the great quantities that are continually brought here, I am inclined to think the contrary: And indeed, for the future I think it will be best to believe nothing that paffes among you, if I have no better authority than the English news-Papers."

They write from Vienna, that the English and Dutch Ambaffadors have lately prefented two Memorials to the Emperor from their refpective Courts, concerning the Proteftant families in that part of Poland lately added to his dominions.

They write from Leghorn, that the Bay of Tunis has arrefted all the Greek Merchants in his territories, and feized all their effects, and keeps them confined till further orders from the Grand Signior.

All the French and Spanish fubjects have received orders to leave the Duke of Parma's territories, and to return home immediately, otherwife they are to be declared outlaws. Proclamations for that purpose have been made both at Paris and Madrid.

A letter from Genoa fays, "Letters received here from Madrid advise, that a report having gained ground there, that there were in Spain many Jefuits in difguife, a ftrict inquifition was immediately fet on foot, in confequence of which they foon difcovered and arrefted fifteen of thefe holy fathers at Madrid, and five at Pampeluna, befides feveral others at divers other places. They were conducted to prifon amidst the acclamations of the multitude."

The congratulatory addreffes of both Houfes of Parliament were yesterday prefented to his Majefty, on the birth of another Prince, &c. and a moft gracious anfwer was returned to each.

SCOTLAND. EDINBURGH, Jan. 29. Extract of a Letter from London,

hear further Counsel on the cause, wherein Cufack, his wife and others were Apellants, and Gilbert and others refpondents; counfel being fully heard, the degree was affirmed.

"The Commons agreed to the report of the amendments made to the bill to indemnify perfons who have omitted to qualify themfelves for offices within the time limited by law the bill with the amendments was or dered to be engroffed.

66

Agreed to the report of their res folution of Friday, and ordered that leave be given to bring in a bill to encourage the fubjects of foreign States to lend money upon fecurities in the Weft-India Colonies.'

"Lord Barington prefented, purfuant to an addrefs to his Majesty, several papers relative to St. Vincent's, which were ordered to lye on the table.

"Deferred the confideration of all the papers relative to St. Vincent's, which were to have been confidered tomorrow, to Monday feven-night.

"Read a fecond time and committed the bill for the better fupport of poor perfons in indigent circumitances, under certain regulations and reftric

tions.

This day a motion was made in a Great Affembly to bring in a bill for fhortning the duration of parliaments, which, after á fhort debate, paffed in the negative, 133 against 45.

"The call of the Houfe, which was to have been made this day, is poftponed to this day three months."

Another letter from London, dated Jan. 28. Yesterday came on to be heard at the bar of the Houfe of Lords, an appeal against a decifion of the Court of Seffion in Scotland, in which Andrew Wauchope, was appellant, and Sir Archibald Hope, Capt. M'Dowell, and John Wauchope, Efq; refpondents; the final determination of which was adjourned to this day. The Lord Advocate of Scotland, and Meff. Ord and Forrefter, were counsel for the former; and Mr Sollicitor General and Mr Lockhart

Lockhart for the latter.-According ly this day the caufe was again refumed, when the decree of the Court of Seffion was reverfed in part. "The Lords are ordered to be fummoned for Tuesday next.

"This day a motion was made in the Houfe of Commons by Richard Symons, Efq; to address his Majefty, and to congratulate him on the happy event of the birth of a Prince, which was agreed to, and an addrefs was read, and will be prefented accordingTy.

"On a motion yesterday, that the Houfe he called over on that day three weeks, inftead of three months, as ordered the preceding day, it was agreed to without oppofition, and the former order difcharged.

"A bill is ordered into the Houfe for the more effectual execution of the criminal laws in the two parts of the united kingdoms."

Bank Stock, 142 3-4the at 1 half. -India ditto, 161 a 162.

Extract of a letter from York, Jan. 26. "Yefterday fe'ennight, in the evening, the company at the affembly rooms were alarmed by a part of the roof being on fire, occafioned by one of the flues being fixed too near the timber, but it was foon got under without much damage. On Tuesday about noon the fire broke out again in a different part of the roof, alfo occafioned by a flue being fixed too near the timber, and which was fuppofed to have been fet on fire the preceding evening, but by the affiftance of an engine it was foon extinguifhed.

By a private letter we are informed, that upwards of 500 fettlers arrived at Charles-Town, South Carolina, oh the 20th December laft, from the North of Ireland. As did alfo M. de St. Pierre, with about 100 French Proteftant fettlers for New Bourdeaux.

We hear from Sheernefs, that his Majefty's fhip Portland is put into commiffion at that place, in order to relieve

the Princefs Amelia on the Jamaica ftation.

The Kitty, Grimshaw, from Dominica to Liverpool, is loft on the Rock point, and all the crew perifhed.

On the 29th inft. the body of Alexander Moffat, a mafon and freeman of Berwick, and who formerly kept a public house there, was found in a most fhocking condition, buried underneath the banks of Rofedonburn, near Wooler. He has been miffing ever fince the 24th of December laft, when he received ten guineas for work done at IIderton, with which he was going to Berwick in order to discharge the funeral and other incidental expences incurred by the death of his wife and two children. It is remarkable that Moffat's dog returned to Ilderton foon after his departure; and a chaife-driver belonging to Haugh-head, obferved a man about the fame time that morning beating down the banks where he was found; but can give no further information.As his fcull was fractured, his right eye driven out, and his body very violently bruifed in many places, the coroners inqueft brought in their verdict Wilful Murder.

The following is the report of the jury of tradefmen appointed by the Dean of Guild court to infpect the New Bridge.

"The walls and arches of both abutnents of the New Bridge, (excepting the retaining walls of the fouthend, which are of no other ufe but to keep up the earth, and the retaining wall at the north, and next the Theatre) were taken down and rebuilt in a most proper and fubftantial manner.Thefe retaining walls on the fouth-end, and east retaining wall on the northend, were not taken down, because the infpectors, upon oath, reported them to be then fufficient. But the magiftrates and town-council gave the greateft attention to this matter for the fafety of the public; and upon a furmife that the eaft retaining wall on the south end next Halkerfton's Wynd appeared

now

now to be infufficient, the Lord Provoft inftantly wrote a letter to the Dean of Guild, defiring him to infpect that wall; which was done. And upon a petition in name of the procuratorfifcal, the Guild court appointed a jury of fifteen unexceptionable perfons narrowly to inspect these three retaining walls, and they have unanimouflly, upon oath, returned a verdict, giving it as their opinion," with refpect to the caft retaining wall on the fouth-end next Halkerfton's Wynd, from the fmall arches to the corner of William Home's houfe, that the faid wall is infufficient and dangerous." The Dean of Guild has caufed rail in that part found infufficient, that the public may know the fame, and take the middle or weft fide of the Bridge oppofite to the rail. ing when paffing or repaffing, till fuch time as this retaining wall, which has no connection with the body of the Bridge, be made fufficient."

We hear that the Magistrates, hay ing received information that feveral of the butchers in this city were in the practice of using falfe weights, they ordered a fearch to be made: Two of them were convicted and fined, and others are now under profecution.

We hear that a Court of Commoncouncil is ordered to be summoned on Thursday next, to confider of a congratulatory addrefs to his Majefty on the birth of another Prince, &c.

D E ATH S. Dec. 21. At Rome, Mr Dusing, nephew to the late Earl of Hyndford.

25. At Dumfermline, Mrs. Agnes Murray, relict of David Carmichael, Efq; late of Balmedy.

Jan. 5. At Libon, Charles Seton, eldeft fon to Hugh Seton, Efq; of Touch.

18. At the houfe of Thornton, Robert Simpfon, Efq; of Thornton.

22. At Edinburgh, Andrew Douglas, Efq; in the 78th year of his age.

24. At London, John Cranmer, Efq; the laft of the line of the good, Arch

A

bishop Cranmer, who fuffered death for the Proteftant religion in the reign of Queen Mary I.

27. At Edinburgh, John Patullo, Efq; of Balhoufie.

28. At Montrofe, Mr George Paton, Merchant, one of the prefent Baillies of that place

28. At Edinburgh, Capt. Alexander Campbell, late of the 25th regiment of foot.

30. At Aberdeen, Mrs Anne Duff, Sifter to the late Earl of Fife, and Spoufe to William Baird, Efq; of Auchmedden.

Feb. 1. Robert Arbuthnot, of Kirkbraehead, Efq;

PERT H.

We have had a great deal of pleafure this week, in attending Mr Steven's Lecture upon Heads, delivered by Mr. Booth, late comedian in Edinburgh, and his Daughter in-law, a child of nine years old.- -He has a great fund of humour, and his reprefentation of fome of the characters are really mafterly,--particularly his London Blood, after he has kept it up.—The Englishman and Frenchman's heads.-The city Politician,-and the Broad Grin.

The fecond part of the Lecture is delivered by the little Girl, upon Ladies Heads, and Head-drefs.She is a moft furprising little creature to a juftnefs of accent and emphasis, she has the most easy and engaging address, her voice is remarkably fweet, and the fings between the parts of the Lecture to the entire fatisfaction of the audience, which have been very polite and crowded, for the few nights they have performed here.

The Nature of the British Commerce, before and after the coming of the Romans.

HE firft foreign commerce of the Britons was occafioned by the refort of the Phoenicians to their coafts. These bold adventurers in navigation and traffic, having planted colonies at Carthage and at Cadiz, and ranging along the borders of the great untraverfed ocean on the weft, reached the fouth-western promontories of Britain, and entered into a trading correfpondence with the inhabitants of it. The real fingularity and the commercial confequences of the voyage gave great reputation to the officer who conducted it,and have occafioned the name of Midacritus to be tranfmitted with honour to pofterity. Midacritus brought the firft veffel of the Phoenicians to our coafts. And Midacritus opened the firft commerce of the Phoenicians with our fathers. He found the country to abound particularly with tin, a metal that was equally useful and rare. He trafficked with the Britons for it. And he returned home with a cargo of the filvery metal.

Such was the first faint effort of the commerical genius of Britain, which was afterwards to conduct the veffels of the island to the fhores of Cadiz, of Carthage and of Tyre, and even to VOL. III.

raife the Britons fuperior in boldness and in skill to the Phoenicians! Such was the firft faint effort of the com mercial genius of Britain, which has fince difplayed fuch a variety of powers has fince opened fuch a variety of chang nels, and has diffufed the overflowin tide of the British commerce into all the quarters of the globe! This effort was first made fome years before the time of Herodotus and about the period of the first inhabitation of Lancashire, about five hundred years before the era of Chrift. The Belge were not yet landed in the island. The original Britons ftill poffeffed all the fouthern regions of it. And the trade was opened with the Britons of the Caffiterides or Silley islands. These iflands were then only ten in number, though they are now more than an hundred and forty; and only nine of them were inhabited as late as the reign of Tiberi

us.

But one of them was greatly fu-" perior in fize to the reft, and was therefore diftinguished by the general appellation of the whole, being denominated Caffiteris Infula or the one Tin-ifand. This was the first land of Britain which the Phoenicians reached and with which Midacritus began the trafic for tin. This was known amongit the Britons by the appellation of Silura, and muft have communicated te ftill-remaining name of Silley to its conC c

tiguous