Star.
London, England, 1825-01-21 00:00:00

ST. BRIDE'S.

The following description of this elegant Church, one
of the master-pieces of Sir Christopher Wren, is ex-
tracted from Elmes's-Biographical Memoirs of that
great man:—
" The Parish Church of St. Bridget, or St. Bride, on
the south side of Fleet.street,was finished this year. 1679,
and further embellished in 1699. - This Church is a
fabric of great strength and beauty, and is one of the
most strking features of the metropolis. Its itrerior is
at once spacious, commodious, and elegant ; is one hun
dred and eleven feet in length, fifty-seven feet in
breadth, and forty-one in height. co posed of a lofty
nave, covered with an arched ceiling, and two aisles
separatei below by solid pedestals, supporting coupled
Doric column., which support the arches of the nave
and galleries. The altar is handsomely carved in oak
of the Corinthian order ; the pulpit, reading,-desk, and
pewing of the Church are in a grand and hald-
some style. The peculiar ornament of this Church
is its beautiful tower, and well-proportioned spire :
it is rn;y second to that of Bow Church in beauty, and
fully its equal in scientific construction. On a lofty
tower, which forms a base higher than the neighbour ing
!mutes, crowned with a well-proportioned cornice,
rises a s.yhnlate or continued plinth, which supports a
cubic tower of the Corinthian order, covered with cir-
cular headed pediments, and finished with a blocking
course, a balustrade, and a well-proportioned vase on
each angle. Between these commences the spire,
which is octagonal, each face containing an aperture,
covered with a semicircular-headed arch; a series cf
these, setting off in just proportion, reduces the upper
to size sufficient to commence the lofty and well-pro-
portioned spire, which is terminated by a golden ball
and weathercock. The entire height of this fine piece
of architeoure, before it was lowered a few feet by the
late Sir William Staines, was two hundred and thirty-
four feet, which is thirty-two feet higher than the Doric
column on Fish-street-hill."

Tuesday se'nnight, as Mr. Stevenson, land steward to
the Earl of DA RNLEY, wax riding on horseback, in com-
pany with his Lordship and Mr. Collis, along the in-
tended new turnpike road at Cuxton, he was taken in a
fit of apoplexy, fell from his horse, and expired.
T. Butler, in the employment of Mr. M,Kenny, of
Thomas-street, was waylaid between Portobello Bar-
racks and Clanbrassin-place, on Thursday evening, be-
tween five and six o'clock, by a number of men armed
with bludgeons who assaulted him in a most urmerci-
ful manner, and broke his legs. The unfortunate man
lies in the Meath Hospital in a very dangerous state.—
, Dublin Freeman's Journal.
Three life-boats, built for the use of the Royal Na-
tional Institution for the Preservation of Shipwrecked
Mariners, are now lying at the Tobacco-grounds,
Rotherhithe, for inspection, preparatory to their being
removed to Brighton, Newhaven, and Bideford. Seven
more boats are nearly completed fur that Institution.
EXPOSURE OF CHlLDREN.—Yesterday morning, as
soon as Mr. RAWLINSON took the bench at Mary-la•
bonne Office, Morris, the officer, informed him that early
that morning he was called on to go to Earl-street,
Lisson-grove, where an infant just born lay exposed.
Morris stated that' he did so, and found a fine dead
male infant, apparently newly barn. Mr. RAWLINSON
directed the officer to rake the infant to the Mary-la-
bonne Infirmary, and to give the Coroner notice.
About three o'clock on Friday morning, a fire was
discovered in St. Ninian's, a village about a mile dis-
tant from SLitling. It appears that it had originated
in a smithy, in which stood a cow. Some sparks from
the fire had probably kindled her fodder, as she was.
nearly consumed. The fire spread rapidly, and before
it was grt under, a weaver's shop and a dwelling-house
fell a prey to the devouring element. The premises are
insured, but a sober industrious individual is very much
reduced, as in the smithy he lost a young cow, his bel-
lows, and all that part of the tools that would consume.
In the weaver's shop he lost a loom. In the dwelling-
house, his furniture, although saved, is much destroyed.
Other three looms, and part of the webs are destroyed.
The fire in Messrs Pickering and Co.'s colliery at
Flint is, we are happy to hear, extinguished, and the
process of pumping out the water has commenced.
The injury sustained is very great.
A young female, named Marie Cerotte, residing in a
• village of Soleure, presented herself lately before the
Consistory. By ;he laws of this tribunal, instituted
for preserving the morals of the people, every unmar-
ried female, who becomes pregnant, is obliged to make,
a declaration of the circumstance before this bench of
Magistrates: It appears that Marie had once before
been before them on a similar charge. The unforta
nate girl was ordered to proceed to the Curate's house.
One of the Clergyman's servants immediately fastened
a chain round her ancle ; at the extremity was a large
piece of wood, weighing eighteen pounds. She was
dragged in this state to the market-place, accompanied
by the President of the Consistory, and several other
members of this worthy Society'. They stopped oppo-
site the public school ; the children were called out,
and a long speech was addressed to them by the parson,
on the dreadful offence poor Marie bad been guilty
of. She then M,:AI sent to prison, dragging the heavy
weight and weeping bitterly ; the school boys follow-
ing her, and by the schoolmaster's order, hooted and
abused the unfortunate creature, till, unable to en-
dure her painful and humiliating situation, she fell
upon the ground. The Prefect was informed of the
circumstance, by a letter written from the Consistory,
and stating that it was intended to renew this punish•
ment every day during the week. The Prefect ex-
pressed his indignation at the illegal and shameful con-
duct of the Consistory, ordered the poor girl to be .et at
liberty, and forwarded to the Minister a full statement
of this arbitrary and cruel act.
The following is the annual official statement of the
export of cotton and tobacco from the United States, made up to
the 30th of September:—

1823.
Tobacco
Stem•

Hogsheads.
96,240
2,769

1824.
Tobacco
Stems

Hogsheads.
73,536
. 2,000

99,009
coI
Pounds.

7.5,5ZiS

182$.

1824.

Sea Island 14,136,688
Other descriptions 161,586,582

&a bland

Pounds.

10,52%472

Other descriptions 132,781 ,088

173,723,t270 I. 143,307,560
A Lady who longed very highly, inquired of a Gen,
tleman, under the idea of how bethought
she lookei? The latter replied, 44 I teally cannot tell,
Madam, except you uncover your face."
DAVID HUttrE, to induce a young Lady, who was
very fond of reading novels, to read history, told her that there
•vas no great difference between them, in point of falsehood, one
Ling in general almost as true as the other.