864 Interefting Intelligence from the Eaft Indies. "Head Quarters, Camp at Bangalore, March 22, 1 1791. G. A. O. "Lord Cornwallis feels the moft fenfible gratification in congratulating the officers and foldiers of the army on the honourable iffue of the fatigues and dangers which they underwent during the late arduous fiege. "Their alacrity and firmnefs in the exe. cution of their various duties have, perhaps, never been exceeded; and he shall not only think it incumbent upon him to reprefent their meritorious conduct in the strongest colours, but he fhall ever remember it with the fincereft fentiments of esteem and admiration. "The judicious arrangements which were made by Colonel Duft in the artillery department, and his exertions, and thofe of the other officers and the foldiers of that corps in general, in the fervice of the batteries, are entitled to his Lordship's highest pprobation; to which he defires to add, that he thinks himself much obliged to Lieutenant-Colonel Gells, for the able manner in which he directed the fire during the day of the 21ft. "Lord Cornwallis is fo well acquainted with the ardour that pervades the whole army, that he would have been happy, if it had been practicable, to have allowed every corps to have participated in the glory of the enterprize of last night; but it must be obvious to all, that, in forming a difpofition for the affault, a certain portion of troops could only be employed. "The conduct of all the regiments which happened in their tour to be upon duty that evening did credit, in every respect, to their spirit and difcipline; but his Lordship defires to offer the tribute of his particular and warmest praise to the European Grena-, diers and Light Infantry of the army, and to the 36th, 72d, and 76th regiments, who led the attack, and carried the fortrefs, and who, by their behaviour on that occafion, furnished a confpicuous proof, that difciplined valour in foldiers, when directed by zeal and capacity in officers, is irresistible. "The activity and good conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Maxwell, in the command of the Pettah for feveral days previous to the affault of the fort, were, in every refpect highly commendable; but his Lordship defires that he will accept of his particular thanks for the judicious arrangements which be made for the atfault which was committed to his direction, and for the gallantry which he displayed in the execution of them. "He likewife returns his warmeft acknowledgements to Major Skelly, who undertook the command of the corps that commenced the attack of the breach, and who, by animating them by his own example, contributed effentially to our important fuccefs. "Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart may be affured, that Lord Cornwallis will ever retain [Sept. the most grateful remembrance of the valua- "Sir, "I am directed by Lord Cornwallis to tranfmit to you copies of a letter received from Tippoo Sultaun, and of his Lordship's answer to it. "His Lordship defires that copies of them in English and Perfian, for which purpose a Perfian copy is alfo inclosed, be forwarded to the Refidents at Poonah and Hydrabad. "I am, Sir, your most obedient, humble fervant, (Signed) G. F. CHERRY, "Perfian Interpreter to the Governor General. "Camp, Weft of Decunilla, March 29, 1791. "A true copy. "GEORGE PARRY, Act. Dep. Sec." From Tippoo Sultaun. Received March 27, 1791. "Some time ago your Lordship defired that feveral matters fhould be replied to in writing, and fent to you. I embrace this opportunity of writing, that in matters of great importance the fecrets of the hearts cannot be known but by the verbal communication of a perfon of confequence, nor can affairs be adjutted. Therefore, if your Lordfhip pleafes, I will nominate a perfon of confidence, and, vefting him with full authority, will fend him to your prefence, in order that, by perfonal converfations, our antient friendship may gain daily strength. Your Lordship must contider me defirous of your friendship, and must act in a manner that peace may take place between us, the difagreements exifting be removed, and the happiness and quiet of mankind be establifhed. "Dated 22d Rubany Saul Sutty 1218 Mahomed, or the acth Rejeb 1205 Hejery, 27th March, 1791." To Tippoo Sultaun. Written March 27, 1791. "I have received, and have understood the contents of, your letter: (recapitulate that received the 27th March, 1791). "The moderation which always marks the character of the British Government, and and my own personal difpofition and feelings, unite in making me with moft earney for the restoration of the blehngs of peace, 15 foon as a juft reparation can be obtained for the injuries and loifes that the Company and its Allies have fuifered. "If the two Circurs alone were engaged in the prefent war, I thenid not object to receive the perfon of confidence whom you defire to fend to me, and I thou'd liften as favourably to your propofitions as the duty of my station would adroit: but fo direct and expeditious a mode of negociation is not now in my power; for when I found that, by your difregard to all my conciliatory offers, i mult nec Tarily be forced to engage in a war, I entered into the moft folemn treaties with Nizam Ally Khan and the Pethwa, declaring that we would alift each other, and that no one of the Powers would inten feparately to any advances from the enemy, without fubmitting the terms propofed to the general confideration and approbation of the different parties of the confederacy. "I cannot, therefore, confiftent with ho nour and good faith, receive, in the firft in ftance, a perfon of confidence from you, for the purpose of adjusting the feparate terms of peace between you and the Company: but if you fhould think proper to transmit to me, in writing, the propofitions that you are willing to make, as a foundation upon which aegociations may be opened for a reftoration of peace and friendhip between the Company, the Nizam, and the Pethwa, en one tide, and your Circar on the other, 1 thall on my part give them the most ferous confideration, and, after communication with the other Members of the Confederacy, I shall convey to you our joint fentiments upon them. (Signed) "True copies. "G. F. CHERRY, P. I. "True copies. "GEORGE PARRY, A&. Dep. Sec." It is impodible to clofe the military account which recites the death of one of the moft genuine ornaments of the military profettion, without recurring to the aweful theme of fuch a life, and fuch a fae; a life which, as it had rifen to its zenith, and fhone with uncommon fplendor, could only fet with correfpondent glory. Diftinction and honour had ever attended him in the council and in the field of war. Succefs had ever juliified the intuitive fagacity of his mind; and Victory had ever crowned his dauntlefs valour with her choiceft wreaths. He had fought and conquered by the fide of Smith and Coote --he fought, and fell in the arms of Victory, under Medows and Cornvallis. It was his fortune to ferve under the moft illuftrious characters; it was his merit to conciliate their efteem. -Honoured by the confidential frien.hip of his commanders, he was the chofen brother, GENT. MAG. September, 1791. The feaffolding was taken down from the West front of Hereford cathedral the firft week in June. Were it the front of a new church, it would be aired; but it does not, nor ever can, correspond with the Saxon arches in the infi te and other parts of the nave. The work goes on rather better than it has done, but still a great deal remains to be done before the upper part of the nive will be carried on to join the great rower. The magnificent inn and hotel, projected by the Duke of Norfolk, in that city, is, frum a miftake in the estimare, entirely at a stand. On Wednetday the 6th of July, about one o'clock in the morning, the Barb and Brital watchmen were alarmed by a violent ru hing noife in the air, occafioned by an immenfe globe of tire parling in the direction nearly from Eaft to Weit, which illuminated the earth eq tal to the brighteft fall moon. POR NEWS. Letters from Tenerif bring an account of a quarrel that had happened in tnt port hetween a part of the crew of the Difcovery, Captain Vancouver, and the Ratives there, which was fortunately terminated by the fpirited efforts of the Captain and his officers. Mr. Pitt, who accompanied Mr. Rion in the Guardian, was tumbled into the water, but extricated himself, and acted with great 18folution on this occation. By letters from Cowes of the 14th of July, the failing of the ship Pitt, Captain Minning, for Botany Bay, was announced; haying 370 men and 33 women convicts on board, bendes a Company of Rangers railed intentionally for the fecurity of the colony. 866 DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES. Auguft 18. This evening, Mr. Drake. for the Coroner, with fourteen other gentlemen refiding within the verge of the Court, viewed the body of Jame: Sutherland, efq. (fee p. 782,) and immediately afterwards repaired to a public-houfe in St. Martin's-lane, where they examined thofe witneffes who were upon the foot at the time of the unfortunate catatrophe. They had before them his publications, and his letters to the King and the Coroner, which they attentively perused, and deliberated upon for near two hours; when the Coroner received a letter from Mr. Nicholas Harrifon, a ftudent of the Temple, requesting to give his opinion as to the ftate of mind of the deceased. This gentleman was admitted, and, in a pathetic speech, addreffed the Coroner and Jury in a manner that vifibly affected them. He lamented the caufe of his vifit, and faid, he had known Mr. Sutherland for fome years, and was vifited by him at his chambers, where he often appeared to be in a troubled state of mind.He knew him to be a man of the ftrictest honour and the most inflexible integrity.Appearing as an evidence before the Court, it would be improper to give his opinion as to the conduct of perfons in power; but he was forry, and truly forry, to fay, that the neglect which his friend conceived he had met with operated fo powerfully upon his feelin s, as to caufe him to commit the fatal act-an act which had deprived his Majefty of a loyal fubject, and fociety of a worthy member.—He had no doubt as to his intanity, and was confirmed in his opinion by what Mr. S. had aflerted very incoherently a few months ago upon maritime affairs, a fubject which he was well acquainted with, from the fituation he had held fo honourably for many years, a judge of the Admiralty Courts at Minorca and Gibraltar.In the streets he had often teen him walk in great agitation, talking aloud, and brandishing his Rick. But latterly, faid Mr. H. I avoided my friend; as it ill accorded with my feelings to hear the piercing language of neglected merit, especially from fo worthy, fo honourable a character.- -The Court liftened to Mr. H. with much attention, and put feveral queftions to him as to Mr. S's infanity, which many feemed to have fome doubts of.-Mr. H very feelingly gave them fatisfactory antwers. -A letter was alfo prefented from George Ward, efq. an eminent merchant in Broad-treet, requefling allo to give his teftimony as to the infanity of Mr. Sutherland.-This gentleman was ordered in, and confirmed Mr. H's evidence as to the honour and integrity of the deceafed-this he was enabled to do from an acquaintance of thirty years. He had no doubt of his difordered ftate of mind.-Mir. W. was often interrupted with feelings that redound to his honour.--The Court, upon the evidences of thefe gentlemen, immediately brought in the verdict of Lamocy, Auguft 30. [Sept. Tho. Godfrey, John Smith, Pierre Au guftine, Jofeph Hunt, Daniel Rango, John Finch John Mead, and Charles Clarke, were executed at the Old Bailey. Saturday, September 3. This morning, foon after five o'clock, their Majefties, and part of the Royal Fa mily, fet ont for Weymouth The particuLars of all their vifits fhall be duly recorded. Thursday 15. The poft-boy carrying the mail (on horfeback) from Warrington to Manchester, was murdered about a mile from Warrington, the mail opened, and the letters in the Chester hags for Manchester and Rochdale, and the Liverpool and Warrington bags for Roch dale, taken out, and carried away, Monday 19. M. Bailli requested leave to resign his office of Mayor of Paris; but, being preffed by a Deputation from the Municipal Body to withdraw his request for the prefent, he thought proper to comply for a few days. Wednesday 21. The feffions at the Old Bailey ended, when judgement of death was patled upon the following capital convicts, viz. Thomas Playter, Thomas Collis, and Thomas Eaftop, for theep-ftealing; John Simpfon, for stealing in a dwelling-house to the value of forty fhillings; Jolin Portsmouth, William Triftram, and John Kerry, for horse stealing; John Herbert, Thomas Jones, and Robert Clark, for highway robberies.-Thirty were fentenced to be transported beyond the seas for the term of feven years; fourteen to be imprisoned for certain determinate periods in Newgate, and eleven in Clerkenwell Bridewell; eight to be publicly, and five privately, whipped and twenty-three were difcharged by proclamation. Thursday 22. The Drury-lane Company performed in the Opera houfe in the Haymarket. There was much clamour and fome disturbance at first, owing to fome inconveniences attending the alterations in the houfe, and chiefly the entrances: which being foon got over, a fcene was introduced of Parnaffus, which was painted and contrived in a very grand ftyle; and Melf. Dignum and Sedgwick fung the Air.-The Haunted Tower then began; and the audience, restored to good-humour, onoured the whole performance with the loudeft plaudits. Thursday 29. This day John Hopkins, efq. was, in due rotation, elected Lord Mayor of London. Friday 30. By a gentleman just arrived from Paris, we are informed, that a letter, faid to be written by the Ex-Princes of France to the French King, has lately been circulated in Paris, and other parts of the kingdom, in which they ftrongly proteft against the proceedings of the National Allembly and the New Confti-. tution. P. 685. the physicians in that city; who had the goodness to fupply him with every thing ne ceffary for his living and ftudying in the univerfity there. Dr. B. looked on this gentleman as his Mecenas; and the poem placed at the entrance to his works was a tribute of gratitude addreffed to him, in imitation of the firft ode of Horace to his great patron. He had got fome rudiments of Latin in his youth, but could not eafily read a Latin author till he was near twenty, when Dr. Stevenfon put him to a grammar-fchool in Edinburgh. He afterwards ftudied in that univerfity; where he not only perfected himself in Latin, but alfo went through all the best Greek authors with a very lively pleafure. He was mafter of the French lan- guage, which he acquired by his intimacy in the family of Mr. Provost Alexander, whofe lady was a Parifian.-After he had followed his ftudies at Edinburgh for four years, he retreated into the country, on the breaking-out of the rebellion, in 1745; and it was during this recefs that he was prevailed on by fome of his friends to publish a little collection of his poems at Glasgow. When that tempeft was blown over, and the calm entirely restored, he returned again to the Univerfity of Edinburgh, and purfued his ftudies there for fix years more. The fecond edition of his poems was published by him there, in the beginning of 1754, very much improved and enlarged; and they might have been much more numerous than they were, had he not fhewn a great deal more nicenefs and delicacy than is ufual, and kept feveral pieces from the prefs for reasons which feemed much stronger to himself than they did to his friends, fome of whom were concerned at his excefs of fcrupuloufnefs, and much withed not to have had him deprived of fo much reputation, nor the world of fo many poetical beauties as abounded in them. Dr. B, during his ten years ftudies at the univerfity, "not only acquired," as Mr. Hume wrote to a friend, "a great knowledge in the Greek, Latin, and French languages, but also made a confiderable progress in all the fciences;" and (what is yet more extraordinary) attained a confiderable excellence in poetry; though the chief inlets for poetical ideas were barred-up in him, and all the vifible beauties of the creation had been long fince totally blotted out of his memory. How far he contrived, by the uncommon force of his genius, to compenfate for this vaft defect; with what elegance and harmony he often wrote; with how much propriety, how much fenfe, and how much emotion, are things as eafy to be perceived in reading his poems, as they would be difficult to be fully accounted for. Confidered in either of these points, he will appear to have a great share of merit; but if throughly confidered in all together, we are very much inclined to say (with his friend Mr. Hume), "he may be regarded as a prodigy."-Of his P.685. Dr. Blacklock, who is characterised by Mr. Spence as "one of the most extraordinary characters that has appeared in this or any other age," was born at Annan, in ScotJand, in 1721. His father (a poor tradefman) and his mother were natives of the county of Cumberland, where his paternal ancestors lived from time immemorial. They generally followed agriculture; and were diftinguifhed for a knowledge and humanity above their fphere. His father had been in good circumstances, but was reduced by a series of misfortunes. His mother was daughter of Mr. Rich. Rae, an extensive dealer in cattle, a confiderable bufinefs in that county; and was equally esteemed as a man of fortune and importance. Before young B. was fix months old, he was totally deprived of his eye-fight by the fmall-pox. His father (who by his fon's account of him must have been a particularly good man) had intended to breed him up to his own or fome other trade; but as this misfortune rendered him incapable of any, all that this worthy parent could do was to fhew the utmoft care and attention that he was able toward him in fo unfortunate a fituation; and this goodness of his left fo strong an impreffion on the mind of his fon, that he ever fpoke of it with the greatest warmth of gratitude and affection. What was wanting to this poor youth, from the lofs of his fight and the narrowness of his fortune, feems to have been repaid him in the goodness of his heart, and the capacities of his mind. He very early fhewed a ftrong inclination to poetry in particular. His father and a few of his other friends ufed often to divert him by reading; and, among other things, they read feveral paffages out of our poets. These were his chief delight and entertainment. He heard them nc. only with an uncommon pleasure, but with a fort of congenial enthusiasm; and, from loving and admiring, he foon began to imitate them. Among thefe early ellays of his genius there was one which is inferted in his works. It was compofed when he was but twelve years old; and has fomething very pretty in the turn of it; and very promifing, for one of fo tender an age.-In 1740, his father, being informed that a kiln belonging to a fon-in-law of his was giving way, his folicitude for his interest made him venture in below the ribs, to fee where the failure lay, when the principal beam coming down upon him, with eighty bufhels of malt, which were upon the kiln at that time, he was in one moment crushed to death. Young B. had at this time attained his nineteenth year; and as this misfortune neceffarily occafioned his falling into more hands than he had ever before been used to, it was from that time that he began, by degrees, to be fomewhat more talked of, and his extraordinary talents more known. About a year after, he was fent for to Edinburgh, by Dr. Steventon, a man of taste, and one of moral 868 Biographical Memoirs of the late Dr. Blacklock. moral character Mr. Hume obferved, “that his modefty was equal to the goodness of his difpofition, and the beauty of his genius;" and the author of the account prefixed to his works, fpenking of the pieces which Dr. B. would not fufter to be printed, and which, he faid, abounded with fo many poetical beauties that nothing could do him greater honour, correcting himself, added, "yet I most fill except his private character, which, were it generally known, would recommend him more to the public esteem than the united talents of an accomplished writer."-Among his particular virtues, one of the fuft to he admired was his eafe and contentedness of mind under fo many circumstances, a ene, almost, of which might he thought capable of depreffing it. Confidering the meannefs of his birth, the lowness of his fituation, the defpicableness (at least as he himself fo fpoke of it) of his perfon, the narrowness and difficulties of his fortane, and, above all, his to early lofs of fight, and his incapacity. from thence, of any way relieving himfeif under all these burthens, it may be reckoned no fmall degree of virtue in him, even not to have been generally difpirited and complainmg. Fach of thefe humiliating circumft inces he fpoke of in fome part or other of his poems; but what he dwelt upon with the most lafting caft of melancholy was his lofs of fight; but this is in a piece written when his fpirits were particularly depreffed by an incident that very nearly threatened his life, from which he had but juft escaped with a great deal of culty, and with all the terrors of fo great a danger, and the dejection occafioned by them, juft freth upon his mind. See the beginning of his Soliloquy, p. 153; a poem (as he there fays) occafioned by his efcape from falling into a deep well, where he must have been irrecoverably loit, if a favourite lap dog had not (by the found of its feet upon the board with which the well was covered) warned him of his danger. In the fame melancholy poem he feelingly expreffed his dread of filing into extreme want: "Dejecting profpect!-foon the hapless hour Maycome-perhaps, this moment it impends! Which drives me forth to penury and cold; Naked, and best by all the forms of Reaven; Friendlets, and guidelefs to explore my way: Tili on cold earth this poor, unthelter'd head Reclining, vaidy from the ut lefs blaft Retpite I beg, and, in the shock, expire." His good fenfe and religion enabled him to get the better of thefe tears, and of all his other cal mitics, in his calmer hours; and, indeed, in this very poem (which is the moft gloomy of any he had written), he feemed to have a gleam of light fall in upon his mind, and recovered imfelf enough to exprefs his hopes that the care of Providence, which had hitherto always protected him, would again interfere, and dulipate the clouds that were gathering over hum. Towards the close of the fame piece, he thewed not only that he [Sept. was fatisfied with his own condition, but that he could difcover fome very great bletfings in it; and through the general course of his other poems one may difcern fuch a juftness of thinking about the things of this world, and fuch an eafy and contented turn of mind, as was every way becoming a good Chriftian and a good philofopher. This was the charafter given of our author by Mr. Spence, who, in the year 1754, took upon himself the patronage of Dr. Blacklock, and fuccefffully introduced him to the notice of the publick. In that year he published a pamphlet, intituled, "An Account of the Life, Character, and Poems of Mr. Blacklock, Student of Philofophy in the University of Edinburgh," 8vo; which, with fome improvements, was prefixed to a quarto edition of Dr. Blacklock's Poems, published by fubfcription. By this publication a confiderable fum of money was obtained, and foon after our poet was fixed in an eligible fituation in the University of Edinburgh. In his dedication of the fecond part of "Paraclefis" to Mr. Spence, he fays, "It is to your kind patronage that I owe my introduction to the republick of letters; and to your benevolence, in fome measure, my present comfortable fituation.” In 1760 he continbured fome poems to a Scotch collection published at Edinburgh in that year; and being there ftyled "the Rev. Mr. Blacklock," appears he had then entered into holy orders. About 1766 he obtained the degree of D. D.; and in 1767 published "Paraclefis; or, Confolations deduced from Natural and Revealed Religion, in Two Differtations," 8vo. in 1768 he printed “Two Difcourfes on the Spirit and Evidences of Christianity," tranflated from the French of Mr. James Armand, and dedicated to the Rev. Moderator of the General Affembly," 8vo.; and in 1774 produced " The Graham; au Heroic Pallad, in Four Cantos," 4to. In 1776 appeared "Remarks on the Nature and Extent of Liberty, as compatible with the Genius of Civil Societies; on the Principles of Government, and the proper Limits of its Powers in Free States; and on the Juftice and Policy of the American War; occationed by porufing the Obfervations of Dr. Price on thefe Subjects. Edinburgh." 8vo. This, we have been affured, was writ ten by our author; who at length, at the age of 70, died on the 14th of July laft. P.781. The character of Mr. Tulke, we are defired to fay, on the authority or those who knew him heft, is totally mitreprefented by the ill-timed malice of fome illiberal perfon, whom, in fome concerns of an extenfive bufinéfs, Mr. T. had probably offended. P. 782. While the late unfortunate Mr. Sutherland is the fubject of conversation, it may not be uninteresting to the world to learn, what it is but justice to his memory to publifh, the opinions of him, which, for a felles of years, have been entertained by all thefe |