had been univerfally willing and ready to raise him to it, though the Spaniards maintained a long war, in hopes of recovering the revolted kingdom. King John died in 1651, without feeing an end of that war which his acceffion had occafioned. The Duchefs conducted the public affairs with great prudence, during the minority of her fon Alphonfo the Sixth; and, foon after marrying her daughter Catharine to Charles the Second, King of England, by the mediation of that Monarch, the Spaniards in 1668 made peace with Portugal, renounced all their claims on that nation, and acknowledged the rights of the house of Braganza. The Queen Dowager retired to a convent fome months before her death, which happened about this time, to the great grief of a people the had fo happily governed for a series of years, leaving behind her one of the moft illuftrious characters which adorned the age fhe lived in. Authentic Hiftory of the famous Rebel Pugatfchew, drawn from the Proceedings of the Griminal Process against him at Moscow, by the definitive Sentence of which he was condemned to be quartered alive. E MELKA Pugatfchew was born, by his own confeffion, at a place on the Don in the environs of Zinvitskaja Paniza. His father and grand-father were native Coffacks of the fame place; and Sophy, his wife, was the daughter of the Coffack Demetrius Nikiforof. Pugatschew served as a private man in a troop of Coffacks in the war against the king of Pruffia, and in the laft against the Turks. He was in the army at the taking of Bender, and having then a mind to quit the fervice, afked for his discharge, but it was refused him. At this very time his brother-in-law was fent as a colonift into the neighbourhood of Fort Taganrock; but unwilling to remain there, he perfuaded Emelka and fome other Coffacks to defert. The moment this was known at Cherkask orders were issued for their appearance. Emelka, however, denied that he was induced by his brotherin-law to this defertion. Soon afterwards he flew to the Rofkolnicks of Poland for refuge, where he got acquainted with Alexis Semenoffs, a deferter, formerly a grenadier, and who lived upon alms at Dobrinka; from whence he went to the Rofkolnicks in the colonies of Little Ruffia. But ftill pursued by the fear of being taken, Emelka turned towards the river Jaiik, with a defign to invite the Coffacks to mutiny, and make inroads in the county of Cuban. There he affumed the title of the late emperor, Peter III. but was taken by the Ruffian troops, put in fetters and transported to Simbirsk, and from thence to Cafan. He found means, however, to bribe his guards and returned to the river Jaiik, where again declaring himself emperor, under the name of Peter III. he was received by all the rebellious Coffacks, who had deferted from their troops in order to avoid their condign punithment, and they proclaimed him emperor every where. When the commandant of the town of Jaiik received information of this, he sent a detachment of troops to feize him, but Emelka fhifted about till he found himfelf frong enough to return, and then made his appearance before Jaiik. Not having been able to make himself mafter of it, he proceeded to the lines of Orenbourg, and took in all the forts upon his march; which must have been owing dants, or to the feeble defence of the either to the neglect of the commaninvalid foldiers in garrifon, His choice troops confifted of about 300 His cruelty increafed with his fuccefs. Coffacks from Jaiik, who did not forfake him till the very laft, and were entirely governed by his will, though, on the other hand, he was abfolutely dependent upon them. Emelka, with thefe, pillaged and deftroyed her imperial majesty's poffeffions; killed all who attempted to oppofe him, and, at last, laid fiege to the fortrefs of Orenbourg, before any intelligence of this daring and unexpected fcheme could transpire. Presently feveral chief officers were fent against him at the head of fome of the best troops, which were afterwards augmented as neceffity required. In December 1773, general Bibikoff received inftructions and full power to act in every refpect according to his own discretion, in order to put a stop to the rebellion. The fuccefs was answerable to the difpofitions of this wife and experienced general. He detached major-general Peter Galitzin against the rebels, who defeated them entirely near the Fort Sattcheff. At that time they were very numerous, made up of Coffacks from Jaiik, of Bafhkiers, and fugitive Ruffians, and peasants who worked in the mines of thofe parts of the country. The death of general Bibikoff prevented this worthy officer, to the regret of the whole empire, from finally executing his commiffion, In the mean time, Emelka was again defeated by rebels and marched to Zaritzin, to which prince Galitzin, near Samara; where- place the rebels like wife proceeded, afupon he drew towards the mines of Oren-ter having pillaged Saratoff, and maffabourg; there he augmented his troops, had cannon caft, and continued his depredations and murders, deftroying the inhabitants and the mines, and ravaging all before him. He was overtaken and defeated a third time, by the brave coloael Michelson, but still found means to make his escape and to draw a new party together. Having made himself mafter of the fort Olda, he paffed the Kama and came to Cafan, where major-general Potemkin had arrived two days before him. This officer, after having assembled all the troops there, faced the rebel, who, feeing what ill fuccefs he always had in fighting against her imperial majelly's troops, avoided an engagement, and by the treachery of the weavers, he entered the town of Cafan from the fide of Apfco fields. He set the houses immediately on fire, by which general Po temkin was reduced to the only step of throwing himself into the Kremlin, or caftle of Cafan, in order to save it from the hands of the rebels; here he defended himself till colonel Michelson came with a detachment to relieve him. The rebels, on receiving the intelligence, quitted the town and retreated to the plains, where, in three engagements, on three different days, they were totally defeated. One party, with Emelka at their head, took the road of the Volga, and by fwimming paffed the river: they continued their depredations, fetting the churches and houses on fire; the towns of Zivilsk and Courmich were confumed: all manner of cruelties did they commit on their march towards Alatir. cred all that fell into their hands. This town made a still more vigorous resistance than the other, and obliged Emelka and his men to retreat; from hence he posted to Chernojarska, 40 werftes distant from Zaritzim towards Attracan; there he was overtaken by the detachment of colonel Michelfon, whom no obftacle could stop, and who had been joined by fome Caffocks from the Don. He attacked Emelka and defeated him for the last time. Yet this wretch faved himself with a small number of Jaiik coffacks, by fwimming over the Volga, and took the roads towards the plains, between this river and the Jaiik.But there Providence at last delivered him up to the hands of justice, to undergo the punishment due to his crimes. His accomplices repenting of their rebellion, and being informed of her imperial majefty's otters of pardon to all who fhould return to their duties, they refolved to feize upon Emelka, and to bring him to the town of Jaiik; in this defign, they engaged fome other Coffacks and 25 of them fhortly after executed it. In these circumftances, the late general in chief, count Peter Panin, full of zeal for his country, though he had quitted the fervice, wrote to her imperial ma jelly, and follicited the command of the troops deftined to fubdue the rebels. Her imperial majefty approved of his offers, and fent him immediately the neceffary orders, with the three regiments then at Petersbourg. Providence crowned the difpofitions of this general with fuccefs. Before he took the command of his troops, the rebels had augmented theirs, and on being purfued by calonel Michelfon had paffed through Petrowfka to Saratoff and made themselves mafters of it. The commandant of this place, colonel Bochnack, made a vigorous defence, though he had but fifty men including officers -Forced at lalt to yield to the fuperiority of number, he broke through the Thus were the rebels totally difperfed before the arrival of lieutenant general Suwarof, who was difpatched in great halte from the army on the Danube; he came, however, time enough to receive Pugatfchew, in the town of Jaiik, and to efcort him to Simbrick, from whence general count Panin fent him and his chief accomplices under a ftrong escort to Mofcow.There they were tried for their exceffes, cruelties, and rebellion, and sentenced to receive the punishment due to their deeds. The 21t. of Jan. Pugatschew and the moft guilty of his comrades were brought to the place of execution. The spot pitched on for the purpose was that whereon BielobaradoffTM was beheaded, in the fquare adjoining to the tone bridge, named Ballotta. A large fcaffold was erected, in the middle of which there was a pole with a kind of round top, fomething like that on the maft of a fhip; two ladders were placed for the purpofe of afcent, and from the conftruction of the whole of the apparatus, it was the general opinion of the fpectators, that Pugatichew was to be impaled, for it had not tranfpired what he was doomed to fuffer. At each cornor of the fcaffold a gallows was fixed. About eleven o'clock in the forenoon the feveral criminals paffed the ftone bridge, and fuch of them as were fenten ced to have their tongues cut out were coupled together in pairs. Among thefe was a young gentleman fentenced first to be difgraced by having his fword broke over his head; and after him came Pugatfchew, drawn in a kind of dung cart, made black, in the middle of which was a flake, to which the poor wretch was faftened, with a burning candle in his hand. Two priests fat close by him. The executioner was posted behind, and two large axes were placed on a block, by the countenances of the fpectators, this dreadful apparatus made a great impreffion on their minds; but in the face of Pugatfchew not the fmalleft trace of fear was discoverable; his afpect was ferene, his deportment fuch as fhewed a foul quite undaunted in the hour of approaching diffolution. His prefence of mind was aftonishing; his unconcern thunderftruck the beholders, and as he paffed through the crouds he expreffed a wish, that if he had done aught amifs, the people would pardon him for the love of God. When he reached the fcaffold, the crimes for which he and his confederates were doomed to fuffer, were recited: the priest by excommunication delivered them up to the executioner, who inftantly feizing the victims as his rightful prey, began the bloody office of difpatch. Pugatfchew afcended the fcaffold by the means of a ladder; the three of his confederates who were to be hung, mounted the gallows by the fame means, and the four were executed almoft in the fame inftant. Pugatschew affifted to undrefs himself with great readiness. He was then ftretched on the scaffold, and by a very fingular mistake in the executioner, his head was firft fevered from his body, his hands and feet were afterwards cut off and fhewn to the fpectators, before his head was exhibited. The moment this blunder was made, a perfon amongst the croud, fuppofed to be one of his judges, called out to the executioner, and threatened him in fuch fevere terms, that it is generally believed the executioner will lofe his tongue for his neglect. The head of Pugatfchew was then ftuck upon an iron fpike, and the other parts of his body were feverally expofed on the top of the pole fixed in the middle of the fcaffold. The three confederates doomed to be hung having suffered the fentence, Panfilief was brought forth, who underwent precifely the fame punishment as Pugatfchew, except that his head was not fpiked up. His mangled remains were placed near thofe of Pugatfchew. The other criminals next suffered their various punishments; the tongues of some were cut out, the noses of others were cut off, and the rest were severally marked. The executions lafted, till night finished the bloody spectacle. A Narrative of the Detection of some Extraordinary Forgeries charged upon Mers. Kobert and Daniel Perreau. N Saturday evening, March the 11the a Gentleman came to the Public Office in Bow Street in company with a woman elegantly dreffed, and inquired for one of the Magiftrates. William Addington, Efq; being then in the parlour, the parties were introduced, when the man, after a fhort preface, in which he ac. quainted the Justice, that his name was Robert Perreau,and that he had lived as an apothecary for fome time in Golden Square in great reputation, faid he was come to do himfelf juftice by producing the perfon who had given him a bond for 75001. which was a forgery. The woman denying the circumftance, and the parties mutually upbraiding each other, Mr. Addington thought proper, as there was great appearance of an iniquitous combination, to commit them both to Tothill-Fields Bridewell for further examination. On the next day, from a variety of circumftances, there being a strong foundation to believe Robert Perreau's brother Daniel was alfo concerned in the forgery, he was detained in TothillFields Bridewell, upon his going to pay Robert a vifit. On the Wednesday following they were all three examined before the Bench of Magiftrates at Guildhall, Westminster, when Henry Drummond, Efq; depofed, that, on Tuesday, March 7, Robert Perreau came to him with a bond for 7500l. payable to himself, and figned William Adair, on which he wanted to borrow 5000l. that it immediately ftruck him that the fignature was not written by Mr. Adair, in confequence of which fufpicion he questioned him about it, and afked if he faw Mr. Adair execute the bond? That Perreau replied,' he did not. Upon which Mr. Drummond returned him the bond, and Perreau left him, but came again in two hours, declaring he had luckily caught Mr. Adair before he took his ride, and that he acknowledged the bond. Mr. Drummond then faid that he defired him to leave the bond, as he must confult with his brother about it, and, if they granted the loan, a proper transfer must be made on the bond: Perreau readily left it, and called the the next day, when he (the witnefs) again expreffed his doubts about the fignature, and asked Perreau if he would accompany him to Mr. Adair, to know the truth, the prifoner instantly confent ed; and, when Mr. Adair was questioned about the bond, he declared it was not his figning; Perreau afked him if he meant to be jocular; on which Mr. Adair made no reply, but gave him a contemptuous look. A kind of eclairciffement took place, and Mrs. Rudd was fent for, who owned fhe gave Perreau the bond. In the courfe of Mr. Drummond's evidence he produced the forged inftrument and a forged letter, which Perreau had told him he received from Mr. Adair, who, he faid, lived in great friendship with him. Mr. Wheatley, clerk to Mr.Drummond,corroborated Mr. Drummond's testimony, as far as related to the transactions at Mr. Drummond's. Wilfon, a fcrivener, fwore that he filled up the bond for one of the prifoners, but that they resembled each other fo nearly, he really knew not which. Upon being preffed by the Bench to give a direct answer, he said he believed Daniel Perreau was the man, and owned that he had filled up eight separate bonds. Mr. Ogilvy, who knew Mr. Adair's hand writing, proved that the fignature of the inftrument produced was not writ ten by Mr. Adair. Mr. Adair fwore he gave no fuch bond. They were separate ly bound over to profecute Daniel Perreau for the forgery, and Robert Perreau for uttering it, knowing it to be forged. Both the prifoners declared their innocence of any knowledge that the bond was not valid.-Daniel Perreau was next charged with having obtained 1500l. in Aire bank bonds, from Dr. Brooke, on a forged bond of William Adair, Efq; for 3100l. The Doctor told his ftory, and informed the Bench, that, relying on the credit of Mr. Adair's name, he had at a particular emergency given 1500l. worth of Aire bank bonds, and taken a bond (which he produced) as a fecurity. Meff, Wilfon, Ogilvy, and Adair, again gave their teftimony, as before, and were, with the Doctor, again bound over. Sir Thomas Frankland was nextfworn, when he charged Robert Perreau with having obtained 4000l. from him, on a forged bond in Mr. Adair's name, for 53001, and 5000l. from his banker, in a fimilar manner. He produced the first bond, which was proved to be a counterfeit as before. Sir Thomas gave an odd reafon for his credulity, declaring that be thought Mr. Adair was fo fully con vinced of Perreau's honesty, that he would have lent him his intereft to procure him a Baronetage, and his fortune to procure him a feat in Parliament. Sir Thomas was bound over to profecute. Mrs. Rudd, on her declaring her refolution to speak the truth, was admitted evidence for the Crown; when the faid, that, a few days before the bond had been prefented at Mr. Drummond's, the received it of Robert Perreau, who faid it was a paper of confequence, and to whom the afterwards delivered it; but that she knew not the contents till the saw it at Mr. Adair's, where the had spoken differently from what the now did, fearing to affect the life of Robert Perreau. The two brothers were committed to New Prifon, and Mrs. Rudd to Tothill-Fields Bridewell. Thursday night, the 16th, the information of Mrs. Rudd was taken before Juftice Wright and Juftice Addington, at the Public Office in Bow-street; being here free and uninfluenced, the gave the following account of herself, and what the knew of the Perreaus. She faid that fhe was the daughter of a Gentleman in Scotland; that the had been married to Captain Rudd, from whom, at their parting, fhe was entitled and really had 13,000l. in money and jewels, all of which he gave to Mr. Daniel Perreau that the never thought him a man of fortune, but always understood, that he had about 300l. a year; that, about the time there was such a noise relative to the affair at Falkland's Island, Mr. Daniel Perreau loft 1400l. by gaming in the Alley; that he was very uneafy, and could not fleep at nights on that account, as he informed her. It was then that she first learned he gambled in the Alley, which he faid he did with much fuccefs; fo that, if ever the faw a profufion of money, the always fuppofed Mr. Perreau had made a fortunate hit in the Alley. She faid fhe had a great regard for him, has three children by him, and till lately always thought he loved her; but at times the has been uneasy, because he was often faying he should look out for fome Lady of large fortune, whom he would marry. His brother, Mr. Robert Perreau, fhe faid, has always behaved fo kind and tenderly to her, that, till this last inftance of cruelty, in charging her with knowing any thing of thefe bonds, fhe would have laid down her life to ferve him. Since this affair has been blown up, they took from her a gold watch that coft her 6ol. her purfe, containing twenty guineas; and laftly, to leave her entirely penny lefs, they borrowed the only half crown the had in the world, to pay the coachhire to Sir John Fielding's.-She faid, before they were apprehended, they were all in a coach together going off, but Mr. R. Perreau, making fome excufe to step a little way about business, left his brother in the coach, and went to Fielding's to lay an information against her, from whence he returned and took her before Mr. Addington. On Friday, the 17th of March, Margaret Rudd was re-examined, as a witnefs for the Crown, touching the Forgery, with intent to defraud Mr. Drummond. Her information was taken in writing, and read over to her. In it the depofes,That fhe knew the two Perreaus for fone years; that the cohabited with Daniel, and had three children by him; that fome time fince Robert brought her a bond, drawn up in the penal sum of 15,000l. and purporting to be payable from William Adair, Efq; to Robert Perreau;" that it was dated Jan. 25, 1775, and was made due the 25th of July next; that he at the fame time produced a letter figned William Adair, and asked her if fhe could write like the fignature; that he told her the muft fubfcribe the name of William Adair to the bond; that, un lefs he could raife soool immediately, his life would be in danger; that hefaid another perfon was to have figned it, but he was out of the way; that the defired him to leave the bond, which he did; that, when Daniel Perreau came home, fhe told him what had paffed, that he then inforced his brother's requeft, and that both of them, at different times, repeated their intreaties till Monday the 6th of March, when Da niel faid the matter was fo preffing that he would not be denied; that the profeffed a fincere inclination to serve either him or his brother, but on her knees implored him not to oblige her to forge the name; that he drew a knife out of his pocket, held it in a threatening posture over her head, and fwore, that, as his brother's and his own life depended on the execution of that bond, and as he was fure Mr. Drummond would lend his brother the money if Mr. Adair's name was to it, he would kill her if the did not write it; that, in con fequence of this threat; fhe fubfcribed the Words WILLIAM ADAIR, but did not write the names of the witheffes, nor does the know who did. To this information she was fworn in a very folemn manner by Sir John Fielding. She further faid, that, when she heard Mr. Drummond had detected the forgery, he went to James Adair, Efq; in Soho-Square, and told him the whole tranfaction. Mr. James Adair was fent for by the Gentlemen of the Bench, and came foon after, when he corroborated all the particulars fhe had related with refpect to her calling on him in confequence of the above circumftances. From her ingenuous behaviour, she was admitted an evidence for the Crown, and accordingly bailed by Meffrs. Wrights, the one a poulterer, and the other a butcher; they were bound over in 1001, each, and Mrs. Rudd for 2001. Mrs. Rudd was in great agitation during examination. She was elegantly dreffed in a flriped filk night gown, with a pink and ermin cloak, and a black laced bonnet. The two Perreaus are twins, and were born in the year 1734, in the island of St. Kitt's, from whence they were fent to Europe for education, and, their fa ther being efteemed a man of good fortune, they were inttructed in moft branches of polite learning. The affairs of the old Gentleman, however, not turning out fo well as expected, Robert was placed with Mr. Tripp, an eminent apothecary in Pall- Mall, whom he served very faithfully, and afterwards fet up for himself in St. Alban's-Street, where he lived in good repute, and, at the time of his being apprehended, was thought to clear roool, a year by his business; he foon after married a woman of character, by whom he has several children, the eldest of which, a promifing youth of fifteen, is now at Weftminster-fchool. Daniel returned to St. Kitt's, from whence he fettled at Guadaloupe, and, for fome time, lived in a very flourishing manner; but at length, topping payment, he left the island, and, by the intereft of his friends, procured a reputable employment in the Navy; after refigning this place, he lived in a high-ftyle in London, constantly associated with people of rank, kept an elegant carriage, and purchased a house in Harley-street, Cavendish-fquare, for which he gave 4500l. The above particulars of this extraordinary transaction, which have been differently related in the news-papers, our readers may depend upon as authentic. The unfortunate brothers are to be tried the enfuing Seffions at the OldBailey, when the decifion of the law will probably reconcile the jarring opinions which are at prefent entertained, with refpect to the degree of their guilt. Plan |