AG 
pictures of this fublime event ftand 
decidedly chef d’auvres in that line 
of painting. 
SEPTEMBER. 
3th. This morning, about ten 
o’clock, a fire broke out. in. the 
workfhops of Mr. Tanner, carpen- 
tet, in the village of Tiverton, So- 
merfetfhire; whichentirely deftroy- 
ed the fame, together with a large 
quantity of feafoned deal and oak 
planks, to the almoft total ruin of 
an induftrious man and his family, 
the tofs being eftimated at 5001. the 
whole of which was uninfured. 
The fire was occafioned by a live 
coal falling from the adjoining 
blackfinith’s forge, through an acci- 
dental hole in the wall, on fome 
fhavings in the workfhops. 
A writ of enquiry was this day 
executed before the fheriff of Mid-- 
dlefex, in a caufe Boddington ver/us 
Boddington, for criminal converfa-. 
tion with the plaintiff's wife. 
The defendant having fuffered 
judgment to go by default in the 
court of King’s Bench, a fpecial 
jury was impannelled at the Sef- 
fions-houfe, Clerkenwell, to affefs 
the damages. The damages were 
laid at 50,0001. Mr. Erfkine, coun- 
fel for the piaintiff, Mr. Samuel 
Boddington, opened the cafe; and, - 
after expatiating with his ufual elo- 
quence on the enormity of the 
crime of adultery and feduction, 
proceeded to ftate the particular’ 
circumftances attending it, which, 
he contended, united in themfelves 
the moft fhocking inftance of -de- 
pravity that ever entered the hu- 
man mind, the defendant not only 
being partner withthe plaintiff in a - 
yery extenfive mercantile concern, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
- fhip, abufed the confidence repofed 
1797° 
but his firf¥ coufin. The ‘defend. | 
ant, under the facred mafk of friend- 
in him, and by various aéts conta-’ 
minated the mind of Mrs. Bodding- ’ 
ton; a lady who, previous to: this 
unhappy and fatal error, bore the - 
moft unblemifhed character; and 
who, befides poffeffing a moft beau- 
tiful perfon and elegant accom-' 
plifhments, was remarked for the 
exemplary manner in which fhe* 
difcharged the duties of a wife and > 
mother. Two children were the 
fruits of this marriage; and they 
continued to enjoy the moft unin- 
terrupted felicity till a fhort time 
previous to Mrs. \ Boddington’s - 
clopement with the defendant, 
which took place the beginning of 
June laft. The means to effeé this 
icheme were the moft abominable 
on the part of the defendant. Mr. 
Samuel Boddington having obferved 
fomething in his wife’s conduct that 
gave him reafon ‘to fufpeé his’ ho-' 
nour was in danger, refolved to’ 
remove her for a time from the! 
fcene he dreaded, but did it in fuch» 
a delicate manner as not to create 
the leaft fufpicion of the caufe, ei- 
ther to his wife or friends. Pro-* 
pofing a journey to Bath, and then 
to Wales, he parted with the de~ 
fendant in the moft cordial manner, | 
little thinking that matters had pro-. 
ceeded fo far as the refult —has’ 
proved. It was fettled with the. 
defendant that he was to return to’ 
town immediately, if bufinefs re- 
quired his prefence.' A few days 
after he got to Bath, he received. a 
letter from the defendant to the ef-. 
fect as under:— } >, 
“ Dear Sir, The packet arrived 
this morning; and, as you faid you 
were willing to come up if necef+’ 
fary, | requeft you will, and be*in 
town 
