The Sun. — London, England, 1804-08-31 00:00:00

FUaLIr;.OFFJcE, RUIt . TRiiEf. REVS Z. AsTLEY. • Mr. RE Es, the celebrated Imitator, late of Co. vent. Garden Theatre, has been engaged at Sadler's Wells Theatre for some time past, to give his jail. tations of the most celebrated London Performers ; and on the first night of his performance he gave imitations of Mr. ASTLEY, seri. in his exhibition of a me Monkies at his Amphitheatre some years since ; ltkewise his mode of conducting the Horse. manship, his Dialogue with Mr. Merfyinan, &c. Former imitations of Mr. As-I'Ln - having been the suliji.et of a violent dispine between Mr. AsT. LEY and Nelr. REV; some years since, which ended in a prosecution, Mr. THOMAS Di BD IN, one of the Pioprietiirs - , of Sadler's Wells, thinking this would be reviving old grievances, and that it might he the cause of enmity between the tw o Theatres, as it would be supposed the imi. tations h d the Manager's sanction, restricted Mr. Ro ts from giving any more imitations of Mr. A~tLeY, during his engagement with theirs ; and sent an apohigy to Mr. AsTLEt, disowning the imitations to have been given with his approbation, and that he had restricted Mr. Rees from giiring thtm any more. - It bring part of the engagement of M. likes, that he was to have aßenefir, which fixed tor Wednesday night last, it svas ge. neralfy understood among Mr. ReES'S friends that he ,would repeat the inotatiovs.of Mr. ASTLEY ; on that night :oh Tuesday afternoon Mr. Asi LEY, jun. met Mr. Re es in . Qiieen.street,l„incolh's.inn; fields, and complained to him of his illiberal conduit towards his father, and assured him, if he repeated his imitations of his father, at his benefit on Wednesday, he would certainly at. tend and h rsewhip him. In consequence of this threat, Mr. REFS applied to the above Office on Wednesday morning, and obtained a Peace War. rant against Mr. AsTL EY,. junior. Mr. ASTLEY was not taken in the course of the day. In the evening Mr. Re EsIS benefit took place ; and in conse . quence of a recommendation of the Managers, he - relinquished the giving any imitations of Mr. r, senior, and.an apology was made previ. ous to the commercement of his imitations, that part of them were to be omitted. This was oppos. ed by parr of the audience; who had come for the ex. press purpose of hearing the imitations of Mr. AST.; LEY, sen. and a riot ensued. It was with much, difficulty the perfOrmanees were suffered to proceed. Yesterday the parties atpeared before the Sitting Magistrate, when, in addition to the circumstances above stated, Mr. Rees said, he, as well as several others, saw Mr. ASTLIY, jun. in the hexes, and that he was a principal in instigating the riot. Mr. A. acknowledged he was in the boxe s , b ut d en i e d that he was adtive in making the riot.. The evidence failing to prove that Mr. ASTLEY was a principal in the riot, the Magistrates only held him to bail, to keep the peace towards Mr. REFS. Mr. ASTLEY assured:Mr. REES, that if he attempted to ridicule his father on the stage any ' . ;nore, he would prosecute him under a particular A 6 of Parliament, against holding up individuals to ritlicule upon the stage, under which, for every offence, he would be sullied to 501. penalty. ,SOLVENT DEBTORS. Con.bmALL.--Yesterday the Court again sat, when those Ins,lvent Debtors who meant to take the benefit of the At of Grace, but In hilse discharge was opposed the preceding day, were again brought up, and Counsel heard on both sides. A variety of causes were alledged for their detention ; but among the number, the following cases only excited any d gree of interest : Maria Douglas, otherwi,se called the Baroness de Mink.Wintz, was brought up, from the Fleet Prison, in order to be discharged, The appearance of this Lady attracted much notice in Court, from the de. gance of her person and address. She was opphsed on t!.e ground that she had represented herself as the Baroness de Minkwintz, when she should have described herself by. the name of Maria Duu. glas, otherwise the Baroness de Minkwintz.-- Another ground nn which she was opposed ap. peared to be in consequence of her having obtained goods under fake pretences, by representing herself as a p;rson of fortune, and stating to the trades. people she employed, that she had an estate in Nor, folk ; which, on inquiry, did not appear to be true. Another charge of a' much more serious nature was, for pawning the furniture of her reatly.ftirnished lodgings, during the period .she resided in George. • street, Hanover.square. The principal opposition to this Lady's release was made by Counsellor Cosi. woon,'on behalf of her creditors. Frederick Farmer, an Attorney, was, brought frbm the same prison at the. suit of a Mr. I, and opposed, for having got from Mi. Hill a sum of, money under false pretences, viz; that of granting him an annuity on ,an estate, Which was already Mortgaged. He was *wise remanded. Aaron juda, who was remanded on Wednesday, having detainers lodged against him on Tuesday last, which made his debts amount to upwards of 15001. was brought up. • Mr. ALLEY, as Counsel for the Prisoner, entered into a very long and able argument upon the con. struelion of the Att of Parliament, and contended, that. the Legislature. meant that those detainers should wily atie4 the Priminee. previous to the pass. ing of the Aft, which was on the 3oth of July, and not ,any time before the Sessions and return of the Warden. The Court was decidedly of opinion, that the Legislature did ,nnt refer tO the passing the Aft, but to the time of holding the Sessions ; he might, however, go hefote a Judge.—He was remanded. Ten other Prisoneti were opposed, upon fraud and other grounds; five of whom were discharged, anti the rest remailded until the next Sessions. The whole number, discharged, this day were, three from Ludgate Prison ; two from the Poultry and six from the Fleet. The Court then" adjourned .to the loth of Septem. ber ; on which day the RecoaDitit will, appoint a day specially, for the further consideration of In. aolveot Debtors' cases. ' PRETENDED DAUPHIN OF FRANCE. The fallowing Account of a Person who had obtained consi. durable credit in France, as the Sou'of.l.o . o i s X V I. is given in Korz>~UU journey front Berlin to Paris Jean Marie Hervagault is the son of a _tailor at St. Leo, of a prepossessing figure, katup-s hearing .great resemblance to those of Louis 'XVI. fair, slender, lively, communicative 'without suspicion, quickly penetrating, and feigning innocence in a masterly manner ; of coUrse . a person of great en. dowments, but t* no education. He is supposed to be a natural son of the late Duke of Valeorinois, who possessed estates in Normandy. The strange events of the Revolution disordered his senses ; he saw that many had raised themselves from ob. s:ority, and he wished to do the same.. In Sep. t.:mber, 1796, he left his father's house, and strolled as a vagabond about the country, declaring himself to be the son of a family of rat,k, reduced to distress by the Revolution. His youth, his inno cent appe•trance, and the plau , ibility of his story, every where procured him a favourable reception and relief. - He had no passport, but was never a4c ed for one. He became bolder, and attempted likewise to, carry oh his trade in the towns. He came to Cherbourg, but was soon taken up its a va grant. His father, the tailor, being apprised of this, hastened to fetch him, and was not a little surprised to find him richly provided with money and jewels, lie brought him back.to St. Leo, where the brisk young blade, did nor, however, stay long, btit soon ran away a second time, strolled through the Department of Calvados ; and, having improved bbth in body and mind, he became more ingeni. ously inventive in his stories•than at first. He some. times passed fur the son of the Prince of Monaco, and sometimes for the heir of the Duke d'Ursel in the Netherlands. He thus raised himself step by step, and. ere long made himself a relation of Louis XVI. of the Emperor Joseph 11. and of the King of Prussia. For the sake of his safety, which was threatened, he travelled in women's clothes, pre tending to he just returned from England, where he had been taking some • money to his emigrant father. Many, very many people of rank and education were deceived, for he flattered their former preju. dices ; the ladies, in particular, slimed a decided partiality for him, because he addressed their hearts. His adventures began to attrad some notice, and he was arrested a second time in female attire, and concluded to prison at Bayeaux, at the distance .of only ten leagues from St. Len. His father came again to procure his deliverance, which, in consi. deration of his youth, was indulgently granted, and the lad replaced under paternal authority. He was' now to learn the trade of a tailor ; an insulfer. able thought to his mind. He broke loose a third time. In 1797, he was in the diligence or stage coach, between Laval .and Alenc , n, very plainly and di. cently habited according to his sex. Not f a r fr om the latter place he 'alighted, and brushed off to a village by the' roadside, called Lcs ioncherts. Be. ing benighted, he begged quarters of a peasant, who directed him to the house of. Mademoiselle Ta. lon Lacombe for better accommodation. T o t hi s Lady he declared himself to be one of the family; of Montmureney„ who had a castle and estates near Dreux, but was obliged to fly from his p ersecutors . She conceived a lively interest •for his situation, and supplied him with money and clothes, which he promised to repay upon his arival at DfeUX.• Here be lived for a while much at his ease, acted the part of a man of quality, and presented, fur instance, the hustler, who saddled his riding-horse, with a louis. d'or. At last he felt himself induced to set off, and Mademoiselle Lacombe accompanied him to Dreux, to get back the value of what she had advanced to him; They -safely reached the • place ; •but both castle and estates had vanished. Can any thing be more natural ? The Revolution accounts for every thing. Poorer by fifty Louis d'ors, and richer in ex. perience, the Lady returned !white. The young hero . continually gained in . boldness, In .the month 'of May, 1791, he ventured in the diligence to Meaux, Only eight leagues from Paris, and -alighted. at the inn, where he, indeed obtained some refreshment, but, having no passport, was refused a night's lodg. ing. The wife of a Pariimerchant, Laravines, who happened to be at Meaux, took pity on him, and permitted him tolleep in her warehouse. This en. couraged him to ask further favotirs, and be sue. ceeded. He represented himself as a rich fatmcr's son, at Domery, who had fled to avoid' being en. rolled as a recruit, and Madame made him a present of four louis.d'ors, upon' which he hired a place in the diligence for Strasbourg. About one league from Chalons he disappeared, and the postillion in vain Waited his return. He, went to the village of Mery, and wished. to make good his story at. the castle of GuignaucoUiti but, being suspefled; he was pit under arrest, and taken before the Justice of Peace at Cernon. Being •asked who he was, he mysteriously replied '' He had no answer to make to such a question." He was sent to Chalons, where, being asked to give his name, he proudly said, You will learn it but too soon." At last he said, he was called Louis Antoine Jean Francois de Langueville ; that his father was dead, and that his mother, Madame Sainte Emilie, lived at Baueville, near Pont Audemar, in the Depart. ment of Eure. It must be confessed, that it is im. possible to tell a lie more circumstantially. Confined in the prison of Chalons, Hervagault assumed as air of grandeur, and a Mysterious de. portment ; he tempted the curious, give•significant hints, and in short, ere long, it was - Whispered About " it is the 'Dauphin! the son of Louis XVI!" The jailor himself believed the story, and advanced Min money. The wives of two merchants of the town, Saignes and Felize, were initiated in the se. cret, which 'soon . spread .about ; and no one any longer *ilunbreci. His figure, his manners" You need but see him," exclaimed the credulous souls, " to recognize him at the very first look.'' All ae inh4birants of Chalons, of the privileged OHM, Were by degrees made confidants and adherents ; and they all vied with-each other in supporting this last ill.fated Offspring of their kings. His rabic was daily SerV.l with - dainties-of everyatescr'pptilp-, lii 7. ! rooms were elegantly furnished, masters were given the jailor- treated him with deference and re_ sped ; his prisoner was allowed to walk about as often as he pleased, but always in the disguise of a female; in fine, his dungeon - was, as it were, meta. morphosed pleasUre house. Mean While the 'persons who were let into the se. cret were mit sufficiently discreet. A word dropped here and there, in the gladness of their hearts, aroused the vigilance of the Magistrates ; and, after this masquerade was played two months, Herva. gault was made to undergo strider examinations. ,With artifice and gestures that seemed ro belie his words, he now declared that he was the son of a tailor at St. Leo. The father was applied to .in writing, confirmed the truth of the declaration, and the•offmdcr Was sentenced to One month's impri. sonment. This mild punishment was considered as a victory by•those who thought they really knew the secret : during his trial, they trembled lest the real origin of the prisoner should not escape discovery. In order to - free him from the pryin g vigil a nce of the police, they abundantly furnished him with money and jewels, and thus facilitated his retreat. He was very well satisfied with the issue, and now began . to at his part at. Vire, in the department of Calvados. Here he made but a few proselytes, was soon arrested again, and with greater severity doomed to two years imprisonment. As the inha. bitants of Vire only considered him as a young va. gabond, he %you'd have passed these two years very sorrily, had not his faithful' adherents at Chalons - continued to support him, on which occasion the confuting Madame Saignes conducted the corre. ipondence. This woman really wished him well, and advised him to apply the time of his confine. ment to the improvement of his education ; but he gave way to driiling, and at , the end of two years left the prison worse than when he entered. Ma.: Saignes herself went to fetch him from Vire to eltalons, into the bosom of his faithful and devoted friends. The most splendid preparations were made for his reception. He arrived, re. ceived congratulations, had flowers strewed at his feet, and was treated with the most distinguished resped. In short, the hbrn of plenty was again most copiously poured out on the tailor's son of St. Leo. When the police discovered these proceedings, his partisans, upon deliberation, found it expedient to send the Dauphin on his. travels. His route was so contrived that he every where found confidential friends, who, being previously informed of his sup. posed high birth, shewed hitn, all the respel due to that exalted station . . He was once at Rheims, twice at Vitry le naneais, and often at different little country seats, where balls, concerts, and feasts of every kind, were given in honour of him. At Vitry he was splendidly and conveniently lodged at the house of Madame de Rambecour, whose husband closely followed all'his footsteps, waited upon him . with the most attentive zeal,'and served him like a valet. On St. Louis's day a superb fete was pre pared for him.; it being the feast of the Stint whose name he bore. The Ladies sung songs composed in honour of Itim. In the confidential circles which he frequented they always called him, man Princy ! his par trait. was handed about as that of the Daqbin, and it was reported that-the Pope himself had im printed a mark on his leg, to know him again by finally, a leiter. was handed about from a bi4hop, in which that deluded prelate writes in expressions of the profoundest resped for. this young vagibond . and, by his example, convinced many who were still wavering in their belief. Already was a court formed round Louis XVII. He had immediately his favourites, and was going to nominate those who were to hold. the great offices of his househOld. Many names of consequence were to be found among them. They all glowed with enthusia•on, and prefared to make the greatest sacr;fices. Men of birth and rank deemed themselves fortunate in being ab!e to perform the meanest drudgery of me nial service for him. Misers turned spenthlwilvit that they might have the honour of entertaining him. It was very natural that such proceedings should not , escape the e y e o f a v i g ilant police. Fouche was inlOtmed at Pari s o f a ll that was going forward at Vitr a )! ; and a warrant put an end to.the farce. But even when taken into custody, Hervagault condu&ed himself with-i lof t i ness • a nd dignity that struck all present with .a, dubious awe. His 'most downcast confidants surrounded him with the most heartfelt reverence ; orre of them, highly moved, begged leave to embrace him ; and the tailor's son negligently tendered his hand to kiss. The very. first night of his incarceration, a most splendid feast was given at the prison. Intercessiong were Made for his release . apon bail, but in vain ; all that could be obtained. was to mitigate, as much as possible, the rigours of his captivity. He was constantly served in the most sumptuousmanne'r, and so' accustomed to this high style ofliv . ing, that once, a chicken, , a' pigeon, with a sallad and custard, being served for his supper, he thought proper to find the fare 'in. complete,• and indignantly dashed the mess on the ground. Adtnet, the Notary, called him in his pri. son Afouteipeear, , and was most graciously reward. ed with the appellation of g• Man petit page, ?no; petit 'valet dr chambre d'amitie."—Thus he acted his part dispassionately, and with an air of the outlast importance. Gring to mass, a servant carried his player.lmuk and . cushion. He appointed a Secreta. .ry, and made him sign in his name,' that of Louis ,Charles. Where a man bears a gr eat name , said he to the Justices, he is sure to be exposed to perseCu. tiort. The Mayor of Vitry, owing to the great concourse of people, found himself at last under the necessity of putting him under closer confinement, and, at the same time intercepted the enormous supplies of wine and good cheer sent for his use.- No person, but thosaabsolutely to amend him, was -permitted admission without a ticker. Meanwhile, his offence was by 'no means consi. dered in a political view, but merely as a matter be. longing to the Cortedional to: the inquiry and punishment of which he was accordingly left: Mad ime . Sdignes was likewise tiiken up as his ac complice ; but there being no proni to eanvia her, was acquitted in consequence. }Jeri:spear, in the hegira:ling of the year t got, was Sentenced to four years imprisonment as a sharrer and abuser of ►he credulity of the people, and confined according:y the House of Correction at Ostend. B ►tli the de. linquent and the Attorney-Genera!, though upori difF.rent grounds, appealed against this sentence to the Government. I f The matter was now to be treated at Itheima,. when a new and very important aCtor suddenly burst upon the scene of this tragic comedy. The aged Prelate L. de S—, Bishop de V—, a man ve nerable for his integrity, universally respeeled for the austerity of his manners, awl his profound learn.;. ing, expressed his conviClinn that Hervagault was the real and genuine Dauphin. He had even spoke to the Surgeons that had anatomized the corpse of , the pretended Dauphin in the Temple, who had in formed him it was not that of the real one. He re• solved upon freeing his young Mouarch from the chains of captivity, lent out considerable sums tea effeel this purpose, abandoned the very funi9ions of his office, came to Rheims, corresponded sivitli the Prisoner by means of the keeper of the jail, and • thought himself sure of his being the identical person. The Dauphin's death appeared to him a mere politi. cal lie of the National Convention. He even thought it his duty to give to the negleiled Prince a good education, and endeavoured to accomplish this end with the purest and sincerest intentions.- - He sent him among other works, one day, Le Geni du Christioniun, by Chateabtiant, and thetragetif of 'Naha; upon which he received, to his surprtee, this answer—i , Do you mock me t All this'l knout by heart." All the fears of the prelate were, lest the objea his care should he sentenced to transportation. TO prevent this, he strained every nerve, and made use of the interest of every friend he could command in Paris : he drew up a list of those persons to whom he intended to intrust the fate of the Dauphin. In it were found, amongst others, the names of Brissact Necker, Madame de Stael, Montesson, RoquelatO Angouleme, Talleyrand, Pays de Segur, La Harpe, Sec. Some believed him, some did not, some called him a Blonde', some a 30a4. The ea' respondence was carried on in cyphers ; it even went so far, that the projed was formed to 'marry the Daupliin with a distant relation of the Royal &OLP Hervagault at. first seemed to wave the PeciPc 49ll for he had, according to his own account, ssvots. the oath of fidelity and affeetion 'to' the Queen ct! Portugal's most amiable sister ; butefrom . ctrX movements, he yielded, and it was resolved to cr l39 ' levies of men for his service. y v But ere these negotiations Could possl i•t'en 9 the trial before the Criminal Tribunal at Rheims WA once more publicly revised, and that in the presr4hC' a ,Q of a numerous multitude of people; who all wets la favour of the accused, loudly murmured against rv— prosecuting Attorney-General, and with enthusiaaira fervour applauded the official defender of Hera!' gault. The judges, however, would not suffer (Nem,• selves to he misguided,and confirmed the original sen ro .! tence. While they were deliberating on the sulijzfl i o co mposure, 0 1 another room, the most painful anmety was tievia c _ . Gr in the countenance of every speCtator in court. H . er vagault heard his sentence w vain A smile of contempt ; and partizans, inst ead of giving credit to the juridical ilecisi""' 91 " 11 7 a d i r on.‘ persevered in their former preconceived op. They continued to wait on him with roy the place of his detention. Ile 11.4 a .I ‘Y' 31" g ocher ttrcas, a •silYcr cup, on which were cue lette rs . h L. C. (I, , uisCharle•) engraved and decorated w it h an tO in antique French crown. • This ht the itilot was his cypher. None, of his a illserou deserted his cause ; on - the contrary their zeal re doubled, and the venetatie.BOihopof CO" " fi re ways headed them. Nay, the latter did 'Rot al sell ice o t a his zeal to presents and good atP ice ~ he- even c c ' solved m o st a aivefy to exert hitii,elt; and being kn 4 formed that it was intended to bring his illustti A3. pupil front Rheims to Soissonb, detcrinille() to rescue him on the road frorn the ha n ds of his pe r . - secutors. yQuzliful proje't (..,f an ~id. h eal "! betrayed ; the Bish.p and his papers wc 4 re and it evidently appealed, opoi, - o ral', that it way, his intention to m a k e t h e ta il ot ' s son of Sc• " co aEt the part of t h e D top hi n . Th e G overom er,E, ever, had compassion o n th e hoary dotar'l, and .216' him his liberty. Her vagaUli himself had-fated pe, t i ter if the least pruspeEt of amendint.nt had a1`14 41 : e , t 4 in his cundua ; her , as he formed another junto i e partizans at Suissons, it was thou4ht purr to sna k e bun disappear. SHIP ORAVISEND, AVG. 29. Passed by—O D e Matilda, rinOvater, - from the dies; Kobusi, Carter; from Guernsey ; M a rgar,•:;./ 01 ;`':„'cl from Stockholm ; Good }lope, from 1)ant:. 14 . , ; fr4.n genie! ; Ribing Sun, Zuk;;Li, lamb, Ebenezer, Nrbuti.dt, 'and 606.1 , 1.4--• NOrway"; Speutarion, front ripe, ,Coulson, Two l rotlr ry, —, and Yo.mg ti•htlfll. I.„ P Sailed--tries Active., Tones, for l'hiliot•tiptria ; - for Tooningen"; and ivoge Mow, tur F.ILI ado" t1.1RI? IA D. ~,r„ f 114 YesteritaY, at Norwich, by the Rev. Tra i ners "" — n E imun k l K. /.4on, Esq. eldrst urn ut Sir Edmund to Miss Beecroft, eldest daughter and cu-lieiress Thomus lteeetotr, Esq. of Saadi:Jr Hll in the p 4- , of Norfolk. ,horyt At Suoth.nripton, the Rev. Itcory ef (n ii n ' - • • Dorset, to Mrs. Laud twee, wikto+,4l, 04 Prince's-1).40'11D- Mt, folio Evans, Clerk of the Bank, to Miss Creed , litter, both of Tetbury. DILD. On Saturday, in the 77th year of his' age, Sim" rrefa' EN. Banker, of Sherborne. , ue Yesterday afternoon, suddenly, Mr. George 111,0.:k. the Church Wardens ot St. Leonard, ShorotiTch• , The saute evening, Mr. lohn Keeoci he was seized on the proxdipg day with a pain " which terminated his existence. PRICE OF YLST? Li )14 DUN PrilltedbY RienATts RARRtii S ot No. 4, Martlet-eourt,lloW.Street) ; and Published by WIL--1*),1 Aknlc tit :•,cm I f ra,at SOUth aelOit(M.Strri k h InfaCriOr. l . l l l l 3 ; / At t he SuN.Orvi c s, (Pavel ; where Adivrriiitirests, Ord e r, for the rater s Letters k& the Ldaer, (ppr:.pard,,, mu s t be aildrebsell• • Sank Stock. 16oii Navy 5 , per Cent. yz a a 5 per Cent. riy7, yy Irish s per Cwt. 4 per Lent. 73 A per Cent. Keil. i•ar 3 per Ct. Cons. $ ;7 SI'UCK.S, 71Dtt !lank Ann. I'7l ,5'16111 a mt;a slocg, I f, I iflliCt 1,11 3 114:7 Cent. 4T , Jiiuu Ann. 4; 11-J 6O n• rs 6 k Iflit