Some Account of the new Entertainment, called a Regatta, introduced from Venice into England, in the Courfe of the Year 1775.

N Friday the 23d of June, preparations were made in the morning for the celebration of this long-expected fhow. Before noon feveral of the companies' and great numbers of pleafure-barges were moored in the river, with flags, &c. Half a guinea was afked for a feat in a common barge.

Early in the afternoon, the whole river from London bridge to the Ship tavern, Milbank, was covered with veffels of pleafure, and there feemed to be a general combination to make a gay evening.-Above 1200 flags were flying before four o'clock; and fuch was the public impatience, that fcores of barges were filled at that time.-Scaffolds were erected on the banks and in vefiels; and even on the top of Westminster hall there was an erection of that kind. Veffels were moored in the river, for the fale of liquors, and other refreshments.

Before five o'clock, Westminster bridge was covered with fpectators, in carriages and on foot, and men even placed them felves in the bodies of the lamp-irons. Plans of the regatta were fold from a fhiling to a penny each, and fongs on the occafion fung, in which Regatta was the rhyme for Ranelagh, and Royal Family echoed to Liberty.

The tops of the houses were covered, and the fafhes of many windows taken out; and perhaps there was not one boat difengaged whofe owner chofe to work. Before fix o'clock it was a perfect fair on both fides the water, and bad liquor, with fhort meafure, was plentifully retailed. The bells of St. Martin's were rung in the morning, and thofe of St. Margaret's during the afternoon.

Soon after fix,

The whole river formed a fplendid fcene, which was proportionably more fo nearer to Westminster bridge. A river barge, ufed to take in ballaft, was, on this occafion, filled with the finest ballast in the world-above 100 elegant ladies.-The avenues to the bridge were covered with gambling-tables. Occafional conftables guarded every paffage to the water-fide, and took money for admiffion, from half a crown to a penny. drums, fifes, horns, trumpets, &c. formed feveral little concerts under the feveral arches of the bridge. This was fucceeded by firing of cannon from a platform before the Duke of Richmond's, who, as well as his Grace of Montague, and the Earl of Pembroke, had fplendid companies on the occafion. At half paft feven, the Lord Mayor's barge moved, and falling down the ftream made a circle towards the bridge, on which 21 cannon were fired as a falute; and just before it reached the bridge the wager-boats

started,

ftarted, on the fignal of firing a fingle piece of cannon. They were abfent near 50 minutes; and on their return, the whole proceffion moved, in a picturefque irregularity, towards Ranelagh. The Thames was now a floating town. All the cutters, failing-boats, &c. in fhort, every thing, from the dung-barge to the wherry, was in motion.

The company landed at the stairs about nine o'clock, when they joined the affembly which came by land, in the Temple of Neptune, a temporary octagon kind of building, erected about 20 yards below the rotunda, lined with ftriped linen of the different coloured flags of the navy, with light pillars near the centre, ornamented with ftreamers of the fame kind loofely flowing, and luftres hanging between each. -It happened, however, that this building was not fwept out, or even finished, when the company affembled, which prevented the cotillion dancing till after fupper. This room difcovered great talte; but we cannot reconcile the temple of Neptune's being fupplied with muficians in Sylvan habits.

At half after ten the rotunda was opened for fupper, which difcovered three circular tables, of different elevations, elegantly fet out, tho' not profufely covered. The rotunda was finely illuminated with party-coloured lamps, and thofe difplayed with great tafle and delicacy; the centre was folely appropriated for one of the fulleft and fineft bands of mufic, vocal and inftrumental, ever collected in these kingdoms; the number being 240, in which were included the first mafters, led by Giardini; and the whole directed by Mr. Simpfon, in a manner that did him great credit.

It was opened with a new grand piece compofed for the occafion, after which various catches and glees were admirably fung by Mefirs. Vernon, Reinhold, &c. &c. But the illumination of the orchestra had been unfortunately overlooked, which gave that part of the defign a gloomy appearance.

Supper being over, a part of the company retired to the temple, where they danced minuets, cotillions, &c. without any regard to precedence; while others entertained themfelves in the great room. Several temporary ftractures were erected in the gardens, fuch as bridges, palm-trees, &c. &c. which were intended to difcover fomething novel in the illumination ftyle, but the badness of the evening prevented their being exhibited.

The company confifted of about 2000, among whom were the neft perfonages of diftinction, viz. their Royal Highneffes the Dukes of Gloucester and Cumberland, Duke of Northumberland, Lords North, Harrington, Stanley, Tyrconnel, Lincoln, their refpective Ladies, &c. alfo Lords Lyttelton, Coleraine, Carlisle, March, Milbourne, Cholmondeley, Peterfham, &c. the French, Spanish, Prufian, Ruffian, and Neapolitan ambaffadors, &c. &c.

His Royal Highnefs the Duke of Gloucefter, accompanied by Lord Cholmondeley, the Duchefs of Bolton, and her fifter, went on board his Royal Highness's barge, at Somerfet Stairs, to fee the regatta.

The Duke of Cumberland, accompanied by the Hon. Mifs Luttrell, the Ladies Ferrers, Ranelagh, &c. went on board his Royal Highnefs's barge, at Someriet Stairs,

and

and was rowed to Westminster bridge to fee the regatta. The royal ftandard was hoisted on board the barge.

A State of the Dispute between the Count de Guines, Ambajador from Count de Guines, Ambafador from the Court of France, against his late Secretaries the Sieurs Tort

and Roger, and the Sieur Delpech, with the Decifion of the Judges *.

The Count's State of the Matter.

T

HE Count, on being appointed ambaffador to the court of London, at the commencement of the difpute between the courts of London and Madrid refpecting Falkland's lands, employed the Sieur Tort as his chief fecretary for private affairs, and the Sieur Roger as his deputy. The former of thefe, with one Delpech, and a teacher of French in London, he declares to have been concerned together in fraudulently smuggling goods into England, under his name. But this trade, however beneficial, was not, it feems, fufficient to gratify the avarice of the Sieur Tort. He prefently formed an acquaintance with a woman, who affumed the title of Countess of Moriencourt, and who was intimately connected with Mr. Salvadore the Jew, and with a number of ftockjobbers. To them, and to the Sieurs Herzuello and Morphy, the Sieur Bordieu, the Sieur Chollet, the Sieur Theluffon, and others, he

received by Prince Mafferano in It was by an anonymous letter, March, 1771, that the Count first obtained intelligence that Tort had the fmalleft connection with the public funds: in which clandeftine practice, be it at the fame time remarked, the Sieur Roger, and one Vauchon, who alfo belonged to the ambaffador's fuite, were concerned with him; in the belief, as they protefted, that it was not without his excellency's approbation.

From this period, the Sieur Tort was denied all access to the ambaffador's difpatches; and, from this period, all his tranfactions in the Alley, and those of his affociates, were fo abfurdly conducted, that they could not poffibly have been directed by one in his fecrets. The object of their fpeculations was, to lower the funds, when they ought to have raised them: instead of gaming on the certainty of a peace, they gamed on the certainty of a war; and the 19th of April convinced them of their error, by bringing events to light, of which the Count, in his public character, had received authentic information a confiderable time before. Stocks rofe confiderably; and, on the 20th,

the

the Sieur Tort, having obtained leave fome time before to pafs a few days in the country with certain merchants of his acquaintance, eloped to France. On the 21ft, the Countess of Morien court waited upon his Excellency, to whom the was an utter ftranger, and, with great agitation, begged to know if he could inform her where the Sieur Tort was; adding, that doubtless he could not be ignorant of the vaft fums, which, by Tort's orders, Mr. Salvadore had funk for his Excellency in the Alley. This vifit of the Countess opened the whole fcene of impofture; and as it then appeared, that the Sieurs Roger and Vauchon were acceffary to it, the ambaffador inftantly difmiffed them both.

His Excellency omitted no meafare which might remove a poffibility of doubt of his own innocence, and bring to justice the of fender Tort, whofe guilt appeared every day more flagrant. The firft intelligence received of him was, that he was at Montreuil, where Salvadore, by appointment, prefently joined him. There they had a long private conference together; and from Montreuil they were traced to Chantilly, where a fecond conference took place, and where Salvadore left Tort, and fet out for Paris. From Chantilly, the latter wrote a letter to his Excellency, expreffing, among other things, his contrition for what was paft, and his hopes of meriting forgiveness, by his future conduct.

In order to facilitate the apprehending of him, the Ambaffador immediately tranfmitted the contents of this letter to the Duke de la Vrilliere, then minifter for fo

reign affairs. As for Salvadore, on his arrival in Paris, he sent for the Sieur Boyer, the Count's homme d' affaires, and told him, that the Count de Guines owed him 85,000 livres, which, by his Excellency's private directions, he had funk for him in the English funds; that he was well affured the Sieur Boyer would reimburse him; and that, for particulars, he referred him to M. Tort, at Chantilly. The Sieur Boyer accordingly went thither; and Tort, thinking to intimidate him, complained aloud of the Ambaffador, and faid, he had facrificed himself to his interefts. Borne away by paffion, however, he inadvertently added, that, if his Excellency gave him a ftab before his face, be would give bis Excellency a ftab behind his back, which he little expected.

At length an order was iffued by the Duke de Vrilliere to arrest Tort; of which, receiving information from Delpech, who then refided at Paris, he tole away from Chantilly to the capital; where, from a counter information of the fame Delpech, he was apprehended on the 28th of April, and committed to the Baftille. On the 30th of June the Duke de la Vrilliere wrote to the Ambafador, requetting his opinion, whether the banishing Tort from Paris, to the distance of zo leagues, would be a proper punishment for him?-His Excellency infifted on more feverity; and, while matters were in this uncertainty, the Duke d'Aguillon fucceeded to the department of foreign affairs. From this minifter the Count unexpectedly received letters of recall, at the end of Auguft; and, on his return, was informed, to his utter aftonin