eminence in London. Mr. Hargrave, the son, as we are informed, of a mer shant in the city, has many of the first requisites for an actor; a fine mellowtoned voice, graceful action, and considerable judgment, which will be improved by experience. We would rather not again see the manager's lady in such characters as Millwood.

Theatre PLYMOUTH.-Smith and Winston will commence their campaign under most auspicious circumstances, a new theatre, and a very excellent company.

Theatre PLYMOUTH DOCK.-I have heard and read, with considerable indignation, mixed with sorrow and regret, the fulsome and adulatory puffs on a certain comic actress, now performing under the banners of the veteran Hughes, in the west of England. I am very little conversant with dramatic criticism, but, in my journeys through the country, (for travelling is my pursuit), I invariably visit provincial theatres, whenever I have the good fortune to find them in action; consequently, without egotism, or paying any direct compliment to my judgment, it is but fair to presume, I am not an inattentive observer of what, in my opinion, constitutes excellence. I have, for several seasons, because of the interest certain individuals have taken in favour of Miss Grant, watched the progress of that lady's various performances, with a wary eye, bordering on solicitude: I have endeavoured, occasionally, by the lenient hand of friendship, to correct what I have conceived errors of judgment; but, alas! my interference hath tended only to encourage that which I would gladly, for the advantage of the fair object, have her “reform altogether." There is a delicacy attached to the female character, which should be most prominent on the stage, and it evinces a miserable taste to give in to the applauses, which proceed from (certainly not the most judicious of an audience, in a town like this) the gallery. Miss Grant hath much to unlearn ; “ native modesty” should be the characteristic of all her performances, because it is in that line her abilities are likely to become prominent, provided her talents be not " nipped in the bud," by the false glare of eriticism, rather than the fostering pen of gentle chastisement. She is as boisserous as a chamber-maid, where she ought to be tender and affecting. In her singing she "out-herods Herod," notwithstanding her voice is capable of softness and variety. Her features are pleasing, and full of various expression, but they are distorted by unmeaning and conspicuous affectation. In the line of Mrs. Gibbs, excepting Mrs. Edwin, of Bath, we know not any lady, in any provincial theatre, more likely to be eminent; but let her (again we observe it) beware of flattery.

Sandford, the entire manager of Hughes's company, merits all possible eulogium, for the judicious reform he hath effected in this theatre, as it regards. the gratification of the elegant public. Previous to the present season, in the theatre at Dock, the pit, gallery, and boxes, were principally resorted to by a description of persons, extremely offensive to modesty and decorum, and indeed to their utter exclusion. This, by the introduction of a new system, Mr. Sandford has removed; and, instead of the inebriety and confusion which used to prevail, order and regularity are introduced, equal to either of the London theatres.

The performers are numerous and respectable. Sandford himself, in the superior walks of tragedy and elegant comedy, is a host. Young Farren, son of the lamented and respectable actor at Covent Garden, hath talents of the first order. His education and judgment, and elegant figure, and expressive countenance, will, by attention, realise to him all his hopes and expectations. We saw this gentleman at Weymouth last year: his improvement since then is astonishing. Mrs. Farren is a valuable acquisition to the company: her figure is very fine, and her vocal powers are far above mediocrity.

The house never was so well attended as this season; the benefits averaged VIATOR. nearly sixty pounds.

DOMESTIC EVENTS.

THE TRIAL OF MESSRS. GORDONS. The trial of the two Mr. Gordons, for the forcible taking away of Mrs. Lee from her house; in Bolton-row, caine on at the assizes at Oxford, on Tuesday, the 6th of March.

The Gordons were brought up through a trap-door in the dock, and delivered at the bar by the gaoler, Mr. Harris, under the following authority:

Lockhart Gordon, aged 28 years, and Lauden Gordon, aged 23 years.→→ Brought March 2d, by Habeas Corpus, from London, charged on the oaths of Rachael Fanny Antonina Lee, wife of Matthew Allen Lee, Esq. and others, with feloniously and unlawfully taking the said Rachael Fanny Antonina Lee from her house in Bolton-row, Piccadilly, against her will, for the lucre of substance, and defiling her at Tetsworth, in this county, contrary to the statute, &c.

The indictment, consisting of several counts, was then read, and charged the prisoners with having, to the great displeasure of Almighty God, the disparagement of Rachael Fanny Antonina Lee, and the evil example of his Majesty's subjects, forcibly carried away and defiled the said Rachael Fanny Antonina Lee, contrary to the statute.

Mr. Mills, counsel for the prosecution, opened the case, describing the enor mity of the offence, which he concluded in the following terms:

The first act necessary to prove, is the forcibly carrying away, and whether Rachael Fanny Antonina Lee has been defiled by Lauden Gordon. There never, gentlemen, was a case more interesting to the feelings of men, and by tracing the characters of the Gordons, and their acquaintance with Mrs. Lee, Messrs. Lockhart and I trust I shall be able to substantiate my assertions. Lauden Gordon were examined, and committed for trial, by that enlightened magistrate, Mr. Bond, and, by the natural operation of the law, Mrs. Lee was bound over to prosecute. She was the natural daughter of the late Lord Le De Spencer, who left her property to the amount of 70,000. She ran away with Matthew Allen Lee, Esq. and was married to him at Haddington, in Scotland; but parting with him, she retired with 1,2001. per annum, with power to will away the moiety. She had become acquainted with the Gordons, from having been at school with their mother at Kensington; and owing to the introduction of Mr. Blackett, an apothecary in South Audley-street, her intimacy was renewed

in December last. On Sunday the 15th of January, they dined together, and carried off Mrs. Lee, as will be stated by the subsequent evidence.

Sarah Wesbeach said, that they had lodged with her at Alsop's Buildings; that they were much distressed in circumstances; and, by their direction, she had taken a post-chaise on Sunday evening, which was ordered to drive to Bolton-row, Piccadilly.

Janet Davison proved the forcible carrying off her mistress, as stated in our report of the Bow-street proceedings, which was strengthened by the corroborating evidence of William Martin, Sarah Hunt, George Hunt, Thomas Hardy, and George Bowen.

Mrs. Lee swore to having received the following letters from Lauden and Lockhart Gordon :

"MY DEAREST MADAM,

Jan. 12, 1804.

"If you assent to my proposition, I shall gain an inexhaustible mine of felicity, and you will only lose the pity of the ignorant and the prejudiced. I have been matured in adversity, but have still left the most valuable gift of the mens conscia recti, which can neither be stolen nor purchased. Though my fortune is not great, I have to offer you strength of body and mind. I have consulted my heart, and would have plucked it out had it been unfaithful. I have applied to my reason, in a low and distinct voice, and it has whispered, Faith-the world is unworthy of you, and if there be an union of souls, surely there should be a union of bodies. Consult the God of Nature, and tremble at disobedience. I have obeyed your injunction, and for two days have not seen the splendour, nor felt the vital warmth of that sun, which must either illuminate or destroy me. "LAUDEN GORDON." Jan. 12, 1804.

"DEAR MADAM, "I assent to all Lauden has said in his answer, and if he deceives you, I'll blow his brains out, and then we shall both meet that damnation we shall so richly deserve. Burst the fetters of ceremony, and think that in Lockhart Gordon you have found a heart to feel, a head to conceive, and a hand to execute, what may tend to your happiness. "LOCKHART GORDON."

Mrs. Lee recapitulated the evidence given at Bow-street. On her crossexamination, she admitted that, while in the post-chaise, proceeding on the road to Uxbridge, she drew from her bosom a gold locket and camphire bag, exclaiming, "The charm is dissolved. This has preserved my virtue hitherto, but, throwing them away, added-Now welcome pleasure." She also admitted, that, while at Tetsworth, she said to the chamber-maid, "Tell my husband he may come to bed in ten minutes." The learned Judge (Lawrence) here interposed, and observed it was unnecessary to proceed in the trial any farther, as it was manifest the force had not been carried into the county of Oxford; consequently the crime was not complete. At the same time he considered the conduct of the prisoners disgraceful in the extreme.

The jury then acquitted them; and they were taken from the bar. In their way from the court, the populace greeted them with huzzas, and attempted to take the horses from their carriage; while Mrs. Lee was compelled to take re

DD VOL. XVII.

fuge in a chamber of the Town Hall from their fury. There never was a case that excited so much interest; the Town Hall was surrounded before day light, and the judge, with difficulty, obtained admission into the court. Many persons were bruised by the constables, &c. in their endeavouring to preserve the peace. The trial lasted from eight o'clock in the morning until five in the afternoon. It very much disappointed expectation, as the prisoners were not put on their defence. Great depredations were committed by gangs of pick-pockets from London. Five were lodged in jail. Mrs. Lee declined stating her dream, observing, that Mr. Gordon had a copy of it, and might shew it, if he pleased. A detainer for debt was laid upon Lauden Gordon. The judge advised a prosecution for a common assault.

Mrs. Lee's story affords a very delicate satire upon modern sceptics. This philosophical lady, so much devoted to study and meditation, was much too wise, it seems, to believe in the Christian Religion. Her enlightened mind and vigorous understanding rejected such doctrines, as repugnant to her pure reason. Mark, however, the inconsistency of this female sage. She disbelieved Christianity, but she had a perfect faith that a bit of camphire, attached to a steel necklace, was an all-powerful charm to defend her virtue!-Truly has it been said, that infidels are the most credulous beings on earth, and believe every thing but the Bible.

OPINION OF THE JUDGES IN THE CASE OF ROBERT ASLETT.-Mr. Aslett was put to the bar, and Mr. Baron Hotham proceeded to state the dècision of the judges on this case. After recapitulating the counts in the indictment under which the prisoner was tried and convicted in the last September sessions; he observed, that it was agreed by his counsel, that the papers in question were not valid securities, because they had not been signed by a person properly authorized by Lord Grenville. The judgment of the court was therefore suspended, in order that the objections which occurred to the counsel might be referred to the judges. These objections were ably argued. Eleven of the judges had met in the Exchequer Chamber, and had different conferences on the objections taken by the counsel. These objections resolved into two points. It was in the first place argued, that the prisoner could not be convicted under the 15th of George II. cap. 13, because that was repealed by the late act of the present reign. All the judges, however, were of opinion, that there was nothing in the last act which operated in repeal of the first. The next point contended in the prisoner's favour was, that the papers in question could not be considered as effects, under the statute of George II. but the majority of the judges were of opinion, that they did fall under that act as effects. The clause of that act, which particularly applied to the prisoner, provided, that if any servant or officer of the Bank should embezzle, secrete, or run away with any securities or effects of the Bank, such person is guilty of felony. The great object of the legislature, in framing this act, was to afford additional security to the Bank, an establishment of the first national importance. Considering the statute, therefore, under the large and liberal view with which it had been framed, and disclaiming any intention to strain it to penal purposes, it must be obvious that these exchequer

bills, which were fairly purchased, and had become the property of the Bank for a valuable consideration, were valid securities. It had been maintained that these bills were of no intrinsic value; but it was plain they were of value to the Bank. The defects which existed in the bills were removed by government. They were issued under the authority of an act of parliament; and the holders had an undoubted claim, he would not say upon the honour merely, but upon the justice of government to pay them. These exchequer bills were, therefore, to be considered as valid securities, and they must also be deemed effects, for that term was confined to no particular species of property. But whether they were regarded as securities or as effects, they bore a given value: they were a species of effects for which no one would hesitate to give the value that appeared on the face of them: they were such effects as a bankrupt would be bound to deliver up to his creditor. What would be said of any insolvent debtor who should neglect to put such bills in his schedule, under the pretence that they were not valid securities? Would not every honest mind revolt at such conduct?---It was to be remembered, that the offence with which the prisoner was charged, was not described, either in the act, or in the indictment, as a larceny, but as a felony. It was unnecessary, therefore, to affix any particular value to the effects embezzled. It had been argued, that this construction would lead to the ascribing value to things in which the idea of value would be ridiculous, such as stumps of pens, blotting paper, &c. But the judges were not driven to this extremity. The bills in question were entrusted to the prisoner, as an officer and servant of the Bank, and were valuable securities in the Bank, as government was bound to correct whatever imperfections might exist in them ;---and the majority of the judges were of opinion, that the embezzlement by the prisoner subjected him to the penalty of the act of the 15th of Geo. II.

Mr. Aslett was then removed from the bar. He was dressed in black, and bowed respectfully to the court, on entering and retiring.

MURDER.---At Boudin, in the vicinity of Paris, a shocking crime was lately committed. A landlord of an inn, his wife, children, servants, and travellers, who lodged in his house, in the whole, fourteen individuals, were murdered by some armed persons, who forced their entrance into the house. The landlord had, some few days before, received a sum of sixty-thousand livres. As this happened to be known, some of the neighbours united together to rob him of this money, and to kill every person in the house. A young girl, had, however, the good luck to escape into one of the out-houses, where she concealed herself. She told the police agents, that, among the assassins, she knew the voice of a smith, the neighbour of her father. Upon this, on the following night, these agents, accompanied by some gens d'armes, disguised themselves like waggoners, and pretending to be drunk, knocked at the door of the smith's house, which was besides a petty wine-house, demanding some wine to drink. Being refused admittance, they broke open the house, and found the smith in the cellar, with two of his accomplices, in the very act of dividing the sixty thousand livres.

On Sunday night, Feb. 12, about nine o'clock, while Lady Warren was in her bed-room, at her house on the North Parade, Brighton, her clothes unfortunately caught fire, to extinguish which, she endeavoured to wrap the curtains tightly round her, but they taking fire also, the conflagration soon extended to