LON 
"been written to the different tradefpeople, which dated 
recommendations from perfons of quality. This hoax 
exceeded by far that in Bedford-ltreet, a few months be¬ 
fore; for, befides a coffin, which w\ns brought to Mrs. T.’s 
houfe, made to meafure, agreeable to letter, rive feet fix by 
fixteen inches, there were accoucheurs, tooth-drawers, mi¬ 
niature-painters, and artifts of every defcription. 
On the roth of December, a very melancholy accident 
happened in Swan-yard, near Drnry-lane. At the head 
of Swan-yard feveral houles had been pulled down ; but 
the corner-houfe was left handing, and was occupied by 
families from the top to the bottom. A large ltack of 
chimneys belonging to this houfe, having loll its former 
fupport and protection, gave way about fix o’clock at 
night, and, failing in upon the roof, brought tire whole 
down through all the floors fucceffively. A man named 
A.nderfon, and his wife, in the third floor, were carried, 
down with the ruins, and almoft literally cruffied to pieces : 
about half an hour afterwards they were dug out of the 
ruins, but without any figns of life : their fon, a boy about 
twelve years of age, was carried alfo down by the ruins, 
but efcaped nearly unhurt. The father and mother were 
found locked in each other’s arms, and in a ftate com¬ 
pletely mangled ; the father was an old foldier, who, in 
the field of battle, had had many a hair-breadth efcape. 
Another man loft his life, whole body was not found till 
fome days after. 
The following myfterions and facrilegious robbery re¬ 
minds us of Horace’s expreffion: Omne facrum rapiente 
dextia ; “Nothing’s too facred for their plund’ring hands.” 
On Saturday night the zzd, or early on Sunday morning, 
St. Paul’s cathedral was robbed of the whole of the church- 
ferviceof plate, of confiderable value. The ingenuity re¬ 
quired to get at the property, proves the depredators to 
have been complete matters of their profeffion. The plate 
carried off confuted of the following articles, all filver gilt: 
One large embofl'ed chafed waiter, with the emblems of 
the Lord’s Supper, weight 128 ounces; the covers of a 
large folio bible, richly chafed, no oz. ditto of a prayer- 
book, ioo oz. a large plain falver, with an angel’s head 
engraved in the centr£, 108 oz. a fmaller falver, engraved 
with a glory, 67 oz. two rich chafed waiters, with very 
line alto-relievo figures, occaiionally to ufe in the centre, 
153 oz. two very large chafed altar-candlefticks, 330 
oz. two fmaller candlefticks, 200 oz. two very large 
rich chafed flagons, 260 oz. two fmaller flagons, 130 
oz. two chafed chalices, with fexagon feet, and two 
Divers for the covers, 112 oz. two linall falvers richly 
chafed, 31 oz. and one pierced fpoon. Severalof thefe arti¬ 
cles had been ufed on the 23 ft, at a private ordination, and, 
when done with, were locked up in the plate-room, imme¬ 
diately over the veftry, in iron chefts, which had on them 
padlocks as well as other locks. There are two doors to 
the room, an inner and outer one; the former was entirely 
iron, the other plated, and of uncommon ftrength. To 
thefe principal doors there are feveral paflages leading, all 
of which have doors always locked, through which perfons 
muft pafs before they reach the plate-room ; and it is only 
known to a few perfons to what apartment they lead. All 
thefe doors remained locked ; and it was not until Sunday 
morning, when the plate was wanted for the church-fer- 
vice, that the robbery was difcovered. The perfon who 
had the plate under his care opened the pafl'age-doors with 
the keys belonging to them; but the lock of the main- 
door he could not open until he had procured the maf- 
ter-key. He then found that the chefts containing the 
plate had been broken with an iron crow, or fome fuch 
inftrument, after the padlock had been opened in the 
nfual way. Notice was immediately given at Bow- 
ftreet; and Mr. Read the magiftrate, and Mr. Stafford 
the clerk, w’ent and infpefted the apartments, &c. The 
police-officers were of opinion, that the robbery was 
what is called, in the flang language, a put-up robbery ; or 
that the quantity and value of the plate, the place where 
it was kept, and the way to get at it, were aU previoufly 
DON. 243 
well known, and the crime committed by perfons perfectly 
acquainted with the place. The plate had lately been newly 
double gilt, which gavp it the appearance of gold. The 
robbers muft have palled nine doors or gates before they 
could get at the property. The niafter-key was kept in 
a clolet where one of the vergers ufuaily placed his filver 
Itaff; but that was not Itolen, although it is iiippoled the 
key was uled to effect the robbery. It appealed, upon fur¬ 
ther inquiry, that there was a mafter-key to ail the doors 
leading to the room wherein the plate was depofited ; and 
that it was not unufual for that key to be publicly Ihown 
to any perfon who might exprefs a wifh to fee or examine 
it. The officers of police have no doubt but that by 
means of taking an impreflion of the kyy in wax, the rob¬ 
bers gained accefs thereto. 
On the 26th of OClober, a court of common-council 
was held, to receive the report of the committee appointed 
to conflder of the propriety of extending the time allowed 
for the ele6lion of aldermen (three days) to eight days, 
and for increaling the fum necelfary for qualifying a per¬ 
fon to take that office upon him, from io,oool, to 30,000k. 
On the 31ft of the fame month, a very full court of 
common-council met for the purpofe of taking into con- 
flderation the following motion, of which Mr. Jacks had 
given notice : “That a butt of our molt excellent fove- 
reign George III. be placed in the council-chamber of 
this city, as a grateful teltimony, to defcentl to the latefl 
polieiity, of the high fenfe this court entertains of the 
manifold bleffings enjoyed under his patenial reign; in. 
which, during tire long period of fifty years, continued 
in the moll eventful times, and under the molt arduous 
circumftances ever l’ecorded in hiftory, Britons have the. 
proud fatisfaftion to feel, that, amid the W'reck of lur- 
rounding nations, their beloved country has preferved its 
laws, its religion, its liberties, and its independence, un-* 
impaired.” This refolution was, in the ilfue, changed to 
an order for a whole-length ftatue. 
Alas! at this moment his majefty was unconfcious of the 
refpefl that was paid him, and of the veneration in which 
he was held.—On the ill of November, the lord-mayor re¬ 
ceived a communication from Mr. Ryder, fecretary of ftate 
for the home-department, informing his lordfhip, that, in 
confequence of the continuing indifpofition of his majefty, 
no new chief magiftrate of the city could be fubmitted for 
the royal approbation, and that in confequence his lord- 
fhip would be expefted to continue in the difeharge of 
the duties of that high office until his majefty’s pleafure 
could be taken on the appointment of his fucceflor. 
The caufe of this notice was, the melancholy recurrence 
of that dreadful calamity which has repeatedly vilited our 
worthy and l-evered monarch, and is now confidered to be 
incurable. The prefent and permanent attack originated 
in an excefs of filial tendernefis and parental affection.— 
The parliament had been prorogued to the ill of Novem¬ 
ber ; on which day a proclamation was iffued, as by the 
king in council, Hating it to be his majefty’s pleafure 
that it fliould be further prorogued. This proclamation, 
which was not of itfelf fufficient for the prorogation of par¬ 
liament, was to.be followed,of courfe, by the ufual cominif- 
fion, figned by the king, and read in the houfe of lords 
by commiffioners appointed for that purpofe. But the 
royal fign-manual was not to be obtained. The parental 
and tender heart of the king was wrung with inexpreflible 
grief and anguifh, at the protrafted fufferings which ter¬ 
minated, November the 2d, in the death of his youngefl: 
and favourite daughter, the princefs Amelia. His whole 
foul was abforbed in the fufferings and fate of one who 
had always returned his parental affeiflion with exquifite 
fenfibility and duty. He could not think or fpeak of any 
thing elfe. The powers of his underflanding wei’e im¬ 
paired ; and the mental malady, under which he had la¬ 
boured in 1788, returned. Committees were appointed 
by both houfes of parliament for the examination of phy- 
ficians, who were examined accordingly, on the ftate of 
his. majeily’s health. In th% and in other neceflary points. 
