12 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



not finding tenants to take it, de- 

 termined on this unsuccessful mode 

 of disposing of it. 



Died. At East Dereham, Nor- 

 folk, William Cowper, esq. of the 

 Inner Temple, author of a poem 

 intitled "The Task," and many- 

 other beautiful 2)roductions. He 

 was bom at Great Berkhampstead, 

 Herts, Nov. 15, 1731. His fa- 

 ther, the rector of that parish, was 

 John Cowper, D.D. nephew to the 

 lord high chancellor Cowper ; and 

 his mother was Anne, daughter 

 of • Roger Donne, gent, late of 

 Ludham-hall, Norfolk. The first 

 volume of his poems was published 

 in 1782 ; the second in 1785. In 

 1791^ he undertook the arduous 

 task of translating the Iliad and 

 Odyssey into blank verse. 



MAY. 



4th. The thermometer placed in 

 the sun, rose this day to 104, 

 being four degrees above blood- 

 heat, and 38 above summer heat ; 

 in the evening it fell to 66, being 

 ten degrees above temperate. 



6th. Two boxes, containing a 

 valuable collection of coins and 

 medals, have been stolen and car- 

 ried off from a room adjoining to 

 the library in King's College, Cam- 

 bridge, between the 5th of April 

 last and this day. The coUege has 

 offered a reward of 500/. on the 

 conviction of the offenders. 



This day, in a committee of pri- 

 vileges, in the house of peers, the 

 hearing of evidence was concluded 

 respecting the claim to the Scotch 

 peerage of Fairfax. The only point 

 which appeared to remain unde- 

 cided, when the committee last sat, 



was, whether the claimant was the 

 eldest son of the late William Fair- 

 fax. A brother of the claimant's, 

 who was killed in the service at 

 Quebec, was stated as an old man, 

 and having left issue; this produced 

 a degree of doubt in the commit- 

 tee ; and farther evidence was re- 

 sorted to, which this day was deli- 

 vered by Mrs. Athawes, who stated, 

 to her certain knowledge, that the 

 Mr. Fairfax, killed at Quebec, was 

 a younger brother of the claimant ; 

 and, as we could collect, left no 

 issue. This point being ascertained, 

 the committee had no hesitation in 

 forming their opinion ; and the at- 

 torney-general, and the lord advo- 

 cate of Scotland, who appeared on 

 the part of the crown, making no 

 objection, a resolution passed the 

 committee, stating, in effect, that 

 the claimant had made good his 

 title to the peerage in question ; 

 and, the house resuming, the usual 

 steps were ordered to be taken in 

 consequence. 



7th. The duke of Bedford hav- 

 ing disposed of the materials of Bed- 

 ford-house for 5 or 6,000Z., a sale of 

 the furniture, pictures, &c. by Mr. 

 Christie, commenced this day, when 

 the most crowded assemblage were 

 gratified with a last view of this 

 design of Inigo Jones, for the earl of 

 Southampton, father of the amiable 

 relict of William lord Russell; from 

 whence she dates many of her let- 

 ters, published by Mr. Selwood ; 

 and resided in it till her death, 

 1 723. The late duke fitted up the 

 gallery (which was the only room 

 of consequence in the house), and 

 placed in it sir James Thornhill's 

 copies of the Cartoons, which that 

 artist was three years about ; which 

 he bought; at the sale of that emi« 



