alfo Dr. Cotton, physician at St. Alban's, author of Vifions in Verfe.

In 1789, during the month of January, there was a more fevere frost than has happened fince that memorable one in 1740. The river Thames was completely frozen over in feveral parts, infomuch that booths for recreation were erected, and a variety of fports and amusements commenced. One of the futtling-booths had for its fign, "Beer, wine, and spirituous liquors, without a licence." A man who fold hot gingerbread had a board, on which was written, "No fhop tax nor window duty."

On the 23d of April, the king, queen, and royal family, with the members of both houfes of parliament, went in proceffion to St. Paul's cathedral, in order to return thanks to the Supreme Being for his majesty's providential recovery from his late indifpofition.

A revolution happened in France this year. The Bastille was demolished, the government was newmodelled, and the power of the king very much abridged.

CHAP. LXXVI.

MEMORABLE EVENTS CONTINUED.

AS his majefty, in the month of January, 1790,

was paffing near the Horse-guards, in his way to the House of Lords, a perfon of genteel appearance, threw a large ftone with great violence into the carriage, but fortunately miffed the royal perfon. He was immediately apprehended, and underwent a long examination, in which it appeared that he was an officer on half-pay, of the name of Frith, who had been long known to be infane, and faid he committed this outrage with a view of making himself famous.

During the year 1791, in spite of every precaution, which the most fufpicious prudence could fuggeft, Lewis XVI. found means to elude the vigilance of his guards, and to effect his escape from a court, where he rather resembled a degraded captive, than the monarch of a powerful kingdom.

On the evening of Monday, the 20th of June, the queen, accompanied by the dauphin, and the reft of her family, left the palace of the Thuilleries, in the face of the people, under pretext of taking an airing, repaired to a carriage then waiting at a convenient

convenient diftance, and, with the affiftance of horfes, purpofely and fecretly provided, hastened to the frontiers of the Imperial dominions. The king followed them during the night, accompanied by monfieur, his eldest brother.

At eight o'clock on Tuesday morning, when the report of their escape was first propagated through the capital, Paris exhibited a scene of confufion, equalled only on that memorable day, when the demolition of the Bastille proclaimed to its inhabitants a revolution in the government. "The king is fled!" was repeated in a tone of mingled apprehenfion and incredulity. In an instant all the shops were fhut. The dreadful thundering of cannons, to diffuse and confirm the alarming intelligence, the difcordant tone of the tocfins, the affembling of the troops, the clafh of arms, the clamours, the groans of the Parifians,-all formed a horrid combination of founds, more refembling the difmal yell of tortured fouls in the dreary mansions of Pluto, than any terrestrial noise.

The royal fugitives, however, had not proceeded further than Metz, in Lorraine, about 90 miles from Paris, when the king was discovered by one of a body of national troops that were manoeuvring

2

near the place. He inftantly gave the alarm and the retinue were ftopt, and the royal family conducted back to Paris, under a ftrong guard, which was gradually augmented as they approached the metropolis.

On the 14th of July, there were dreadful riots at Birmingham. A public meeting having been announced to commemorate the anniversary of the French revolution, at the hotel in Temple-Row, a number of persons repaired thither for that purpofe; but a mob affembling in the evening, deftroyed all the windows of the building, demolished Dr. Priestley's chapel, his house at Fair Hill, and feveral other houses. The Doctor's grand philo fophical apparatus, his extenfive and valuable library, together with his manuscrips and furniture, were all committed to the flames. The riots con, tinued five or fix days, during which time, the mob, being reinforced by many thoufands from the neighbouring country, razed to the ground, and reduced to ashes, a great number of fine edifices.

Dr. Price, of Hackney, whose sermons, theological differtations, and political writings, are well known, died this year.

A committee of the Royal Academy met in St. Paul's, to confider the position of Dr. Johnson's monument, and the fize of which it fhould be.

They agreed that it fhould be placed on the lefthand fide of the dome of that fabric, and that the figure fhould be eight feet high, upon a, pedeftal of fix feet. Mr. Bacon, the ftatuary, attended, and produced his model for the monument, which was univerfally approved of. It reprefents Dr. Johnson in a Greek philosopher's drefs, with his head leaning on one hand, in an attitude of medita→ tion, and a fcroll of parchment in the other.

CHA P. LXXVII.

EVENTS CHIEFLY RELATING TO FRANCE.

N the year 1792, on the 10th of August, the

IN

Swifs guards of the king of France were massacreed. The people affembled in thousands about the Thuilleries. The cannon were pointed upon the palace, which was guarded by a body of Swifs. The Swifs having been infulted, and hard preffed upon by those who came against them, were at last obliged to fire in their own defence. The mob, however, finally prevailed, and, horrid to relate! the Swifs, confifting of above 500, almost to a man,

were