country. The affembly returned a dry anfwer, but ordered his release; and he at length arrived fafely in his own country.

Such was the fate of a minifter, who had paffed through fuch courfes of popularity, as, perhaps, have fcarcely been equalled by any foreigner in any country. Yet, fo uncertain is the ftate of public favour, and fo rapid the decline of popularity, that he now retired to his native country without the fmalleft mark of honour, esteem, or regret from that nation, which had in the preceding year, commenced a rebellion against its fovereign on his account. Whatever Mr. Neckar's political faults or errors might have been as a minifter, he | offeffed fuch excellent qualities as a man, as muft ever entitle him to refpect. His integrity was in both charac. ters beyond doubt or fufpicion; and his ftrict attention to the discharge and practice of all the moral duties and virtues was never called in queftion by his enemies. Happy he may now confider that concurrence of circumstances and caufes which cbliged him to quit France at fo early and timely a period; and his family may confole themfelves in bis prefent existence for that, now, hopeless property which he left be

hind.

New contefts with the clergy afforded the principal objects of bufinefs in which the national affembly were engaged for the remainder of the year. Thefe arose from the various measures adopted, and decrees paffed, for, what was called, the organization of the church. One of thefe was, the rendering every benefice in the kingdom, from a curacy to a bishopric, elective. Ano ther was, the admitting people of

all religions, not excepting Jews, to vote at these elections. And another was, the totally altering the an ciently established extent and limits of diocefes.

The clergy became troublesome upon thefe accounts. They faid that whatever right the nation might have to feize their revenues, it neither could have any right or pretence to interfere or to make any alteration in the difcipline or fpiritual government of the church; they therefore demanded the convocation of a national council to fettl these matters, as they could not posfibly without that determination fubmit to the prefent decrees. As nothing could be more oppofite to the ideas or liking of the national affembly than to admit by any means of the calling together fuch an affembly, they were highly incenfed at thefe objections made by the clergy to their decrees, and in that fpirit determined at once to punish their refractorinefs, and to cut off the means of all future difputes, by impofing a new oath on them, by which they were bound to obferve and fubmit to the conftitu tion as decreed by the aflembly, in all cafes whatever.

Vaft numbers of the clergy refufed to take this oath, and among them many who had in the beginning been firinly attached to the commons, and furthered the revolution by every means in their pow er. But fuch aids were not pow wanted. Many offered to take the oath if they were allowed, as a falvo, that it did not extend to admit of any fpiritual authority in the affembly; but though that bedy had generally difclaimed all interference in the fpiritual part of religion, yet they would not allow of any referve

in

in the oath, or admit any explanation of it. All the clergy, without exception or diftinction, who refufed to take the oath, were immediately ejected from their benefices, and others placed in their room; the bishoprics were filled up by curates. The oath being confidere as no less than perjury, being a direct breach of that taken at ordination, it may not be difficult to form fome judgment of the character of thofe men who were now to instruct the people in the duties of religion and morality. It afforded a glorious inftance of the integrity of the French clergy, that of 131 bifhops, only three were found fervile enough to betray their confcience and their honour, in ftooping to take the oath for the prefervation of their bishoprics.

This measure occafioned a fchifm among the people as well as the clergy; for the more devout and fcrupulous, who were still not a few

'in the kingdom, refused to acknowledge thefe new paftors, and particularly to receive the facraments at their hands; which, according to their religious perfuafion, it was the height of prophanation, if not facrilege, for them to adminifter. They were the farther confirmed in this opinion, by the utter difapprobation of the oath which the pope had publicly expreffed. Thus did France produce in an inftant the moft numerous body of nonjuring clergy which ever exifted in any country and fuch was the defpo. tifm which prevailed in a republican affembly, that would compel men's perfons, minds, and confciences, to bend in all things, without referve, to its almighty will. Even the more moderate of the democratical writers, regretted and condemned, as a harsh and imprudent meafure, the forcing of fuch an oath at once upon minds unprepared to receive it.

CHRONICLE.

JANUARY.

HIS day there was no court either at Windfor or St. James's, as ufual on New Year's day, confequently the Laureat's ode was omitted. The New Year's ode not being performed as ufual, has occafioned much fpeculation-It may not be unacceptable to our readers to give them the folloving paffage from Mr. Gibbon's last volume of the Hiftory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: The title of Poet Laureat, which custom rather than vanity perpetuates in the English ceart, was firft invented by the Ca fars of Germany. From Auguftus to Louis, the mufe has been too often falfe and venal; but I much doubt whether any age or court can produce a fimilar eftablishment of a ipendiary poet, who in every reign, and at all events, is bound to furnih, twice a year, a measure of praife and verfe, fuch as may be fung in the chapel, and, I believe, in the prefence of the fovereign. I fpeak the more freely, as the best time for abolishing this ridiculous cuftom is while the prince is a man of virtue, and the poet a man of genius."

zd. The Oxford Canal was this day opened by the arrival of VOL. XXXII.

upwards of 200 tons of coals, be fides corn and other effects. The first boat entered the bafon a few minutes before twelve o'clock, difplaying the union fing, and having on board the band belonging to the Oxfordshire militia.

At a meeting, lately held, of the trustees of John Stock, efq. late of Hampstead, who bequeathed 200

a

year to be divided among ten curates of the church of England, whofe incomes did not exceed 407. per ann. thirty-eight petitions were prefented and received from poor curates to partake of this benevolence, many of whole ftipends were not more than 25. a year, with which they had to fupport large families.

The prifoners, convicted at the Admiralty Seffions, were 4th. executed at Execution Deck purfuant to their feveral fentences, viz. John Clark and Edward Hobbins, for ftealing off the Land's End a boat, feveral fails, and a wooden compafs, the property of Meff. Hurry and Co.; John Williams and Hugh Wilfon, for a mutiny on board the Gregfon of Liverpool, at Duke's Cove, off the coast of Africa; and Thomas Brett, for stealing from a Dutch hoy, at Dun. genefs Roads, three caks of geneva, 16 bales, and other merchandize, the property of perions un[N]

known.

known. They are all ordered to be hung in chains.

The bankrupts in 1788 were 709; in 1752 were i 16. These were the moft and leaft numerous fince 1740; in 1789 there were 584. The Severn flooded a few 16th. days ago higher than has been known for these twenty years. At Shrewsbury and its environs, particularly at the Abbey Forgate, Frankwell, and cotton-mill, there was no paffing without a boat.

On the lakes and high mountainous land of Cumberland and Weftmoreland, there has been fcarcely any fnow, and not any ice two inches thick. The wind and rain have exceeded, as much as the inow and ice fall fhort of, the ufual proportions. Both are unexampled in the memory of man.

The feffions ended at the 19th. Old Bailey, when fentence of death was paffed upon 13 convicts; one was fentenced to be tranf. ported for 14 years, 29 to be tranfported for feven years, feven to be imprifoned in Newgate, 18 in Clerkenwell Bridewell, 21 to be publickly whipped, and 16 were delivered by proclamation.

As his majefty was going in flate to the houfe of peers,

on paffing the corner oppofite Carleton House, in St. James's Park, a ftone was thrown at the coach by a tall man dreffed in a fcarlet coat, black breeches, a triped waistcoat, a cocked hat, with an orange-coloured cockade; he was immediately apprehended and taken to Mr. Grenville's office, in the treafury, Whitehall, where he underwent an examination by the attorney general and fir Sampfon Wright, before Mr. Pitt, Mr. Grenville, the duke of Leeds, Earl of Chatham,

&c. which lafted four hours, wher he was committed to prifon for further examination. He proves to be the fame perfon who wrote a libel against his majefty, and ftuck it on the whalebone in the courtyard, St. James's, about a fortnight fince, and figned his name John Frith, lieutenant of the fecond battalion of royals. After undergoing feveral other examinations, he was committed to Newgate for trial on a charge of high treafon.

31.

The accounts relative to the early appearance of fpring this year are too numerous to be particularized. Almost every production that the month of April ufually exhibits in the garden, and in the field, were to be seen at the clofe of this month in various parts of the kingdom.

DIED,at Horfeley, county of Derby, at the age of 107, Mrs. Frances Barton. It is faid the well remembered the revolution in 1688, and that the danced at a merry-making on that glorious occafion. Her huiband had been fexton of the parish church 70 years; and this antient pair frequently boasted that she had brought into the world, and he had buried, the parish twice over,

At Miles-court, Bath, aged 79, Mrs. Burr, grand-niece of fir Ifaac Newton, by a daughter of his mo ther, who married, for her fecond husband, the Rev. Mr. Smith. She had a perfect recollection of that great philofopher, and remembered paffing much time at his houfe in St Martin's-lane; and that, when a child, he had spent whole evenings in his ftudy, as he was remarkably fond of children. She remembered, alfo, the ftrength of his fight, his examining old coins, and reading the fmalleft print without fpecta

cles:

cies; the strict œconomy of his expences, with the regularity of his domeftic arrangements, and that he feldom dined without company, with whom he was remarkably pleafant and chearful.,

A Portuguese woman, who, fome days before her death, had attained the age of 109.

Lately, at Rome, aged 43, Brother Barnabas, of St. Nicholas, a religious queftor, of the order of the barefooted Auguftines. A great multitude of people vifited the convent where his body was expofed for four days. A number of miracles are faid to have been performed by him both before and after his

death.

to the king's bench to receive judg ment for two libels of which he had been convicted. He was fentenced for the firft, which was on the prince of Wales and the duke of York (charging their royal highneffes with having fo demeaned themfelves as to incur the just difapprotion of his majefty) to pay a fine of 100 and be imprifoned in Newgate one year after the expiration of his prefent confinement;--and for the fecond, which was on the duke of Clarence, he was fined icol.

The libel against the duke of Clarence afferted that his royal highness returned from his ftation without authority from the admiralty or the commanding officer.

His royal highness the prince 8th. of Wales had a ftate levee, for the first time, at his palace of Carlton-house.

Sir Joshua Reynolds, who has honourably filled for 22 ioth. years the chair of the royal academy, formally notified to the council his refignation as prefident.

A man of the name of Edward Derick, who either is, or affects to be, a maniack, went to St. James's this evening, and defired the marfhalmen to introduce him to his majefty; he was of courfe informed that his request could not be complied with. He then faid, that he had letters of the utmost importance for the queen, and must be admitted. The marfhalmen ftopped him; and his behaviour in confequence was fo riotous, that they were under the neceffity of taking him into custody. He fays he was born at Caldecot in Cheshire, and that he flept on Tuesday near Rumford in Effex. He is about 24 years