54 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



^4. Nothing can more clearly 

 or forcibly show the great want 

 of money which prevails at the 

 present moment among even the 

 liigher classes in this counti'v, 

 than the extraordinary low jjiices 

 at which the works of several of 

 the most eminent painters of the 

 old and new sehi^ol have lately 

 sold, on being brought to the 

 hammer. The week before last, 

 two real Claudes, for which 1000 

 guineas eacli had been paid in the 

 same room not three years past, 

 were at Phillips's, in Bond-street, 

 knocked down at SO guineas the 

 one, and 70 the other ; and last 

 week, at Mr. Sqnibb's, the cele- 

 brated full-length 'picture, painted 

 by Hamilton, of Mrs. Siddons in 

 the part of the Grecian Daiigliter, 

 and for which the Eiud of GaiuK- 

 borough paid jMr. Hamilton ."iOO 

 giuneas, was knocked down at 3'2 

 guineas, though in a state of the 

 highest preservation, and taken 

 when slie was in the prime of life, 

 and in the xenilh of her fame. 



25. A fire broke out in tl.e 

 village of Fontaine-notredam.e, 

 near Cambray, which consumed 

 twenty houses. The loss is esti- 

 mated at 80,000 francs. This la- 

 mentable disaster was caused by 

 a field-forge of a corps of Englirh 

 artillery quartered in that com- 

 mune. 'I'hey were at work with 

 tlie forg;e in the v.ing of a farm- 

 house, when some .■sparks, carried 

 by the wind, set fire to the slravv^ 

 ■with which it v.ns thatched, arid 

 in a short time this and the other 

 houses in the direction of the wind 

 Avere totally consumed. The Eng- 

 lish officers quartered there sub- 

 scribed a sum of money for the 

 relief of the unfortunate peasants 

 who were burnt out by this cala- 

 mity. 



This afternoon, a most de- 

 structive fire happened at Manu- 

 den, Essex, near Bishop Stort- 

 ford. About tv.-o o'clock on that 

 day^ the malt upon the kiln be- 

 longing to some extensive build- 

 ings occupied by Mr. Nash caught 

 fire, which, it is said, might have 

 been easily put out, had the ex- 

 tinguisher provided tVsr that ptxr- 

 pose been im.mediately used ; in- 

 stead of which, the man who had 

 the care of the fire went up to the 

 kiln, where, after vainly using 

 e^eiy effort, he was obliged to 

 descend most rapidly to sa\ e him- 

 self from the then increa.sing ele- 

 nsent, which by this time had not 

 only commimicatcd to the adjoin- 

 ing ofiices, but a fire had also been 

 kindled below, having caught the 

 wood which lay contiguous to the 

 furnace. Tlie most prompt as- 

 sistance was given, but we are 

 sorry to say that the fire did not 

 entl on Mr. Nash's premises, 

 whicli were totally destroyed, to- 

 gellier with a very large stock of 

 pei'fect malt, and a considerable 

 (piantity in its various stages. 

 Manuden-hall, occupied by Mr. 

 Patmore, is but a short distance ; 

 the Vvind carried the fire to those 

 extensive premises, which, Avith 

 the stacks of corn, hay, and straw, 

 next fell victims to the devouring 

 element. The hall alone is stand- 

 ing, but all tlie out buildings, 

 with their contents, are levelled 

 to the ground. One fat beast 

 only was destroyed, but three 

 otliers very narrowly escaped. 

 The damage done is estimated at 

 15,0C0l., whilst the insurance is 

 reported to be not more than half 

 that Sinn. 



25. The markets in most parts 

 of the kingdom, according to the 



provincial 



