Star.
London, England, 1811-12-10 00:00:00

imrm4RICAT TNEXTRE.

Last night Rowa's celebrated Tragedy of The Fair
Penitent was performed, if we may venture so far as
to use that expression. The company on the stage
were brought from we know not where; and in that
respect certainly answered: all the expectations we
might have entertained from performers wham nobody
knew any thing about. It there was any merit in
composing the dramatic list, it could only have ex.'s.
ted in the pains that might have been taken in explo.
ring the regions of insufficiency and dullness. There
WAS. however, one brilliant exception to the charge of
a want of notoriety, in the attraction of one performer,
the hero of the night, a Mr. CoATEq, who has already
gained fir himself much public note at the fashionable
watering-places by his scenic efforts, and who, we be-
lieve, amused the village of Richmond. a few months
ago, in Romeo. Gratified with his exhibition of him-
self in that tender character, he last night stepped
1 with all the self-confidence that belong; to talents like
his own into the bolder delineation of a lid:aria; and
surely, from the time when the people of Lo:al-a
' lust saw a play acted, they never saw a more ex ra.
1 ordinary sight. But whatever the stage company was,
the boxes were filled with a genteel assemlil age, V.v.,
from various motives, perhaps, flocked to witness the
excellencies or eccentricities of a Gentleman whc,
I had so often courted notoriety. Not a seat could L-
had for love or money, save by those who had pre-
. vinusly taken places. In the stage-box sat the Ge-
neracoolstauroatnioGn
of
Ee*
issams,instiinlins! likespit athend galeateinres giitawrerh:
a
crowded almost to surfeit. This proof oh public
curioslty is a sufficient excuse for our taking 5en,.... r'.:-
I Lice of the eslarition. The 1..,./..1..ria of the ro,;:o.„ a
gentleman of the beau morale, who, by a peculi it taqe.
has for some time pact drawn all eyes upon the sing....
laxity of his eytilraiti, which has been adame.l evrr.
to profusion with divers molten im iges of t:tat hew-
English bird, yelept the game-cock. The reprexie ,
tion of the play, thoulei aretoviiced for the usual ten ..
did not commerce ti,l near an hour afterwards. 'lsir....
delay at'first caused s-me dis.a Lisfa.ction, but tuine.l.
out a source of considerable amusement. llie galle-
ries furnished a number of vocal performers, who
imitated the chanticleer wonderfully well, in horwer of
Ore well knoan fancy of the acter, alver:is.rl as
" the celebrated amateur perf 'rime- ;" and ult.:stem
of westen fashion sat elsewhere, all the fro.dtry seert•
ed to be concentrated there. The bell at length rung.
hats were taken off, and those who were standing
were compelled to sit down, when lo! an actor in a
tragedy dress on a sudden appeared before the cur-
tain. Silence being obtained, the person who had thus
come forward addressed the audience as follows :
" Ladles and Gentlemen—The Gentleman who was to have
performed the part of Altaicont this evening, he is in consequence
of a serous accident which has happened to his brother—
Here the spokesman was interrupted by a loud
burst of laughter. He seemed rather hurt at the efi'ect
of his eloquence, but at length proceeded :
" The act demo which I allude to is, his brother has this after-
nom' fallen t:o ~ugh a loop-hole, at tile New Dock, and lost his
life. The Gentleman has just cc.me distractedly to the Ticatre
and is now dress•ng for the pert, and we ouly solicit year indul:
grace till be is ready."
This considerably damped the mirth which pre•
wailed, and it seemed to be the wish of many, that a
person so situated should not be requ•rza to per-
film. Sulasequently, however. the whole story was
isupposed to be merely a hoax. At lan the cur-
tain drew up, after something that was mist riled mu-
sic; and v.r:.ea " the i.ollsario" made his appearance,
to scene more ridiculous, not even in the heyday of
the 0. P. gambols, ever struck our senses. Lothario,
the gallant and the g.ty, was most beauffully I1A•
bited in white satin, with a pale pink mantle and
sash, and crowned with an enormous ostrich plume.
—Every line he uttered that could be applied to the
actor, and every faulty attitude or gesture, (and, in
truth, there were none other) were marked, and
created shouts of mock approbation, or peals of lice 4110
ter. Forth came the hero to the front of the prosce-
I nium an one of these occasions, and taking les wave
1 head-dress in his hand, turned to the side-boxes, and
, ' spoke—" If." said he, " the NoliSey and Gentry wish
this play to proceed, I shall go on - and if those noisy
people will retire, I will pay for their places." e Ap-
peal to the House," was the only answer that Jln
Bull thought fit to return. On a repetition of thesame
unceremonious mirth and boisterous disapprobation,
Lathario again addressed the audience. " It mar, per-
haps," said he, "appear strange, that a Gentleman
in my situation should appearhere." True, true," ex-
claimed the galleries. and most impudently renewed
their music att.' their laughter. "My motive," he re-
joined, o was to serve a widow." "Verywell," said ate
Calleries, " and have not we paid our money, Mr
oates ?" The play went on in this manner ; so that
it was doubtful whether the whole was more ridiculous
or disgraceful. Some scenes were curtailed, and the
representation concluded without coming to the c::.i
of the play. The death scene of Lothario, if a spec
1 tator had not been previously wearied out by a repe-
tition of fully, would have been exquisitely ludicrous.
I There was a long pause when the curtain fell, nobody
I knowing whether the play was to be finished or not;
• when, at last, out pops the chief actor in his own cos-
i
tame, to recite " Backs have at ye all." He was
heard for some time, very patietnly, and his bows ii
I the stage-box caused several complimentary testimo-
-1 nials from the galleries to the Hungarian Nobleman,
whom he seemed particularly to consider as his pa-
tron. The litter part could not be heard ; and atter
many twirling: of his cane.• in which he sometimes
shewed a merited indignation and contempt foe thl
illiberal and vulgar part of his audience, Mr. COATa
retired ; and, as far as mock approbation went, " co-
vered with glory."
Now, to be serious, we could not but lament, that
any gentleman of fortune, and who ought, for his
own sake, it not for that of others, to hold his due
rank in the scale of society, should so fir forget him-
self, or suffer himself to be so ill-advised, as to make
so capital an error in his estimate of his own talents,
and of what benefits his conduct in the world. He is,
and he ought to be obliged to those who tell him so,
disqualified by the inexorable decrees of nature in
every particular, for excelling either publicly or pri-
vately as a dramatic performer. His own friends,
who were numerous, while they maintained the well-
dressed reserve of the box rows, evidently enjoyed all
the fun, and flippancy, and 'coarseness, which wer
displ4lat )ex pence.
objeit of the play was charity; WS are r
there was so full a heuse.
.....

THE

Itirmt nrrnmmtet.
Jonsiderable reinforcements are about to be sent • , FALMOUTH, DECEMBER 7.
to our Army in Portugal. It is also said, that several .The following packets are in the Roads, detained
ships are soon to sail with a large supply of ordnance by contrary winds : Arabella for Lisbon, Ann for
stores. Some transports loaded with small arms are
to sail from Portsmouth ; one of which, it is said, has the Brazils, and the Norton for Gibraltar and Malta.
20,000 muskets, destined for the Guerillas on the , PLYMOUTH, DECEMBER 8.
Spanish frontier. This activity ib forwarding supplies Arrived, having overshot her port, the Hope letter
is of great importance at the present crisis. of marqtie, Fox master, of and for Liverpool, with a
Generals CLINTON, KEMP, and some other Officers cargo of lemons, oranges, cotton, and raisins, from
of a similar rank, set off yesterday to join our army Malta. Also arrived the GLENOIRE hired ketch from
in Portugal.
Jersey. Put back the QUEEN, 74, bound to L'Orient.
The precious remains of the 29th Regiment, about Wind strong at West.
400 men, commanded by Major HonoE, landed at
Portsmouth on Tuesday. This Regiment was parti- PORTSMOUTH, DECEMBER 9.
cularly distinguished at Rolica, Oporto, Talavera, Arrived his Majesty's ship WANDFIIER frcm the
And Albuera.—They have lost two Colonels, and West Indies. His Majesty's ships ARGO and
have one now hint; severely wounded ; Maier HoncrE mien are this day released from quarantine. Put
has been woutscled twice, and they have lost about
back the squadron that sailed for off Cherhurgli.—
1100 men since they left England, about 4 years at;re
One hundred fine young fellows belonging to thit Arrived the PLANTAGENET from Plymouth. The
distinguished corps, Sir Davin Bairin's Regimes(, Catherine Green, Essex, London, Union, Neptune,
the 24th, who embarked at Portsm, toll on the 29,h and another West Indiaman have got round after a
November for Portugal, still lie wind-bound at Spit- beating passage from the Downs.—Wind Southerly.
head. A detachment of finer men has not been em-
DEAL, DECEMBER 9.
barked for a considerable time past.
I Wednesday about 300 of the 97th regiment march-
The outward-bound still remain—and his Majes.
ed into the new barracks at Winchester, from Ports- ty's ships as per last. —Wind S.W. blows hard.
inouth;having lately arrived there from Portugal. I YARMOUTH, DEC. 9.
. The remainder of the Herts regiment, which cm- The following vessels have put into this port to re-
barked at Harwich on the 14th September, arrived pair damages received at sea, viz. Mercury, WILSON,
safe at Cork the 28th of the same month. They are of and from Lynn, With grain, leaky; Atlas, BELL,
quartered at Ballinasloe, County of Galway. .
from London, leaky; Hurbord, SCOTT, anchors and
In the late arair of General Hill, General Camp-
' • cables • and the Mary Ann, MARKHAM; with loss of
bell, who commended a Portuguese brigade, passing
a Frenchman who Was lying on the ground, calling her bowsprit. Ships of war as per last.—Wind S.W.
loudly fin mercy, attracts his attenth.n, and induced DUNBAR, DECEMBER 5.
him to inquire what lie was ; when the poor fellow , Last night the wind shifted suddenly from W. to N. W. With
candidly told him he was a Cr mn:issary's servant, snow ; since which, it has increased to a storm, with a tremea-
and had 4000 d 'liars with him, which v. ere invent'', dous sea., The sloop Jessie and Nancy,.
rn
of Leith, which stink to
the souti.war.a of this place on Sunday ontirl
,has gone to
taken possession of, and the poor fellow removed to p er.e. , some. part of the wreck has appeared here; as to the
sa place of safety. gads, perhaps such of them as will Boat, may drift ashore, but
EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM AN OFFICER OF THE ROYAL this will bent little consequence to those that are concerned with
ARTILLERY DRIVERS TO lIIS FRIEND AT PLYI9IOGTII. ' them.
" Frenyado. 1 ,t' Nov. 11,11.
" When I bat wrote you, I stated it as my opilior, that our
present quarters would most likely be our stack.% i.or the whier,
and I have as yet no reason to alter that opinion; for in this part
*1 the arriv,t, Ito ;,aricular movement, have taken place, exzept
Captain Bull's troop artil;ery, which is moved to the front
division. -ince 1 wrote you last, we haee taken a number of
Prisoners, and have had many de,e rters (torn the enemy—among
the latter is a Cse nerzi °Hirer. On the i-st. it was very gsne-
ral'y repot ted that we were to remove to juente Guiralda, our
old quartets in Spain; bt:t that intention was glveti up. 13 conse-
quence of a large division of the entry having on that day
marched in sight of the out-100-ts: their number was estimated
at about 10,000, being a guard with provisions and stores for
Ciudad Rodrigo. A party o(Spat.iards late y Ica near Rodrigo
NM bullocks; and nearly an equal number of goats, belonging to
the enemy."

TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE STAR.

Silt—Having observed in one of the daily papers I.
a paragraph stating the exertions of Captain Fairman
for the purpose of encreasing the pay and allowances
of the Officers of the Army, it occurred to me that
the present is not an unseasonable time for noticing
the situation of a class of Officers who haste had the
peculiar misfortune of seeing their advantages dimi-
nished, while those of the rest of the Army have
been so liberally encreased*l mean wore-out Assis-
tant-Surgeons.
. When the pay of Medical Officers in general was
increased, and provision made for the retirement of
worn-out Regimental Surgeons ; when Vetet an Bat-
talions were formed, and all other ranks of Officers
entitled to retire upon full pay, upon their being
broken up—and even deserving old non-commissioned
Officers further rewarded by Commissions in these
rettalions ; and when Lieutenants who were not en-
titled to these advantages, but were from the circum-
stance of mere kngth of service allowed an additional
shiling per day, Assistant-Surgeons had no reason
to complain, there being at that time an ample and
comfortable provision for their retirement in the situa-
tion of District Surgeoncies, and entitled, when re-
duced, to the half-pay of ss. per day.
Within these two years, it appears a regulation
has taken place, ordering that in future this situation
is to be filled up by Surgeons to the Forces ; and the
only provision that remains for a Medical Officer who
may terve unfitted him elf for active service, and con-
sequently for proieotion to the rank of Regimental
Surgeon, by premature hard service or disease in un,
wholesome climates, is retirement into a Veteran
Mattalion, to attend the old and obstinate—wear out
the little remaining lite he has left, and retiee upon '
the hail-pay of Ss. per day.
It is pr:liable all the patience and fortitude which
validly falls to the lot of man will not readily recon-
cile this class of Officcrs to the belief that after hav-
ing expended considerable eures both of money and
labour toqualify themselves in their profession, that
the circumstance of having exhausted their powers,
both natural and acquired, in the service, should not
entitle them to some remuneration which all other
classes of Officers are enjoying: and diet this very
circumstance, which is the express reason why the
situation of others has been rendered better, should
deprive them of all future advantages. Nor will it
to any consolation to bold out to the prospect
of an handsome income from private practice in time
of peace, when their bodily infirmities will bring to
heir recollection, that their former services have ren.
Wered them unable to practice in the Army ; and, in
consequence, their half-pay cf 3s. per day will con-
stitute the whole means of subsistence.

NAVAL APPOIN 'WEN rs.

Capt. Right Hon. Lord John Colville, to the Queen ; Captain
Willock, to t:,e :titter ; Capt. T. Brown, Irons Vie Vengeur, to
the Bulwark, which 13 to be the flag ship of Sir J. S. Yorke; Capt.
Dunda• , w the Vengeur; Capt.T.BroWn, to the Hanibal ; Capt.
C;arth,to the Ctrberus; Lieut. John Smith, to command t Cheetly
cotter Lieut. Joseph Dodd, to command the Providencehrie.— ,
Captain Henry Boys is promoted to the rank of Post Captain.—
Lietattnant B. Kelly, First Lieutenant to the late Admiral Rowk v, !
has been promoted to the rank of Post Captain.-1 louts. Cat ter
to the Arethusa ; J. simmonds to the Malta; E. Handlield to the
Phipps ; R. Streatfield to he Christian VII.; Burton to the Bed-
ford; C. Nicholson t t the Imptrieuse ; C. Adams to the San Jo-
sef; W. S. Fuller to !he Malta ; J. Cairnes to the Grampus ; B.
?shepherd to the Criflin ; H. Overaud to the Primrose ; A. B.
Crawford and F. Borer to the Malta ; G. Urniston to the Grant-
pus ; 1. Sutherland to the Queen ; E. Curlewis to the Cressy ;
Healey to the Vestal; J. Little to the Charles armed cutter; J.
Wh ttham to the Bermuda; F.Winton io the • l'yrian ; J. Argu-
imbau to the Gorgon ; R. Cock to the Muscuitto ; H. Sheridan to
the Royal George; G.D. Barclay to 'he Regulus; T. Archer to
the 1.3.-siree ; S. Ramsay to the Allred.—Mr. John Harris, to be
Master of the Zephyr ; Mr. Carr, to be Ma►t rof the Porcupine,
Mr. Porter. to be Master of the Cleopatra; Mr. M'Kenzie, to
be Master t:f the Barhadoes.—Messrs. Clayto• , Brooking, Ni-
cholson; Jones, Hawkins, Wilson, and Ticke4l, have passed fur
•Litutetianta.

Yesterday the dispatches for st. Helena and Ilen-
gal, per Tigris, were finally closed at the East India
House, and delivered to the Purser.

Passengers per Tigris :
For Bengal—Lieutenanc W. K. Jackson, Mr. H. Williams,
Messrs. Beecher and Flosing, Mrs. Pilfold and :aridly, Musts
C. W. and M. Williams.

For St. Helena—Mr. G. Mead, Assistant-Surgeon.

FRENCH PRIVATEERS.—The audacity of the ma-
rauders, considering our vast superior naval f wee, is
trtily astonishing. No less than three of them were in
the offing between Plymouth and the Edystone all
Sunday; they were distinctly seen from Maker heights,
and tine of them had a merchant ship in her possession.
The requisite signals tvere made, and the ORESTES
and FOXHOUND sailed in quest of the enemy. From
the heavy tiring kept up, it is supposed that the Ruix
frigate (being seen to the Westward on Saturday
evening) was tn chace of them. Five privateers, car-
rying a consiierable number of guns, are likewise
cruizing near the Scilly isles.
The FoximuNn has recaptured and sent into Ply-
mouth, the brig Samuel, belonging to Mr. Paget, of
Great Yarmouth, which had been captured on
Sa-
turday last, by a French privateer,
The Nimnon enter has taken a Dutch brig, laden
with spices and wine.
- "

When the Aezacnostmr, of 74 guns, novfr in Ply-
mouth, was off Rcchefort, a French officer came on
board, in a small fishing :boat, from Isle d'Aix. He
had had an altercation with the General of the forces
there, and the latter having struck him, he returned
the compliment; rushed to his apartments, seized two
pistols, and running to the water side, ordered two
old metl, who were in a boat, to put off immediately,
and putting a pistol to each of their heads, compelled
• them to make sail to the English fleet. He says, that
r sail of the line (the Neptune and Ocean) will be
,n in Aix Reads the next spring tides, which will
r 4 e the enemy three sail of the line and three
s. One frigate had slipped out, astd was gone to
. •dram&

Lately a young woman, who seas taken in the
Hope, passae-vessel, from Plymouth to Guernsey,
arrived Plymouth, in a cartel from Cherbourg.—
Being the only fomale on board, she was allowed by
the French Government to retu:n to England, which
circumstance being publicly known at Cherbourg,
she was entrusted with above 1(X) letters, chiefly ad-
dres xd tl French prisoners of war confined in this
count: y, and six addressed to friends of English pri-
soners confnied in France ; the former were taken
from her before she left the shore ; the latter she con-
cealed in her shoes, and brought safely to England.
The following is a list of the.erew and passengers, on
board the Hope, who, being males, were detained
and scot to Cainbray, where they were all well on
the .sth of Noverriber

Sanity., C'dtor of Da.wlsh; Robert Hooper of Dartmouth;
lawca DtV: ten of Ponsea ;John Johnson and Son ef Southamp-
ton ; William ict:ew:tub aitil Son of Ouernborough ; Thomas
Sidi& ick, John Golldriug, Simon Amm, and John GiU,of Ply-
mouth ; William Pike, Robert Crawford, and William Hall, of
North Yarmouth; Timothy Laing and William Jones of Stock-
ton; Pichardßadcock of Lymington ; John Harries of Hshguard;
nomas Bellamy, Thomas Coat, and John Egget, of Lynn; Wil-
liam Adon of Poole ;Richard Williams of Chepstosi.

About ten Lia;s since, there being only two of our
74's near Cherburgh (the Venerable, Sir H. POPHAM,
and Vengeur, Capt. T. BttowN), he enemy, with
tht:r usual gasconade, made a thew of putting to sea;
not daunted by observing our two ships about 13 or
14 miles off, and with a favourable breeze for their
making port at their own pleasure, two line-of-battle
ships, a frigate, and two brigs, beat out of Cherburgh
about six miles, and commenced some petty nvanceu-
rres. It was observed at the same time, that a large
brig, and two large prawns, within Cherburgh, had
springs to their cables, and their topsails loose, ready
to assist their heroic companions, should they by any
untoward circumstances, be brought to action by the
British, upon whose making unto cut them off, they
hastily regained that port.

4w Im LLIGBI7CB.

• ‘• . a.!
ar would address himself' criminally to 2 Own' 'eti
AtlY f smrie than. dirty, widow, the most unel
ItuivbCal adiaisces twn her tiari? /1,1 she s lemed
have practised all the .rts of wonr a i twin ; and
to have relied so cons 'ently opon Lis aff flies her
in asylum, as to have -penly blasted to hr.r husband
Of the concpitst she ha ' made. Under the advic? of
a friend, howevdr, the ..Ik.f.n !ant w:ts firm inn fusing
to receive her ; •n the adultress had rervillie
to the last artifice of r sex, and threatened vi,.l-nce
upon herself.
Lord ELLENnonovoit comme:ded Ole d's-r i nof
the Learned Counsel fOr the defendant, in a intining
tie fact of adultery, whic',, to be sun., I,e-
-fore the Court abundantly ro :ed ; an dirt.cte.l .he
Jury to give the pl rii.tilF such t:•Triper tte,. modera:e
damages, as would_ at once prove Out tl,e p 1 i Air;
It id not disgrace! himself, and that the deft. diant had
nut aggrayated his crime.
The Jury found their vzrdict fur the plaintf.4—Ds.
marrbes

COURT' OF RING'S BENCH, DEC. ?.

MORTIMER V.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL sta.edi that this Ras an
action for criminal conversation with the plaintiff's
wife; and he should be unworthy of the situation
which he held, if he were to tell the Jury that thi, wag
an aggravated case of that offence. There were, in
fact, many mitigatory features in it; and the Learned
Counsel should net deal justice to the defendant, if
he did not allow, that the letters which he should pre-

• •
sently lay before the Jury did not she', that since the
commission of the injut y for which the plaintiff sought
reparation, he had .tcted with great propriety. Wlttn
he allowed thus much to the: defendant, still, he was

bound to do the fullest justice to his client ; and to
say, that if the defendant had not aggravated the in-
jury, neither had the• plaintiff's condurt to h's wife
ey.er furnished either her or the dellndant with the

excuse fit committing that injury which was some-
times set up, and allowed its due weight, in actions

. _
of this nature.

The history of the prestnt case was

shortly this : The plaintiff was a Gentleman of com-
petent fortune, and was in January, 1800, married to
a Lady whom he tenderly loved, and whose affections
he flatteted himself he reciprocally possessed. His
cottage was situated at Burnham, in Buckingham-
shire ; but since his marriage, he had entered into a
regiment of militia ; and was at the pet iod at which
this case took him up quartered at Plymouth. From
hence his wife had occasion to pay a visit to her mo-
ther at Cheltenham; and the plaintiff accompanied
her as far as Exeter on her way thither. At Chelten-
ham she met with the defendant ; this was in the year
1810 ; and when she returned to her husband, she
plainly told him that he was no longer agreeable to
her, and that her affections were completely estranged
from him to another, naming the defendant, with
whom she said she had had that connection which de-
termined her no longer to sleep in the same bed with
her husband. The plaintiff was thunciet struck with
this intelligence, which he treated as a dream, the
reality of whiCh he could n,,t bring himself, to htlieve.
An opportuhity offered, however, one day of examin-
ing the contents of his wi'e's writing-box ; and there
he found letters of the defendant, which totally de-
prived hint of the laid doubts which he had enter-
tained of the truth of his wife's n.trrative. These lt•t-
ters, however, although damning proofs to him, were
all that he could adduce to the Jut v as lezai evidence
of the adultery ; but the Attorney-General was atf,,:d
the Jury would consider them as too strong tt. leave
even upon Their minds a doubt of the fact which the
plaintiff was compelled by this process of the law t ;-
day to establsh.
[The letters, to the number of seven, were read :.the earliest
were addressed, " My dear Caroline," and talked of the" con-
nection" which had taken place between the parties. One ap-
peared to he an answer to a proposal of elopement on the part of
Mrs. Mortimer, and of living with him. It said that the defers-
dint, mistrustful of h.& knowletle,e of the world (he then I, big
not of age) bad taken the advice of a sincere friend upon the
subject ; and the following was the result of his consultation with
that nd, who was the only pers: nto whom he had revealed
his connection wl-h a lady in h. r rank of lite, and to whom he
had not divulged her name I suffer her to ;iv., v. th
me ? A. Undoubtedly not. Q. But I have promised Ist'. she
shall. A. '1 hat is no matter : your own character, your situation
in life, the feerngs of a mother, brird it. You will destroy her
happiness if you do. Q. But I 5h..11 destroy Mrs. Monimer's
' happiness, if I do mfr. A. Not a bit of it : the lust of the moment
may make her think so; Ina el:pend upon it, a very few years
will convince her that to prosecute a sits is not the road to re-
I pentance. You have broken a positive commandment; and a
! perseverance in the crime would only drag damnation upon both
her head and your's. Think not so Irglily of a promise to do
wrong, made in an unguarded moment?' The defendant wrote
to Mrs. Mortimer, that he-had committed this advice to paper
the moment his friend left the room; havirnt before d-terniiited
'toabde by It, let it be what it might. It see med that the lady
had, in answer to this le:ter, threatened violence upon herself ;
for the defendant's next epistle to her was a long dissuasion
apinst suicide. 'the other letters were less important : they
blamed Mrs. Mortimer for her indiscreet disclosure of the con-
nec'ion between her and the defendant to the plairriff; and one
or two of them talked of intended, and alluded to ettec:ed, meet-
ings in the neighbourhood of the plaint.ff's residence.]
The ATTORNEYGENERAL concluded, that the de-
fendant had, very much to his credit, taken the ad-
vice of this judicious friend, and had not added pro-
' tection to adultery. He had no doubt but the Jury,
except in the actual injury, for which the plaintiff
was entitled to a positive recompence, would think
that the defendant was a man much more to b • pitied
than blamed.

MAST v. f?^BI.EI ESQ. •
This was ad act on of slander, brought hi a Suri,
geon and Sub-Lieutenant of the Su set Militia,
against a Magi,trate of that county. The slancint
consisted in the di fendatit's saying rf the plaintiff, tcr
a Captain -Lee, with whom the plaintiff had berti
ng, 6, Do you know that man you were waking
with ? He's a d—d scoundi el, and has cheated my
son out of .€1f1,0.)0." The defendant's son, it ap,_
peared, was an officer in the navy, lovely t eturncd from
the Adriatic ; and had told his father that he was
pr ved of prize-money, in die distribtition t f which
the plaintiff had some concern. In comequence of
this sland.r on the part of the defendant, the plaintiff
was suspended finm his mess ; arid a Committee of
Officers waup pointed to enquire into the null tit
the charchargdltThe defendant referred them to his
sun, who failed to snake good the assert4na, after some
delays and postponements cf their meetings ; and the
plant:if was restored to the g(led opinion cf his bro-
then otlicers, and to his Peat in their
The Jury found their verdict for the plaintiff,—Da-
mages £5O.

Bazan.—There being no Court of Aldermen this
day, the Lunn MAYOR, after inspecting the ReturLs.
ordered it to fall Tinee•pence per Peck. The Qum..
tLrn Lctf, cn 'Thur:day, will be 17d.
In the Litrvrick paper, an Irish Gentleman, whose
wile had absconded Irom him, thus' cathicns the
pnac against trusting her—" My wife his eloped
from me, without rhyme or rettsvi, and I desire no one
w:11 trust her on my account, for I am hot mardel
ha.."'

A Gentleman from New-York, states, that the GA
yemment had sanctioned the seizure of two French
ships under circumstances which we shall shortly ex-
plain ; one in t'ie pot tof Charlston, and the otl,e.r fit '
Philadelphia. It appears, th.•t the sesscls in cilestion
were captured separat ply some et= ago by the French.
carried into a port of their own, and there con-
demned without the IPast justa:ation: They were
afterwards pul chased by Frcnch citizens, vilo in the

way of trade sent them to America, to bripg home clrj
goes. This circumstance coming t., the knot% .die of
their real owners is America, they seize., their pf

perty, and were supported in their claims by the 'Go-
vernment, All parties uni ed in the approbation Of
such an act of summary justice.

In a private letter the. following tiairaulars ttre
mentioned relating to the death f Lueuteti.►nt Joho
Perkins, of the Cherokee sloop of war, In the month
of.Tttly, he, with four seamen, took charge r.f a malt
plize, for the purpose of navigating hei into Lc•.h
roads : the vessel shortly after sprung a leak, and was
in a sinking state, when a Dartiilt bouod tot
Norway, appeared, and presently took Mr: Perkin
and his foot seamen on board: The-master Of thei
galliot had ten Danish seamen en b-ard his vesseli
and yet fearfttl of the safety of his vessel, from bay.:
ing five poor shipwrecked men on Ix atrd, actually
came to the resolution of destroying th,m, which he
effected by throwing them into the set, except oai
man, who is an American. It is report:•ed, ..1 ► he
WAS cast into prison on his arrival in Nt,rw.:l, to :aka
his trial for ilfence.

The Rev. Edward Foster proved the marriage of I
the plaintiff to Miss Bedingfield, on the 13th of Ja-
nuary, 1800, at St. George's, Hanover-square. The
witness visited the couple for the first season after their
marriage, when they had a house in to wn ; and spoke
to their happy appearance.
Captain Thoyts, of the Royal Horse Guards, had
an opportunity of seeing the life they led, particu-
larly in 1808 and 1809, when he was quartered in
the neighbourhood of Burnham-grove ; and thought
that their life was harmonious and happy. They had
no children.
Mr. Whitaker married a s'ster of the plaintiff, and
always had opportunities of witnessing the conduct of
Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer towards each other. They ap-
peared to live like other married people. The plain-
tiff placed unbounded confidence in his wife ; and she
appeared to deserve it. The witness could notjecol-
lect any exception to their happiness. The lady was
21, and the gentleman '23, when they married.
Mr. Wm. Hare, clerk in the house of Messrs. Bid-
dulph and Co. the defendant's bankers, proved the
hand-writing of the letters. He had heard that the
defendant, who was just now of age, would have the
greater part of his father's fortune, which was very
considerable.
Mr. Tonga°, for the defendant, would not trouble
the Jury by questioning the fact of the adultery, which
the letters o: the defendant could not but prove to every
conscientious mind; and addreraed himself solely to
the mitigation of damages. As the plaintiff's Counsel
had commended the defendant's conduct, save in the
mere offence itself, so neither had Mr: Topping any
instructions to censure that the plaintiff whom the
defendant did not know, over whose threshold he had
never passed, and with whose very person he was nn
acquainted, having never seen him. This was not,
therefore, the case of a deliberate villain, going about
to seduce the wife of his Friend; and the learned
Counsel would undertake to say, from the relative
ages of the parties, (Mrs. Mortimer having been at
the time of the adultery one or two and thirty, and
the defendant only about nineteen,) that it was she
who seduced him, and not he that seduced her.—
Was it to be believed, that a young gentleman of that

A letter from Brighton of the 7th inst. says--i
44 Two or three ships were distingULhable hence at
an early hour in the morning—among wh'eh was the
Ann scheoner of Yarmouthf TAYLOR master. anti
which, having sprung a leak, and b..conte water log-.
ged, with her pumps choaked, was driven on shore,
near the harbour's entrance cf New Shoreham, abont
ten minutes before rnid.day. The fi•herraien of this'
place, with a zeal that did them credit, hastened to
the assistance of the di,tressel vrssrl, aid tbrongh
their well-directed elms, the crew, consisting (4'
two men and a boy only, were, in the end, preset ved.
Every possible method was tried to keep the sh'p en-
tire, but ineffectually, I.r she went completely to
pieces, the gale iacrea,ing with the tide, it half-past
!Our o'clock this afternoon. The Ann sailed front
Portsm"uth, in ballast, at three A. M. to-day. Num.;
berless ind;viduals are at this time employed, nitre
P. M. in rescuing fragments of the wreck from the
foaming billows, the gale hav'ng but little abated."

Tuesday last fifty buoys were launched from Ply-
mouth-yard, to be placed in óe Sound, for tl.e pur-
pose of directing the vcssels where to throw ou: their
cargoes of stoves, &c. The soun.iings are found tot
bc extremely irregular. The depth r.f water at the
Tinker Buoy, which is stated, in the latest sailing d:-
rections, to be 18 feet only., is found to he 42 • nth:e
places have lost their stated depth, and it w ill, there.
tore, be necessary to sald down a considerable quan-
tity of rubbish, &c. at first. The inner m,le will is,:
circular ; but, contrary to general exp .cation, the
outerone, runrtingfrom Bubbtson Bay, will be strain it.
The Rovza, Captain FINLEY, who was appointed
with the SOPHIE, Captain LOCKYIR, taEet the Liabo,,
convoy to a certain latitude, on her return to Ports.
month, off Cape Finisterre, gave chace to a Inge
armed merchantman, richly laden front Batavia, which.
after a shot or two, was taken possession of bf the
ROVER—no other ship in sight. Admiral Sir R. Cut-.
rte, under whose directions the ROVER bee 1,
shares in the prize. Shr
deeply laden. She is sl
cego, which was comsat
and captured during a de;
by a squadron of French !
an obstinate defence, Ma,

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aiwir. LA 41 LIM n. 11=4 1:••
Lions the ROVER is place I, ,
he 'mount,. 1 t guns, and Is
laid to be fcrme!ly the Vat.
anded by Captain WRIONT,
lead calm, in Quileron Bay, .
1 gun boats and lugger', acb.s.
ly 20,180!.