1757. The MONTHLY CHRONOLOGER.

deen. The length of this fish was 62 feet, 45 inches in circumference, and the breadth of hertail 16 feet: The under jaw meafires in length nine feet and a half. They had a few days before at Aberdeen the moft terrible form of wind that has been known for many years: The ftorm began betwixt nine and ten at night, and continued with prodigious violence till about three in the morning, when it began to abate: Numbers of chimney tops were blown down, and most of the inhabitants, dreading to be buried in the ruins, forfook their houses, and retired either to the fields, or to fuch broad places in the town where they could remain in fafety: The steeple of the town-house is fo much bent to one fide, that it is thought it cannot ftand. In the morning there was a fevere ftorm of hail, fome of the ftones being as large as hazle nuts.

Bofton, Dec. 13. Capt. Bryant, from the bay of Honduras, informs us, that the Spaniards had demolished the fort we had built at the mouth of the river, and thrown the cannon (18 in number) into the fea: That they had fitted out a guarda colta of 12 guns, to take all veffels that had logwood on board, and that the bad actually taken two veffels belonging to New-York.

New-York, Dec. 17. Letters from the bay of Honduras inform us, that, on the 13th of October, a craft arrived there from the Musketo fhore, the fkipper of which gave an account, that one capt. Garrison in a brig, and capt. Creamer in a floop, were both taken a few days before, and carried into Port-Maho. The fame skip per alfo reported, that a body of the Spaniards having landed at Bluefields, on the Musketo fhore, were about erecting a fortification, when the Mufketo Indians came upon them, and the Spaniards, apprehenfive of being overpowered, beat a parley, which the Indians confented to; but while they were parlying, the Spaniards treacheroufly endeavoured to furround them, and cut them off: The Indians, armed with their lances, and feeing death before them, refolutely fell upon the Spaniards, cut two thirds of them to pieces, and took three of their principals prifoners, putting the others to fight. The Indians afterwards towed the three prifoners acrois Bluefield river at the ferns of their canoes, and then tied them to trees, and thot at them with their blunt arrows, gradually to put them to death.

Albany, Oct. 13. This day I received a letter from fort Edward, dated 09. 12, which fays, that 15 French defeater, have come to Fort-William-Henry, who give

99

out that the French army is in a starving condition, and dying by hundreds. Extract of a Letter from Albany, dated

Νον. 19.

"Undoubtedly you have heard that all our operations against the enemy, for the feafon, are at an end; and that our forces are going into winter quarters, certain intelligence having been received, that the French general has ordered his forces into quarters fome weeks ago, the weather beginning to grow very fharp. Our fort Edward is rendered extremely ftrong, infomuch that the 500 men left in gairifon there, are thought fuflicient to keep off any number of men, the enemy can bring against it. Fort-William-Henry is alfo well formed, and left garrifoned with 500 men more; and fuch a communication is eftablished between them, that, any attack made upon either, affiftance from the other may be obtained in a trifle of time, and it is fo ordered, that should the enemy come, they are fure of being engaged between two fires. We have heard of no late depredations of the enemy on our frontiers. General Johnfon left this city a few days ago for the Onondago country. Lord Loudon is now here. We have a fine long range of barracks here, compleatly finished for the comfort of our foldiers."

Philadelphia, Nov. 25. Friday laft his honour the governor, with the gentlemen that accompanied him, returned from Eafton, having concluded a peace with the Delaware Indians that live on Sufquehanna.

The number of chriftenings in Paris, during the last year, is 19,412; burials 20,021; marriages 4501; and foundling children 4273.

The French king is fo well recovered of the wound given by Damien, the affa!fin (fee p. 45.) that he has refumed the reins of government, which had been trufted in the hands of the dauphin, during his recefs. It appears, that moniter has been a fervant in many houfes in Paris, and turned out of every one of them for pilfering: His name is Robert Francis Damien; he was born in 1714, at Arras; in 1738, he was married, and has a daugh ter by this marriage, who is in the 19th year of her age. His brother, who is fervant to M. Aubin, councellor of thparliament, is taken into cuftody. His f ther is ftill living, and in the 85th year his age: He has another brother fettled St. Omers, and a fifter at Aras. The particulus were gathered from his wife a daughter, who are confined in the Co N 2 ciergi

100

Account of Damien.-Letters to Admiral BYNG.

ciergerie. The procefs against him was
begun at Verfailles, and many perfons (it is
prefumed by his evidence, drawn from him
by his tortures) have been sent to the Baf-
tile and other prifons. He was brought from
Verfailles to Paris on the 18th of Jan. at
three in the morning, in a coach, under a
ftrong guard, orders being previously iffued,
that no perfon should stand on the road,
or look out at a door or window to fee
him pafs, on pain of being fired at by
the guards, who had orders for that pur-
pofe. On his arrival, he was carried to
the Conciergerie, where he is guarded
and watched with the utmost attention,

feveral detachments of the French guards
doing duty alternately there, and fome of
the fubaltern officers of that corps being
continually prefent with him. An iron
bed was prepared in this prifon for him,
conftructed in fuch a manner, that it might
ferve alternately as a bed, and an elbow-
chair: He is bound to this bed by the
legs and arms, and the middle of his bo-
dy, with ftrong chains. On his being
afked, whether he did not expect all
kinds of tortures for the execrable act he
undertook; he made anfwer, that he had
fufficiently thought of it; but what pained
him moft was the boiling oil poured into
the incifions made in his arms and legs.
It is faid, that he has endeavoured to de-
ftroy himself, but is deprived of all means
of doing it. The next day after his be-
ing brought to Paris, the peers of France
went to the parliament, to affift in the pro-
cefs against him. The torture by fire
which he was put to, produced fuch ul-
cers in one of his legs, as to threaten a
mortification. By the laft advices from
Paris we have accounts, that he attempted
to bite off his tongue, on which they had
drawn out all his teeth. His brother is
dead in the Baftile. Under all his tor-
tures, of different kinds, he has fupported
himself with amazing courage and refo-
lution, and feems to be poffeffed by a
mixture of libertinifin and fanaticifm,
which actuate him, by turns, to strange
extravagancies of language and geiture.
His punishment, in all probability, will
be feverely exemplary, and, if we may
credit our lateft accounts, very speedy,
after which no doubt, we fhall be able to
gratify our readers curiofity, with a fuller
account of every thing relating to this
defperate wretch.

Tranflation of the Letter from the Marshal
Duke de Richlieu, with Voltaire's Letter
to Admiral Byng, in which it was in-
lojed, both which were fent to the Court-

Feb.

Martial at Portfmouth, at the Time of bis Trial.

Aux delices pres de Geneve, Jan. 3, 1757-
SIR,

ΤΗ

HO' I am almost unknown to you,
fend you
I think it is my duty to

the copy of the letter which I have just
received from the marshal duke of Rich-
lieu: Honour, humanity, and equity, or-
der me to convey it into your hands. This
noble and unexpected teltimony from one
of the most candid, as well as the moft
generous of my countrymen, makes me
the fame
prefume your judges will do
justice.

you

I am with respect, Sir, &c.

To the Hon. J. Byng, Efq;

SIR,

VOLTAIRE.

AM very fenfibly concerned for admi

The

ral Byng; I do affure you, whatever I have feen or heard of him, does him honour. After having done all that man could reafonably expect from him, he ought not to be cenfured for fuffering a defeat. When two commanders contend for victory, tho' both are equally men of honour, yet one must neceffarily be worsted, and there is nothing against Mr. Byng but his being worfted, for his whole conduct was that of an able feaman, and is justly worthy of admiration. ftrength of the two fleets was at least equal; the English had 13 fhips, and we 12, much better equipped, and much cleaner. Fortune that prefides over all battles, and efpecially thofe that are fought at sea, was more favourable to us than to our adverfaries, by fending our balls into their ships with greater execution. I am perfuaded, and it is the generally received opinion, that if the English had obftinately continued the engagement, their whole fleet would have been destroyed.

In fhort, there can be no higher act of injuftice than what is now attempted a-, gainst admiral Byng, and all men of honour, and all gentlemen of the army, are particularly interested in the event.

RICHLIEU.

I received this letter from marshal duke de Richlieu, the 1st of January, 1757, in witness of which 1 have figned my name,

VOLTAIRE.

MARRIAGES and BIRTHS.

Jan. 27. G Brentwood, Efq; was

EORGE Knowles, of

married to Mifs Anne Norton.

Oliver

1757.

MARRIAGES and BIRTHS, DEATHS.

Oliver Coghill, Efq; to Mifs Anne Hucks, of Bloomsbury.

31. Mr. Woolley, to Mifs Judith Clive, fifter to the brave col. Clive, governor of St. David's fort, in the East-Indies.

Feb. 3. Right Hon. lord vifc. Gage, to Mifs Gideon, fecond daughter of Sampfon Gideon, of Belvidere, in Kent, Efq; Geo. Crafter, Efq; to Mifs Sharpe, of Lincoln's-Inn Fields, with a fortune of 30,000l.

17. Andrew Pope, of Bristol, Efq; to Mifs Coningham.

Hewar Exburgh, of Emneth, in Norfolk, Efq; to Mifs Hafeldin.

18. Richard Charlton, Efq; to Mifs Radcliffe.

22. Montague Grover, Efq; to Mifs Moody.

Jan. 31. Lady Charlotte Maddan, was delivered of a daughter.

Lady of Henry Compton, Efq; of a fon. Feb. 4. Countefs of Dartmouth, of a fon.

9. Lady of Arthur Onflow, jun. Efq;

of a fon.

14. Lady of Edward Deering, Efq; of a fon.

17. Lady Cranstoun, of a fon.

18. The lady of the primate of Ireland, of a daughter.

Jan. 20.

R

DEATHS.

EV. Mr. Robert Keith, at Bonny-haugh, near Edinburgh, who was preceptor to the late earl marefchal, and his brother, the famous veldt-marshal James Keith.

Ifabel Darling, of Newcastle upon Tyne, aged 111, who has left a daughter aged 88. The learned Mr. Thomas Ruddiman, of Edinburgh.

28. The wife of capt. Rodney, a daughter of the late Hon. Cha. Compton. James Potter, of Warwickshire, Efq; at Bath.

William Anderfon, of Tetbury, in Gloucestershire, Efq;

29. John Stokes, of Eye, in Suffolk, Efq; aged above 100 years.

Hon. Mr. Arundel, only fon and heir of lord Arundel, of Wardour.

Capt. Edw. Spragge, of Greenwich, grandfon of the brave admiral, Sir Edw. Spragge, killed in the last Dutch war.

31. Mr. John Hildyard, an eminent bookfeller at York.

Tho. Barrett, of Lee, in Kent, Efq; Feb. 1. John Bromfield, of Gerrardftreet, Efq; aged 80.

John Polhill, Efq; fon of Charles Polhill, Efq; a commiffioner of the Excife.

4. William Sharpley, of Knockall, in

ΙΟΙ

the county of Rofcommon, in Ireland, aged 138 years. He worked at lathmaking till within fix weeks of his death.

5. Right Hon. Horatio Walpole, lord Walpole, of Woolterton, in Norfolk, a teller of the Exchequer, auditor general of the plantations, a lord of the privy council, and F. R. S. brother to the late Sir Robert Walpole, earl of Orford. He is fucceeded, in title and eftate, by his eldeft fon, Horatio, now lord Walpole.

6. John Effingham, an old foldier, near Penryn, in Cornwall, aged 104. 9. Clement Dorrington, of Devonshire, Efq;

10. Hon. capt. William Montague, brother to the earl of Sandwich.

11. Mr. Robert Mohun, an eminent linen-draper in Cheapfide, and a commoncouncil man of the ward of Farringdon within.

12. Rev. Dr. John Clarke, dean of Sarum, and prebendary of Norwich; younger brother to the late celebrated Dr. Samuel Clarke, of St. James's Westminfter, aged 70.

Rev. Dr. Reeve, archdeacon of Huntingdon.

13. Mr. Richard Clements, an eminent bookfeller at Oxford.

Matthew Bacon, of the Temple, Efq; counsellor at law.

14. Thomas Bettefworth, of the InnerTemple, Efq;

James Wallis, of Great Ormond-street,

Efq;

Jofeph Mufgrave, of Great Ruffelftreet, Bloomsbury, Efq;

Major general Edward Richbell, colonel of a regiment of foot.

16. Dr. Schaw, an eminent phyfician, of Great Ruffel-ftreet, Bloomsbury.

Charles French, Efq; at Port-Royal, in Jamaica.

Dr. Theophilus Metcalfe, an eminent phyfician at Oxford.

Charles Fanfhaw, Efq; a halfpay rear

admiral.

John Fenwick, of Burrow-hall, in Lancashire, Efq;

20. Thomas Beckford, Efq; uncle to the alderman.

The lady of Sir Lodowick Grant, Bart. Peter Defchamp, of Mark-lane, Efq; 21. The relict of the late governor Matthew.

23. George Payne, of New Palaceyard, Efq;

At Paris, Jan. 9. Mr. Bernard le Bouges de Fontenelle, dean of the French academy, aged 99 years, 11 months,, and 12 days. He was fellow of the Royal

Society

PROMOTIONS, BANKRUPTS, &c. Feb.

Society of London, and of the Royal Academy at Berlin, and justly celebrated for his elegant writings.

ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS.

The Monthly Catalogue for Jan. and Feb. 1757.