Star.
London, England, 1817-04-03 00:00:00

UNI I ED SERVICE CLUB.

The United Service Club's first Grand Dn•t.
the seasorl was held on Tuesday last in Albs•rt..;lk.
street, when his Royal Highness the CONINIANDtIt IN.
CHIEF took the Chair. Present—
Field Marshal his Highness the Duke of Gloucester; sir Wl.
Sant Gordon. Grand Cross of the Bath; General James Canp.
bell; the Hon. Air:ander Maitland, of the Royal Navy, aid
First Captaita at the attack on Algiers; General Itirhartl,.l ;
feral Sir Henry Wlii.e, Grand Cross of the Bath; Colonel J0...1-
Hon ; Captaiu Henry Parker, of the Royal Navy;
Hodgson; Captain Bastard. of the Royal Navy; Colon.:1
ton, First Atde-de-Camp to the Duke of Gloucester;
Higgins, 2d ditto; Colonel the Hon. Willoughby Cotton ;
tenant-Colonel Shaw., of the Ist Regiment of life (knot.;
Liettt.-Colonel Barclay, First Aide-de-Camp to the I'. ke
York: Sir Henry Torrent', Secretary to ditto; Gmeral
Combermere, Knight of the Grand Cross ut the Bath;
riairner ; Lieutenant-Colonel Pilleirgton.
At halt past seven the party sat J. wft to a !line;,.
tuous banquet, served up in the first style. "I•hr uo:al
healths were drank ; hut in the eniivirras.Con that
place, politics, as usual, were whoily excluded c
illustrious Chairman, by the ease :Ind ffability i•
marked the whole ut Ins demeanour during ;11,2 t•t;_
lug, completely won the hearts of the pest.. H s
Royal Highness expressed his determmation, 46 o.c
house would not admit of a larger number twciry
at table, to due with the Club frequently, he
might have an opportunity of being introduced to a.l
the Members in successioc.

There has been a grand entertainment and r,-
joking within these few days; near Yester-house. East
Lothian, in celebration of the birth of a daughter by
the Marchioness of TWILEDDALL The t. nautry
the extensive estates belonging to her Noble Lusb.oul,
and situate within East Lothian and Lauderdale, a:-
sembled at the village of Giffard, in the imme.iiate
vicinity of Yester House, where they had a mc.t
sumptuous dinner ; and after
.spending the aftetnii:n
in the most cordial and happy manner, the Gent::.
men retired to an adjoining room, where they vice
met by a great assemblage of Ladies ct the t
beauty, and elegantly dressed, when a ball, as tr.s
previously arranged, immediately commenced, 25.1
continued till a very late hour cf the morning.—
During the dance, the Marquis, accompanied by two
of.bis sisters, arrived in the ball-room, having been
pressingly invited by his tenantry to do so, and they
mixed with the happy group in the joyous dance.—
There were various other dinner parties among tFe
different classes in the village, which was most Ira-
Raptly illuminated the whole evening ; the bells cur.
tinning at the same time to ring a merry peal. The::
who did not participate in these festivities were ampli
-regaled with strong ale in the streets, where a large
bonfire biased, communicating its effulgence to the
surrounding woods and hills, which had a most beau.
tiful effect—this was much heightened with a grand
discharge of fireworks, prepared by the tenantry.
BRIHANDS OF TH3 ALPL—The brigands in the
vicinity of the Alps continue to increase. Colonel LES.
LIIY, and a party of Ladies, were crossing lately, when
they were beset by a numerous band of these miy
creants.• One of the party, a female, presented her
purse, which was well stored ; but the robbers paid so
attention to the offer ; they ordered the party to quit
the carriage whilst they searched it diligently, fancy-
ing they should find considerable property. Col. L
was quite at a loss to account for the minuteness cf
their inquiries, until he discovered that they mistooi
him' for Mr. THOMAS-HOPS. The Lady who tee-
awed the parse, in her fright, dropped it into he
bosom ; and it is curious to remark, that these plto•
derers actually forgot to demand it ere their dept.
lure. From their conversation, it appeared that they
bad intelligence of the approach of Mr. HOPE.*
Colonel LIMEY, after escdrting the ladies to the nes.:
post town, left them, and returned to apprise M:.
Hon of the ambuscade: he fortunately met 6::
gentleman on the road, and induced him to revel
back to the inn from whence he set out; and .1
Mr. Hon escaped,'by taking a different route fan,
the one he first intended. Our informant adds, ti :a:
the robbers actually calculated upon the probability
of Mr. Hon's taking upon_ himself the charge cf a
part of the loan for the French Government.
EXTRAORDINARY CHARACTER.—Extract of a lettr
from Flanders In one of the Communes, ee.s
Saint Omers, is a character, which may, perhaps:
afford your Readers some amusement. It is that at
a Lady of fortune, above sixty, who has lorg
laded a considerable part of her income in keepira
a pack of hounds for the destruction of ss:Are,
which, some years back, very much infested tb::
part of the country, and did great damage. 'l'l'
bounds are still in her possession, and she takes pre.:.
delight in going to the kennel, and seeing them.—
A few years since, she used to go out to hunt, ac'
continued to pursue the chase for sometimes f.itet
or sixteen successive days, as the wolves charic
their haunts. She was then attended by a e7^''.
retinue. The outer gates of her chateau are
crowded with the heads of the wolves she has (!r•
stroyed. Her dress.is as strange as her mode of
consisting of a green frock coat, with a gold bogie•
horn embroidered on each skirt, a yellow waisrceg
with black stripes, a kind of plush, or else black
velveteen small clothes, jockey boots, and a four,:
hat, with a broad gold band and a very large ged
buckle in front. She never deviates from this ce%
maw, and is not at all displeased at being addiessed
by a stranger as Monsieur. To all appearance sh!
is more like a servant in livery than any thin!:
else. Notwithstanding these peculiarities she :s
very good kind of person, gives away money ar.i
other necessaries, and is universally beloved by IL:
inhabitants, who are never tired of relating the P:*
viers she has rendered them. The English Orrice'
in general, who have bees billeted upon I:eYi n 1 ‘t
with the greatest respect and attention, d
her table, free of capcna4".