prisoner, examined as to whether the prisoner might not be labouring under temporary inflammation of the brain, from the improper use of mercurial medicine.

The serjeant said, he knew the prisoner administered mercury and laudanum to himself without medical advice, but he did not know in what quantities.

The lord chief baron, in summing up the evidence, stated, that the mere atrocity of the act itself must not be considered evidence of insanityotherwise the most guilty criminals would escape; and here was evidence much too slight to infer any derange. ment of mind.

The jury found the prisoner guilty, and he received sentence to be executed on the Monday.

7th. Yesterday morning, at six o'clock, two houses in Great Russellstreet, Covent-garden, formerly the Blue Posts Tavern, which was under repair, fell to the ground with a tremendous crash. Unfortunately, at the time, several workmen who were employed in repairing the building were inside, in different parts of the premises. The greater part of the crazy edifice fell inwards, and buried nearly the whole in the ruins. Every effort was immediately made to extricate the unfortunate sufferers, and palings were erected across the street to Drury lane theatre, to prevent their exertions from being impeded, and the workmen continued at their labours until night. Several were taken out of the cellar and ground floor, and as the materials of the building were light and unsubstantial, the lives of many were saved. There were 16 persons in the interior of the miserable building when it fell; those in the cellar escaped, but many of the others dug out of the ruins presented

very miserable obiects, and were conveyed to Middlesex hospital, two of whom died, and three soon returned, and exerted themselves to recover others from the ruins. A poor woman, who was passing when the houses fell, is supposed to have been killed, as her basket was found in the street, and she has not since been heard of. The workmen continued digging on the ruins the whole of last night, and the neighbourhood was thrown into general alarm by the accident.

A remarkable instance of the fecundity of bees lately occurred at Meiklebog, a high-lying farm in the Abbey parish of Paisley. Mr Matthew Sprowl, farmer there, has a hive two years old, which, in the course of last year, swarmed only once; but, to the astonishment of every person in the neighbourhood, no less than four fine swarms have been lately produced from the same hive, within the short period of 18 days, viz. on the 10th, 20th, 23d, and 28th of July. This is allowed to be the most uncommon instance of prolification ever known in this part of the country.

Died at Dalmarnock, in the parish of Little Dunkeld, on the 28th July, Angus Stewart, Chelseaman, aged 96. This man was, in his youth, in Prince Charles's army, at Culloden; he was afterwards in the 42d regiment, and in Quebec at the death of the brave General Wolfe, from which he was draughted into the 78th regiment.

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The following interesting and affecting story will be read with interest:In the gallant and guinary action which the Swallow maintained against a superior force, close in with Frejus, a short time since, there was a seaman named Phelan, who had his wife on board; she

was stationed (as is usual when women are on board in time of battle) to assist the surgeon in care of the wounded. From the close manner in which the Swallow engaged the enemy, yard-arm and yard-arm, the wounded, as may be expected, were brought below very fast, amongst the rest a messmate of her husband's, who received a musket-ball through the side. Her exertions were used to console the poor fellow, who was in great agonies and nearly breathing his last; when, by some chance, she heard her husband was wounded on deck; her anxiety could not one moment be restrained; she rushed instantly on deck, and received the wounded tar in her arms; he faintly raised his head to kiss her she burst into a flood of tears, and told him to take courage, "all would yet be well;" but scarcely pronounced the last syllable when an ill-directed shot took her head off. The poor tar, who was closely wrapt in her arms, opened his eyes once more then shut them for ever. What renders the circumstance the more affecting was, the poor creature had been only three weeks delivered of a fine boy, who was thus in a moment deprived of a father and a mother. As soon as the action subsided" and nature began again to take its course," the feelings of the tars, who wanted no unnecessary incitement to stimulate them, were all interested for the child; many said, and all feared, he must die; they all agreed he should have a hundred fathers, but what could be the substitute of a nurse and mother? However, active humanity soon discovered there was a Maltese goat on board, belonging to the officers, which gave an abundancy of milk, and as there was no better expedient, she was resorted to, for the purpose of suckling the unfortunate child,

who, singular to say, is thriving and getting one of the finest little fellows in the world, and so tractable is his nurse, that she even lies down when the little babe is brought to be suck. led by her

10th. On Wednesday last, the birth-day of the Prince Regent, the first stone of the Breakwater, in Plymouth Sound, was lowered down. At ten o'clock in the morning two boats from every ship in Hamoaze attended at the Admiral's Stairs, Mount Wise. About noon the commander in chief, Sir R. Calder, Bart. accompanied by Admiral Sir Edward Buller, Bart. and all the captains or commanders of his majesty's vessels in commission at this port, rowed off in procession, with flags and streamers flying, passing between the Island and the Main, and rounding the eastern end of Drake's Island on their passage towards the outer part of the Sound.

The mayor and corporation of Plymouth also went in procession to the Barbican Stairs, where they took water, and also proceeded to the Sound. A vast number of boats from the shore were scattered over the Sound; and the ships of war were gaily decorated with the colours of different nations— the standard of the united kingdom flying over the whole. Towards one o'clock the boats assembled round the vessel that held the stone (about four tons weight), and in which were cut the names of Sir Robert Calder, Port Admiral, and the Prince Regent. Exactly at ten o'clock the Camel store-ship gave the signal, by firing a gun, and the stone was lowered to its base, at the western extremity of the Breakwater, amid a royal salute of cannon from the ships in Cawsand Bay, between the Island and the Main, Plymouth Sound, and Hamoaze. To

enable the public to obtain as near a view as possible of the ceremony, the Earl of Mount Edgecumbe threw open the gates of his enchanting grounds, the eastern parts of which were crowded with the beauty and fashion of the neighbourhood.

The scene, heightened by the beauty of a fine day, was charming beyond description; the grand, open bosom of the Sound was crowded by an immense number of pleasure-boats, cutters, barges, &c. filled with admiring beholders, amongst whom were some highly respectable characters; the men of war, in commemoration of the natal day of our august prince, bearing the royal standard at the main, were dressed with all the beauty which the numerous and variegated flags can give them, and formed a pleasing picture, surrounded as they were by the numberless parties around them.

The long ramparts of the citadel facing the sea, the hoe, and the extensive and commanding heights on each side the Sound, were crowded with beauty, fashion, and a rejoicing multitude of loyal people, who vied with each other in expressing their satisfaction at the commencing of an undertaking which ultimately will so much tend to the improvement of this port and to the security of the British navy.

EXECUTION OF DAWSON, THE POISONER OF HORSES.-Dawson suffered the sentence of the law on Saturday, at 12 o'clock, at the top of Cambridge Castle, amidst a surrounding assemblage of at least 12,000 persons, it being on the market day. Previous to his condemnation, and for a day or two after, Dawson's conduct was unruly and boisterous in the extreme, but by the unremitted and continual pious exhortations of the reverend Mr Pearce, chaplain, he became reconciled to his unhappy fate, and devoted

his whole time to prayer. The prisoner has made an unsolicited declaration of the whole poisoning business, from the time of the physicking of Rubens at Brighton, to the poisoning at Newmarket, in 1811. To the honour of the turf be it said, not a single gentleman is included in the confession, and Dawson appears to have been rather an agent than a principal. The parting farewell with his wife on Thursday was a heart-rending scene. She is a most respectable woman, and the prisoner seemed more affected at his indifference to her at former times, than at approaching death itself. He ascended the platform with manly fortitude, at 12 o'clock, and, after spending 20 minutes in fervent prayer, he was launched into eternity. The body was deposited in a coffin, and remains for interment this day. In his last moments the culprit declared, in his fervency of prayer, that he never meant to kill, but merely to stop the horses from winning.

The Crown Prince, Bernadotte, has lately received from the Swedish States an addition to his income of about 70001. sterling. The allowance for himself and family is now 20,0001. per annum. Since his elevation he has purchased several valuable estates in Sweden.

12th. Last week the barn of Mr Wing, of Banham-haugh, Norfolk, was broken open, and the fleeces of nearly 60 sheep, which had been deposited in the corn hole, were taken away. Nothing has yet transpired to lead to the discovery of the offenders, although suspicions are entertained of a gang who have long infested the neighbourhood, and who, the same or the following night, are supposed to have stolen four sacks of wheat from Mr Norton of Old Buckenham.

Mr Wallis, surgeon, of Longbo

rough, near Nottingham, was summoned to attend a lady in labour, at two o'clock in the morning, on the 6th instant. On entering the door where this pretended lady was, a villain met him, and discharged a pistol at his head. Fortunately the shot missed him, and the fellow made his escape. Mr Wallis had received a letter, threatening to deprive him of his life, some time since, but paid no regard to it. Three hundred guineas are offered as a reward, to discover the perpetrator.

Lately, Mr Faulknor, a respectable farmer at Baughurst, put an end to his existence. He arose earlier than usual, and was seen to carry a quantity of straw into his house, which it appears he set on fire, and having placed the butt end of a gun into the middle of it, and the muzzle in his mouth, sat down in a chair till the explosion took place, and the charge going through his head, killed him on the spot. He had been for some time in a desponding state of mind.

13th.-At the Warwick assizes, T. Tole, an Irish pedlar, of about 50 years of age, was found guilty of the wilful murder of M. M'Comesky, a fellowtraveller and countryman. He denied his guilt until a short time previous to his execution, which took place on Friday. The prisoner was attended by a catholic priest for about two hours, and partook of the sacrament, as administered by the Romish church. He seemed much affected with his awful situation. The warrant for the execution of the criminal was received by Mr Totnall, at nine o'clock. He came on the scaffold at half-past 11 o'clock, attended by the reverend Mr Langharne, and previous thereto by two catholic priests. The rope was adjusted immediately as he appeared on the scaffold, and in less than five

minutes he was launched into eternity, without uttering a single sentence, in the presence of several hundred persons. At this assize, Barnabas Watters and his son, who had picked up a bill, valued 111. and converted it to their own use, were tried and found guilty. In their defence they said, that having found the property they conceived they had a right to it as their own. But the presiding judge, in passing sentence, expressed himself in terms of indignation and astonishment, that such an idea should for a moment be entertained by any one; it was the duty of every man when he found the property of another to use all diligence to find the owner.-They were each sentenced to one year's imprisonment.

14th.-LONDON. THE PRINCE REGENT'S BIRTH-DAY.--On Wednesday, the anniversary of his royal highness the Prince Regent's birth was celebrated, with nearly the same demonstrations of public respect as have usually been shewn on the king's birth-day, except in the splendour and gaiety of a court. Several hundreds of the nobility and gentry called at Carlton-house in the morning, and left their names in writing. The morning was ushered in with a gene ral ringing of bells, and the display of flags and standards from the churches and public buildings. The king's guard was mounted by the brigade of grenadiers in white gaiters, under the command of Colonel Staples the band in their state uniforms. The officers of the guards on duty were entertained with a turtle feast on the occasion. At one o'clock the Park guns discharged a double royal salute, for the first time since his royal highness's appointment to the regency. A barrel of porter was distributed among the populace at the

gates of St James's palace. In the evening a very grand fete was given, as usual, at Vauxhall gardens. The opera house, the theatres, the Prince's and King's tradesmen's houses, were brilliantly illuminated.

The Prince Regent, accompanied by the Duke of Clarence, left Carlton-house about eleven o'clock, for Frogmore, where the day was cele. brated by the Queen.

LEEDS.-EXTRAORDINARY PHE NOMENA -The following marvellous narrative, communicated by the ghostseers, has produced a good deal of conversation in a part of this county, and may serve to astonish the credu. lous, amuse the sceptical, and occupy the speculative

"On Sunday evening, the 28th ultimo, between seven and eight o'clock, A. Jackson, farmer, aged 45 years, and M. Turner, the son of W. Turner, farmer, aged 15 years, while engaged in inspecting their cattle, grazing on Havarah Park, near Ripley, part of the estate of Sir J. Ingleby, Bart. were suddenly surprised by a most extraordinary appearance in the park. Turner, whose attention was first drawn to this spectacle, said, Look, Anthony, what a quantity of beasts!' Beasts!' cried Anthony, Lord bless us! they are not beasts, they are men !'-By this time the body was in motion, and the spectators discovered that it was an army of soldiers, dressed in a white military uniform, and that in the centre stood a personage of commanding aspect, clothed in searlet. After performing a number of evolutions, the body began to march in perfect order to the summit of a hill, passing the specta tors at a distance of about one hundred yards. No sooner had the first body, which seemed to consist of several hundreds, and extended four

deep, over an inclosure of 30 acres, attained the hill, than another assemblage of men, far more numerous than the former, dressed in dark-coloured clothes, arose and marched, without any apparent hostility, after the military spectres; at the top of the hill both the parties formed what the spectators called an L, and passing down the opposite side of the hill, disappeared. At this time a volume of smoke, apparently like that vomited by a park of artillery, spread over the plain, and was so impervious, as for nearly two minutes to hide the cattle from the view of Jackson and Turner, who hurried home with all possible expedition: and the effect upon their minds, even at this distance of time, is so strong, that they cannot mention the circumstance without visible emotion.

"We have had the curiosity, and an idle curiosity perhaps it was, to collate the accounts of this strange vision, as given by the two spectators, and find them agree in every part, with these exceptions: he young man says, that as far as he could mark the progress of time, while a scene so novel and alarming was passing before him, he thinks that from the appearance of the first body to the disappearance of the smoke, might be about five minutes; Jackson says, it could not be less than a quarter of an hour, and that during all this time they were making to each other such observations as arose out of the spectacle. The junior spectator says, he observed, amongst the first body, arms glistening in the sun; the senior says it may be so; but that did not strike him, nor can he, in thinking of it since, recall any such appearance to his recollection.

"On this strange story we shall only observe, that the ground form