The Sun. — London, England, 1823-07-25 00:00:00

THE LONDON JOURNALS. DAILY Extracts from the Morning Papers, July 25. [THE TIMES.) For such details as are yet in circulation, re tipecting the French attack upon Corunna, we refer our readers to the subjoined account. Im perfect and unsatisfactory as the accounts must be considered, still the engagement or engage. meats to which they relate have been the only occurrences like real.:Vriir that we have heard of since the passage of the Bidassoi—Mina's opera. tions only excepted . . Of the result, unfortu. nately, we, Can assert nothing. There is not mere scantiness to complain of in the intelligence brought to hand, but a good share of contradic. tion. The accounts, professing to come. from French sources, talk of Quiroga and Wilson ~having both been defeated. Was this before 14th or after it ? In the first case, it is probable that we should hive heard seine hint of such en. , ,gagement by the ship arrived at Plymouth. if, on the other hand, an action between the French and the united forces of Wilson and Quiroga was fought after the reported departure of the latter ~General from Corunna for Vigo, the issue of such a conduct, supposing it (according to a pre. ..tended letter of the 17th from Bordeaux) to have taken place on the 16th, could not, through . , any :'physical medium bUt that of telegraph, have been known at Bordeaux so early as the 17th ; and 'The line of French telegraphs not carried itt a westerly direction into the Spanish territory. . . . . • Attack'oii Corunna.---By intelligenCe received • yesterday from Cortinna, it appears.,that-a severe .coritliet has taken place before that city between the Vrench and Spanish troops. The accounts depend for authority on inforthation derived from the crew and 'passengers of the Augusta, a Spa nish vessel, which arrived at Plymouth on Tues day last. They embarked at Corunna on the 160;.with great precipitation and in a atate.of much alarm, and the statements are therefore singularly imperfect and contradictory. It. is pretty evident that the French had not entered Corunna on the . ) 6th, and that their troops had suf fered severely by' the . attacks made on the, place before that. period. It is stated, however, by a let ter written by one of the passengersof the Augusta that the' contest was renewed on the 17th.• The 'vessel,' though she had sailed from Corunna 'on 'the Ilith; remained off the coast till the evening *the following day, when the firing, which had been' renewed in the morning, became more general and extended. Of the result of this new attack no intelligence can be Obtained till the next arrivals, which will be waited for with much anxiety. There is some reason to suppose that our gallant countryman, Sir Robert Wilson, Who was wounded;but not severely, in the attack. of the 16th, had been intrusted' with the defence of Corunna.' Ills appointment by the Cortes. to the rsnk of Lieutenant-General, decreed at Cadiz in their Sitti ng ' o f the Ist.inst., arrived at Corunna on the 13th. Quiroga,• it is said, left Corunna on the following day for Vigo with part of.his : troops, this latter place being in a batter state than Comma for sustaining a siege by the French. In the absence of Qairoga, Sir It. Wilson would be the olTicer. of the highest rank at Corunna, and Would therefore 'take the cammandlof the garrison as .a matter' of coufse.—. The situation of the Spanish fOrceaV Coruna* is rendered much more critical by the capture of Fgrrol by the French, which is mentioned in the Paris Papers, • and which is unfortunately con. .fi'rtned by the; present ad vices, I n that pl ace , is notmore than SO miles distant„ , there Was a considerable depot of artillery,whick might be rendered available to the operations of the French against Commie, more especially as the surrounding 'heights command the town, and Much resistance could not be expected to artil lery brought•to hear on it from that position,-- Colonel - Light,' Sir Robert Wilson's Aid-de- Camp, is stated to have been severely wounded in one of the attacks of the French, but is likely to do well. • [MORNING POST.] Inlll4r,lant Intelligence reached town pater.. day,, ria. Liverpool and Plymouth, iamouncing that a severe action had been fought on the 16th and 16th instant at Corunna, between the French under 9ourck, and the'Spanish Constitu tionalists under. Quiroga. and Sir Robert Wilson, in which the enemy had been repulsed with considerable loss, though not sufficient to prevent him from renewing the attack the following day. The ultimate result was not known ; for whilst a letter from Boraeaux states the French to have • taken possession of Corunna on the 161 h, the • passengers' on boalll the Jug:aline say, that being still in sight of the town on the evening of the seventeenth, the firing continuing, and was be coming more heavy. Sir Robert Wilson, accord. ing to some of the letters, had been slightly wounded us early as -the 15th, though it appears that he was , still able to retain the command and to animate the resistance of the Spaniards, who displayed a degree of resolution worthy of the dause for which they fought. Colonel Light had been severely wounded ; but comparatively few of the Constitutionalists had fallen, as they were protected by the walls of the town, whilst the French being in a more exposed situation, are reported to have lost between seven anti eight hundred men in killed and wounded. The in. habitants are represented as full of enthusiasm in the cause of the Constitution, and as having joined with great zeal and courage in the defence of the place. According to some reports Qairoga had retired with five, - thousand men to make a diversion on the flank of the enemy, leaving- Sir Robert Wilson. with 3 , 000 men to maintain Corunna. Whether thia was before or after the attack, is not men tioned, and indeed until another vessel arrives it is impossible to know the exact state and re-, suit of the contest. Al! that appears certain is, that a severe one has taken place ; that the enemy has at list met with spirited and deter mined opposition, and that whether he succeeds or hot the issue, will be honourable and bene . ficial to Spain; for it will create emulation an resistance in other places. [BRITISH PItESC) The French Papers of Tuesday were received by us exclusively on Wednesday night, and ap peared solely in our Paper of yesterday. Since then accounts have been received by us from Gallicia. Ow the 15th and 16th, the French Gen. Bourck arrived with his division, amount ing to about 8,000 men, before Corunna, and immediately attacked that place, but was, ac= cording to all the accounts now before us, deci sively repulsed after most severe fighting, retir ing with the loss of near 800 men. Private letters say that the French force attacked in columns three different. times, and on each onset were driven back with great slaughter, losing alto gether, in killed and wounded, near two thousand men. We regret to say that in these aations Sir Robert Wilson, who was most active and distin- Luished, was wo un d e d i n th e thigh ; an d C o l onel ight, who accompanied him as his Aid-de- Camp, was severely wounded. The Spanish troops, it appears, were commanded by the brave Quiroga, by Sir Robert Wilson, to whom the commend of one of the Spanish batteries was as signed, and by Senor Vigo, the Governor of Co rium. The loss of the Spaniards ii said not to have been heavy. Five or six officers pre stated to have been killed or wounded ; and the troops, it is said, did not suffer much. This intelli gence was brought by the brig Auguste, from Corunna, which arrived in ballast at. Plymouth, with several passengers, on , the 22d, who, on the approach of the French, army, left Corunna hastily, and did not wait the, final result of these actions ; but when they sailed, no fears, they state, were entertained as to the fall of the place and it was still determined to defend it to the las DIORNINO CHRONICLE.] • Two vessels have arrived from Corunna, one of which left that place on the 15th, and the other on the 17th inst. The reports . brought by the first are both vague and contradictory in them selves, and indeed entirely•superseded by those of the second. We publish them nevertheless as they have been received, and proceed to state the conclusions we have ourselves drawn from the several papers we have before us.--On the 13th ult. Cerunna had a garrison of 3,500 men, and 'in addition to this, between 6 and 7,000 Spanish troops, according to the enumeration in our Paper of ;Tuesday, were posted in the vicinity at a' place called •El Barge, near the bridge over the Mero, and in the villages on the road leading 'to St. Jago. The fact is, the positions of , the army of Galicia were, at the I above date, exactly the same as those held -by Sir John Moore on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of January, 18.09, and 'at the time he 'was retreat. ing before the French, positions whioli he had selected for the purpose of covering the embark ation of his troops. Generals Quiroga and Wil son were then daily expecting the advance of the French, and as it now turnsout,with just reason, under a determination to defend•the surrounding lilifs,and ground between the Meroand.the town,. on the principle that, if once abandoned, the city would be exposed t o a gulling fire, in Case the French. were able to bring up artillery ; but .with which, nevertheless, it was well known they were scantily provided. Coriinna'is surrounded by two' ranges of hills, in the form of an mph,. theatre, the lowest nearest the town, and the other higher ones about foil). tulles' (l• annt. With so Small a force, it would be necessary to aban don' the exterior hbigths to - the .Fieneh, as other- wise, particularly on the left flank, the enemy might have been able to penetrate to Corunna or obenpy the inner position,' by which means any advanced force would be turned. Such then would' be the positions of the, two armies thd moment the French adVatiCed-;' and 'if any cannonading took' place' op' the 15th, it must have been' directed against the village of El BUrgo'; but the idea of the French bombarding the town, if *Corunna . is meant, is ridiculous, 'not only on account of their distance on the 15th, but because they were nut provided with mortars to throw:shells ; and if they had, there was no time to mount them. The • fact is, they Could not have cannonaded Corunna, unless they had been in possession of the heights of St. Lucia; precisely the same the.Spanislr army was posted to defend ; and before they could have gained them, some hard fighting' must ,have taken place. —Our own conception is, that , the attack was made by the- French on the inner heights imme. diately round Coru n na, and. defended by the Spanish force under the orders of Generals Quiroga and Wilson, and, under all the cir cumstances, we conclude that the French must haYie been repulsed with considerable loss. This.we anticipated, and we trust that this acti on , which spews that the Spaniards are ready to fight when commanded by men deserving of their confidence, will be the forerunner of many bril. liant exploits in •alicia, if the French do not deem it more prudent to withdraw to Madrid ; in which case they have a very harrassing retreat to undertake. [MO It NI ni HERALD.] The accounts yesterday from Corunna are ex tremely interesting, but unfortunately, from the hurry and confusion with which the vessels sailed, and with which also, the accounts were written from Plymouth, where the vessels ar rived, the event is still involved in doubt. There is no ascertaining, nor even judging upon deci- ISIVO probability, whether the French did or did not obtain possession of Corunna. It is true their occupation of the place is positively asserted, but this is incompatible with the rest of the context of the same statement. The general report is that the French were beaten with great loss—and this negatives their finally retaining possession. Neither is it likely that a place of such strength, and prepared for resistance, even numerously garri soned—should have been taken so suddenly. It is moreover known that the French were ill pro vided with besieging artillery. It would be 'use less, however, to indulge in conjecture as the re sult must be soon known. One fact is clear— that there has been sharp and severe' fiihting, not only on the 15th and 16th = • the actions 91 which are the subjects of the accounts of yesier day—but on previous days also. The Paris Papers in their Madrid news, dated' the 16th mention that a partial but keen engagement had taken place between the French General Huber, commanding the advanced • guard of General Bourck, and some of the troops of Quiroga. The French, o f course , c l a i m t h e victory. It is stated that Sir Robert Wilson and Colonel Light, who went out with him, were . both wounded, as well as severa l Spanish Offi cers. Quiroga shared the •commae'd with Sir Robert—and whatever has been the ,issue, there appears no doubt that the affair has been ho-. nourable to the Spanish army, and to their foe reign auxiliaries. . Corunna was the chief depot of the foreign volunteers. Their experience and gallantry has probably contributed to thegood conduce of the . whole force. The fact that several officers, and even superior officers, were wounded, is, of itself, not a proof that the loss of the Spaniards was, considerable. The officers would naturally as an example to an army, containing so large a proportion as militia and volunteers—and most probably it is to his personal gallantry that we may refer the wound of Sir Robert Wilson. We wait with anxiety the result of this affair. The great difficulty is, how to recognize the capture of Corunna by the French, with the faCt of their being defeated with great loss. • [N EN • We Were. not a little amused with an Evening Paper of yesterday, (Not THE SUN), containing, in page 2, an article headed in Roman capitals " Repulse of the French at Corunna; . " and in page 3' another article equally conspictious, and headed in similar capitals, "The French are in possession of Corunna." It is hard if Readers cannot be pleased who haVe thus a choice of information in the same- Paper. As to' the fact, we will not pretend to ascertain it from such, contradictory authorities • but we shall simply st a t e th e. groun d s on whic h pre-' sent information rests.' Two vessels. !lei() ar rived from Corunna—the Margaret, which reached Liverpool on the 224 instant, and 'the Augusta, which on the same. day canfe . .into' Plymouth : intelligence Was also received front' Bordeaux ;. nor must we forget to :mace a' Madrid article of the 16th instant in the: French' Papers. The last mentioned article says that au officer had that moment brought Intelligence of a sharp .action which .had .taken place between the French troops and General Quiroga, who had been completely defeated and that _General !Luber, commanding the vanguard of .the French; had entered Ferrol. The latter part of this state ment is confirmed by the letter of a passenger on board the Augusta, who says, " Ferrol! was un derstood to have been entered on the Pith,.ahout nine a, in." The first affair with Quiroga, there fore, must have taken place on the: 13th, or 14th at latest, and Quirovt must have retreated towards Corunnft. The Margaret and. Augusta both appear to have -sailed . in ' great hurry and confusion •on the . 15t1i, and to' have broUght away many . fugitives (some: of them -Officers !) who were eager to escape from the French. . The Margaret appe'ars to have got clearof the land.on the'lsth, but the AuguSta is 'said tor.haire' remained in sight of the coat. It 'is agreed by botlrV'esseli' that the French troops 'attacked' the Spaniard's on' the 15th - , and' drove them into the - .town of Comma.. The ac 'counts by the Augusta purport that, after this, cc r i fire was opened from the fortifications, and continued with little interrtrtssion during the 15th and thVfollowing day." The Bordeaux Intel& Renee . is d'ated on the'l7th, and states, that 46 the French entered Corunna. with° 16th, after a' se the Constitutionalists under n were completely over thrown:" This, however, is by no means consistent With the account• from the Augusta, which says, 44 on the morning of the - 17th., being Still itisi4lit of the town, the quantity of stnoke aPOtiiit.i,tO7 be more 'extended . and very .:heavy." Preen these differences in the statentents we must, in some degree suspend our . opinien'ai to the result. 10,..01•. , ... SINGULA CiacumsTANci;—We have heart he following account so well authenticated tha the extraordinary facts which it contains .may be relied on as correct :—.So me days agb a young Lady of most exquisite beauty and pro. portionable symmetry of person, •happened to call in the usual nititmer at a Lady's shop not 100 miles, or yards either, from Sackville __ street. There she• happened to be recognized by an old Gentleman of very interesting anti gentle man-like appearance, who upon . the. beautiful incognita having ordered some articles to be sent home, which she paid for, and having gone away herself, made very minute inquiries of the lady in the shop, who the personage was that hid just gone away ? He received at first a very cool re ception, but on pressing the lady to say a few words to him in private, he related the follow. iug story, with looks of anguish and anxiety. He said he was a native of ,the sister island, and amassed a large fortune ; that he had but one child, a female, upou whom he lavished most profusely the best education and accomplishments which the country afforded. It so happened that some time ago she had privately left his house; and that in a disconsolate state, he tra versed every part of the Continent in vain, and had not seen her since until the moment he en tered the shop. For, said he, with eyes stream ing with anguish, " that Lady, Madam, is my daughter! !" - Her address was immediately. point. , out ed by the respectable Lady of the shop, and thither the father hastened ! But here comes the strangest part of all, for behold the fair fugi tive denied all knowle'dge or acquaintance with her own father! and absolutely and positively refused to have any conversation with him ! ! The father now seemed more disconsolate than ever, resorted to the Official Authorities for as- j _• si3tance and advice, and all we know is, that when he returned to where his daughter had lodged , he found she had'clecamped, end left him in melancholy conjectures to pursue his forlorn and uncertain pilgrimage until time or remorse g t u i t r i a v i e i p s o 4 1 . 1 e e r a s r t a --- iso i f w i n io e t d a li v e , y a r k t l i e ., o ss w , may find th e i r way to this lost an d unna t ura l f u . l w ed h g o e w o i f tl h ' e u r n p li a a : ventage anti birth.--(drnsugh Volunteer.) PERtI. Letters have been received front Arequipa, in Peru, dated 3d. of 'march, and also Cusco —Ga zettes, containing the Royalist o ffi cial accounts of the late defeat o f th e Independent army of Peru, under General .ALvaitazio, of which some parti culars had already reached this country. The letters add, that . General ALVARADO, after his de feat,Jetiredito Iquique, a sea-port to the South of i Are.a r and belonging to the Province of Ata camai where he was again attacked and defeated by Gen eral Ox;tANETA 'who had been stationed latter Province. In this action the re. -Inaba:of-the Independent troops a re re pr e sented 16'4[14 beetl broken, their leader escaping ,with only aifew..followers and his Staff. Gene- MIS VALDES' and CANTERAC are said to have al ready left Moquega with nine battalions of in fantry and eight squadrons of cavalry, in order to "attack Lima. The consequence of ,this ad. vantage had .been, that the whole of the coast from - Canete to Iquique had fallen into the hands of the "Royalists. Two vessels, having on board part of.Ar.vanano's troops which had escaped from the first action, put into Pisco, and were shipwrecked on entering the port; only thirty ,men escaped, who fell into the hands of the Royalist Commander, BARANDILLA. - • The following is the Royalist account of the battle of Torata , i'OESEItiI. VALDES TO THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF. " rn the morning of this day my advanced posts discovered that the enemy had broken up his encampment, and was march s ling towards us with his whole forces. Having, in consequence thereof, disembarrassed myself of the baggage and - cattle of the army, I resolved to wait for the enemy In Yacango, and defend the positions along the road which appeared to be ad vantageous. By half-past nine the fire had already commenced on •both sides, and the enemy would have paid very dear for the ground be gained, if a false report which I received from the rear had not informed me that the enemy also held the heighti of Valdivia, which compelled me to recede; - which I did, after ordering-the Chief of my Stag, with three companies of the Gerona regnient and the cavalry, to march towards the aforesaid heights and occupy them. - he above officer duly performed the service, and again joined me in Zabaya, assuring inc that there was nothing to fear on the above , point. In con. sequence of this, and certain also that your Excellency was near. I,did not hesitate to dispute the ground with them in a Inbr i eObtitinate manner. " The enemy advanced hit battalions in two directions, sup. ported by a reserve.. The firing on all sides soon became quick and horrid, but he had advanced very -little at half-past three, When yoo Eicelliney arrived, took the corrunand, and they were deflated, &c. • " Height; of Valdivia, Jan. IV, 1823." FRoM GENERAL. CANTEIFAC TO'THE VICEROY OF PERU. " From the &fife of Yacango to'the heightiof Valdivia, the ground is a aeries of successive heights which General Valdes knevi how to avail himself of, and when at half-past three I joined him, I found o ur troop s were occupying the last heights of Valdivia - . Our left was then formed by the bigtalion of the centre, part of thb regiinentpf (Gerona, and Mir right by .three •ibilipanies of Gerona, a corps of mounted chasseurs, and the rordisitrrierofthe cavalry in the rear. • The enemy, commanded byQgneral, Alvarado, bad their right' resting on the town of Torata, consisting of the Peruvian legion; his centre, situated on a height, and accessible only in front, and separated from the right and left by deep defiles, waslormed out of two bat.: lalions of the River Plate, and the left, also separatedfrom the centre bx• other defiles, was supported by the 4th and 11th re giments, and in. the rear his cavalry was posted. " Our position Was strong, and never could have been taken by the'enemy ; nevertheless, trusting to the superior numbers, they made the attempt, by advancing the 4th and 11th bat.' talions to the' height occupied by our right, which I ordered to -b eltuNirttesthy.three.companies of Gerona, instructing' Colonel 7:4. - incner to angels. immediately. The orde r w as obey e d, a nd the brave men of- Gerona, not satisfied with repulsing the enemy, attacked bins with the bayonet, and forced lam to re. treat with Considerable loss. Sensible that we ought to avail otuselVes of this advantage, I agreed with General Valdes to attack the 'else* along his whole front, and for this purpose the mounted chasseurs moved down, as well to call'the atten tion. of thq battalions of the River Plate, and prevent the latter from flanking the Gerona battalion, as to'improve so favOurable an opportunity. General Valdes came down with two cons. parries of Gerona, commanded by Colonel Echezarraga; the centre also moved forward, together with the dragoons of. Ar equipa and those of the Union, under the orders of Colonels Horne and Puyol, leaving as a reserve the 3d battalion of the grenadier guards, commanded by Colonel Vidart. The brave mounted chasseurs, led on by their Colonel Gamma, advanced on the Peruvian Legion, and notwithstanding the galling fire they experienced, several . of our brave men fell fighting among the ranks of the enemy, . Colonel Gamarra, borne away by his zeal, at one time occupied the right of the enemy, in spite of his heavy fire, end there died covered with glory. " General Valdes at the same moment attacked the River Plato Battalion, whilst .two companies of Gerona„forced the position held by the 4th and 11th battalions, led on Colonel Ameller, who us the attack had three horses killed under him. During this operation, I ordered Colonel Espartero, with the centre and the batta lion under his command, to, attack the right of the Peruvian Legion, and notwithstanding no more than two.companies had cleared the defile through which they were marching, the bold Espartero advanced on the enemy; his soldiers fired once, and rushed on to the charge. At this same moment I ordered a squadron of Arequipa dragoons, commended breolonel Horne, also to charge the legion. This they did so effectually, that the lances and sabres of our dra. goons reached the enemy at the same moment the bayonets of the centre were spreading death in his ranks. The complete defeat of the enemy on this point greatly contributed to the Victory. " The attack made by General Valdes, in which he was slightly wounded, and had two horses killed under bhn, also had a glorious result. The river Plate battalion was-forced to abandon their grounlj, although superior in numbers. In short, the victory was complete; and the Liberating Anny of the South fled on all points, and our troops occupied its positions, which we found covered with dead, wounded, and with mus kets. • Our movements were adequately supported by our artil. lery.—Headspuirters in 'rorata, Jan. 19, 1823. (Signed) "JOSE CANTERAC."' c , GENERAL CANTERAC TO THE VICEROY OF PERU. " In the morning of the 21st our troops commenced their march towards Moquegua, the vanguard commanded by Gen. Valdes, and the rearguard under the orders of Brigadier Mon e t. Within a league and a half of 1 1 loquegua I advanced with General Valdes to reconnoitre the enemy's positions. and found him strongly posted ; 'his right resting on a line of rugged rocks, his right covered by a deep and wide defile, and his left sup. ported by the heights, forming an amphitheatre round the -town of Illoqaegua, on which lie bad mounted three pieces of artillery , . • . ' " The positions, in fact, could not be stronger ; nevertheless, in no way disheartened, I ordered General Valdes to advance with the division under his orders, and take the heights on the enemy's right. I then personally went to arrange the order of advance for the rest of the troops, which I formed into firur parallel columns ; the two to the right of cavalry, and the other two of the battalions of Cantabria and Burgos ; the latter under the orders of Brigadier Monet. " 1 moved slowly on by the main road, affording time for the movement of our left, and arriving within cannot shot of the enemy, I filed to the left, until I saw that Gen. Valdes was in possession of the heights I had ordered him to carry ; when I opened my front on the enemy's centre. In this march, the four columns received a heavy fire from the enemy's cannon, al. though our loss was not great. Our own four pieces of ann. cry were placed on the right ; although not much used, so vigorous was our attack. General Valdes, notwithstanding the difficulties of the ground, which the enem y d e f en d e d first by a company of diasseurs, and afterwards by , a battalion, succeeded in his attack, and having carried the height he formed in ca. !limn. I then detached the cornpanies of Masseurs belonging to the regiments of Burgos and Cantabria, which attacked the enemy in front. The first squadron of guards advanced rapidly by the main road to support them, as well as the Ist and 2d squadrons of the Union, as well as the remainder of the cavalry. "At the same moment the enemy experienced a general at tack, which it would be difficnit to describe in an adequate manner. Time brave Valdes fell on his right, and the heed-kit of Burgos and Cantabria defeated the enemy's centre. 'she lat battalion of grenadiers, under a heavy fire of grape shot, charged the enemy's infantry and cavalry, and soon after his artillioy, fell Into our hands. The enemy soon after were in full retreat, pursued by General Valdes along the road of Rin. conada. The loss of the enemy's infantry must have been great, for in Torata he had 4,000, and not more than 1,000 can have reached the sea shore, and out of 500 cavalry he has only saved 180, Ste. " Aloquegua, Jan, 22, 1821±, A LUNATIC'S CUNNING. A very laughable incident occurred at the Di. natic Asylum at Lancaster, about ten days ago. A parish officer from the neighbourhood of Mid dleton took a lunatic to the Asylum, pursuant to an order signed by two Magistrates. As the man was respectably connected, a gig was hired for the purpose, and he was persuaded that it was merely an excursion of pleasure on which he was going. In, the course of the journey, however, something occurred to arouse the suspicions of the lunatic with respect to his real destination ; but he said nothing on the subject, made no resist ance, and seemed to enjoy his j a unt. When they arrived at Lancaster, it was too late in the even ing to proceed to the Asylum, and they took up their quarters for the night at an inn. Very early in the morning th e lun a tic go t u p an d s e arched' the pockets of the officer, where he found the Magistrate's order for his own detention, which of course let him complet e ly into the secret. With that cunning which madmen not unfrequent-' ly display, he made the best of his way to the' Asylum, saw one of the keepers, and told him that he had got a sad mad fellow down at ,Lancesterf whom he should bring up in the course of did day adding, ," He's a very queer fellow, and has got very odd ways. For, instance, I should not wonder if lie was to say I was the madmani and that. he was bringing me; but you must take care of him, and not believe a word that he says." The. keeper of course promised compliance, and the lunatic walked back to the inn, where he found the overseer still 'fast asleep. Be. awoke him, and they sat down to breakfast.to% gether. " You're a very lazy fellow, to be ly% . ing all day. I have had a good long walk this unati cpaesrsheanpts assented , you and, aliftegro beamorning." 66 Indeed," s a id the overseer, "I should lik e .t o h ave a wa lk m ys e lf a ft e r break fast;i they set .out, the overseer leadi ng th e wa y towards the wi r wi k th fas altr The Asylum, intending to deliv er his charge; but it never occurred t_ him to examine whether big order was safe. When th e y g o t w ithin sight of the Asylum, the lunatic exclaimed, " Wbat a fine house that is!" " Yes,' said thaoverseer, " . 1 should like to see the inside of it."- 4 - 4 . 5 e" should I," observed die - lunatic. " Well," said the other, " I dare say they will let 'us- 10 °k through : however, ?flask." They went to the door; the tetetseer rang the and the keeper, Whom the lunatii had' OreViouily seen mad( hia' appearance With .two or three assistants..: The overseer the begun` to fumble in his pockets' foi• the order,. which the lunatic produced and gave fa the keeper,: saying " This is the man I spoke to yottabouti . yoti take care orblin'; shay! his head, and put a stela waistcoat on Wm."- , Tbe men immediately laid hands on the poor - over seer, who vociferated loudly that the other was the madman, and he the keeper;- but as this only seemed to contrm the story previously told •by the lunatic, it did 'not at all tend to procure Iris liberation. - was taken away,and became so very obstreperods, -that a' strait, waistcoat Was speedily put upon him, and his head. was shaved iecuncluin ortem. Meanwhile the lunatic walked deliberately back to the inn, paid the reckoning, and set out on his journey h omeward. . T he good people in the - coun try were, ofcours e, surprised on finding the wrong m an return ; they • not a little were afraid that the lunatic in a .lit of,freniy%ba murdered the overseer vend they aske<ltim lf with , great trepidation, what he had done with -----•" Done with him ?"-said the madman, 66 why left him at Lancaster Asylum, as mad as which, indeed, was not very far from truth ; for the wits of the poor overseer were well oversef, by:his unexpected detention, and subse quent treatment. 'Further 'inquiry "was forthwit h' made ; it was ascertained that the man was sc• tually in the asylum. A Magistrate's order, was procured for his liberation . ; and he , returned home on Wednesday last, with a handkerchief' tied round his head, in liett - ofthacov.e.ring which. nature had bestowed upon it. •. When Lord.. Chief Justice presided in the Court u d r o t wn of m K i i t n h g a 's g ß4 o c y h e , r a ty p , o a o n r d de i e n ri fi p r t i o ty ll , er iv e a t s u b u r re ou ; g. ST:a b ll e y . fore him, charged as a criminal, on whom the hill severityof the law ought to be visited with exemplary effect; .TheterrOrs of impartiality never set on any Judge's brow with more inipres sive dignity or threatening aspect than on that-of Judge Holt. The trembling culprit was overwhelmed with her •fearc- The • charges were i‘ opened. What is her crime ?" asked his Lord ship. " Witchcraft."—" How .isit . proved ? She has a. powerful i it app spell."zred a small al " Letmesebeii of t."..vTatirmieispmelly lwcoalosltrreti rags t ndedtother silk, bound with threads of as many different hues ; these were unwound and unfolded,. until there appeared a serap . :o f . parchment, on which were written certain characters now nearly ; illegible from much use. " Is this the spell ?"—The prose- - cutors answered it was. The Judge, after looking at this pro tent charm a few moments, acldressed . himself to the terrified prisoner. " Prisoner, how came- you by this ?".:.." A young gentleman, my . Lord, gave it to me to coming child's ligue." —" How long since ?"—" Thirty years,' my Loid."— And did it cure hear ?"—" Oh, yes, and many others."—" I am glad of it." The Judge paused a few moments, and then ad. dressed himself to the Jury. " Gentlemen of the Jury, thirty years ago,i and some companions, as thoughtless as myself, went to this woman's dwelling, theiva public house, and after enjoying ourselves, found we had no means to discharge the reckoning. I had recourse to a stratagem. Observing a child ill of ass ague, I pretended I had a spell to .Cure her. I wrote the classic - 11ns you see on a scrap of parchment, and was disr". charged of the demand an me by the gratitude of the poor wo man before us, for the supposed bene fi t; nature doubtless did much for the patient , - the force of imagination the rest. incident but ill suits my present_ character and the station in which I sit, but to conceal it would be to aggravate the folly for which it becomes me to.itone." BIRTHS. On Wednesday, the Mt] inst., the Lady of, Benjamin Cole, Esq., of Frognal, Hampstead, of a daughter. Yesterday, Mrs. J. R. Robins, of Gower -street, of n son. MARRIED. Yesterday, at St.- Mary-le-bonne Church, by the Hond and Bev. Henry Watson, the Hon.-Geo. John AliUes, of Elmham Hall, Norfolk, secon d son of the late Lord Sondes, to Eleanor. second daughter of the Dowager Lady KnatchbuU, of Wim. pole -street. On the 30th ult., at the parish church of II the, Kent, by the Rev. J. H. Bell, Henry Tompson, Esq., B.A. Scholarof St. John's College, Cambridge, to trine Harrison, second daughter of the Rev. James Bell, Vicar of Lymppe, Kent. DIED. On the 30th of April last, at the Cape of Good Hope, Capt. Pearson, late commander of the Honourable Company's ship General Hewitt. . On the Ithh inst., at his house in Upper IS'impole-street, Lieut.-General Thomas Bridges, of the 119 p. East India corn panyir service, in his iioth year. Ile commanded the right wing in the army under the command of. Lord Ilarri:l, at the capture of tioringapaumi. Printed and Published for the PIIOPRIEVOUEI, at the'§ Vl Omer, 113, Strand, by J. U. CAIPITAiIfS'