Star.
London, England, 1827-11-23 00:00:00

FOIL. THE STAR.

. 1 have jolt been reading an account of Places of
Amusement, Pugilists, nines, dtc. upwards of 100
years ago, and as your Paper is so reassemble for
•ariety, a few facts are Isere submitted to your consi-
dm at ion.

Some placei of amusement, about 100 sears ago,
were the Opera, at Lincoln's Inn-fields; grotesque
dancing. in Drury-lane; and Italian Plays, in the Hay.
nwket;,,Pastholomew, Southwark, and May Fair.

The,names of the most celebrated Pugilists at that
time *ere Kned Sutton, Jack Fig,* Tim Buck, and
Bob Stokes.

• Celebrated thieves,. Ste. executed, &c. about that
'B4lii%ury (whose name most . people
have heard-oPi died in sewgatcf (where she was con-
fined for woupding .Crithdirman, one.of her lovers),
Feb. 11, 1713.4; buried osi the' I4th. at St. Andrew's
Church pets!, 11•1born.—Jack Shephardt (who broke
so many times out. of. Newgare) was hung at Tyburn,
is Monday, Nov. 16. 1724. at the age of 20 ; buried
the same evening at St. Martin's Church Yard.—Jona-
than -Wild (the noted thief taker) hanged at Tyburn,
May SL, •1729, aged 43 ; buried the same evening at
Pancriss church Yard. His body was *tole the same
night by the resurrection men, for the surgeons.—Ca-
therine.Hayes‘fbr killing her husband John Hales, was
burnt at rybern, May 9, 1726.
• -Anecdote of Jack. Fig.—A whole length figure of Fig, the
most cekbrkted pugilist, upwards of 100 years ago, being engraved
(he had a littlehefore beat several Irishmen)—just as the plate was
finished& person Caine into the room, and the engraver said, I
wish- I could think of something clever to write under this print---
lie immediately answered, "write, a Fig for the Irish; • which
made the engraver laugh, and k was engraved'ouder it.
t The old sting says—
And Lordi and Dukes they visited me,
The Charming Sally Salisbury.
Lines engraved under a mezzotint, portrait el Jack Sheppard,
tlasaArie engraved from a plaure painted by Sir James Thornhill:
Thuenbill, 'tis thine to gild with fame
Th' obscure, and rake the humble name;
• • To make the futm, elude the grave,
And Sheppard front oblivion save.
The' lire hi veld the wretch implores, '
An relief to the Isrthest shores;
• Tby pencil brings a kitid reprieve,
Aid bids the dying robber live.
• Tins piece to west time shall stand,
And skew thewovider.urthy hand; .
Thus (eraser musters grac'd thrir.naute,
And gene egregiuus rubbers—fame. • .
ApeUes-v-Akiander drew,
Casa is to Arellius due,
Cromwell in txly's wot ks loth shine. •
And Sheppard—Tbunibill—lives in thine.

3 The practice of tramp'', tine criminalt to America tonsineneed
in the reign of King James the list, in he year 1619.

.
.:111.•••!••4 • '• •1! l• . • •t ,
ttOUDZIIt 'Otr tut AVARVOCIE MAIL
Wednestat 'night last, the Warwick mail was sobt4
of. Bank notes 10 theArnintlst.l4 20004. helnitinz
the bank *Messri.AVhitebeid mid,ros; Of *hi
rite robbery was et cted. hh. a very ettraordmary 'man.
gnd trod Ile vetYiteni in' it was doger
it i• tire ,opinion of the LondonPolireth st" the emote(
in the Mae' had a band in thi ~ .
It "nears that a. Gentleman beloo'gitig to the firth of
Wit ithead and Co. of the Warwick liankltOnk his tact
at the King's Arms Tivein,,s(o4r-hill, on ‘l'ellne.daY
to go with the tiraii on the,sarpe night to Warwick.
garb direr ions to the.cletk. (al he had done ,on
fot-
tner Occasions) that tie, Mail should atop at the Fla:.
null's Ina Coffee Hons, in Holborniind tyke loins tip;
as he had luggage there which he had to take wall
hiM. The snail, coaCb stopped it, the
.uibil.k ihr*,
about eight o'clock, according. to MS ordiwk, And the
Gentleman came out of Fainivara ltirtivith two bags isi
hit phssession, one coutaihing twin ibireiendsorefeigii4
and lhk 'other 20,00.0 r. in five and ten pouokeptilltlk
no:es of tb hithkl of Memo s.Wbitehead,,We,.ton, Green.
way, and Co. of payable mat Glyn aid Ct...'s;
Lmnbard•street, Loadon and of the Stratford on Avon,
Shepston on Stour, and Chipping Norton Banks. The
gentleman gave the bag containing the two thousand
sovereigns to a porter,, and saw him pp, it Intidb the
mail-coach :n one of the seats. lie efttiirisdi
the o:her.bag, containing the notes, ter the sat7ie
for the same purpose, and he tbedght )that the
.pnetet
placed dial bag on the 1344 skeet . The h• mlemin
got into the 'coach, ;Ind having sititid..biinself,...ti
snrptise and constettrationi be. dittovered that the
bag .containing the cokes' was not to be found.. It
appearet the effect al • magic, and the ,Gentleman
instantly pioilaimed his loss. Several persons Were sein
near the mail shot& before, but they had vanished in
a sndment. The (tenderness immediately gave inrOr•
MCI n to Celt tillyn, and Co.'s- Bank, of the rtibbity,
and also to the different l'oliae Offices in the Mettsipsills.
Mehl, and Sslmnn, .principal officers of Bow-stsver,
were on-the qui vibe in a stunt time; and it is believkd
th it Abe notes have found their way among family
men." It is believed-that the bag of notes larastalskin by
mistake; the bag of sovereigns was iheobject tbethieves
had its view.
•
CHtiLTENHAM

Last week, about eight o'clock; fi liutctrer was tekritnv
ing home on horsetack, on the Birdlip-road, when he
was stopped by a man, who asked him what meat he
had in his basket, to o hich lie replied " none The
next question asked was," What money hate your To
this he replied in another manner,—videlicit, by a salute
of no very courteous nature, on the ear of the applicant ;
and without waiting to know whether the answer *as sa-
tisfactory or no', immediately gallopped oft Also, a few
nights since, Mr. Manic, retail brewer of this coon, was
attacked hi a similar manner. Whilst rettnningfrofts
Prestbury,he was met in the lane leading to Field House,
by two men Who knocked him down, and much injured
him by the bierwsthey inflitted,and they Were oil the point
,1 of rifling his pockets,When, some pers ns e3ming that
I way, they made off without campleting their purpose.
Mr. Mania has been obliged, in consequence of his in.
juries, to ke:p his bed for Astral days, but he is now
retort ring.
A daring robbery was committed in this town on
Friday evening last, about six o'cli ek, when the house
'inhabited by Miss Ilamei ton, dress-maker, in- Albion•
street, was entered by s 'me villa ns, who, notwithstand-
ing several persons were in the house at the One,
proceeded up to the first toot, and succeeded ht
making good their escape with a bed, a trunk. con-
taining cash and other valuables, a quantity of wearing
apparel, ant various other articles. It appears that the
thieves were successful in their design by getting over a
wall, from the yard of the Lamb lint, and making their
entrance threughia back &kir ; and groin the facility
with which they,toppleted their purpose, it is conjec-
ars et they must km been previously acquainted ith
the premises, .Gtzu sospision attaches to a man who
had lodged in the house for a short time, but had lett
that morning without having given any notice of his
intention to dOrso. Every exertion is making by our vi-
gilant police to discover the yerpetators thislohbery.

''WINCHESTER, Nov. 21.

• A melancholy event has trim spired in. this city in the
Death of a young man of excellent character, occasioned
by an unintentional wound, received a few Reeks ago
from an acquaintance of the deceased, during a short
scuffle, which originated in spoirrbut unlottunately led
to a fatal termination. An Inquest was held before Me.
JoKa Emma, the sity. Coroner, yesterday afternoon.
when the follow ing account was givers of the ttansaetiont
Oa the afternoon of t4e. 24th of -October, which was
Winchester Town Frird.ay. the deceased, Thomas Lit-
lywhite' who is a ji.n.rneyman saddler. in the employ of
Mr. /I.Doller, was at wgrk in his masters collar shop.
in the High street, when Chalks Randall, a young
labouring man, with whom he was on minas of inti-
macy, went in, under pretence of purchasing a whip,
but more probably (as the sequel seem-..d- to prove)
merely for a gossip. After a few minutes, the deceased
and Randall began playing about in the.shop, quite
in joke, till, getting more serious, the eeceaied desired
Randall, if he did •tit want any thin?, to "go
of the shop, or he would put him out." Upon thi;
Randall took up a pair of pincers, stifled cutting pli.rs,
and still in joke pinched
.-she deceased in • the thigh,
at it appertd; mime to, barch on .Which the des..
d .turned round; and put hisn nut of the shape.-
is led to a: lehalienge froth Riddell to the de.
West ell, who r, qttested a by-stander***nd his shop, at d
immediately went to skeet RandalloCiat whom he beg*
hissing, or rather wrestling, and s;erned fn{{ to
have the best of it. At length, however, Ra siugtt
Wm round the body, and threw him down. with consi-
derable violence, with his head on one of the large
pebbles which skin the road. When the deceased got
rip, his head .was bleeding, and there was a qtAan icy
of blood_ and hair left upon the stone. He com-
plained a little of Randal,'s treatment, and returned into
the shop. Randall also went away, and nothing more
'passed. Both parties appeared to be perfectly sober. A
surgeon (Mr. H. Lyford) stated that he dressed the head
of the deceased the same afternoon ; it was severely cut
and bruised, but the skull was not fractured. About a
week afterwards he was again applied to by the de-
ceased, whose head he found very much swollen round
the original wound, which had quite healed. He cond.
Issued to pay the deceased every attention in his power,but
la violcnt erysipelas cameon, and ended in his el, alb Litt
Sunday morning. Mr. Lyford gave his decided opinion
that the erysipelas which caused the death of the de-
ceased was immediately produced by the original
wound. The inquest terminated in a verdict of'" Mar.
slaughter" agaiast Randall, who has been committed
for trial at the next Match Assizes ' a
written character from his late
luaiw deceme4 has lett a wife and

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41

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STANZAS.

INBURGH, Nov. 19.

WRITTEN ON NEMO FLAGS AND OTHER INHIONS OW

WAR HANGING IX A COORTRY CHURCH.

• 'Row brat IntlUrifT SOUVINIL.
•
Oh! why, amid this hallowed scene,
Should signs of mortal feud be found ;
Why seek with such vain gaud, to wean
Our thoughts from holier relics *round? ,
More fitting emblems here abound
Of glory's bright, unfading wreath ;
Conquests with purer triumphs crowed;
Proud victories aver Sin and Death!
Of these bow starry records rise
Before my chasten'd spirit now;
_ Memorials, pointing to the skies,
Of Christian battles fought below.
What need of yon stern thing; to show
That darker deeds hate oft been done?:
Is*Lnot enough for Man to know
He lives but through the blood of Ousel
And thou, mild delegate of Goo '•
Wuose words of balm, and guiding light,
Would lead us, from earth's drear abode,
To worlds with bliss for ever bright,—
What have the spoils of mortal fight
To do with themes 'tis thine to teach?
Faith's saving grace—each sacred rite
Thou know'st to practise as to preach!
The blessings of the contrite heart,
Thy bloodless conquests best proclaim ;
I:ba tears from sinners' eyes that start,
Am meetest records of thy fame.
The glory that may grace thy name
•s: Ftom loftier triumphs sure must spring ;
. 'The grateful thoughts thy worth may claim,
•• • Trophies like these can never bring!
Then wherefore on this sainted spot,
With peace, and lave, and hope imbued,--
Some vision calm of bliss to blot,
And turn our thoughts on deeds of blood—
Should signs of battle-fields intrude:
Mtn wants no trophies here of strife;
His Orillamme—Faith unsubdued;
His Panoply—a spotless life!

CINIVREITY COMMISSION PRIZE, OF Aim
Thowskourned Meeting of the University and Royal
Commission for the put pose of hearing the public read-
ing of the Prix: Essay, on the Character of the Athen-
ians, by the successful competitor, took pl ice on Satur-
day, at one o'clock 1..14. in Dr. Hope's classroom. The
business of the day commenced by Principal Baird•of-
feting up a Latin prayer ; after which he proceeded, by
desire of the Commission, to read an extract from their
ufnutes relative to the institution of the Prize, and the
decision of the Faculty of Arts in favour of the Essay.
which proved to be the production of Mr. J+ B. Patterson,
a Student of Divinity, who had eminently distinguished
himself by his general talents and acquirements. When
the Principal had finished, Mr. Patterson proceeded to
perform what he must have felt as by far the most try-
ing pat t of his task, the reading of his dissertation in pre.
serce of the Royal Commission, the Patrons, and the
v:holeUrtiversity. 1 his occupied fully two hours, and was
gone through without the least apparent embarrassment,
and with much propriety of manner and distinctness of
elocution. As to the Essay itself, it is unquestionably,
Upon the whole, highly creditable to the talents and in-
dustry of its author; and though it did not strike us as
very remarkable for vigour and originality of thought,,
or as indicating a capacity for severe and logical rea-
soning and investigation, yet it was embellished with
many happy turns both of sentiment and expression,
and evinced an enthusiastic love of classical antiquity.
with a faculty of appreciating its fine models both in
literature and art, which are deserving of the highest
commendatirm Its principal and radical fault however
seemed to be, that it involved the logical fallacy called
jirlatiopriocipu, of begging of the question. The Essayist
assuo,ed as data a superior physical organization, an
intense nationality, and an overweening self-tsteem;
and upon these assumptions he proceeded to account
for the different " lights and shadows" of the Athenian
character, and to explain the apparently incongruous
phases which it oftentimes exhibited. But these are
not ultimate facts, universally admitted as unsuscep
tible of analysis, and which an enquirer may there.
fore take for granted as the basis of his investiga-
tions. Whence did the Greeks generally, and the
Athenians its particular, derive the superior physical
organization which has been ascribed to them? This
is a question, the solution of which, though it involves
an inquiry into the different great laces of men, as well
as the causes by which their general characteristic:. are
modified, is of very highest interest and import-
ance, and is calculated to esercite the ingenuity and
learning of the most subtle and profound inquirer.
Ntii, how are we to account for the intense nationality
of t? e Athenians, a feeling which they shared in com-
mon with m..ny other nations and states, which resem-
bled them in nothing else? This is a complex attribete
of a general character, and being susceptible of analysis
and decomposition, ought not to have been assumed as
an elements, yps inciple. Besides, there are different kinds
of nationality: the mouniaincers of Helvetia, Armmiea,
and Caledonia, were ac intensely national as the Atheni•

ans, and as srakt of their r ude rocic.,wild glens,and barba-

sous customs, as the latter is ere of their fine climate, their
lovely land, and all the glories which Greek genius had
achieved in science, literature, sits, or arms. As to
overweening self-esteem, again, it is only another name
for nationality; and the obj et of the Essayist ought to
have been, to trace to its source the principle which he
sock at once for granted as the foundation of his in-
quiry, and, conversely, to shew how it was gradually
developed, and what effects it produced in its operation
upon the character of the pacple who were under its
influence. All this, !louvre,, was deemed superfluous
and onneeessary. Tie Essayist confined himself merely
popular views, and to an enumeration, often prettily
arptessed, of those snore stiiking circumstances and in
eidents, which, in the present d iy, are infinitely More
reli,lied than the most piofund investigations of a
see re philosophy. At the same time cc must do
this mesittirious young man the justice to say,
that, in appreciating the characteristics of the Athe-
nian Rerublic, distingui•h,d with much precision
between poli ,cal liberty, which it bestowed in the

very hi;lielt degree, :and civil liblrt y, to which

its citizens were absolute strangers. This dis-
tinction it is of the last importance to keep in view, be-
cause it furnishes a key to the *hole bitten y of the Re-
publics 4Athens andßome,as well as to that of the de-
nu.craticAl States of July during the Middle Age:
and it wasto M. Sismondi, whom the E,sayi.t forgot
to name, that tl,e first discovery of it is due. In his
admirable and well•known work on the Italian Re-
publics (liisloire des Republique: Italiennes de 3loyen
Age)it is developed with a philosophical preci,ion scluom
equalled, and illustrated with clearness and felicity .ot
language never surpaised.With respect to the style of this
1 izeEss y,which ha, been es owned with such novel dis-
tinction, it struck us as esactly ref that so, t which might
be expected from a young man of talent.: ambHous,
flowery, their rival, and oinament 41 throughout with a
profusion ct spangles and embroidery, the glitter of
which was often painful, though, in not a lest/ instances

' the intertexturt exhibited a curioer felicitas for which the
writer is entitled to full credit. Besides the Lord Pro-
vost and Magistrates, as Patrons, and the Members oil
the University, there was in attendance an unusually
full meeting of the Royal Commission, among whirion!
we observed the EIA of Rosebety, Lord Coiehouse,
the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General of Scotland,
' the D..an of Faculty, Dr. Inglis, Bcc. This, we belit ye,
is the first exhibition of the sort which has been wit-
nessed in any'Univessity in Scotland, and we sincerely
trost it will be productive of all the good which has
been expected from. it. For oar own parts, how-
e ter, we doubt extremely the propriety of such dis-
plays, which seem calculated to spoil one individual,
without giving any very beneficial impulse or stimu•
lus to the great msss of students. The distinc-
tip conferred seems to us incommensurate with any
thing short of the very highest and rarest min."
ments; and even in regard to an individual thus gifted
and distinguished, it is sure to excite ispectations so
extravagant as in all probability never to be realised
It is our honest conviction, indeed,, that the rage for
introducing English modes, which ieems to be the rul-
ing passions of all those who have any power or con ;
troul over our Universities and great Schools, promises
to be productive of any thing but advantage to those
establishments ; and though the million have been dazz•
led by ti e system of display and parade which is now
almrst universally acted upon, we doubt excessively,
whether the progress of solid instruction has kept pace
with the estraot dinary advances which have been mai.
in the arts of oithibiti• n. But be this as it may, what"
is good for Edinburgh, cannot be injurious to Glasgow,'
S:. Andrew's, and Aberdeen; and we.trost, therefore,'
the Royal Commission which has w lai,Jably stept be.
yond its proper sphere to encourage iniustry and talent
in the Metropolitan University, will not overlook those'
in the provinces.
After Mr. Patterson had finished the reading of his
Essay, we understand the Commissioners communicated
to him, by the Earl of Rosehery, that the Royal Com-
missioners having re-assembled after having heard Mr.
Patterson's Essay read, feel tl emselves 'called upon to
express their high admiration of it, and were impressed
with the talent, erudition, and eloquence, by which it
is so eminently distinguished.—Cakdon inn Mercury. '