The National Register.
London, England, 1817-06-02 00:00:00

TI-II: NATIONAL REGISTER.

GENERAL LACY.

The following biographic sketch of General Lacy,
whose fate has excites' so much iatertst, is extracted' front
the Journal dr* Debut*

" Dun Louis Lacy was born at St. Ruch, near Gibraltar.
He is slot related to the .Lacies, so well known in Airstria
uud Spain : he says he is of a more distinguished family.
-Ws father, an Irishman by birth, was Major in the infantry
regiment of Ultonia, and died leaving Ins widow with two
children of a very tender nge.
" Young Lary displayed even in• his, infancy a great mi-
litary disposi non, and , above all, an extraosilisiary originality.
In 1790, thougli not more than fourteen years of age, lie was
an officer, in the regiment of Brussels, in the Spanish sir.
vice. In the ;tilie year, disgusted with the manners of his
uncle, rather too severe with respect to him, he left his
regiment at Ferrol, and set out for Porto, in Portugal,
without money, and in circumstances worthy a hero of Gil
Bias. He embarked on board a Dutch vessel ready to sail
for the Alohiccas, when lie was overtaken and brought back
by his uncle. He again joined the regiment at Brussels, and
was distingiiished in the war against the French Itepialdie
by the intrepidity and sang froiel which formed the basis of
his distaste':

" In 1796, when in garrison at Passages, lie had a real at-
tack of madness. lie seldom slept at Hight, but a few
hours repose alter liillllllT stalked him. He could march for
21 hours successively without any other rest than the time
necessary for •taking some nourishment, and on arriving he
%%mild go to a bell. A favourite of Mars, he was not beloved
by the fair, On the 31st of December, 1798, his regiment
embarked for the Caoaries, lie being at that lime first Lieu-
tenant, with the rank of Captain and Adjutant. Preferred
in all affair of gallantry to the Captain-General ofthe
he was, from. some circumstance, banished by his rival's
means to the Isle de Fee, whence be wrote to the General
letters full of the severest aivvetives, and was brought before
a Conned of War.

_ . .
" His military talents, and the almost habitual derange-
ment of the brain, induced his judges to euinimete the capi-
tal punishment into a yeat's imprisonment. His coudnet in
prison convinced his keeper of his madness, aud Lacy was
in consequence sent en re•traile to Cadiz. About the month
of Oetouer, Iso3, he enlisted in the Cah regiment of Light
Infintry ; and in 29 days after, being already a sericant, lie
obtained a Captain's commission in the Irish Legion then
forming at Aluiiaix.
" At Quimper, after an intrigue that would furnish an ex-
cellent subject for a comedy, lie married a young lady of
a distinguished family. He was subsequently named he
de Baltraion iu the army of Spain, but on his arrival at Ma-
drid he deserted, and was at the battle of Talevera where
he commanded a brigade. lie afterwards eonmiauded the
army of Catalonia, and was attended by his unhappy and
respectable wife in all his dangers.
'• Lacy was intrepid even to rashness, calm in the greatest
dancer, and undaunted by any enterprise ; but he had no
confine•, order, or prudence. He was an excellent partisan,
but could never become au able General, mil still leas a
forinidahle conspirator."

31 1 SCAL .1 N EOUS.

Ths following is a correct statement of the Wilt of the late
Rizht Hon. Sir. A. Thompson, Ent. Lord Chief 'Baron of
his Majesty's Court of Exchequer, ate. fee. which was regis-
tered in the Prermr,ative Office, Doctors"Coinnions, on the
l !tie iast. To his clerk, Mr. Rellainy, lie bequeaths the sum
of saw. his gold stoek buckle and sleeve buttons, to be worn
in reniembra.icr of him ; to his servants five guineas tack;
and all other effects whatsoever to his sister, Mary 'I hosupson,
spinster, whom he appeiuted sole executrix. She died
&trim! the testator's I ite-tiose, and, in consequence, ailininis-
stration, with the will annexed, was granted to Isabella
Reid Thonmp•on and Elizabeth Reid 'lliompvini, spinsters, his
'leaves, and only next of kin. The a ill is in his own hand-
writing, dated at Bath, the 221 of May, MO, and without
witnesses.

A gentleman who has been examining the different me-
teorogical 1111 l .ats in various parts of England, with a
view to ascertain the cause of the appal mit errors in the
Meteorological Journals, has found that one cause was, the
wind is often so erroneously put down. The cardinal points
on the weathercocks are in general put according to the
compass instead of the sun ; therefore the north point is
al XO degrees west of the due north, and all the others
arc consequently wrong.
A few days since, IL S. Milbourne, Esq. of Armatliwaithe
Castle, iu
,hunting for an otter, started a tor, which the
hounds tau to earth in Baron t odd. To the great surprise
• Of the sportsmen, noon digging they found a litter of twelv e
(.116,, nine of which are in Mr. 31ilbourne's possession. As
so 1111,11CIPES a family necessarily requited a 111 l titmice of 5115
• :emitter., the hole affordeitainple testimony it the depredations
that must have been committed in the neighbourhood upon
knobs, geese, and fowls of all descriptions.—Mr. Dixon,
.resound to Sir P. Musgrave, Hart, also tuund a litter of
seven cubs, a few days since, in the woods ;A.m. Eden Hall.
In both instrnees the old ones escaped; and m the former,
the old fox approached within a very It 'W yards of the spot
where they were digging, stud though ft critically chased uhf
by the hounds still returned,
The Society at St. Peter's College, Cambridge, have joist
received an unexpected and magnificent present 4.20,0001.
from an unknown bilet:trim. The Masti-r and Fellows
lately received lett-rs requesting their attendance in 11...0ni0n
to receive the si AI the time and place appointed, they
met the agent of the donor, whit atter regaling (hem with a
handsome (linnet, tratisferrrd the above s for Site use of
the society fir ever, saying it came from a gionleman aged
91, but %chose name would not he known till ohm his decease.
The reason assigned Mr the gilt is the legacy duty being thus
,vended. 'fine Colle?e, it is slid, intent to appiy the interest
of the 111011 voUlt• new scionarsbips, and
anententing the income of •ino.• of their fellowship!.
W. 6; 14155.1, Iraymait, who %% as hied %sill' Hooper and
Cashman, for the attar k oa Mr. Beckwith', house, Las
brought tieforr. the Lot d Mayor as a vagrant, having brim
found begging in Cheap•sile. He was worn ass ay to a skele-
ton. and said he had liven about for many necks
its a most state, as lie viand get 110 1,1115.111y1111411.

The Lord Mayor ord., redthat he shoOld he et.hoo.titied to
lichtewull 611 .even dare, invrt:er to to: tegolJriy'liatt.ar4l to
his thotopionshiret, atul osivssi d hitu
AI teiii.tio Viet., 111111 i he was et...lured 10 health, and Ibe.. ea-
i„ jCI eallitothent iu the country mi be watt too men
Itn,,tt it its Loudon to do liiim•t It'asey gout'.
A ut Och 44 milxie stick mil be waved at Holloway. on
Tot •d.,, thu ltlth of Jo: e, uettteen Chitties Co.heati, the
lletasiuctl hear), wad Thomas 1114c1fui cr, the Waist/L*6lml.