! [Here the witness appeared to grow faint, and unable to proceed. By the Court." Madam, did you, knowing the state of your niece's mind, allow her to go on, or think that the marriage ritual was like a burial service, to be read over inanimate beings? Did you permit her to go into that situation, where she could not have the rights of a wife, or her infants the claims of children? God bless me, can such things be done?" After the case had closed on both sides, Lord Ellenborough recapitulated the evidence.-The issue which the lord chancellor had directed to be tried was, whether Sarah Ann Daniels was of competent mind on the 8th of April. It was recognized by the wisest principles of law, that the acts of a lunatic, done in the lucid intervals of his disorder, were valid. Whatever they had a right to do in the most entire possession of their faculties, they had the same right when the lucid intervals restored even the temporary and inferior possession of the mind. It was not necessary for rights that the mind should be of a preeminent rank, or that it should be even equal to itself. Sickness, accident, the mysterious connexion by which the mind is forced to bend under the calamities of the body, may reduce the intellectual power of man to the verge of idiotism. Providence had not allowed that continuing and supported vigour to any thing human; but where the mind still retained enough of that discrimination, by which it could guide itself in the ordinary courses of expediency, it was competent to the possession of all the legal rights to which it could be entitled in the exercise of the highest genius, and the most subtle discrimination. He remembered a case before the delegates, relative to a gentleman, whose house in Portman-square had been burned down, and his understanding deranged, as it was supposed, in consequence. His madness grew so violent, that he was sent to an asylum for lunatics. Mr Windthrop, a governor of the Bank, called on him in the course of his illness; he found him calm, received directions, with another person, for a will, and had it executed. The lunatic grew outrageous immediately after, and died. In the suit to invalidate the will, a host of witnesses were ready to prove the violent phrenzy of this unfortunate man. Lord Ellenborough was himself a counsel against the will; but it was established on the most incontrovertible grounds of the lucid interval, and the rights of which he was of course in possession. Particularity of conduct could not defeat those rights, so sacred in the eye of the law. There was the late case of a noble lord, who distinguished himself by the most excentric oddities, sitting during the day in a woman's old red cloak in a window, having a particular dish every night for supper, and other deviations from the usual manner of society. But those should not invalidate the precious rights secured by the laws. Miss Daniels, doubtless, must have retained the vestiges of her disorder.. Madness left its deep impression on the countenance; there was the wandering of the eyes, the paleness, the wild and melancholy look, even when the mind had shaken off the weight of its last and direst calamity. There could be no feeling for the defendant: his case was as weighty and as dark as ever came before the court. He had but an election of crimes. He had entered into a foul and infamous conspiracy with the aunt, to do an act which drew down the heaviest vengeance of the insulted laws, to violate the order which commands that marriage should not be contracted where this dreadful disease of the mind stood to prohibit its celebration; or he was guilty of the still Agregate Average Prices, by which Exporto more foul and infamous crime of conspiring with that woman to break down a lawful marriage, to tear a wife from her husband, to make her marriage an illegitimate rite, and her children bastards before the world. He defied the genius of man to find out any other than the miserable option of one of those great offences against feeling, against society, against law, and against religion. The jury, after a short consultation, found a verdict for the plaintiff. SLATE PENCILS.-Since the in fluence of French oppression on the continent, many articles are not to be had in this country at any price, which, heretofore, have been sent in abundance from Holland and Germany; what we shall point out in particular is, stone pencils, for writing on slates; we are happy to inform the public, that a quarry has lately been discovered by a gentleman in Kendal, in the most mountainous district of Westmoreland, where an inexhaustible supply of that article, of a superior quality to any that have been produced, is manafactured; he has a machine, invented for the purpose, for cutting the pencils in a circular form, which is done in a surprisingly expeditious manner. The Earl of Lonsdale, with his accustomed liberality for the encouragement of industry and invention, has generously presented him with the freedom of working the said quarry. AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN Rye, Barley, 27s. 1d. Big, Oats, 27s. 4d. tation and Bounty are to be regulated in Great Britain. Wheat, 97s. 3d. | Peas, 568. 7d. 55s. 6d. Oatmeal per 45s. 3d. boll, 50s. ld. 25s. 9d. Bear or Big, Cs. Od. 50s. 8d. AVERAGE PRICE OF SUgar, Computed from the Returns in the week, ending the 21st day of February, 1810, is 52s. 9 d. per cwt, exclusive of importation. FASHIONS FROM ACKERMAN'S RE POSITORY.Evening or full dress.— A purple velvet round robe, with demi-traine and long sleeves ; bordered round the bottom; bosom and wrists hat, composed of purple silk or velvet, with narrow gold lace. A Spanish the same as the robe, looped up in front with brilliants, and ornamented with curled ostrich feathers. A capuchin cloak of white satin, trimmed entirely round with full swansdown. Diamond chain and cross; drop ear-rings and opera glass. Grecian slippers of and bracelets of the same; gold chain white satin, trimmed with silver. Opera Dress-A round robe of white or coloured crape, imperial net, or muslin, with white satin bodice, der of small flowers. A wrapping trimmed with gold or silver, or a bormantle of fawn-coloured satin, trimNecklace, ear-rings, and bracelets of med entirely round with swansdown. pearl. Hair in dishevelled curls, confined with a diamond comb, and ornamented with a Persian wreath of blended pearls and amethysts.-Slip52s. 7d. pers of fawn-coloured satin, with silver clasps. Opera fan of carved amber. 56s. 6d. Os. Od. MARCH. 3d.-COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.Cohen v. Bocker.-This was an action by a merchant of the city against the defendant, a Swedish physician, to recover 301., as the value of a paste star intrusted to the defendant's care. It appeared that the plaintiff's daughter having gone to the Opera-house on the night of the celebration of the jubilee, wearing a hat in which there was a diamond star, and feeling herself in commoded with the weight of it in the course of the dancing, gave it to her partner, requesting that he would endeavour to find out a place where it might be safely deposited. The lady's partner seeing the defendant, whom he knew to be a gentleman of respectability, in a box, requested of him to take charge of Miss Cohen's hat, which the defendant undertook to do. When the hat came to be reclaimed, however, the diamond star was gone. To recover a compensation for this loss the present action was brought. For the defendant it was contended, that he could not be liable, the charge he took of the hat and star being purely gratuitous. It appeared that several persons had jumped over the box, by some of whom the star might have been taken away. Sir James Mansfield laid it down, that the defendant, not being to receive any remuneration for taking charge of the hat and star in question, was not subject to that degree of responsibility which attached to a carrier, or other person intrusted with the care of property. Having, how ever, undertaken the safe custody of the articles in question, he was bound to bestow the same care in protecting VOL. III. PART II. them as a man might naturally be supposed to bestow in protecting his own property. With these observations, he left the case to the jury. Verdict for the plaintiff-Damages 101. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has made a magnificent present to the University of Oxford, through their chancellor, Lord Grenville. He has requested the noble lord to present to that learned body, in his name, the whole of the Papiri rescued out of the ruins of Herculaneum, which were presented to him by the King of Sicily, together with those which his royal highness has been the means of obtaining by hisown exertions, with all the fruits of the labours employed in recovering the text. The learned body have expressed their most lively gratitude for this most gracious mark of his attention; and we have no doubt, but that the ingenuity and industry of their best scholars will be employed in still further bringing to light the contents of the treasures they have received. WESTBOURNE VILLA.-This recent retreat of Mrs Mary Ann Clarke, "the lovely Thais," whose various qualifications and endowments have attracted so much notice, from the top to the bottom of society-who has added charms to the bowers of pleasure, and has occupied the time and attention of "listening senates," has for some days past been thrown open to the world, and its curious and splendid contents offered for public sale. We never had the honour of an introduction with the lawyers, and speculators, and place-brokers, and generals, and divines, who found their way to the more superb establishment of Gloucester-place; but certainly into this pleasant box, this petit Trianon, as much of magnificence C has been crammed as it could well contain. We have read of the splendid luxuries of Roman courtezans, and the perhaps equally fascinating embellishments of the Parisian fair; but we had no idea that in Old England we could match them all. There is such an improvement in our taste, and such a refinement in the delicacy of our sentiments, that the fashionable crowd who have flocked to this Exhibition, has been exceeded no where. Ladies of the first rank, mothers (oh shame!) with their train of lovely daughters, have borne the chief part in the gay throng who have resorted to this deserted mansion of the Loves-to say not a word of the graces. Gentlemen of every cloth seemed almost to think the ex-hostess present, and to indulge with the poet in the pleasing thought, that "Fancy restores what absence takes away." The number of private carriages has resembled the attendance on a draw ing-room day. Here, in a few moderately sized apartments, are found all the tastes and styles of the known world, contributing to the elegance of this English Bagatelle. The Grecian, the Roman, the Egyptian, the Gothic, the Turkish, the Chinese, and the Peruvian, in the varied forms of couches, draperies, chairs, tables, lamps, in the eating-room, drawingrooms, boudoir, and apartments of repose, display their antique heads, scrolls, sarcophagi, and vases; their Bacchus's and Venus's de Medici; their eagles, lions, griffins, and cupids; their mummies, sphinx's, lotux's, and hieroglyphics; their emblematic whims and mazy traceries; their Ottomans of the seraglio; their dragons and serpents, and their lamp-bearing virgns of the Sun. The retired goddess has left behind her her bust, while the piano forte and pedal-harp testify the meretricious harmony that reigned within the temple. Chaste and pure white velvet, painted by her fair" fingers," under the direction of the exquisite artist Mr Town, of examination memory, relieves the glare of the much talked of" scarlet and bronze,” that cover and adorn the floors. Bacchanalian revels, from Poussin's pencil, divide with costly mirrors the honours of the wall; plate in profusion decorates the sideboard, whereon gold, silver, and or-molu, plain, chaced, or fillagreed, glare in the eye. Wine, that anacreontic companion of love, is well recommended, by having all come there in donations. To crusty port and exhilarating Madeira, are added Hock and Constantia in abundance, with ample store of the "incomparable" Champaign, Chateau, Margot, Priniac, and Lunelle of the Gallic vineyards. Literature, too, has been cultivated in the abode of this Sappho, as well as Thais. Subscription copies of Bowyer's Hume, and Boydell's Shakespeare, (donations also!) are in the long list, in which Zimmerman on Solitude (on Solitude!) is not omitted. But some works there are which have so plain a relation to certain events in the recent li of the enchantress, that doubtless they have been attentively perused. Can any body think of "Lavater's Physiognomy," but as a system for acquiring the knowledge of mankind? of " the Wonders of Nature and Art," and not contemplate the lady and her mansion? of "the Speeches of the Right Hon. William Pitt," in 3 vols. without recollecting a certain application to get votes for that great minister? of "Swinburne's Travels in Spain," without a thought of Mr Dowler, the commissary in that country? of " the History and An tiquities of Lambeth Palace," and forget the Rev. Dr O'Meara, who wished, good man! to be made a bishop? of "the Female Revolutionary Plutarch," and not remember the wonders she has performed herself? of "Little Odes to Great Folks," and forget the epistles produced in St Stephen's Chapel? of Peter Pindar complete," and of "Portraits of the Whole of the Royal Family," in a folio volume; of "the Investigation of the Charges against the Duke of York," and of the "Works of Frederick the Great," in 13 volumes, without admiration of the appropriate taste that brought them there? Such are the exhibitions of the present day. Dull folks, some years back, would have called him a false prophet who had prophesied them; but we manage these things better now: and another age may produce things more passing strange still. LORD SOMERVILLE'S SPRING SHEW.-A number of fine animals, curious and useful implements in agriculture, specimens of manufactures, &c. were exhibited in Mr Sadler's yard, Goswell-street, on Monday. Amongst them were several pieces of 'broad and narrow cloths, kerseymeres, &c. of various colours, manufactured by Thomas Joyce, of Freshford, from Anglo-Merino wool; a variety of Devon and Hereford oxen, Merinoryland, Merino, and Southdown we-, thers, and a few pigs, bred by the Duke of Bedford, Lord Somerville, the Earl of Bridgwater, &c.; the carcases of five very fat and fine sixtoothed Merino-Southdown sheep, fed on grass and turnip; three bred by George Home Sumner, Esq., and two by Morris Birkbeck, Esq. Four Wiltshire wethers, fed by Morris Birkbeck, which together weighed as follows: Having eat, of hay, Increase, 587lb. 670lb. Cwt Qrs. lb. 10 1 20 21 1 20 20 100 oil cakes, 2 2 THE PRINCE OF WALES.-The following instance of condescension and benevolence, on the part of his royal highness, cannot too generally be made known. A few days since, his royal highness was on a friendly visit at the house of Lord Melbourne, at Whitehall, and upon his return about two o'clock in the morning, he perceived a poor boy lying huddled up beneath the portico of the noble lord's house, where he had crept to avoid the inclemency of the weather, it having rained very hard during the evening. His royal highness accosted the boy, who replied that he had come from the country, and had neither parents nor home. His royal highness observed to his attendants, that the poor child must not remain there to perish, and ordered him to follow the carriage to Carltonhouse. On their arrival, he directed every necessary refreshment to be given him, and that he should be put in a comfortable bed. In the morning his royal highness again interrogated the boy, and finding him to tell an artless and true tale, immediately directed that he should be employed in the household, having first given orders for his being newly clothed. The boy remains at Carlton-house. |