the County of Cavan, there is a stone with the following strange inscription, no doubt intended for the information of strangers travelling that way: N. B. When this stone is out of sight, it is not safe to ford the River!"-This is something similar to the famous post erected by the direction of the Surveyors of the roads of Kent some years ago :"This is a bridle path to Faversham, if you can't read this, you had better keep the main road.”

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BIRTHS.

At Bishopscourt, Exeter, the Right Hon. Lady Graves, of a daughter. In Grosvenor-Place, Lady E. Halliday, of a son and heir.

MARRIED.

Sir C. E. Nightingale, Bart. of Kneesworth, Cambridgeshire, to Miss Dickinson, of West Retford, Nottinghamshire. W. Davies, Esq. of Penylan Park, to Miss Seymour, eldest daughter of Lord R. Seymour. Lord Hereford, to the daughter of Sir G. Cornewall.

DIED.

At Upper Homerton, P. Le Mesurier, Esq. Alderman of London. At the Palace, Kilkenny, in his 77th year, the Right Rev. Hugh Hamilton, Lard Bishop of Ossory. At Chelsea, H. S. Woodfall, Esq. Suddenly, at BoxMoor, Mr. J. Almon, formerly a bookseller, and author of several works. In Berkshire, J. Robinson, Esq. the Senior Fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. At Bath, the Rev. the Dean of Chester, brother to Sir R. Cotton. Mr. King, the Comedian. Mr. Cautherley, a pupil of Garrick, and formerly of DruryLane theatre. Dean Kirwan, the celebrated preacher, at Mount Pleasant, in the vicinity of Dublin. His disorder was a fever, which carried him off, after a few days' illness. The numerous charitable institutions of that city will long feel and lament his loss. Many of them owe existence and prosperity to his unparalleled exertions, where, regardless of his infirm state of health, to use the Janguage of Mr. Grattan, "in feeding the lamp of charity, he almost exhausted the lamp of life."