The Portland-a magnificent veffel, which fails calmly and cafily with every wind and tide. The William Dundas-a new third-rate-of little ftrength and metal; fails remarkably dull and flowly; is almoft water-logged, and it is conjectured must foon founder. The Rofe-formerly employed in repeating fignals, and keeping up the order of the line, &c. The Spitfire-Capt. Canning-a mifchievous firefhip-more expert in haraffing than in injuring an enemy; fires finartly, but her thot feldom make any deep impreffion. This Commander, but for the friendship of the Admiral Premier, is otherwife very infignificant, and generally condemned as unfit for fervice. The bomb and broad-bottomed fquad, confifting of the Marquis of Buckingham, Earl Temple, Dr. Layrence, &c. &c. which lent fo much affiftance in the late engagement, are thought to be of no ufe at prefent, and remain at home unemployed, &c. May 29. Yours, &c. &c. TOM TRIM, Midshipman. MR. FOX'S DINNER TO MR. LIVINGSTON. WE [From the British-Prefs.] E ftated very innocently on Saturday that Mr. Livingfton, the American Minifter, dined the day before with a party at Mr. Fox's. Little did we. think at the time, that we were giving our contemporaries fuch a hard bone to pick. They have been ever fince picking, gnawing, and living upon it. One paper cannot relish this dinner; another cannot fwallow it; and a third, which, we thought, could digeft any thing, fays it goes against its ftomach. Being the original furnishers of the feaft, we flatter ourselves we may help ourselves from our own dish, without incurring the the imputation of a tafte for flicing our neighbours. In the first place, then, thofe full-fed minions of party pay a poor compliment to English hofpitality, when they lay fuch firefs upon a good dinner. Formerly, indeed, when writers ftarved in garrets, and immortal bards traverfed the streets in the moft perifhable materials, this courfe would have been excufable; but they are in a very different plight, cafe, and condition now; and if we may judge from their chops and changes, no fet of men are more ready to fubfcribe to the proverb of "Eaten bread is foon forgotten," or think lefs of a good dinner. When, then, they attach fo much importance to the dinner given by Mr. Fox to Mr. Livingston, we muft prefame it is not of the prefent of fo many pounds of beef and mutton to Mr. Livington that they complain. Some perfons affect to fee, in a fumptuous dinner, nothing but furfeits, dropfies, and a whole train of diforders. The writers to whom we allude may therefore probably fee, in the dinner of Mr. Fox to Mr. Livingston, a feries of ignominious peaces, French infults, and Corfican devices. Suppofe Mr. Livingfton feated at Mr. Fox's table, and asking for a bit of Duck. "Ay," fays one of thefe fhrewd feers, "this is an attack upon Mr. Drake; the fellow would tear our Minifter at Munich to pieces." To give a man legal poffeffion of an eftate as large as Great Britain, a twig or a fod of any part of it is fufficient. Upon the fame principle, these writers apprehend, that a flice of beef or mutton gives Mr. Livingfton a legal claim to all the flocks and herds of England. A wing of Turkey upon Mr. Livingfton's plate, is a hint for the partition of the Ottoman empire; and as to a challenge to hob-nob, it is a propofal for a treaty of alliance with the Corfican defpot. Need we add, that the circling glafs is the emblem of revolution, and that a hearty Jet-to at the bottle is a proof pofitive of a Gallomania, of a partiality for French productions, and a 04 defire defire to fraternize with Champagne and Burgundy, if not with the whole French Republic? But this is not all. What will the Paris editors fay, when they thall hear of this famous dinner? According to the new French philofophy, their roaft beef, their fine cauliflower-topped porter, and their coal fires, make the English morofe, fullen, and ferocious. The Paris editors will therefore fee Mr. Livingston seated at Mr. Fox's table devouring ferocity, like a ftudent at the Temple devouring law. With every drink of porter he imbibes an equal proportion of the four juices of the English blood; every flice of beef adds to the brutal Jirength; and the coal fire at his back throws him into a frenzy. Thus, while one party is roafting Mr. Fox for giving Mr. Livingston a dinner, another party is bafting the latter for eating it. Mr. Fox has been charged with fwallowing French doctrines at Talleyrand's table upon his late vifit to Paris; and Mr. Livingston will, no doubt, on his return to Paris, be charged with devouring the principles of the British Conftitution at the dinner of Mr. Fox. May 30. MR. THE GIANTS JUST COME OVER. [From the Morning Herald.] R. Pidcock has juft received from the coaft of Patagonia nine Giants, of the fpecies mentioned by the early voyagers to the South Seas, whofe accounts have hitherto been fuppofed by foine modern writers to be fabulous. He has placed them all in one Cabinet, and they will immediately be exhibited to public curiofity, now that he has got a proper place to put the head giant in, who is much larger in height and head than any of the reft. Mr. Pidcock thinks it neceffary to submit a short account or notice concerning them: The The firft, or head giant, he calls the giant refreshed, from his having flept for the last two years, and from his having lately awaked, much refreshed. He is remarkable for having a large head, nefe retrouffe, and very thin figure: he affumes a great authority over the reft, which they fubmit to with much willingness. He' makes them do what he pleafes, come in, go out, change places, rake in the ashes, fay Yes or No, and play a thousand antics-but he is very kind to them, and fuffers them to partake of whatever fare he has himself. There is one remarkable peculiarity-one averfion in his nature he could never be perfuaded to vifit the neighbouring country of Amazonia, inhabited by females. The fecond giant, though equal in height to the first giant, is much his inferior in the length of his head. His voice is harsh and diffonant, fomewhat refembling the grating of a file and the fetting of a faw. The difference between his tones and thofe of the head giant is as great as between oil and vinegar. Naturalifts are aftonished at a difference in this fecond giant's nature from that of all other animals. Though used to cold climates, in which he was born, he has thriven beft fince his migration to a warmer atmosphere; and, while all other productions degene- rate, whether animal or vegetable, upon being removed from their native foil, this animal has acquired greater fleeknefs and alacrity, with a keener touch, and taste, and smell. The other giants may, with great propriety, be called minor giants, not being celebrated for any very peculiar qualities. One is very quick and placable, but has a very thick pia-mater, which renders his perceptions dull and flow; he is particularly fond of mufic.-Another of thefe minor giants is remarkable for nothing but his height, and fome refemblance of feature to the head 0 5 giant. giant.-A third is a great egotift; he is always either talking about himfelf, or prating upon legal points.A fourth has a pretty lady-like voice, with a lifp in it, and much affectation of manner.-A fifth, a fixth, and: a feventh, are remarkable for nothing but being the companions of the head giant. Exeter Change, May 30. G.. PIDCOCK. AN EPIGRAMMATIC QUERY: ADDRESSED TO JOHN BULL. [From the Morning Herald.] WHY, honeft Johu, doft fidget thus, and grumble, goes out! No. EGO ET REX MEUS. [From the Morning Chronicle.] THOUGH renounc'd by my friends (and I feel my difgrace), Once more at the helm uninvited I ftand, By my El-n's intrigues I'm reftor'd to my place, ADDRESS TO MR. ADDINGTON. THOU, to whom it was decreed by fate And, at the King's command, its course to steer, 5 When, |