dience; and opens a fresh field for comic performers to display their talents upon. As an instance, let us remark Mr. Shuter, who, in the character of Midas, has critically and delicately hit the very manner and defign of burlefque: his performance of the part, is like his dreffing it; neither too much, nor too little; a true fpirited carricature, and I think, without being accused of partiality, I may venture to pronounce him now, the firft camic Genius on the English Stage.

Mr. Mattocks, in the character of Apollo, very deservedly gained the approbation of the audience. His voice is much stronger than it was, yet retains its melody. The manner of his deportment shews, that he has studied his character more than merely having it by rote. He grows upon the audience, and every fresh part he appears in, the public perceives he is ftill a better actor.

Mr. Beard's part is unworthy the merit of fo capital a performer; but by his appearing in it, he has given a convincing proof of his earneftnefs to oblige the town, fince he rather chose to act an inferior part, than be entirely out of a musical performance; as he may without any imputation of vanity suppose, that the piece would not be fo well without him, nor the public fo well fatisfied.

In this Burletta I appeal to the hearts and judgments of the town, for the probability of my affertion; which is, that Mifs Miller, from her performance in Midas, must make a fine capital actress. Her figure is really excellent, her voice and manner extremely agreeable; but where the exhibited the true theatrical genius moft, was to her pantomiming to Apollo's fongs. That was really great feeling, and fo gracefully and fo expreffively marked, the spectators were convinced, there only wants the revolution of two or three feafons to diftinguish her as a most elegant theatrical

ornament.

Many other of the performers in this Burletta deserved the applaufe they received; but as the defign of this effay was to confider the performances

of both the Operas, we have not room to fay any more on the Covent Garden performance, but shall confign the refidue of our paper to fome obfervations on the performers in the ferious English Opera, called The ROYAL SHEPHERD, now acting at Drury Lane.

Mifs Wright is for her years a prodigy; perhaps the greateft performer the town ever heard. I hope her mafter, who, it is confeffed, has great abilities, will not, out of an indiscreet ambition, urge her now to exert herself too much; left by ftraining her tender fibres, the may be rendered incapable of being excellent hereafter.

As to Mr. Vernon and Mrs. Young, their merits are fo well known to the town, there is no occafion for any thing more to be faid on them, but that they acquit themfelves in this Opera with their ufual merit.

I am certain that Mr. Champness, in the part of Alexander, must afford great pleasure to every one of the audience capable of relishing the efforts of genius.

How praise-worthy therefore are the managers, who fpare neither pains nor expence to exhibit fuch diverfity of pieces for the town's entertainment, by which means Merit, like Champness's, burfts from obfcurity, and ripens into the favour of the Public.

The part of Agenor was defigned for Mr. Norris; but he falling fick, Mrs. Dorman took it at a very thort notice; for a performer of fo little experience, it was a difficult task to undertake; if he had but barely made a fhift in it, it was almoft more than could be expected. But the did more; the acquitted herself with judgment and fpirit; and I am certain, had the audience known how greatly the must be embar raffed at fuch an attempt, and then to confider how well fhe went through it, they would, as I do, pay a proper regard to her performance.

To render this Opera as compleat in the execution as poffible, the Managers engaged, at a large falary, Signiora Clementina Cremonini. The Patentees of Drury Lane having found, how well T 2

the

The foreign minifters refiding at this court went in a body to pay their respects to his royal highness; after which his royal highness was conducted to court by the mafter of the ceremonies and his deputy, in two of his Sardinian majefty's coaches, attended by Mr. Pitt, Sir William Boothby, and Colonel St. John. At the foot of a private staircafe, which leads to a part of the palace, he was met by the fame gentleman of the bedchamber, who had complimented him in the name of his Sardinian majesty, and in a gallery at the head of the stairs by the grand chamberlain, who conducted his royal highness to an apartment, where he was received by the king of Sardinia, the duke of Chablais, and the prince of Piedmont, the duke of Savoy being confined to his room by the remains of a fever and cold, which has not yet left him. After fome converfation with his Sardinian majefty, his royal highness was conducted by the duke of Chablais and prince of Piedmont, to the duke and dutchefs of Savoy's apartments, where his royal highness was received by the reft of the princes and princeffes of this royal family. After this ceremony, his royal highnefs returned in the fame manner to the apartment where he had left the king, and was reconducted home from thence in the fame coaches.

From the cordial friendship which exists between the two courts, it is easy to conceive with what warmth of regard his royal highness was received by his Sardinian majesty and his family, of which he continues to experience every teftimony, by every poffible mark of attention and esteem that can be fhewn him; and his royal highness, on his part, returns it in a manner, which has already procured him the fincere affec. tion of the whole court. Immediately upon his royal highness's return, he was waited upon by the prince of Carignan and his fon, and the next day by the great officers, the minifters of state, the knights of the order of the annunciation, and thofe about the court who are

of the fame rank. His royal highness then visited the prince and princess of Carignan, as earl of Ulfter, and continues to preserve his private character.

A fhip lately arrived from Newfoundland brings advice, that one of his majefty's cruizers on that station, had seized upon three large open decked schooners loaded with fish, defigned to be put on board fome French fhips in the gulph of St. Lawence, by which it was difcovered, that no less than feven agents from the merchants of Bourdeaux and other ports of France, were then upon the island, chiefly employed in purchas ing cargoes at a fmall advanced price, through the means of which the French nation, tho' in a manner restrained to a very fmall portion of this valuable fishery, are nevertheless enabled to make quicker returns, and even rival us in moft foreign markets. Extract of a Letter from Quebec, O&.28.

"We had yesterday a vifit from an Indian chief, the Sachem of the chriftian Hurons, and his Squaw; they were neatly dreffed and spoke good French: the Sachem is a man of fenfe and probity, and, what you would scarce believe poffible, well bred: he is by no means a bigot; and, if proper means were used, might easily be made entirely English. I made fhift to mufter a little bad French, to make him fenfible, that the English were free, tho' under a king; that he was the father of his people, and loved by us as fuch; that we were governed by just laws of our own making, to which the king himself was subject, as well as his people. Speaking of the French king, he thought I had called him one of his fubjects; on which his eyes fparkled, and he said, with fome indignation, "That the Indians were not governed by French laws, but were all over the world."

"We are foon to pay them a visit, when you may expect a further account of our good ally Atanas. He told us, he would gladly cross the great Lake, to vifit the great king, if the general would give him leave.

"I doubt we are apt to despise the Indians too much.

"Gen

"Gen., by neglecting them, has brought on an Indian war to the fouthward, which, it is feared, will have terrible confequences."

Dunkirk, Feb. 12. Mr. Defmaretz, the English commissary, and two engineers, are still here, in order to perfect the demolition of the fortifications of this place, on the fide next the fea. The Cunette is already destroyed, and the Bafon is about to be fo. Our country is covered with water, and our coat with wrecks.

Extract of a Letter from Bath, Feb. 21. "Permit me, before I conclude, to fay a word or two about the East-India affairs: when Jaffier Ally Caun was depofed from the subaship, his fon-in-law, Mir Coffin Caun, who fucceeded him, made feveral attempts to get him into his power, alledging that he would allow him a handsome penfion for his fupport; but Jaffier, who is a man of sense, obferved, that when a prince was depofed, and in the power of his fucceffor, his grave was feldom far diftant; he therefore threw himfelf upon the English for protection, though he thought them his betrayers. The goods belonging to the company's fervants were, it is true, to pay no inland duties; this point, you fay, is given up; it may, perhaps, be fome lofs to particulars, but let us at the fame time acknowledge, that too many principal Indian merchants fcreened their goods, and conveyed them thro' many parts of India duty free, by borrowing the names of fome of the company's meaneft fervants, who never were poffeffed of the ten thousandth part of the commodities they attefted to belong to them; a remedy was wanting, tho' perhaps it might have been more palliating"

Feb. 22. Yesterday morning, a little after nine o'clock, came on before the right honourable lord chief juftice Manf field, in the court of King's Bench, Westminster, the trial of John Wilkes, Efq; as the fuppofed re-publisher of No. 45. of the North Briton, with notes; the court was opened in a very learned manner by the attorney-general, who

obferved that he had received certain information that inflammatory papers had been fent to the gentlemen of the jury, in favour of the defendant, tending to biafs and prejudice their minds: his lordship then made fome remarks on the heinous nature of fuch a proceeding, if true, and declared if the offending party could be difcovered, he should be punished in the moft exemplary manner: a question was then put to the jury relative to the above, when the foreman acknowledged the fact; and at the fame time, very gravely putting his hand into his pocket, produced a paper on the other fide, which he obferved was equally inflammatory; and which put the whole court into a smile.

After the examination of witnesses,and fumming up the evidence, the jury retired for an hour and three quarters, and then brought in the defendant Guilty.

The counsel for the crown were Mr. Attorney-General, Mr. Martin, Mr. Clayton, and Mr. Wallace. For Mr. Wilkes, Mr. Serjeant Glynn, Mr. Recorder of London, Mr. Stow, and Mr. Dunning..

After the above cause was ended, the court proceeded on the trial of Mr. Wilkes for printing a book intitled," An Effay on Woman ;" when the jury after about an hour's deliberation, brought him in Guilty on that indictment also.

Sentence on both Verdicts is to be given the first day of next term.

Yesterday came on at Guildhall, before the right hon. the Lord Chief Juftice Pratt, an action, brought by Mr. Beardmore, against the king's messengers, for entering his houfe, and infpecting into his and his clients books and papers; when Mr. Attorney General, having obferved that another action was depending, which Mr. Beardmore had brought for falfe imprisonmeat, against the faid meffengers, jointly with the right hon. the earl of Halifax, under the fame warrant, it was propofed that both actions might be confolidated, and tried upon one record; on which Mr. Beardmore and his council immediately exprelled great defire to

unite both actions, and the court recommending it to have the Earl of Halifax joined as a party, that the whole merits against all parties charged or concerned, might be tried in one action. Mr. Attorney General promifed to recommend the fame, and thereupon his Lordship appointed to try the caufe on friday the 4th day of May next.

March 3. His majesty has been pleased to give the rank of brigadier general (in the East Indies only) to the hon. col. George Monson.

Many even betts are depending that Mr. Wilkes will return to England to receive judgment, if his health will poffibly permit.

But others, his intimates, are fearful he will die, as he is believed to be in a confumption.

The lawyers are divided, whether an outlawry can be iffued against Mr. Wilkes, in cafe he fhould not appear.

In the new plan for rebuilding Newgate, there is to be an area round the goal, and in the middle a fort of fquare, where there will be a continual running water, for to keep them clean; and in the cold weather, a large room with a great fire place, to keep them warm; and at night they will be put into different cells or rooms, as at Bedlam.

The Keeper's houfe will be next the cells, which are to stand as at prefent; there is to be a poftern on each fide, and a light archway across the freet. The two laft improvements, however, we hope will be altered, as the paffage through posterns has been always dilagreeable and inconvenient.

Several letters from different parts of the country fay, that the land has fuck. ed up all the waters, and that there never was a finer profpect of the greatest plenty; and that the fnow will be of infinite fervice to the corn, &c.

They write from Franckfort of the 20th ult. that a company of citizens, with their respective officers, where on duty night and day at the Prince de Lichtenstein's (firft commiffary from the Emperor) palace; and that lodgings were'fo exceffive dear there, that fome

garrets were let for 500 florins the month (about 60l. fterling.)

The Emprefs Queen has appointed his Serene Highness Prince George of Mecklenburgh, youngest brother to her Majefty, who is now at the University of Leyden, a Lieutenant Colonel: he has been already fome years in that fervice.

Thursday 60 tons of iron, 30 ditto of fteel, 30 ditto of cordage, 6 ditto of pewter, 6 ditto of copper and brass, 6 ditto of clockwork, 6 ditto of cheese, 6 ditto of drugs, 30 ditto of beer, 30,000 pieces of glafs, 800 dozen of hats, 300 ftuffs, 15,000 pieces of flannel, 90 firkins of butter, 300 dozen of boze, 6 hogfheads of vinegar, 150 grofe of pipes, 1680 lb. wrought leather; befides other certain merchandize, worth 9000l. were exported for the East-Indies by the Company.

If the report be true, that some Mafter-Taylors have made up a purse to bring over 500 French and German journeymen Taylors, they will probably hurt themfelves, by adding fo many more mafters to the trade; for it is well known that our polite countrymen (who are not a few, and have hot an oppor. tunity of going to that dear spot, Paris, fo often as they could with) will foon prefer the man to the mafter, as they are apt to be exceedingly fond not only of the manufactures of France, but of the manufacturers, merely because they came from thence.

Thursday evening, at a veftry for the parish of St. Edmund the King, two guineas were voted as a reward to the watchman for alarming the neighbourhood, and preventing a fire in Georgeyard, about three weeks ago.

On Monday night lait was a very elegant rout of the politeft company at a certain hofpital near Weit-Smithfield. Whether the fplendor and propriety of this example is worthy to be imitated by all the hofpitals and alms-houses in and about this flourishing metropolis, we leave the directors of them to judge.

Thuriday night a butcher in Newgate market had the confcience to ask

a poor