«JANUARY. 
ft. “ee day there was no 
Bey. court either at Windfor 
or St. James’s, as ufual on New 
“Year’s day, confequently the Lau- 
eat’s ode was omitted. The New 
Year’s ode not being performed as 
ufual, has occafioned much {pecu- 
~Tation—It may not be unacceptable 
_ to our readers to give them the fol- 
Towing pafiage from Mr. Gibbon’s 
aft volume of the Hiftory of the 
<r les —- 77>? 
Empire: “ The title of Poet Lau- 
feat, which cuftom rather than va- 
' ity perpetuates in the Englith 
‘court, was firft invented by the Cz- 
ars of Germany. From Auguttus 
to Louis, the mufe has been too 
often falfe and venal; but I much 
doubt whether any age or court can 
‘produce a fimilar eftablifhment of a 
ipendiary poet, who in every reign, 
and. at all events, is bound to fur- 
mith, twice a year, a meafure of 
praife and verfe, fuch as may be 
am the prefence of the fovereign. 
fpeak the more freely, as the beft 
for abolifhing this ridiculous 
uftom is while the prince is a man 
virtue, and the poet a man of 
ius,” 
The Oxford Canal was this 
» " day opened by the arrival of 
Vor. XXXII. 
rcPowse }. 
ang in the chapel, and, I believe,’ 
CHRONICLE. 
upwards of 200 tons of coals, be- 
fides corn and other effects. ‘The 
firft boat entered the bafon a few 
minutes before twelve o’clock, dif- 
playing the union flag, and having 
on board the band belonging to the 
Oxfordfhire militia. 
At a meeting, lately held, of the 
truftees of John Stock, efg. late of 
Hampitead, who bequeathed z00/, 
a year to be divided among ten 
curates of the church of England, 
whofe incomes did not exceed 40/. 
per ann. ¢hirty-eight petitions were 
prefented and received from poor 
curates to partake of this benevo- 
lence, many of whofe ftipends were 
not more than 25/. a year, with 
which they had to fupport large 
families. 
The prifoners, convicted at 
the Admiralty Seflions, were 
executed at Execution Dock pur- 
fuant to their feveral fentences, 
viz. John Clark and Edward Hob- 
bins, for ftealing off the Land’s 
End a boat, feveral fails, and a 
wooden compafs, the property of 
Meff. Hurry and Co.; John Wil- 
liams and Hugh Wilfon, fora mutiny 
on board the Gregfon of Liver- 
pool, at Duke’s Cove, off the coaft 
of Africa; and Thomas Brett, for 
ftealing from a Dutch hoy, at Dun- 
genels Roads, three cafks of gene- 
va, 16 bales, and other merchan- 
dee property of perfons un- 
] 
4th, 
known, 
