The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-07-16 00:00:00

MR. LAWRIE.

A very serious accident happened to Mr. Ls.
Imam, at the Opera House, on Saturday enpoz
In the Divertisement, the tendon d'AcAille was bran%
by an extraordinary exertion, and he fell upon the
stage. The pain was excruciating, and his pure
were distinElly heard in every part of the House.
The other performers instantly crowded round his,
and Mr. D'hovi tat carried him off the stage.
Madame LAURIE had, for the first time, goes
the Gallery, to see her husband once, and was a
spec ator of this unfortunate scene. Frora the na.
ture of the accident, it is probable, that Moonier
soatE will never be able to dialloaw his proles,"
except as a teacher.
Mr. Rommel, the gentleman who so much di.
tinguished himself in the late Parliament, by aa
numerous triumphs over the Minister of the da,,
now in town. We understand he ha. la:en solicited
to start for Middlesex.

Lord DUNSINN A N has given 10001. for the support
of an English Chapel at Perth.
The charming Lady FIZATMCOTe% Ball, NI
evening, in Grosvenor-square, has excited great ex.
peßation in the fashionable world. The supper will
be sumptuous. Covers will b_ laid for 260.
Mrs. Eossvoll will have an early party this even-
ing, in Berkeley-square. Hitetards request hx
company to meet previous tis Lady kinAl
Bali.
Lady E. CA RPCNTZR will conclude he- f.'
Able campaign with a grand route, on rauisdl,
in Lower Grosvenor-street.

sir \V. W. Wviise will give, this day, an elegint
dinner, at his house, in St.-James's-square.
splendid circle invited arc, the Marquis of Inavt,
Sir JJl:s SHCLLY, Mr. MATTEUX, Mr. CHIA,
MOSDEL:.V.

A contenyorary print has announced the dem
tore of the Earl and Countess of Durav from the
Oaks for Lancashire. That noble family bare
been it Knowsley since the middle of May, wbre
they will remain until the end of August. No
part or the family have been at chi Oaks since fe-
bruary.
The MA Rt.anitouou family.lave been deta;nedia
town, by the indisposition of the Duke of MARLS.,
souou. Its Grace, however, is so far recoverols
that the family will leave town on Wednesday, for
Sion Hill, from whence they will go in a few dais
to Woodstock, and close the season, with a visit to
Brighton, for the first time these three yews.
Mr. T:tcotv, the ci-desent Treasurer of the Nl-
vy, having wczgAto reasons to be silent, Mr. Joar•
a roNc has thrown down the gauntlet, as finentat
opponent to Mr. PITT.
It now appears that Mr. PLTT'S Defence BIT,
which proposes to facilitate the progress of the V.-
luateers, cannot carry a Volunteer Captain throoo
a turnpike gate.
Lord and Lady BORINGDON have left Oste:ly
Park, for his beautiful seat, Saltram.
Lord HAIM/WIT and family have settled for the
season, at Putney Park, in order that his Lordslr?
may not be out of the way.
The flowage: Duchess of Ili Asr gave an ele-
gant dinner yesterday, at her house, in Sackville-
street.
Lyman :4 jun. the celebrated otroausd, has arrised
at Plynmutli from Spain.
Mr. K it axe, upon the expiration of his Dubi*
engagement, will take a trip to Galway, for a b.
nights.
Mr. COLMAR'S Comedy of Tele Peer Genskam
was performed on Saturday night, at the Hay make
Theatre. Mr. Bum:Twee Frederick and Mr. DV'
MISTER'S O'd Bramble, were received with the most
decided approbation. Tice lions.: ()vent awed.
Friday se'nnight, Mrs. Basset, wife d
BENNET, of the Norwich theatre, was safely aeliv•t•
ed of two fine girls and a boy, all living, and
to do well.
Lord Cu ARLES FITZROY, having won 60
than
at the races last week, at Ipswich, ordered em
be divided amongst the wives of the soldiers of hit
brigade, the North York, and West Suffolk Rego
ments of Militia.
Colonel GORDON and his Son, and Major D*Le
stomo, were lately captured, on their passage WA'
New York for Jamaica, t,y the French private.
Repo:Willie, of one gun, and 4u men, and carried te
Sc. Jago de Cuba.

The battle to be fought this day, by PAT/004
the Jew, and Bt LL WA al), the Coachman, hiS
eS
cited great expettation among the ptigiktie Isrul
and amateurs. The Israelites have betted sen 7
thousands upon the Jew. • titenza, and the 006
knowing ones of the fist;l3ave backed the Cost''
man. Mr. Baiter:ay, the celebrated vfAri
has arrived in town from Yorkshire, and is
to attend this meeting. 'lle scene of adlt)
len Green, near Paddington.

ORIGINAL BI3GROBTCAL A3MMOTILS.

?lan.

/•,111 ilOl
Nll JAW n orppplygsrcom WNWS.
Among the minor :Mama his day, none shone
with greater lustrelshamthe late Mr. S. H. Wynn ;
a man so attecheditobenourabl? pursuits. that in the
midst of abjett.poverty, na peciini:lry advantage
could tempt him to commit a mean attson, or eon-
dal himself, while temperate, derogatory to the
principles of a gentleman. Eccentricities he pos-
sessed in abundance, which often made him subjea
to the ridicule of the ungenerous.
The man of discrimination knew his merit, be-
-1.,-.ld• him the ruby among pe,.hles, and when he
c old not relieve, coMmiserated from humane

motives.
Mr. Wynn was of a very respeetable family in
South Wales, and related to the Wynns, of Wynn-
stay, in that part of Cambria. His father, from
misfortunes, having reduced his fortune, wisely re-
solved on a profession for young James, and that of
a compositor was determined on for the hero of these
memoirs, at which he worked with that celebrated
worthy, Benjamin Franklin, afterward the Solon, or
law-giver of America ; but, from what motive I
never could learn, he iii.icante disgusted with his pro-
fession, and obtain I a lieutenancy in a regiment
about to set out for India. The irascibility of Mr.
Wynn's temper was such, that it for ever kept him
in hot water; he had not proceeded far on his
voyage before he quarrelled,with his brother-officers,
who refused to mess with him, and actually left him
behind when the ship arrivrd at the Cape ; from
whence he returned to England, and meeting with a
young lady of property, entered into the state of mu-
trimony. It was alsout this time Mr Wynn thought
of commencing author, and his first application
in that way, was to Mr. George Kear.ley, bookseller,
in Fleet-street ; from whose liberality i.e was enabled
to gain a support for his family. He had two other
employers, one in Paternoster-row, the other in
May-fair. For the first he is as doomed periodically
to write rebitsses and enigmas ; for the other, petty
fables, children's lessons in verse, or devise new
fangled modes of playing the game of goose. As
these two pillars gr littrataire live.; at sn great a dis-
tance a-part, our poor poet, who had suffered a total
derangement of the muscles of his ri•,.:ht leg, was
almost reduced to a skeleton, by Li frequent at-
tendance on therm ; when be had writ:en a dozen
lines for a child's play-card, or the half-page of a
monthly magazine, our poet was obliged to go
with his stock of commodity, from Bloomsbury,
where he occupied an attic, first to May-fair, and
then to Paternoster-row, and the remuneration he
met with for the effusions of his brain, was fre-
qaendy insufficient to procure him the means of ex-
istence. No man could be more sensible of his

miseries than Mr. Wynn, and he would oaten com-
plain, in severe terms', of the want of generoity
an his employers. The literary produetions of Mr.
Wyan are many ; and some written for his amuse-
ment, full of merit, strongly evincing flights of true
genius. His " 'ft:he/air the critics of his
day belaboured with Herculean clubs (but critics
frequently display much ill-nature, and but little
candour). His" Alivriel of Authorship" does his
feelings much credit ; and his Poem of " The Pro:-
Ware," is full of moral and tender sentiments—the
offspring of a good heart. Many others, his pieces,
have much to recommend them, and would not dis-
grace men of much greater celebrity. In his p is-
toralt he has n st been so successful ; when we read
them, they remind us of a saying of the gentle
shensteme-.." That it is not the piping of the shep-
herd we hear, but the bleatia If his sheep."
Mr. Wynn (as before ohm:. 'vas not without
his ecreatricities, and. isonie of them s ?"Hated with

I •
,t•
!If

•11
:o

pride, that their possessor appeared tri • lieu.
lons. The noblest minds are ever hardiest in
tress ; but Mr. W . was insolent in rags. turbulent
when in rant of a m•al, and would insult his best
frien.l t. t deinbo hint . kindness unsolicited;
of vi hick ti.ie following 4.lecsiste is an instance.
r W.. 1 figure we, below the middle stature his
face thin :ad pale; his head thinly covered with
black heir, collected is a tail about the thickness of
a tobacco pipe. - His coi.seiated right kg -vas sus-
tained to an unpolished ;rout he wore his gloves
without fingers, and his c%oaths in tatters. In such
trim, he, one day, entered Mr. Kearsley's book-
seller, in Fleet-street, who possessed a bract
susceptible ofevery good, and a hand ever ready to
relieve distress. Mr. K.'s shop was the loutige for
gentlemen of literary Daum:hymen', who stopped to
inquire the ticeurionces a the day, and several per-
sons of fashion were piesein •.s lien W. enteied, and
began to talc in a sway that chewed want of
ketiediitg ; his shabby appearance, together wit his
N
unbridled loquacity, 'New Mr. kearsky into a fe-
ver, ur.til he had got rid of him; after which,
moved at the indelicacy of Wynn's appearance, ..fir.
K. fi on, the purest motives, took a suit of his
claathes, almost new, and, with other appendage',
bundled them togetlwr in a handkerchief. and with
a polite note, sent them after Mr. W. to his lodg-
ings. As this was dome WithOUt the knowledge of
third person, and in so polite a way, it would not
be unreasonable to suppose Mr. W. reecived the
gift with thankfulness, at least with good manners;
but the result proved oth I.wisc--he seemed life a
madman, and, in a r 3;,. , - cter.ted the but
though he was covered s.l . rags lik pauper ;
writing by the porter, that the pity he wad expe-
rienced was brutality—the officiousness to serve
him, insolence; and if ever Mr. K. did the
again, till he was requested, he would chastise hir
in another way. This would have been a wren
pounciag upon an eagle; for Mr. Kearsley was a
tall, stout man, a Colossus to Wynn.
Notwithstanding the above, Mr. W. was rot
without his attachment to dress and fashion.
short time previous to publishing his History GI
Ireland, Mr. W. expressed a desire to dedicate it t:s
the Duke of Northumberland, who was just rearm-
ed from being Lord Lieutenant of that country: for
this Purpose be waited on Di. Percy, and met with
a very polite i.iception. The Duke was made ac-
quainted 5..,h Mr. W.'s wishes, and Dr. Percy went
as the messenger of glad tiding to the author. Bat
!lees was more to be done a foossal introduc-
tion the poor writer intimated this to the good
Dcaor, who, in the most delicate terms, begged his
acceptance of an :bruit new suit of black, which,
with very little alteration, might be made to fit.
Thus the Detto...rged, would be the best, as them

was not time to provide a new suit and other things. -
necessary for his debut, as the Duke had appointed
the Monday in the nest week to give the historian
an audience. Mr. W. approved of Dodo' 's plan
in all I espeas, and the same day the clerical black
adorned the ac tic, in a stable-yard, near Montague-
house. In the mean time Mr. W. had prepared
himself sr ith a set speech, and a manuscript of the
Dedication. But to digress a little, it must be un-
derstood Dr. Percy was considerably, in stature,
above Mr. Wynn, and his coat surficieatiy large to
wrap round the latter, and conceal him. The morn-
ing came for the author'spublic entry atNirthumber-
lan,l-house ; but, alas! one grand mistake had been
made : in the hurry of business, no application had
been made to the tailor for the heces,ary alteration
.of his cloarhs ; however, great minds are not cast
down by ordinary occurrences, Mr. NV pm dressed
himself as well as he could devise in Dr. Percy's
friendly suit, together with a borrowed sword, and
a hat under hi' arm of great antiquity ; then, taking
leave of his trembling wife, he set off for the great
house in the Strand. True to the moment he ar-
rived, Dr. Percy attended, and the Duke was ready
to receive our Poet, whose figure at this time pre-
sented the appearance of a suit of sables hung on a
hedge stake, or one of those bodiless forms we see
swinging on a dyer's pole. On his introdudion,
Mr. Wynn began his formal address; and the
Noble Duka was so moved at the singularity of the
Poet's appearance, that, in spite of his gravity, he
burst the bonds of good manners ; and at length,
agitated by an endeavour to restrain risibility,
leaped from his chair, forced a purse of thirty gui-
neas into Mr. Wynn's hand, and, hurrying out of
the room, told the Poet he was welcome to make
is hat use he pleased of his name and patronage.

[To be cniltinued.)

PUBLIC OFFICE, BI%V -STR EET.

VOLITNTEERA.
At a late hour on Friday night. a Cast of consi-
derable importance to Officers of Volunteer Corps,
and the Lessees of Turnpike gates, came on to be
heard before NICHOLAS BOND, Esq. Sir Wii.trass
PARSONS, and HUNTER, Esq.
Last Tuesday morning, Captain Barber,
Commanding Officer of the Duke of Camberlan
Sharp Shooters Corps,. attend,:d at Bow-street, and
exhibited a complaint against the keeper of the turn-
pike gate, at the top of Tottenham-court-road, for
exacting toll from him, when mar coil::: at the head
of his corps, contrary to an Ad of Pe rhament ; Mr.
Bova, the sitting Magistraie, agreeing with the
Captain, that there was good ground for complaint,
and knowing Mr. Handly, the lessee, to be a re-
spedable man, sent him a note, requesting his at-
tendance at the Office, on Friday evening. At the
appointed time the parties attended.
Captain Barber produced the Al of Parliament,
upon which he grounded his complaint; it was
brought into Parliament by Mr. Addington. a short
time previous to the close of his Administration. and
taken up by Mr. Pitt, with some alterations, and
lately passed. It is entitled, I' An Al to Consoli-
date and Amend the Provisions of several Ads of
Parliamenr, relating to Volunteers in Great Britain."
The Clause appli,:able to the present case, states,
" That any Field or Staff Officer, in going to or
returning from any place of exercise, mounted, and
in uniform, should not be liable to pay toll at any
turnpike gate."
The Captain then stated,. the Corps which he had
the honour t.) command, went on the first Sunday
in every month to shoot at a target, at Chalk Farm,
and that he had passed through the turnpike gates
without any interruption, till the first Sunday in the
present month, when he was returning from Chalk
Farm, at the head of his Corps, along the Hamp-
steadsroad, and when he came to the toll gate, at
top of Tottenham-court-road, Mr. Handly was
attending at it, and demanded toll ; the Captain
informed him he was not liable to pay, in conse-
quence of an Al of Parliament having lately passed,
which exonerated him.

Mr. Handly replied, he had heard of the Alt,
but had great doubts about it ; and that he should
not pass without paying the toll ; and shut the gate,
which prevented the corps, as well as the Captain,
from proceeding on their march. and the Captain
was at length obliged to comply, and paid him
three halfpence. Ihe flake of Cumberland only
patronises this corps, and ha: nothing to do with
the command ; that being solely vested in Captain
Barber, who stated, that he had taken Counsel's
opinion as to his being a Yield Officer, who was de-
cidedly of opinion he is one. Mr. Bono and Sir
Wit 'All PA rsoms agreed in this op oion, and far-
ther contended, that even a Corpoz al in uniform,
and mounted, ssho had a command, was a field
officer for rue time. Mr. Hear ea d cidedly differed
from his brother Magistrates, and gave it as his
onininn, that no officer of a lower rank than a Ma-
jor is a field officer, he denied that commander
and field officer were synoninious terms; and said,
be supposed the numbers of this corps were not suf-
ficient to entitle the commander to any higher rank
than that of Captain. To which Capt. Barber replied,
the numbers Are one hundred and twenty, and he had
no doubt, if he applied for a higher rank, he
obtain it ; bat thought the present tank he had the
honour to hold, sufficient fir all poi poses.
'lle majority of Magistrates being of opinion
th it Captain Barber was exempted from toll, deter-
mined that Mr. Hardly should return the three
balfpacce, and say, he was sorry for what he had
done with both of which Mr. Handly refused to
comply. The bblistrates then found themselves
in a very difficult situation ; for, on examining the
Ad, it was discovered that the framer of the A.t
had omitt.d to insert any punishment to the g.ste-
;:teper, who should refuse to comply with the ex-
,c- ;ption. Mr. Handly was, therefore, of course,
I harged. Captain Barber pledged himself not
r:: the que :on rest, as he considered the corps
As mach ai established regiment as any of the regu-
?..rs t...e Government. He would therefore
it dia Mr i iandly for obstrusling the marching of
the r(;•; rope ; and would likewise bring au ac-
don a.t•i. l.im fur taking the roll, for the purpose
of yi:•, .he question 0; exemption.

1.-tters from Scotland announce the loning-
he! y to be on the decline ; bnt the adventurers to
it aor in cape& nion of receiving a reward from Go-
vernment to encourage their excrtior.s.