We are affured, by letters from a neighbouring country, that fuch is the dreadful state of their finances, as well as their domeftic affairs, that they are on the eve of a civil war. Madame de B. carries it with fo high a hand, that not a favour can be obtained, nor an appointment filled up, but through her intereft and interceffion, except in the c-n-l-r's department, who is her declared enemy, and will neither have any concern with her or her friends. It is faid, that the magnificent robe prefented by the French King to Madame de Barre, exclufive of jewels with which it is intended to be ornamented, will coft 3000l. fterling; that her coach, notwithstanding the fuppofed diftrefles of that kingdom, is the moft fuperb equipage ever yet feen in all Europe. We learn from Paris that the King of France is preparing a new Chriftmas-box for his fubjects, and that he intends to clear all his debts in JanuaTy, 1773. The establishments of Bil lets d'Eclat, a production of the Chancellor, is upon the carpet; the Abbe Terray having exhaufted all his refources, and being unable to face the expences of government, the engravers and printers of the Louvre are prepar ing to coin paper money for twelve hundred thousand millions of livres, and a declaration of the King is under the prefs for the fame purpose. The lowest billet will be 300 livres, or 12 guineas and a half, and the higheft 12,000 livres, or 1000 guineas; the most comfortable article of the declarations is, that the King will establish a cheft of favings, to which one hundred millions of his annual revenue will be brought in every year, till the whole fhall be cleared. By thefe means it is pretended all the penfions, fuppreffed and ftopped, will be reftored; an excellent act for the creditors of the French government! We farther hear, that fince this fcheme has been known, all the deputies of the trading towns in France, refiding in Paris, have received orders to oppofe it; and the petitions, remonftrances, &c. of the new parliament, on the fame fubject, are ready digested. Extract of a letter from Portsmouth, Dec. 10. "There is an order come down here to discharge 800 marines from this divifion, and numbers are discharged every day. We hear an order is arrived for the guardfhips at Spithead to come into the harbour, and for the compliment of men to be reduced to the fame eftablishment as in the year 1770." Two chiefs of the Choctaw Indians are come over with the Speedwell; Capt. On the 17 inft. being the anniverfary of the inftitution of the Royal Academy, a general affembly of the Academicians was held at Somerfet houfe, when the following premiums were given: A gold medal to Mr John Keys Sherwin, for the beft compofition in oil colours, the fubject of which was Coriolanus taking leave of his family. A gold medal was likewife given for the beft model of a bas relief, representing Ulyffes addrefling himself to Nauficaa, to Mr Thomas Engleheart. Three filver medals were given for the best drawings of Academy figures to Mefirs Charles Sherriff, William Griffin, and John Howes. A filver medal was given to Mr John Lochee, for the best model of an Academy figure. Two filver medals for the beft drawings of architecture, being drawings of the banquetting houfe at Whitehall, done from accurate meafurments, were given to Meff. John Rudd and John Soan. Extract of a Letter from Longford, in Ireland, Dec. 1. ford to one of her guardians, Mr W------r, at whofe houfe the thought herself fecure. But foon after her removal, Mr J------n at noon, and on the market day, accompanied by feventeen other men armed, entered fuddenly into Mr Wr's houfe, bound him faft, feized on the young lady, and forced her on horfeback, crying in vain for help in the midst of fome hundred fpectators. When the accomplices of J----n thought the lady fecured, one of them unbound Mr Wr, who taking inftantly a brace of piftols,purfued them, and feeing J------n at the end of the ftreet, fired at him and killed him on the fpot. One of Jn's compani ons then prefented a piece at Mr W------r, whofe fon coming up at that period with a blunderbufs, fired it in his father's defence, and with the fame fatal effect. The reft, feeing their lea ders fall, abandoned the young lady, who was under the moft dreadful alarm, and Mr W------r and his fon are now under profecution by Mr Jn's friends, and are to take their tryals at the next allizes." "Mifs Ng, a lady of large fortune near the county town of Longford in Ireland, whofe ancestors had reprefented that county in parliament, was addreffed by feveral gentlemen, and among others by one Mr J------n, who had juft left the univerfity, who not meeting with fuch a return as he hoped for, took the rafh refolution to carry off the young lady by force. An alarming attempt or two of that fort obliged ber, by way of fafety, to go to Long Extract of a Letter from Guernsey, Nov. 7. "The 5th of September laft a remarkable phænomenon was observed here by feveral perfons, of which I was one of the number. About 5 in the afternoon the wind being high, the water much disordered, and a very great fwell in our road and pier, the fea flowed between 50 and 60 feet in length (which were meafured by fome gentlemen prefent) in five or fix minutes, and then ebbed the fame diftance in about the fame time, continuing in that manner, rifing and falling for feveral times fucceffively. Many conjectures were then made concerning fo unufual a thing, and it was generally thought that nothing less than an earthquake or hurricane could be the occafion; which unhappily we now look upon as confirmed by the melancholy news of that terrible hurricane which Hhh 2 has A remedy has been difcovered at Mecklenburgh for the diftemper incident to the horned cattle. It is no more than feeding the difeafed beafts with crab-apples; the fame fruit put into the water given the cattle to drink has been found to prevent the diftemper. On the 13 inft. her Royal Highness the Princefs Amelia was at the court at St James's, and afterwards dined with their Majefties at the Queen's palace. On the 14 inft. the Right Hon. Lord Townshend, the late Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, waited on his Majefty at St James's, when he kiffed the Kings hand on being appointed mafter general of the ordnance. It is thought that the parliament will only break up for a fortnight, and meet again on Tuesday the 5th of January. The bill to prevent the fatal prac tice of gambling in the funds, is expected to be brought into the Houfe by Lord North foon after the Christmas holidays. On the 17 inft. the pleadings, Randall against Ruffell, came on again in the houfe of Peers, when the cafe appearing of a delicate and important nature with refpect to Wills in general, and to the parties in particular, the further confideration of it was put off till Tuefday next. It is faid that the Marquifates lately talked of fo much, will foon take place. Several fhips of the line, are, we hear, shortly to be fent out on a cruizė in the Mediterranean fea for the purpofe of exercising the officers and men. don. The difpatches were intitled a fecret histoty, which was the true reafon of the motion in the Danish forces towards Norway. The lateft letters from Peterburgh advife, that the grand Duke is preparing for a journey to a certain court incog. This journey is not likely to be of any great confequences, as this prince is faid not to abound at prefeat in political knowledge." We hear from Lancaster, that the markets there have fallen for fome weeks pait, particularly meal and potatoes, to the great relief of the poor in that neighbourhood. The prices of wheat, corn, and flour, have fallen, within this month, from 2s. to is. 6d. per quarter, in all the markets within fifty miles of the capital, except in Mark-lane. A bill is ordered into parliament, to prevent the ftealing or destroying of turnips, potatoes, cabbages and car rots. A Letter from Hamburgh, dated December 5th, fays "that the following anecdote is in all our public papers. The King of Pruffia faid to Baron Van Swieten, the Royal Imperial Ambaffador at the Court of Berlin, when he took his leave of his Majeffy before fetting out on a journey for fome months to Vienna; "Tell the Emprefs Queen that fhe need not be uneafy with refpect to the refiftance of the Polanders, regarding her part of that kingdom for their are 100,000 men, with myfelf at their head, at her fervice." We hear from Paris, that M. de Mandeville, a gentleman of Normandy, who was arrefted and carried to the Baftile, is accufed of having excited feveral gentlemen of his province not to pay the taxes. A Farmer-General, whom we cannot name, has just failed, but for what fum it is not known yet. SCOTLAND. Extract of a Letter from London, "This day the H. of C. received a petition from the Eaft-India company, praying to be heard, by counfel, againit the bill to reftrain the company from appointing fupervifors, &c. which petition was read and ordered to lye on the table. They write from Saxony, that recruits are raising there to the amount of 14,000 men, and that the regiments already an foot having each received their tents, with orders to hold themfelves conftantly ready to march. It is reported, that two certain powers intend to fend confiderable fums to the King of Sweden, to enable him to fupport the balance of the North, and prevent the further progrefs of a neigh-That on the 18th inft. the H. of bouring power. L. paffed the malt bill, and read a first time the land tax, and the rice importation bills. We hear from Hamburgh, it having been propagated in foreign countries that an infurrection has happened in Norway, the Court of Copenhagen has published a declaration, fetting forth the falfity of fuch reports; and at the fame time doing justice to that nation whofe zeal and attachment to theprefent Royal Family is inviolable. "Read a first time, the bill for the better regulation of his Majesty's marine forces while on thore." Another letter from London, fays, "This day the H. of C. took into confideration the petition prefented from the Eaft-India company, which was read, and counfel heard at the bar for, and againft the bill depending, and feveral witneffes were called in and examined: the house is still fitting, and like to fit late." The Court of Seffion will be adjourned to-morrow for three weeks, after Tuefday next, for the Christmas holidays, as ufual. Letters dated the 14th Oct. are received from St. Vincent's, which men tion that the troops were kept at hard duty in the woods, watching the moti ons of the Caribbees; there had been Do general action, but only fome fkirmishes, in which a few had been killed on both fides. On Wednesday fe'ennight, a fellow who was fufpected of being concerned in the late robberies, was apprehended at Muffelburgh, and brought in here by a party of dragoons; he was examined by the sheriff; he had near 20l. in money about him, which he said he found wrapped up in a letter, or paper, near Dundee; he had alfo a pistol in his pocket. He is committed to prifon for further examination. Some evil difpofed, or diforderly perfons on Monday night broke down the covered fear in Hope-park, com-' monly called the Cage, which ufed to afford fhelter in time of rain, to the people who walked there; fome lamps were broke the fame night, and it is fuppofed by the fame perfons, after whom enquiry is making, and if they are found out, will likely be made to pay handfomely for what they may perhaps term a frolic. We hear from different parts of the country that feveral manufacturers are difmiffed from their employments on account of the prefent ftagnation of trade, owing to the fcarcity of money. It were to be wished that fubfcriptions were opened by the opulent and humane for relieving the exigencies of a number of their fellow-creatures, now in the greatest diftrefs on account of the high price of provifions and want of employment. Tuesday the 28th ult. was obferved by appointment of the prefbytery of Strathbogie, throughout the fame as a day of folemn thanksgiving to Almighty God for his undeferved goodness to them and that country in general, in giving them a feasonable harvest, a plentiful crop, and well gathered in. About the beginning of this month a Guineaman from Barbadoes to London, laden with gold-duft and elephants teeth, was ftranded at Castle Freke in the South of Ireland; the cargo is faved, but the veffel cannot be got off. The Generous Planter,-, from Newcastle to London, is totally lost in the Humber. Extract of a letter from Portree in Sky, to a Gentleman in Greenock, dated Dec. 3. "Thank God the fevers which raged in the Lewis are greatly abated fince the cold weather commenced. About twelve days ago a large fhip of 400 tons burthen, was wrecked on the coaft of this island, and all on board perished. Two men and one woman were found on the shore, the woman had only a black flannel petticoat, and a black filk napkin upon her; no writ ing was found to discover what the is, excepting a journal kept by one Wil liam Palton in the year 1771, which contains an account of the island of Palina. The anchors and cables are very large, which, with the loading and time ber, a part of the Hull, and the mafts, are brought to land and fecured with cables and ropes on the rocks." Friday fe'ennight as a gentlemen and his lady were returning home from Scotland to Newcastle, they found a woman gagged, and bound hand and foot on Weldon-bridge, whom they inftantly loofed; when he told them, that he had been robbed and ftripped of her cloaths by a man and woman, and then left in that condition. We can affure the public, that the perfon who was committed to Morpeth jail laft week, for robbing Mr Dunn, butcher in Morpeth, on the road betwixt that place and Newcastle, proves to be one William Orr, born near Glafgow. A correfpondent obferves, that the veal market here has of late been extravagantly dear; owing, he fuppofes, to the artful management of the dealers in that article; they expofe but very little in the market at a time, while they have many whole carcaffes concealed |