The Sun.
London, England, 1822-09-24 00:00:00

MERCANTILE SHIPPING.

DEAL, SEPT. 23.—Wind S.W.—Arrived last night and re-
mains the Columbus, Kenneci7, from Jamaica ; also to-day and
remain the Alexander, Young, from Honduras; and the Dutch
frigate Eurydice, from Flushing, for Batavia —this is one of
the ships mentioned yesterday, the others are two Danish men-
of-war from Copenhagen, for St. Croix, with specie. Came
down from the River and remain the Triumph, Crosbyz for
Bombay ; Resource, Fenn, for Madras and Calcutta ; } airy
Queen, Croggan, Cape Coast Castle, and Semaphore, for Havre.
PoRTSMOUTII, SEPT. 23.—Wind Easterly.—Sailed the
Vebelia, Herdson ; Brothers, Jefferson; Caledonia, Hackett
Nepos, Truder ; Governor Harcourt, Wilson—all for London.
FALMOUTH, SEPT. 22.—Wind N.E.—Arrived the French
ketch L'Augusta, from Havre, for Nantz, blown off the coast
in the late gales. Sailed the Princess Elizabeth Packet, for the
Islands.

DREADFUL AssAtlLT.—Monday week, at a
little before 0 o'clock, p.m. a desperate assault was committed
on the person of Mr. R. Copland, grieve to a respectable family
in this neighbourhood, and others, by two Irishmen, of the
names of Charles M‘Pike and John Hall. When about to re-
tire to rest, Mr. Copland heard tho voices of two men, apparent-
ly engaged in a keen altercation very near his own house. By
and by the parties approached and knocked at his door; and, on
his demanding what they wanted, they requested permission to
enter and light their pipes. In broad day-light this would have
been a small favour, but the case was somewhat different
under the cloud of night ; and although the men insist-
ed a great deal, Mr. Copland very pnufently refused to ad-
mit them. At last they went away ; but, before doing
so, they imprudently dashed their hands through two panes of
glass in one of the windows. On this the occupant of the cot-
tage bolted to the door, and, following the men, demanded what
they meant. To this query they only replied by theossest
abuse, and, not contented with vituperation, they both fellupon
the de.'enceless man, who for some time had to struggle with two
ruffians, both superior to himself in size and strength. At this
moment a servant girl, of the name of Agnes Johnstone, re-
siding at Belford (a short distance from Mr. Copland's house),
come up, and by her courage and presence of mind in all probabili-
ty saved the life of her neighbour. By this time the whole of the
three were struggling in a ditch, when the courageous girl
seized one of the villains by the neck, and dragging him off her
friend, lent him several lusty blows with a stable key, which she
happened to have in her hand. By and by other females as.em-
bled, and among the rest Mr. Copland's wife, who, although in a
very critical state, received several severe blows with a stick across
the neck and shoulders. In fact the cowardly rascals cared not
whom they struck ; but seeing that the alarm was given, one of
them made off, followed by Mr. Copland, while the other was
held in check by the courageous maiden already alluded to.
While pursuing the fugitive, Mr. Copland met Mr. Bogie, the
Terraughtie gardener, who was hastening to his assistance, and,
before they could exchange words, the cry was raised, that one of
the Irishmen was murdering Mrs. Copland, and so in facthe was;
but Mr. Bogie immediately rushed to the spot, and with one blow
felled the coward to the earth, where he lay " as quiet as pussie,"
till his companion was brought in a prisoner. Both the culprits
were then huddled into a cart, and under a proper escort driven
into Maxsvelltown, and safely lodged in the gaol of that burgh.
A precognition of the circumstanceshas since been taken, and, we
presume, the men will be brought to trial at the ensuing circuit.
Before accompanying the prisoners to town,' Mr. Copland dis-
covered that he had been stabbed in two places. One of the
wounds, when examined by Dr. Laing, was found to be two
and a half inches deep, and, had not the knife entered in a
slanting direction, the stab might have proved fatal. The haft
of a knife was found on the spot next day, although both the
Irishmen deny that they carried such an instrument. Mr.
Copland has been confined to the house ever since, and some
time elapsed before the surgeon could pronounce him to be out
of danger.—( Dumfries Courier.)

THOMAS JAY.—The recent trial of the above
individual at the Old Bailey, for picking of pockets, and the
subsequent trial of Gook, Harrison, and Connel, constables of St.
James's parish, and the evidence against them for a conspiracy.
must be fresh in the recollection of our readers. Gook, Har-
rison, and Connell, we understand, again presented a Bill to
the Grand Jury, now sitting at Clerkenwell, for the attempt to
pick pockets at Drury-lane Theatre, and on Friday last a true,
Bill was found. He was yesterday taken into custody, and
is now lodged in the New prison, Clerkenwell.

The executors of the Rev. PETER BEAU-
vouk,.late of Downham-hall, in the county of
Essex, paid last week the sum of thirty-eight
thousand pounds to the Stamp-office, beinr, the
duty on SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOU-
SAND POUNDS ! payable to the residuary legatee,
RICHARD BENACON, DOW RICHARD BENYON DE
BEAUVOIR. This fortunate legatee was no rela-
tion to the testator. Above fifty thousand pounds
were otherwise left in legacies. This immense
property was bequeathed by the testator, inde-
pendent of his freehold estates/ which are of con-
siderable value. In addition to this prodigious
Wealth the testator possessed, and retained till
the day of his death, a living of 3001. a yeas.