Portfmouth, Dec. 31. The intended Expedition appears to be intirely laid afide, the Provifion, &c. for the Accommodation of the Officers being relanded and difpofed of. Nevertheless there are great Prepara

A

tions making for another, in order to give a most affecting Blow to the French, the Ships are to rendezvous at Plymouth, and it is said, the Command of the Fleet will devolve upon Admiral Pocock.

Dec. 12. New Treaty with the King of Pruffia was figned, by which England engages to pay his Pruffian Majefty, as before, the Sum of four Millions of German Crowns, amounting to fix hundred and feventy thoufand Pounds Sterling.

St. James's, Dec 16. M. de Mello, Envoy extraordinary from the King of Portugal, had a private Audience of his Majefty, to prefent his new Credentials.

17. Several hundred Butts of ftrong Beer have been embarked at Tower-wharf, for the Ufe of the British Forces in Germany.

Amongst the Improvements going for. ward in this City, that of Fore- ftreet and London wall will not be the leaft confiderable; the South fide of that Street, with the City-wall, quite from Cripplegate to great Moorgate, is to be pulled down, in order to erect two elegant Rows of Houses.

22. His Majesty's Royal Bounty was diftributed, according to annual Custom, to a Number of poor Widows, in ScotlandYard.

This Day Count Colombo, Refident from the Republic of Venice, had a private Audience of his Majefty, to deliver his new credential Letters ;

To which he was introduced by the Right Hon. William Pitt, Efq; one of his Majefty's principal Secretary of State.

Count Bothmar, Envoy Extraordinary from the King of Denmark, had alfo a private Audience of his Majefty, to deliver his new credential Letters:

As had likewife the Baron de Cram, Envoy Extraordinary from the Duke of Brunfwick, to deliver his new credential Letters;

To which they were introduced by the Right Hon. the Earl of Holderneffe, one of his Majefty's principal Secretaries of State.

Westminster, Dec. 23. His Majefty came this Day to the Houfe of Peers, and being in his Royal Robes feated on the Throne with the ufual Solemnity, Sir Henry Bellenden, Gentleman Uther of the Black Rod, was fent with a Meffage from his Majefty to the House of Commons, commanding their Attendance in the Houfe of Peers. The Com

mons being come thither accordingly, his

Majefty was pleased to give the Royal Affent to,

An Act to enable his Majefty to be Governor of the South-fea Company.

An Act for punishing Mutiny and Defertion, and for the better Payment of the Army, and their Quarters.

An Act to continue for a limited Time, the Importation of falted Beef, Pork, and Butter, from Ireland.

An Act for repairing and widening several Roads leading to and through the towns of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, and Dorchefter in the County of Dorfet.

And to two private Bills.

[After which the Houfe of Peers adjourn. ed to the 13th of January, and the House of Commons to the 7th.]

On Wednesday the 24th of December his Majetty in Council was pleafed to order a Proclamation for a General Faft. The Proclamation begins as follows: "We, taking into our most serious Confideration the juft and neeessary War in which we are engaged with the French King, and putting our trust in Almighty God, that he will vouchsafe a fpecial Bleffing on our Arms both by Sea and Land, have refolved, and do, by and with the Advice of our Privy Council, hereby command, That a Public Faft and Humiliation be obferved throughout that Part of our Kingdom of Great Britain called England, our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, upon Friday the 13th day of February next: That fo both we and our People may humble ourfelve before Almighty God, in order to obtain Pardon of our Sins; and may, in the moft devout and folemn Manner, send up our Prayers and Supplications to the Divine Majefty, for averting those heavy Judgments, which our manifold Sins and Provocations have moft juftly deferved, and imploring his Bleffing and Affiftance on our Arms, and for reftoring and perpetuating Peace, Safety, and Profperity to us, and our Kingdoms: and we do ftrictly charge and command, that the faid public Faft be reverently and devoutly obferved, &c.

A Proclamation was also iffued for a General Fast to be obferved in Scotland, on Thurfday the 12th day of February.

And

And his Majefty was pleafed to order,
that a like Faft thould be obferved through.
out Ireland, on the Day appointed for the
Faft in England.

24. The Baron de Cramm, Envoy extra-
ordinary from the Duke of Brunfwick, had
a private Audience of her Royal Highnefs
the Princess Dowager of Wales.

25. Being a high Festival at Court, his
Majefty and the Royal Family, preceded by
the Heralds and Perfuivants at Arms, with
the Knights of the Garter, Thistle, and
Bath, in the Collars of their respective Or-
ders, went to the Chapel Royal at St. James's,
where his Majefty received the Sacrament,
and offered the Byzant for the Benefit of the
Poor, His Grace the Lord Archbishop of
York preached before his Majesty; and the
Right Hon. the Earl of Cardigan carried the
Sword of State.

The fame Day his Majefty dined with her
Royal Highnefs the Princefs Dowager of
Wales at Leicester houfe, and in the Even-
ing returned to St. James's

Saturday laft the Lords of Appeal gave
Sentence against the Captors of the Los Bue-
nos and St. Antonio (both Spanith Ships
taken by English Privateers and condemned
at Gibraltar) and ordered Reftitution of the
Ships and Cargoes, or their Value, with
Cofts and Damages.

His Majefty's Ships, Venus and Juno,
are appointed to fail in fearch of the nume-
rous Privateers that infest the Channel.
The Faulkland Man of War, of 50 Guns,
and fome smaller Ships are to cruize on the
North Coaft.

The Lords of the Admiralty has been plea-
fed to order his Majefty's Sloops, the Al-
derney and Hound, to fail to Flushing, one
to convoy Packet-boats from thence to Eng-
land, and the other to cruize between Hel-
voetfluys and Yarmouth road; and the
Hound Sloop between Flushing and Orford-
nefs, for the Protection of Trade, &c.

Letters from Zealand mention, that there
was lately taken out of the Sea, near Weft
Capelle, on that Coaft, a great Block of
Stone, very much eaten by Worms, an im-
menfe Number of which, of the Size of a
Man's little Finger, were found in it: Their
Bodies were foft, refembling thofe of Snails;
but on each side of the Head they have an
extreme hard Shell refembling a Saw, with
which they had perforated the Stone, and
are thought to be the fame Kind of Worms
that have proved fo fatal to the Dykes.

The Right Hon. Mr. Secretary Pitt hath
laid before the Council a printed Paper da
ted the 27 of November, 1760, containing
the Refolutions of the Board of Health at
Venice; which had been delivered to him
by M. Colombo, the Venetian Refident

*

here; whereby it appears, that a contagi
ous Diftemper had broke out at the Town of
Sarlata, in the Inland of Cephalonia, and
that there upon the Quarantine upon Ships
coming from the Inland of the Levant, fub-
jet to that Republic, had been increased to
forty Days! It was ordered in Council,
that the Quarantine at prefent fubfifting upon
all Ships and Veffels coming from thofe Parts,
and from, or through the Mediterranean,
be duly and printually complied with; and
Officers, and all others whom it may con-
cern, are to take Notice, and govern them
felves accordingly.

To the King's most Excellent Majesty,
The humble Address of the Society for pro-
moting Chriftain Knowledge.
May it please your Majefty,

"We your Majefty's most dutiful and
Joyal Subjects, the Members of the Society
for promoting Chriftain Knowledge, hum-
bly beg Leave to exprefs our unfeigned Sor-
row for the great Lofs which thefe Nations
have fuftained by the Death of our late moft
gracious Sovereign; and, at the fame Time,
to offer our most fincere and hearty Congra-
tulations to your royal Acceptance, on the
aufpicious Occafion of your happy Acceffion
to the Throne of thefe Realms: An Occa-

fion, which hath adminiftered great Joy to
all Orders of Men, and efpecially to this So-
ciety, as it finds its Defigns peculiarly fa-
voured by your Majesty's pious Declarations
for the Support and Advancement of true
Religion.

This Society was originally formed in
the latter End of the laft Century, and hath
ever fince coutinued to carry on, by the vo
luntary Subfcriptions of its own Members,
and the charitable Benefactions of others,
very extenfive Designs for advancing the Ho-
neur of God, and the Good of Mankind, by
promoting Chriftain Knowledge both at
Home and Abroad.

"At Home we have endeavoured to pro-
cure and encourage the erecting of Charity
Schools in all Parts of the Kingdom, that
the Children of the Poor, being well inftruc-
ted in the Principles of their Duty, and ear-
ly inured to Labour and Industry, might be-
come good Chriftoons, faithful Subjects, and
ferviceable Members of the Community, and
to facilitate the proper Means of Instruction,
we have annually difperfed many Thousands
of Bibles, Prayer Bocks, and religious Tracts
on the molt uferul Subjects, in fuch a Man-
ner, as we have Reaton to hope hath greatly
contributed to confirm the Faith, and im-
prove the Morals of cur Fellow Subjects.
And particularly, from a Compassionate and
Christain Regard to the Wants of our Bre-
thren in Wales, we have printed and difperfe
4 F

your Majefty's Councils, and the Divine Aid my fupport your Administration. That your Throne may be greater than the Throne of your Ancestors: That you may reign till you are full of Days and Honour, a Bluffing to your Subjects, and all Mankind; and obtain at last a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away: And that Britain may, till latest Pofterity, remain a free and happy People, under a Succeffion of Princes of your Auguft Family.

"Signed in Name, Prefence, and by Appointment of your Synod at Aberdeen, the Twenty-third Day of December, One thousand feven hundred and fixty, by

Gavin Mitchell, Moderator.

The humble Addrefs of the Principal and Mafters of the University and King's Col lege in Old Aberdeen.

"Most gracious Sovereign,

"We the Principal and Masters of your Majefty's ancient University, humbly beg Leave to approach your Royal Prefence, to condole the Death of your illuftrious Grandfather, our late moft gracious Sovereign, and to exprefs the high Senfe which we have of the invaluable Bleifings thefe Nations have enjoyed under the Government of a Prince, whofe Memory will be revered to latest Ages.

"Permit us at the fame Time to congratulate your Majefty's Acceffion to the British Crown, amidit the united Acclamations of a free and happy People, When we fee a Prince trained up under the vigilant Eye of his Royal Predeceffor, formed upon his Example, and Heir of his Virtues, giving fuch early Expreffions of his Zeal to maintain the Liberties of his Subjects, to restore the Tranquility of Europe, and to promote Religion and Virtue by his Exam. ple and Authority, it opens to us a pleating Profpect of a glorious and happy Reign.

"It fhall be our conftant Study, to cul. tivate in the Minds of the Youth under our Care fuch Principles of Religion and Loyalty, as may lead them to juft Sentiments of the Happiness, which these Kingdoms enjoy under fo excellent a Conflitution, and fo wife and just an Administration.

"May Almighty God infpire your Royal Breaft with Increase of all princely Virtues, and blefs your Majefty with a long and profperous Reign; and may the British Sceptre to latest Posterity be fwayed by a Prince of your illuftrious House, so distinguished for defending the Proteftant Intereft, and protecting the Liberties of Mankind.

As there have been lately published, a circumflantial Account of Mifs Rell, who bad been not only deceived and debauched, but, in all Probability, brought to an untimely End, by Injuries the received, and Wounds given ber by thofe who perpetrated her Ruin, We have thought proper to give our Rea ders jame Narative Account thereof, by Extracts from the Account, published by Mr. Heartfree, as a fit Monition to gay unthinking Females, and as a fuitable Caution to Parents and Guardians, from the most affecting and tragical Circumftances therein related.

Our Author introduces this Narrative, with a Letter he had published in the London Gazetteer, as follow.

On the 20th of October taft, fays our Author, I inferted a Letter in the Gazetteer concerning Mifs Bell. As it gives fome Account of that unfortunate young Lady to nearly the Time of her receiving her Wounds; and as many Perfons may never have feen it, it may not be improper to infert a fhort Extract from it, as a neceffary Prelude to Captain Holland's Relation of this myfterious Affair.

"She was of a reputable and opulent Family in the County of Norfolk; her Father is in tolerable good Circumstances, and her Uncle at this Time is poffeffed of at leaft a thousand Pounds a Year; and from whom, in her Days of Innocence, the had large Expectations. Her Place of abode was then at Ayifbam, about twelve Miles from Norwich. She unhappily contracted an Intimacy with a Gentleman of the Army quartered in those Parts, who, gaining her Affections, deceived, ruined, and debauched her. She made an Elopement from her Friends, and was privately concealed by her Spark at Norwich for a little Time; at which Period her Friends found out her Retreat, recovered, and took her home. Here the breathed a Life of Melancholy: Her gay, volatile Difpofition, rendered a Sequeftration from the World, altogether infupportable; and the Lofs of her Character kept her in an almost continual Confinement; having entirely deprived her of that Affociation with her own Sex, which her 4F2 Birth