New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-30

In Boaden's Life of John Philips Kemble is
the following curious account Of an attempt
half century ago upon the life of George the
Third, King of England. The intention ap-
pears to have been rather more murderous than
was that of Jefards when he discharged the
hard boiled egg at the head of Frank Pierce
the First:
&c But / am now to speak of an event, 30 hor-
rible in its nature, so surprising in all its cir
cumstances, so perfectly without o motive, and
yet SO transcendent in its mischief, that need
these few lines Of preparation to assume the pro-
per tone for detail SO unparalleled. On the
18th day of May, 1900, the late amiable sove-
reign, George the Third, upon his entrance into
the royal box at Drury Lane Theatre, was fred
at by frantic miscreant in the pit, with pis-
tol loaded with two slugs. And on the same
day, His Majesty, in the morning, attending
the field exercises of the grenadier battalion of
the Guards in Hyde Park, a gentleman named
Ongley, standing in the direction, and not
twenty yards from the royal person, was shot
by o ball fred from the musket of some soldier
in the ranks unknown. l put the two events
together, because, in all probability, they were
instantly associated in the royal mind; and
His Majesty must have conceived, that some as
sasslns that day were taking every means to de-
stroy hiil. The King, upon hearing the report
of the pistol, stood firm, at about four PAGES in
advance from the door of the box; but amid the
alarm and horror, and the thousand voices that
called to seize the assassin, with the self pos
session that became sovereign, perhaps ex-
pecting to have second shot fred in the tumult
from some other quarter, His Majesty calmly
advanced to the very front of the box, where
he remained, as such man only could be, per-
fectly undismayed. Upon seeing the Queen
enter, he at hrst with his hand waived her back;
but upon her enquiring what was the matter,
the King considerably replied g only sauib /!
they have been firing squibs," After the assas-
sin. across the orchestra, had been taken out of
the pit, the Queen, in great agitation, came for
ward and curtsied, and asked His Majesty.
s' whether they should stay ," His answer was.
.We will not stir; we will stay the whole Of
the entertainments"
'The Princesses, in their alarm, tainted. OK.
cept the Princess Elizabeth, whose more mower.
full nerves enabled her to assist in their recovery
The heroism of their Sovereign, and his escape.
exalted the joy of the people to rapture; and, il
was with no common feelings that the national
anthem was delivered. God had indeed that
day saved the King.
"James Hadfeld the assassin, was about &c
years OF age, had served on the Continent unde,
ID. X. II. the Duke of York, who remembered
him In the 10th Dragons, as one of his orderlies
On the 18th of the following month, this mans
trial for high treason took place, before Lord
Kenyon. 1t was what is termed trial at bal
in the Court of Kings Bench Mr.. Erskine was
assigned to him for counsel; and whether will
respect to his stating the law upon the case o,
hia eiuaiaatiens OF mental alteration, his speech