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66] ANNUAL REGISTER

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public of Genoa, was at dinner with him, when one of the company at table told the duke that he did not like his wine, which had a particular taste, and whilst the duke was answering him, M. de Sorba fell down dead, without uttering a word."
 Capt. Lamire, commander of the Heureux, on the 26th of April last, being in the lat. of one deg. 2 min. and 21 deg. 28 min. long w. reckoning from Teneriff, several of his crew, and a great number of negroes on board, were seized with a disorder in their eyes, many of whom were blind for ten or twelve days: nine lost their sight entirely, and seven or eight the sight of one eye only. Accidents of this kind, it is said, are not unprecedented in latitudes so near the line, but the great number affected at the same time exceeds any thing that ever was heard of before. The Right Hon. the Earl of Harcourt took leave of his majesty, previous to his departure on his embassy to the court of France. [["8th." is wrapped within the text]]
 Madrid, Dec. 3. An ordinance is just published which prohibits the bringing in cotton velvets, and all stuffs in general that have cotton in them, into any of the King's dominions in Spain and the Indies. The merchants are allowed three months to dispose of the goods of this kind that they have by them; and after the expiration of twenty-two months, the wear of those stuffs is entirely prohibited under severe penalties. 
 Dantzick, Dec. 4. The king of Prussia has trebled the tax he had laid on all the lands in Polish Prussia. General Tadden not long ago sent a lieutenant to Marienbourg, to receive from the burgomaster of that city an account of the numbers of its inhabitants, and upon this magistrate's refusing to comply, the Prussian general sent 40 men to his house to live there at discretion.
 Paris, Jan. 7. A few days ago died, of the gout in his stomach, Mr. Helvetius, one of the most esteemed geniuses of the present age, much regretted by every body, but particularly by the learned world. He is said to have left behind him several posthumous works.
 the explosion of the powdermills was very sensibly perceived in many parts of Gloucestershire. The windows rattled and the pewter was shaken on the shelves in several houses about Froster and Frampton; it was heard also in and about the city of Gloucester. A man travelling through the Forest of Deane about ten o'clock on Monday, heard a noise like four distinct claps of thunder. People from Worcester and other places bring an account of its being perceived in different manners in those parts of the country. From what can be collected, it was felt about ten o'clock in the morning; but the clocks in that country are a quarter of an hour later than in London. 
The French ambassador Count de Guignes arrived at his house on 14th Great George-street. It was given out, on his departure, that he would never return, on account of the fire at Portsmouth.
A chapter of the order of the Bath was held at 15th St James's, to fill up the vacancies therein, by the deaths of the Duke of Chandos and Sir Francis Blake Delaval; when the Hon. William Hamilton, Esq. his majesty's minister at the court of Naples, and Sir Charles Hotham, were elected, and invested with the ensigns of the paid order.
The sessions ended at the Old Bailey. At the sessions eleven received sentence of death; forty-four were caught for transportation for seven years; two were branded; and three whipped. 
The trial of the coiners is put off till next session, on account of some more fresh discoveries being made.
Among those capitally convicted, was Joseph Sloper, a servant in the general Post-Office, for stealing two half guineas out of a letter; but judgment was respited. 
The trial of the four men for robbing Sir Robert Ladbroke, lasted near five hours, the summing up of the evidence by Mr. Justice Willes another hour. after which the jury withdrew for about twelve minutes, and then gave in their verdict, finding the four principals guilty, and acquitting the two accessories, who were tried for receiving the goods. The evidences were John Lyons, who received the goods, and his wife, corroborated by the testimony of his maid servant, who carried money to the four prisoners at different times in the New Prison and Newgate, as also by the city marshal, and two of Sir John Fielding's servants, who look up the said John Lyons, and searching his house found almost all the diamonds and a hoop ring. In the cross-examining Lyons, the Jew, he was asked, if it was not against his religion to traffick on their sabbath? to which he answered, he had not followed his religion a great while, having got nothing by it.
Early in the above trial Jones complained to the court that they could get no counsel to plead for them, upon which Sir Robert Ladbroke offered to be at the expence of counsel for them, but Mr. Chester pleaded their cause gratis.
The lord mayor, alderman, and common-council of Dublin, in respect to the memory of Dr. Lucas, his great merit and behaviour in parliament, granted a pension of 501 a year to his widow Mrs. Lucas, and his three youngest children, to commence on the fourth of last November, on which day he died.
One Wood, formerly a broker, sent a waiter form Antilligacan coffee-house to Walpole and Co. bankers in Lombard-street, for some checks, in the name of Olivier, in partnership with Sir Joshua Van neck, and, when the waiter returned, filled up one of them for 500l. and signed it to Olivier; but being suspected, he was immediately apprehended, and, it was supposed, is the same person who obtained 400l. some years ago from the bank, by a false draught in the same name.
Lord Sandwich, with other lords of the admiralty, examined a machine of new construction, erected on the board of Resolution man of war at Deptford, for making sea water fresh, and for baking biscuit with the same fire, at the same time. The lordships were pleased to approve the machine, for which the inventor had already obtained a patent.
Extract of a Letter from Poole,
Jan. 11.
"On the 1oth ult. the Margaret, Thrasher, bound from Newfound-land. 
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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-11 19:40:48