LONDON. 
the middle claffes of fociety a kind of defponding apathy, 
adapted to damp that political ardour which, in a free 
country, is continually exciting to aflion men of difen- 
gaged minds. At the fame time the uncertain (fate of his 
majefty’s health, and of the confequent duration of the 
regency, and the fykem of government likely to be pur¬ 
ified under it, kept perfons in the fuperior ranks in a (late 
of dubious expectation. With the exception, therefore, of 
fome feeble attempts to awaken the public attention to 
the caufe of parliamentary reform, and fome of the ufual 
party-contefls in the city of London, fcareefy any occa¬ 
sions occurred to fet in motion confiderable bodies on a 
political account, in this part of the united kingdom. 
At the beginning of January 1811, a very fevere froft 
was felt in the whole of the ifland. On the 8th, the 
Thames was fo much frozen, that there was only a nar¬ 
row channel in the centre free from ice. The banks of 
the river were to fet with ice and fnow, that people could 
walk upon it from Batterfea-bridge to Hungerford-Hairs. 
The fall of fnow had been fo great, that the northern 
roads were almofl impaffable ; the mail-coaches were much 
impeded in their way to and from London ; and many 
perfons in the country perifhed through the feverity of 
the weather. Yet the cold was by no means lo fevere, 
nor o.f fo long duration, as that under which we are 
fmarting at this moment. (March 1814.) 
The danger attending the burning of charcoal in con¬ 
fined places is exemplified by the following accident.—A 
poor woman, who redded at Bayfwater, was brought to 
bed ; and, not having money fufficient to l'upply a nurfe, 
a neighbour tendered her fervices ; but the hufb.and de¬ 
clined the offer, faying that he could attend on her him- 
feIf. The next morning fomeacquaintances called to fee 
them, and knocked feveral times ; but, no one anfwering, 
the doors were broken open, when the man and his wife 
were both found dead, and the infant fucking at the 
break of the woman. The caufe is attributed to their 
having burnt fome charcoal to air the room, which fuffo- 
cated them. 
On the 5th of February, the ceremony of fwearing in 
the Prince of Wales as Regent took place. About twelve 
o’clock a party of the flank-companies of the grenadiers, 
withtheircoloursandtheband of the ill regiment, marched 
into the court-yard of Carlton-houfe, where the colours 
were pitched in the centre of the grand entrance. The 
band ftruck tip “ God lave the king and continued 
playing that piece, alternately with martial airs, till near 
five o’clock. At a quarter before two o’clock, the duke 
of Montrofe arrived, being the firft of the privy-coun- 
fellors who attended ; he was followed by all the royal 
dukes, and a very numerous affemblage of privy-counfel- 
lors, who had all arrived by a quarter before three. The 
whole of the magnificent fuite of Hate-apartments were 
thrown open, which for take and fplendour furpafs any 
thing of the kind in this country. About half-pall two 
o’clock, the lord-prefident of the council obtained a pri¬ 
vate audience of the prince, to prepare his royal highnefs 
for the buiinefs that was about to be proceeded upon, in 
the fame manner as .the proceedings of a council about to 
be held ufed to he laid before the king. This being done, 
the prefident retired to tire Hate or levee room, where the 
noble perfonages aifembled were fo extremely numerous, 
that many retired to the anti-room. Soon after three, the 
approach of the prince to the Hate-room was announced ; 
and, immediately after, his royal highnefs entered, efcorted 
by lord Keith, colonels Bloomfield and M‘Mahon, and 
two other attendants. His royal highnefs was dreffed in 
full regimentals: he took .his Hand under the throne, 
when thofe afiembled made their obeifance to him ; after¬ 
wards the prince went round the room, and fpoke to thofe 
affembled with his ufual condefcenfion. The levee being 
over, the prince fignilied his readinefs to attend the coun¬ 
cil, when the proceffion to the grand faloon, appointed 
ior holding thecouncil, began to move in the following order 5 
2^7 
The Great Chamberlain of England (Lord Gwydir), with 
his wand of office. 
The Vice-Chamberlain (Lord John Thynne), with his. 
wand of office. 
The Duke of MontroVe, Maker of the Horfe. 
The Lord Steward of the Houfehold (Earl of Aylesford), 
with his wand of office. 
The Treafurer of the Houfehold (Earl of Courtown), 
with his wand of office. 
Comptroller of the Houfehold (Lord George Thynne)., 
Gold Stick (Lord Heathficld). Silver Stick. 
His Royal Highnefs’s Attendants. 
The Regent. 
The Royal Dukes. 
The Archbifhops of Canterbury and York. 
The Lord Chancellor. 
The Lord Prefident of the Council. 
The other Minikers and Privy Counfellors. 
On their entrance into the grand faloon, a long table was 
prepared, covered with crimfon velvet, with nialfy filver 
ink-kands, which originally belonged to queen Anne. 
The different oaths dire&ed to be taken and figned by the 
regent were feparately laid at the head of the table, writ¬ 
ten on vellum. His royal highnefs took his feat at the 
head of the table, the lord-nrelident on his right, and the 
lord-chancellor on his left hand : the other privy-coun- 
fellors being feated, the lord-prefident briefly Hated the 
indifpofition and incapacity of the king, and the proceed¬ 
ings that had taken place in parliament to appoint a re¬ 
gent ; and then read the oaths required by the act for the 
prince to take, to enable him to fill that high office ; and, 
his royal highnefs fignifying his willingnefs to take them, 
the lord-prefident proceeded to adminiiter the oaths, and 
the prince figned the different pieces of vellum upon 
which they were inferibed, in the prefence of the privy- 
counfellors, who figned as witneffes to the prince’s figna- 
ture.—The proceedings upon fwearing in the prince-re¬ 
gent being ended, his royal highnefs retired, and com¬ 
menced his office by tranfading buiinefs with the minif- 
ters of Hate. 
In the night between the 15th and 16th of this month, 
his majeky’s frigate Amethyll, of 36 guns, Capt. Wal¬ 
ton, drove from her anchorage in Plymouth Sound, and 
was wrecked on a reef of rocks near Mount Batten Bay, 
near the place where the Pallas frigate was loft fome years 
before. The greater part of her crew periihed, as fix boats 
were difeovered wrecks on the fliore at day-light. A boat 
from one of the men of war in the Sound, proceeding to 
the relief of the crew, was overfet on nearing the fhip, 
and all hands perifhed, confining of an officer and fixteen 
men ; two other boats, from outward-bound tranfports 
lying in Catwater, alfo proceeding to the relief of the 
dillreffed, were upfet, and their crews perifhed. The 
Amethyll was riding at fingle anchor, ready to Hart for 
the fquadron off Brek. The guns that were fired from 
her, as fignals of diflrefs, unfortunately were fhotted, 
which prevented the timely afliftance that would other- 
wife have been rendered. 
A very few days after, his majeky’s fhip Franchife, while 
in the aft of wearing, unfortunately ran down the tranfport 
brig John and Jane, near Falmouth, with 219 of the 
eleventh regiment 011-board, 14 of her crew, 15 women, 
and 6 children, making in the whole 254 fouls ; out of 
which were faved, only enfign Duff and 22 of the troops, 
Mr. Wifhart maker, his mate, and 6 of the crew ; making 
in the whole 31 faved, and 223 drowned. Captain Allen, 
his officers, and /hip’s company, exerted themfelves to 
the utmofi in preferving as many as poflible from the 
wreck. The Franchife could not be going at lefs than 
the rate of eight or nine knots, as they were obliged to 
run a little before the wind to clear another vefiel : fine 
Hruck the brig with her cut-water right on the beam, 
which Hove her to pieces, and flie filled inkantly j no 
boats could be ufed, the lea ran fo high. 
We 
