Star.
London, England, 1823-10-11 00:00:00

DASHING IMPOSTORS.

Two foreigners of superior address have been for the
greater part of the season on a speculative tour through
the various watering-places, and other summer retreats,
chiefly frequented by people of rank and fortune. One
is represented to have first seen the light in the can-
ton of Zurich, and claims- kindred to no less a person-
ti,.e than the celebrated William Tell. , The other is of
(Panic extraction, and claims the title of Count St. Ju-
lien, from his supposed affinity to a noble family of that
name, the chief of which perished in Paris on the memo-
rable eve of St. Bartholomew. Both Gentlemen courted
glory butler the banners of.the great Emperor, whose
tate they deplore in the most touching accents. Such
is the received history of the elegant strangers, as they
.were termed on their first introduction to one or two
noble families in England, by whom they were further
recommended to the notice of several commoners of dis-
tinction. Under such auspices they commenced a most
extensive and successful career of frauds, which if it pos-
sessed less pf novelty than that pursued by other sharpers,
had more elegancy of execution. Cards, dice, road,
and rouge•et.noir, were resorted to as traps, merely for
light game : but it was in the address with which
the more wary were taken.in on several occasions, that
they exhibited their unrivalled.and matchless skill, and.
bore off the palm from rival competitors. Amongst the
young and thoughtless, they passed as the choicest
spirits of the age ; rid party was complete if the French
Count and his Swiss 'friend were absent. The elastjcity •
of temper. possessed by this accomplished pair rendried-
their society no less courted by the aged matron and the
prudential sire. Thus did their fortunes sail down the
stream, calm ansl, unruffled, until Love, who delights in
mischief,-planted, in an unguarded moment, a random
arrow in the heart of the Count. He had, for a long
time, been an accepted guest at-the table °fa wealthy
cqxnmoker, resident not many miles from Bath, whilst
his friend, Captain Petri (whom, by the way; we forgot
introducing to our readers before) was endeavouring to
recruit liks .sornewhat exhausted finances by a new issue
of papet:ClasepOr.cash pagniestts, being for a time..snst
pendrd. -.:This , commoner -had a daaghter..in. the. very
flowemUflouta; and of-the highest personal attraction,
with'theUktlftpliiint addition of ten thousand pounds.
The:lively aench-Offieer saw, and was conquered. To
his own utter astonishment he found himself actually in.,
love, and, unfortunately, was beloved in return. A pri-
vate union was the first thing that presented itself to his
imagination ; but thiswas a measure that did not ex-
actly correspond with the spinster's notions of propriety;
recommended a formal proposal to her father; the
proposal ' was at length made, but not agreed to,
until the Nobleman could prove his title to nobility by
some more incontestable evidence than the mere word
of his Swiss friend, and a few introductory letters. The
total impossibility of substantiating his claim even to an
empty title, induced his Countship to abandon this en-
terptise, and seek consolation in the society of Captain
Petri ; disappointed hopes rendered him careless in
play, and he Was subsequently detected in a palpable
' fraud on a young Gentleman, who had often. been his
dupe.. The circumstanceuccurred at a private club in
Bath, a few days ago, and more than one Gentleman
assisted in kiclting him 'out of the room. This punish-
*meat being' dieniediasufficient, an application to. the
.Alien Office was . spoken of, when the &rut strangers'
suddenly-evaporated; and are either gone to Ireland, or,
what is more probahle,.are slcUlking in London, and
plarmang some new means of gulling the idleand witless.

. .
The Commander of the Torkish.troops on the Pruth;
as well as the Hospodar of.Jassy, having been informed
that the Emperors of AveritaAndßus4ta'were.going
to meet at CzerriervOts; lost ittstibiein dispatching extra..
Ordinary couriers to Constaittineple to inform the Sur.-
TAN of the intended- interview of the twblorefeigni. It
is thought that this important pews wiltipreducA ;treat
n' sensatio among the members of the Divan, which was
to give; bet Ween the 15th and 18th of Autust, a due-
gorical answer, which..will decide the question of price
or war; to the last Note of Count NeasaLaon'. tjle.,
It Els EPPENDl.—Hnmbusgh Payer.
Letters from Aleppo, of the.4th'nf July, baye been
received at Sthyrna, in wilich it, is said—" The esith-
quakes have not yet ceased, but.the shocks retitrn'only
at long intervals,_and are but slight: What, however,
still keeps us uneasy is, that violent shocks continue to
be frequently felt about Antioch and Alexandrette.
The Porte has sent hither a Capidgi Baschi, ter alike
possession of the property of the vittimi of the Catas-
trophe who have left &theirs."

EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE.—Of late we have
berm" rumours of a most extraordinary child which is _living at
Newton-Stewart—rumours so incredible, that we neither ask ,
nor expect our readers to believe them. Nevertheless, the
truth of the story was so strongly asserted, and. Unit by differedt.
individuals, that we were induced to solicit information on the
subject • and the following is the substance of a letter which we re-
ceived last night from most respectable quartet you may
safely insert a paragraph regarding the child riu_writesimet. The
story is simply this.—ln 1817, a %omen in the perish of
became pregnant, and some time before bar• infant was born, grie
as the father a married man of the name of John Woed. The man
strongly protested his innocence, and repeatedly said-that be would
' not confess unless ',his name was stamped on its forehead. In a
short time the woman was delivered of a boy, and in abitit ten.
days thereafter, the letter's,. John Wood," on the right, and " bore
1817," on the left eye, became plain and legible. These word, and
:figures are oh the pan of the eye,which surrounds the pupil, betweei
the ball and the white of the eye, so that they cannot for i moment
be suppoaed to have been traced by any human hand. The form
of the letters is truly beautiful. The' other afterwards Married
an Irishman, who, with his step-son, has been living in Newton-
Stewart for some time past.' ?dosrof the Gentlemen in the town
and neighbourhood have inspected the boy's eyes, who all seem to
think there is no imposition in the matter. The child is afflicted
with water in the bead, and although between five and six years old,
it can neither stand nor walk. This is a most singular circumstance,
so much so that it is hardly credible. Nevertheless, you may rest
assured of the accuracy of my information. Dr. Smith etanilned
it yesterday, and I have myself repeatedly seen it, and examined its
Lather." (At the end of the letter is a drawing of the cyes.) Ilere
then Is• a Marvellous story with a *ragtime ; and whether the dis-
ease with which the chilli' afflicted maphave biassed the imagitia
dons of its visitors in the same way Wive sometimes see castles in the-
air,'we ler•cothers to detenniuse. Just as we had received the
'byre letter, a 'Mr. Miser. from Newins7gterart, ,calleck on us,
si•ho, otter itapeatilig the agate story, saidif we had any doubt of
the statement we might put his name toit.-.-Armfrics Couricr.