When very high encomiums were circulating
upon Mr. Cameron, the prefent High Sheriff of
Effex, Bofwell with his fair and pleafant nationali-
ty obſerved,—Aye, Gentlemen, you have now
not only a High-Sheriff but a High-land High-
Sheriff.

P121 (2)

In an action upon the cafe at the laſt Affizes at
Chelmsford, Cheveley verſus Adams, ſome lively
ſparing occurred between Mr. Bofwell and Mr.
Garrow; in the course of examining a witness Mr.
Bofwell's Client flated, as one branch of trefpaſs
occafioned by Defendant's not keeping his fences
in repair, that Plaintiff's hogs went into Defend-
ant's premifes, by reafon whereof they were put in
the pound, and a ſum was paid for relieving them.
Mr. Garrow witually threw out, that Mr. Bofwell's
Client's field was ſo poor as to bear only thijſles,
whereas Defendant's field was covered with rich
clover; and that therefore it was impoſſible to pre-
vent the hogs from breaking out, though the fence
was in a very good condition, and indeed the wit-
neſs ſwere there was not a gap in it. Mr. Bofwell
having had the acknowledgment of the witneſs, that
the hogs were repeatedly on the other ſide of the
fence, aſked how this could poſſibly be if there were
no gaps?—were they flying pigs?—were they learned
pigs that had ſome peculiar art of conveying them-
felves?—or were they devils in the ſhape of ſwine
who could change their place by incantation ?

*Extract of a letter from Chelmsford, August 5.*

" No Affizes in the Kingdom, I will venture to fay, exceeded ours at this time. Donald Cameron, Eſq. our worthy High Sheriff, made his proceſſion on Monday into the county town, followed by fixteen carriages. Next day he was attended at dinner by about two hundred Gentlemen, amongst whom were twelve Eaſt-India Captains connected with him. Turtle, venifon, and every other viand of the beſt forſt were ſeſt up in abundance. The defert, conſtiting of ices, pine-apples, and other fruits of the ſeafon, was delicious; and the wines, which flowed liberally, were of the choicest kinds. Maderia which had croſſed the Line twice, high-flavoured claret, &c. To fee a branch of the ancient and reſpectable house of Lochiel eſtablished in this delightful county, was truely plaing. An English Gentleman ſung "Lochaber no more." wonderfully well; and Mr. Bofwell, one of the Counsel upon the Circuit, who made one of this jovial company, gave the following toſt, which was received with three-times three cheers, and hearty acclamations;—' May there be a cordial, generous, ' and permanent union between the Highlands of ' Scotland and the Hundreds of Effex.' Yefterday the fame liberal hoſpitality waa continued, and this day, when the Affizes ended, the High Sheriff entertained a ſelect party in the moſt agreeable manner.

" Donald Cameron, Eſq. the prefent High Sheriff is ſon of Dr. Archibald Cameron, of whom Mr. Bofwell makes much honourable mention in his *Life*.

On Saturday fe'nnight the Counsel on the Home Circuit held their half-yearly feast at the London Tavern. James Boswell, Esq. having resigned his Recordership of Carlisle, which carries him North, was most convivially restored to his place as the Prodigal Son; and he, in a manner happily allusive fung, " When late I wander'd o'er the plain, " and pa ticularly dwelt on the paflage as to wild de-fires:

" But now they're of themselves come home,

" And, fstrange, no longer wish to roam."

P. A. 1791. P121 (4)

23 Aug 1791

Extract of a letter from Portsmouth, Aug. 19.

' Yesterday, about two o'clock, P. M. arrived here from the Home Circuit at Lewes, Thomas Towers, and James Bofwell, Esquires, in order to view the Grand Fleet. Captain Macbride, Mr. Bofwell's relation and friend, happened to be particularly engaged to dinner; but the boat of his ship, the Cumberland, of 74 guns, conveyed them on board, where they were entertained at dinner with cordial hospitality by the gentlemen Officers of the navy and marines, in the Ward Room.

' In the evening the Captain joined them. Mr. Towers was, at his request, put on board the Triton, Captain Murray, his particular friend Mr. Bofwell, supped with Captain Macbride, and flept in his cabin. Next morning the Captain was obliged to go on shore to attend a Court Martial; but upon Mr. Towers's return, the boat was ordered for the two Counselors, who, under the obliging conduct of Lieutenant Somerville, failed between the lines, and had a full prospect of one of the noblest fleets that ever was assembled. The learned Barristers next inspected the fad, but salutary execution of justice, where, under the prudent and humane command of Captain Burns, the convicts were at work upon the favourite fortifications. After which they went through different departments of the dock-yard, and expressed themselves highly satisfied.'

abfurdity in its wideſt extremes—it is folly
on its broadeſt bottom.

The civil fanatick acts with the fame pro-
priety and decency as the religious fanatick;
he will reprobate his King, calumniate the
Conſtitution, and prefume to call himſelf a
good Englishman; but he calls himſelf an
honest Englishmen with the fame confiſtency
and face of truth as we call a knave an honest
man, or a whole a woman of virtue. Two
men have ſtood pre-eminently forth in theſe
latter times, who have moſt actively and
zealouſly diſtinguished themſelves in propa-
gating and emuſouſly diſſeminating opinions
ſingularly flagitious, ſingularly inimical,
to the ſolid eſtablishment in Church and
State. Theſe men ſeem to have imbibed an
uncommon portion of the malignant leaven,
to have drank deeper of the poſioned ſtream
of metaphyſical infatuation than moſt of
their predeceſſors. One of theſe men is for
abolifhing chriſtianity, and expelling the
uſurper Jefus from the Goſpel (in order to
meliorate religion and beautify the Chriſ-
tianity), the other is determined to take
no repofe till the very name of King is
extirpated in Europe; he is determin-
ed to annihilate that expensive and nu-
gatory metaphor called a King, in the Go-
vernment of England. Theſe men argue
with equal dignity, with equal force and
weight of reaſon—

All nuſances in Government ſhould be
abolifhed.

The King is a nuſance in Government;
whereof the King ought to be abolished.

WELDON INCLOSURE BILL.

A Committee of the House of Lords, perhaps the most numerous and respectable upon any occasion, sat on Wednesday last and yesterday, on a Bill for including the open lands in the parish of Weldon, in Northamptonshire, carried on by Mr. Finch Hatton. In this case, a great and important right of the Church is involved, viz. Whether the Rector can be compelled to accept of a commutation for his tithes? The Duke of Norfolk, with that eloquence for which his Grace is eminently distinguished, an eloquence vigorous, yet calm, distinct, yet luminous, argued that the Committee should first decide that question, as it would be a great saving of time, trouble, and expence, should the Rector's consent be found an essential requisite; and if otherwise, the investigation might afterwards proceed equally well. Their Lordships however resolved to hear the case fully on both sides, in all its parts, before deciding any one point.—Therefore, evidence as to the value of the tithes, is now going forward, and may laft for a considerable time. Counsel for the Bill Mr. Serjeant Le Blanc, and the Hon. Mr. Percival; againft it Mr. Boswell and Mr. Graham.

and his Republican Banditti.

When we see a number of men notoriously averfe to the present system of Government, and the general body posseffing little or no property, what must be thought of their secret designs, however artfully they may be disguised. It is like a bed of flowers over a dangerous pitfall, and we cannot be too guarded in the steps we take, since they are directed by those who never were distinguished for any public or private virtue.

Of the historical pictures at the Exhibition this year, Mr. West's picture of the first installation of the Order of the Garter, has most certainly the place of honour for composition and colouring. The latter he has made completely to correspond to the dignity and to the antiquity of his subject. Mr. Dance returns again to his old mistres (Painting) to good purpose indeed; his landscape is one of the finest that the English school has ever afforded. Mr. Lawrance bears away the palm in portrait. Mr. Garter's fine view of Wells Cathedral figures very highly among the drawings; as does the representation of the inside of St. Paul's, as it appeared at Sir Joshua Reynolds's funeral, by a very young artist, Mr. Chambers.

No motion was made at the Royal Academy dinner for a monument from the funds of the Academy to their late excellent President in St. Paul's cathedral. It will, however, be very soon proposed in the

Yesterday the Committee of the House of Lords resumed the important question of the Weldon Inclosure Bill.—Mr. Serjeant Le Blanc appeared as a reinforcement of Counsel for Mr. Finch Hatton.

The Duke of Norfolk with great ability contended, that it would be much fairer to their Lordships, and to the parties, first to decide, whether a commutation for tythes could at all proceed without the Rector's consent. " If," said his Grace, " it should be decided that it may, we must then, no doubt, inquire into the terms proposed, whether they be sufficiently adequate. But if the reverse, there is at once an end of the business, and the Committee will be saved a great deal of trouble, and the parties a great deal both of trouble and expence."

It having been answered that at the last sitting it had been resolved, though not minuted, first to hear the arguments and evidence on both sides, and several of their Lordships signifying an unwillingness to take up the abstract question, and an inclination to go through the whole of the case, the Duke acquiesced, and Mr. Boswell proceeded to call evidence as to the value of the tythes.

The Committee adjourned till Monday.

There was still an attendance of extraordinary number and respectability.

the idol, or devoured by the canibal; but let it
be guided by purity of principle—*Fiat justitio*
*ruat cœlum*. This has all the sternnels without
the sublimity of the Stoical philosophy, which
preaches nothing so much as acquiescence in the
order of nature and Providence, of which ser-
vitude forms a part. The captive's prayer in
Homer is, “O! take me alive, thou son” of such
and such an illustrious father: would it be huma-
nity in the hero addressed to reply, “It is againft
my principle to keep a slave, therefore I can do no
other than kill you?” The case is perfectly the
same, in point of material advantage or difad-
vantage, when an African Negro addresſes his
prayer † to the African Trader, “Pay my
ransom from death, so shall I serve you faithfully
while I live.” It would make no odds to
the poor captive, whether he should be put to
the sword by the trader that should refuse his
request, or by the hands of the conqueror to
whom he should refuse to pay his price. But
it is urged, it is possible, and very probable, that
besides the captives taken in predatory and re-
vengeful war, there may be captives picked up,
or kidnapped, as we say, for the very purpose of
selling them. It is a pity that it should be so.
We have a great deal of kidnapping, both for
land and sea-service, among ourselves. But, to
return to the point, are we to abstain from all
commerce or other intercourse until we have

WELDON INCLOSURE BILL.

On Monday Mr. Bofwell examined another witneſs, which cloſed his evidence for the Rector. Mr. Serjeant Le Blanc, in a ſpeech equally remarkable for legal knowledge, accurate arrangement, and (what it were to be wiſhed were univerſal at the Bar) delicacy of expreſſion towards the oppoſite ſide, opened the caſe on the part of Mr. Finch Hatton and the other promoters of the Bill. Mr. Bramſton, the Attorney in conducting it, was then called, and his exa-mination was not ſinſhed that day. On Tuesday it was concluded, and other four-witneſſes were examined by the learned Serjeant and Mr. Percival. Mr. Bofwell croſſ-examined, as Mr. Graham, the Counſel with him, was much engaged eſwhere. Mr. Bofwell objected to the competency of one Brown, a witneſs offered for the Bill, con-tending that he being a proprietor in the pariſh of Weldon, had ſuch an intereſt as diſqualified him. After a debate of ſome length, both of the Counſel, and of the Committee, in which ſeveral of their Lordships diſplayed legal abilities and acquirements which did them great honour, the witneſs was rejeſted. The attendance of Peers on this buſineſs is truly extraordinary. Miſs Raye, the Rector's daughter, a beautiſul and accompliſhed young lady, conſtantly appears in behalf of her Reverend Fa-ther, ſeems to have a perſect understanding of the ſubject, and by her charms enlivens the tediousneſs of inveſtigation. The Com-mittee adjourned to Friday, when it is ſuppo-ted a ſolemn determination will be given.

The Public

THURSDAY

To the BENEVOLENT HEART!
A CASE of EXTREME DISTRESS.

IT is not very frequent that we find a certain to that which now solicits the benevolence of the affluent and humane! It is one of all others which most claims the attention of the Great, for present addrefs is on behalf of those whose distance would wish to make them forget their origin, scured as it now is by misery and affliction.

The Gentleman on whose behalf this addrefs pears before the public, is an ancient Baronet or kingdom, who, partly through the chicanery Lawyers, and from having, originally, rather straitened income, now wants the common neceities of life. His wife is distantly allied to a Noble Earl.

Their situation is thus described: The husband flowly recovering from a three months affliction, an inflammation in his head and eyes; the wife covering from the measles, with a little infant few weeks old at her breast; on both the disorder has left a very bad inflammation in the eyes, and hooping-cough on the infant. Two other infants just getting out of the measles and small-pox, and more children ill of the measles, and a lovely of five years old now lies dead in the house, with five shillings being in the possession of its affilied parents to bury it, or preserve the lives of the of the family. In short, there appears no means of fave them from absolutely dying through want, from the benevolent hand of the public being stretched out to relieve them.

It would be indelicate to mention the names of parties in a public Newspaper, but a reference may be made, and the names of the parties known, h

er-

ne

rely

6

ESSEX ASSIZES.

JUSTICE IN MERCY.

James Adams and Thomas Deny were tried at Chelmsford, before Mr. Justice Gould, for feloniously stealing seven bullocks and two heifers, from the Park of Lord Petre, in the County of Essex, and were found guilty.

Immediately after the verdict was announced, Mr. Bofwell, the Counsel for Lord Petre, thus addressed the Judge:

* May it please your Lordship,

* It is with much regret that Lord Petre

* has been under the necessity of prosecuting

* the prisoners at the Bar; but his Lordship

* considered it as a duty which he owed to

* his country. He has discharged that duty.

* The prisoners now stand convicted by a

* verdict of an honest and intelligent Jury.

* Your Lordship knows that by the Statutes

* 14 and 15 Geo. II. upon which the indictment is laid, the crime of which they have

* been found guilty is capital, so that the

* prisoners have forfeited their lives. But

* the character of my Noble Client, Lord

* Petre, for humanity and generosity, is well

* known; and I have particular instructions

* from his Lordship, to request of the

* Court, that mercy may be extended to

* these unhappy men, as far as is consistent

* with the good of society.*

The venerable Judge received the application very graciously. He proceeded, in the course of his duty, to pronounce sentence of death on the prisoners—but told them that the recommendation should be considered, and that whatever favour they might obtain, they would owe to the lenity of the Noble Prosecutor.

A numerous audience seemed much affected, and as if impressed with admiration of “the quality of mercy,” as beautifully described by the immortal Shakespeare, in his Merchant of Venice.

The Public

TUESDAY

To the Printer of the Public Advertiser.

SIR,

HE following cafe speaks so loudly for itself, that I am persuaded I need offer no apology for transmitting it to you for insertion in your paper.

Some time since, I was desired (late in the evening) to visit a young woman in the neighbourhood, who was very ill. When I went, I found her in a violent Hysterick Paroxysm, in which I was informed she had been for some time; owing, it was supposed, to some fright she had met with that evening, while out, as she went out in the afternoon apparently well, but returned home in a coach, and was immediately taken thus ill. It was several hours before any intermission took place; after which she became stupid, scarcely speaking to any one; and when she did, it was done in so inconsistent a manner, as plainly to show that her mental faculties were disordered. She continued thus for several days, without any appearance of amendment; and it was feared a confirmed Melancholy would be the consequence. However, she gradually became better, but has since been subject to returns of hysterick Fits, to which she was not before liable.—The following is the account she gave:

"That, as she was coming through the Strand, on her return from the City, some bad women assaulted her, dragged her down a narrow passage, and told her she had robbed them, and that, unless she would give them some money, they would take her before a Justice of the Peace. This she refused, de-

8