The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-07-28 00:00:00

illt/ItiOND V. MILLINGHAM.

This was an anion against the Defendant, the
Constable of Greenwich, by the Plaintiff, a baker,
of the same place, for a malicious prosecution for an
assault alleged to have been committed by the
Plaintiff upon the Defendant in the execution of his
office. The record of the acquittal of the Plaintiff
at the Quarter Sessions was put in and read. "I he
assault charged was stated by the Defendant to have
been as follows :—That the son of the Plaintiff had
been drawn to serve in the Militia, and that the De-
fendant, as constable. served the regular notices at
the house of the Plaintiff; and when he served the
last notice, the Plaintiff's son being ill, the Plain..
tiff told him the Justices were a set off asses, and
as big fools as himself ; these words were accom-
panied by throwing the summons at the Defendant's
head. The Defendant give this evidence on the
trial for the assault; but the Jury acquitted the
Plaintiff.

In order to chew that the indiCkinerit sras pre-
sented without probable cause, and from malice ;
Mary Atkinson was called, who stated herself to
have been servant to the present Plaintiff in March,
1801, when the notice in question was served : she
eras in a small room adjoining to the shop when
Millingham brought the notice ; he said to her mas-
ter, 4, Here, I have broit;ht you some more waste
paper." Her master replied, 4' It was no use wor-
rying him so, and that the Justices must be foolish."
.\t that time her snas:e: 's son, to whom the notice
was direCted, was cotv:iled to his bed by illness. She
was quite sure her master never threw the summons
in the Constable's face, or she must hare seen it.—
The Constable went out, and returning again soon
;dterwarsa, he told her master that be would punish
him at last.

Edward Frisker, a javelin-man, said he attended
at the last Quarter Se:,sions when the raistiff was
tried for the assault. When they came out of the
Court, he asked Millingham h tr his cause had
gene on ? to which he replied. Just as he expeCted.
He knew the Plaintiff would he acquitted, but be
had succeeded in putting him to a great deal of ex-
pense, which was all he wanted.
It was suggested, but not roved in evidence,
that the cause of the Defendant's animosity to the
Plaintiff was, because the latter, when Overseer of
the parish, had cut down the Detend,nt's bill, as
contraaor of grocery to the workhouse.
Mr. Serjessnt BEST addressed the Jury at length,
a•~d conter.ded, that there was probable ground Isr

. .
this and that /le was compelled to present it,
being batind over by the Magistrates to attend the
Session for that purpose.
The Jury west oat, and deliberated f r some
time, and at length found a verdia for Plaintiff—
Damages 1301.
The business of the Assizes concluded this morn-
ing. The Commi:sioa for Sussex will be opened oil
Saturday at Lewes ; but business will not begin till
the Monday morning.

ORIGINAL 1110GRAPIIICAL ANECDOTES

NO. it.

MM. JA Mr. 12VDOLILITOM erss.
(Concluded from our l'aiserot Monday se'nniett.)
In the year 1780. Wynn addressed an We
to Her Majesty on her Birth-day, beginning
" Ife..nl ye the w,leome wound of joy
" Nonni ye the ,welliog notes of praise'
" What theme Lite virtue cal employ
" The hr., nr wake th., post's tars '"
This little piece was well received, and a more Ca-
vot.eed Lauceat has since not thought it beneath his
character to imitate. Mr. Wynn began now to attend
his fame, and several periodical booksellers with great
eageniess solicited his literary assistance. About this
time, a very singular character obtruded htrnself
upon the town. His tiFere w.ts that of a col pulent
giant : he was vulgar i•iliis manner, impudent and vain.
and by many termed the Bear ofPoppsn's-alley—thle
man, with the little property he derive! from a te—
speaatble uncle, turned Bookseller, and opened a
shop in the Old Bailey. The first publican a he
sent into the world, n ds.The R.smahr's %Lige:ins. It
had a wonderful circulation among 'prentice boys,
indecent rakes, and profligates. After this civic
Priapus had skimmed the hot-beds of Roch-rter,
The PaPoso,l4ical Ta,rese, Famm, 11,11, and others of
the same school, he began to lorA out for literary
assistance, and our hero was to be the Seleded
man. One morning early, as the Books .11irr I
was passing through FL et-strect, he met Wynn
coming out of the shop of Mr. G. K.earsle,..--a vt,
dear sir (said he), you are the very persoa l wa':
do me the favour to assist in a new popular pu'ili-
cation, and you may make your ow s terms, t
sheets a month at least, at two gain as a s
and draw the cash when you please. At this '
Shen:Wynn began to smile, it was the thii.g
most' wanted ; and the proposal occasioned heart-
felt satisfaction, hut when, how, and where ? said
the Poet, in ecstacy. "I'll give you the meeting.
this evening," replied the bookseller, " at fie,. pre-
cisely. at the Last Shlt, in Poppin's-alle:, where
we witl tigether plan and digest the prelimi-
naries." Tit_ time cam:, Mkt Mr. Wynn was shven
into a parlour, where an atiern •en I.arty had been
smoaking and drinking. In one t t the chairs stood
a large pewter vessel, which had not been deprived
its contents, since the de:sarture of the club ; and
J must digress in this part of the anecdote, to in.
form the reader, that the Bookseller had a singular
attachment to a hasty-padding, and the mistit's if
the Lest S.iije had a standing order to prepare one
for him every evening, at five o'clock. The great
man entered the room, and placed himself in the
president's chair : the parties congratulated tacit
other, and went to business. "Twosheets a rint.th,, I
and draw the cash at pleasure," said the little
man. Exadly so," returned the publisher. a '
long dialogue ensued, in which Mr. Wynn br:atne
so much enraged at what he conceived the illiberal
terms of the bookseller, that he snatched up the
hasty pudding, threw it in the bookseller's face, and
walked away.
The Rev. Dolor Maden had just written and
published a very singular book its vmdicatiors of po-
lygamy, called, Thetypiiihons. It was composed
purposely to extenuate the conduct of a rich mer-
chant in the Borough, a friend of Dr. Maden's, who
had married two wives, and ( what must appear v...
ry extraordinary) lived in tolerable harmony with
both, under the same roof. This book. Mr. Wynn
borrowed, and returned it again with the folio A lag
Epigram, written on one of the leaves in red ink :
EPIGRAM
ON MADLN'S I'IMLYITHORA.
" If John .narrim Marv, and Mary alone
" a very good match between Mary am; Jal),l
" tut if John weds a sc.wi-0 what claws and 4 h.t ,c,atcheat
" It carnet be a match, but a bunAl• of Quechee "

A hundred more instances might be produced 4
Mr. Wynn's ready wit and humour ; but, as t' ey
still live in the memory of his friends, we shill con-
clude with observing, that his only faults were, ne-
gligence with respetl to exterior appearance, and
obstinacy in refusing to accept obligations, tendered,
from the purest motives, by many who were desir-
ous of serving him in distress. His whole garb, at 1
times, was not worth a crown, notwithstanding
which, he was met with respea. His ITO"tilS were
noble; and those who had the advantage of his
friendship, received hint with a smilr, and were '
happy to say with Shakespeare-
-44 .m.ma. Even it lime boner, mesa lasba:eleata
Oar pur.es stud: be prowl
For. 'tie the intnd that make: the body deb ;
A!.d, as the sun breaks through the darkest clerk
So honour .Icoeeth in the naean:ot hab.t •
What' ts Ate jay more memos than the; lark,
because Ito (tattier. are ra re titetumul
Or, the War bet er than the Le!,
lie.:-ause his penned skim content.; the eye !-
At length nature began to decay ; his limbs and
intellects forsook him ; but the affection of I.is chil-
dren threw a veil over his infirmities. Up in the
great stage of life, he afteti well his part ; and here
we drop the curtain.

On Saturday forenoon the 53d regiment march.
ing to Bullercoat Sands, Newcastle, fur the pur-
se of bathing. The sea ran high, though neatly
low water, se that they had :o wade a considerable
way before the water was snificiently deep. A'ccr..
Vof the grenadier company, of the name of
DT, unluckily got into one of the quick-sindr,
with which the place abounds, when a heavy swell
took him off his feet, and nct being able to swim,
was, by the falling tide, carried out to sea.
The drummer, who was on the shore, saw the dan-
ger better than those in the w der, and being an et-
cellent swimmer, hurried off his clothes an I sic:it to
his assistance, and mutt have also perished, liiit
for the efforts of three of his brother srAji-rs, sebo
were excellent swimmers, and after some time
eeded in bringing him safe to land. Hardy a
very handsome young man, an t h ire an
s harafter ; he beton ed to a respeftable
Possessed c Prntenl•

immul .

NAVAL INTELLIGINCE.

Toirsmouss, Jutv t 6..

Arrived the Lim, cutter from a cruise, with the
racket (of Embden) from Bourdtaus, laden with
brandy, wine, &e. detained by her.
'This afternoon His Majesty's ship L'Etperance
Ott signal for the West Indies.—Wind Westerly.
Captain of the *American, which the Calcutta
Pi hi eith, went on board, and informed Captain
oodrote, that the French squadron had arrived at
listavia previous to his sailing from thence, and that
Sone of linnis's brigs was nearly sinking.
Sailed the Ranger, Capt. Coote, with a convoy
Ihr Newfoundland.
Arrived the Glary from the Eastward; Plots,
from Havre ; and the PAamsat from a cruise.

DIAL, JULY 12ti.
Arrived and sailed for the River, the /1-ashingioa,
Scott, from Charleston.
Sailed the Kiag Gcsrge. cutter, with the outward
bound merchant ships ander convoy, for Portsmouth.
Lucirer and Fur., bombs, Autumn, sloop of war,
Starting and Ca:utast, gun brigs, on a cruise of the
French c, ast._ .

Remain in the Downs the rest of the ships as per
last, and two cartels with Dutch prisoners, from
Surinam, bound to the Tele'.

orr souLoosE. JULY 24.

Yesterday evening,' the weather being clear. and
the sun shining upon the French coast. we had a
very good view of the enemy, and have clearly as-
certained that their loss in the gale of Friday and
Saturday last has been very considerable. We
distinFtly counted nine wrecks on the rocks between
Portel and Boulogne. and from the boldness of the
coast and the tremendous sea, when they went ashore.
it is scarcely possible that any of the people on board,
500 in number at least. could have been saved. The
eatire coast between Boulogne and Porta was co-
vered with wagons and soldiers, clearing away the
wrecks, and an immensity of small boats were engaged
is watching the bottom for different articles. In the
space of 6.lty yards, close under Portel, there are a
,nbriAlkndfour luggers complete' y daslied to pieces.
l'he few brigs that succeeded in getting into Bou-
logne seem to be mitcli damaged in their masts
and rigging; indeed from the amazing surf, when
getting in, it is impossible it could be otherwise.
Altogether the loss of the enemy on Saturday morn-
ing, has been the m;st sevese they have met with
since the commencement of the war. and it is highly
probable that the soldiers will not be so sanguine
for the expedition, after having had such convincing
prc.ors cf the danger attending it, and having seen
our shirs ride out gales of wind in perfea safety,
when they have invariably suffered, both in men
and vessels.