26 s LON 
We cannot refrain from introducing the following re¬ 
markable infrance of relolution, intrepidity, and prowefs, 
in an Irifh gentleman of 70 years of age.—John Purcel, 
efq. of Highfort, near Charleville, in the county of Cork, 
had retired to relt at a late hour on the nth (or 12th) of 
March, in the fame room where he had fupped. He con¬ 
ceives he had been two hours in bed, when his attention 
was engaged by an unufual noife outlide his houfe. The 
room in which he had fupped and flept was infide his par¬ 
lour; the windows of which latter, after a fliort interval, 
were beat in ; and fcarcely an inftant elapfed before he 
heard feveral perfons, he believes twelve or thirteen, leap 
into the room in rapid fuccefiion. He had but a moment 
to deliberate ; and, although he found hintfelf unprovided 
with any other weapon except the knife which he recol¬ 
lected lay on the table, he refolved on defence The bed¬ 
room-door was piefently thrown in by a violent blow of 
a fledge-hammer. Mr. P. now put his back clofe again ft 
the wall, immediately contiguous to the door. Although 
the darknefs of the inner room rendered him invifible to 
thofe without, yet the moon (hining brightly through the 
windows which had been broken, and through which the 
party entered, gave him an imperfeCf view of his aflail- 
ants ; and he difcovered two men abreaft, approaching 
him by the door. Mr. Purcel at this moment only liefi- 
tated to decide whether a back-hand or a right-forward 
blow' would be molt powerful; and, on preferring the for¬ 
mer, he plunged his knife far into the bread: of the neareft 
man, who immediately fell back with a horrible fcream, 
and expired. The captain of the party gave orders to 
fire, and a mufket was thereupon prefented at Mr. P. and 
actually lay againft his ftomach ; but as, from its oblique 
pofition, Mr. P. law it could not injure him, he prefled 
againft the barrel, in order to induce a belief that it would 
prove mortal, and permitted it to be fired. He then gave 
this ruffian alfo a terrible wound, with which he retreated. 
A third fellow, undeterred by thefe examples, had the 
temerity to attempt an entrance, but met with Hie like 
repulfe. The expulfion of the entire gang from the houfe, 
it was imagined, was by this effected, with the exception 
of one powerfully-ftrong villain; who, more fuccefsfnl 
than his comrades, forced his way into the bed-chamber, 
which the ruffian prefently notified in the loudeft and 
molt exulting tone. During the whole of this mod ter¬ 
rific proceeding, Mr. P. had not felt the influence of ap- 
prehenfion until now. Pie clofed, however, on his af- 
failant, and a very fierce ftruggle enfued. Mr. P. finding 
that, although he frequently (tabbed the fellow in the 
fide, he neverthelefs perlifted in repeating a demand of 
Mr. p’s money, feared that the point of his knife had been 
turned and blunted ; and fuch, on feeling it, he found to 
be the cafe. He was thus bereft of his only weapon ; 
however, in the encounter, he difcovered a (word fuf- 
pended to his opponent, which he now ftrove to gain, 
but, during the exertion, the wretched man expired in his 
arms; and thus Mr. Purcel found that his knife had not 
failed him until, guided by providential interpofition, it 
had miraculoufly and faithfully fecured his deliverance. 
The remainder of the party were now contented' to de¬ 
part, carrying off the dead and wounded ; and Mr. P. 
dreading the renewal of the attempt with increafed num¬ 
bers, prudently concealed himfelf between two heaps of 
culm in an adjoining yard, from whence he iffued in the 
morning completely coated with blood, and whatever 
eife this clammy matter caufed to adhere to his body and 
limbs. It feetr.s another fellow named' Joy, who com- 
pofed one of the party, died at Newcaftle, in the county of 
Limeric, his wounds not having permitted him to efcape 
farther. 
Q11 the 19th of March, a rife of ten per cent, in the cur¬ 
rent value of the ftamped dollars in circulation took place. 
The increafe in the price of filver had become fo'great, 
that the dollars or tokens iffued by the bank could be 
fold for more as bullion than they were current at as coin. 
The directors therefore gave notice, that they would in 
DON. 
future receive in payment all bank dollar-tokens at the 
rate of js. 6d. each, inftead of 5s. as heretofore. All 
fuch tokens are henceforth to be iffued at the fame in¬ 
creafed rate. The object of this regulation was to pre¬ 
vent this fpecies of currency from being withdrawn from 
circulation, which was rapidly effecting, in confequence 
of the difproportion between the real and circulating 
value of the article. 
On the 26th of March came on the election for Chan¬ 
cellor of the Univerfity of Cambridge, that high office 
having become vacant by the death of the duke of Graf¬ 
ton. The candidates were but two: his grace the Duke 
of Rutland, who was underftood to have the fupport of the 
prime-minifter, and the greater part of the royal family; 
and his highnefs the.Duke of Gloucefter, who flood upon 
his own merits. The duke of Rutland arrived at Cam¬ 
bridge feveral days before the election : his illuftrious an- 
tagoni.ft perhaps better confulted the dignity of the fe- 
nate and his own by abftaining from a perfonal canvas ; 
but his friends were energetic in his fupport. The prince- 
regent was likewife faid to have pledged his fervices upon 
this exprefs condition, that his royal relative fhould de¬ 
cline a canvas. It was underftood, by communication 
from the committee in London, that four hundred and 
feventy votes had been aflualiy promiled to the duke of 
Gloucefter ; and, as no one anticipated the prelence of a 
greater number than nine hundred voters, this was deemed 
a pretty ftrong affurance of ultimate fuccefs. On the con¬ 
trary, his molt noble antagonil’c was deemed to poflefs no 
ordinary ftrength ; the fupport of the prime-minifter, and 
the conformity of his grace’s politics with thole of the 
people in power, were circumflances of great weight; and 
many who were not fwayed by political motives, were Di¬ 
alled by fox-lninting ones, to give him their votes; his 
grace’s hounds being, as is fuppofed, among the beft 
packs in the kingdom. The poll continued until twelve 
o’clock at night, when, no more votes being tendered, the 
boxes were doled ; in half an hour after, the numbers for 
each candidate were declared to be as follows: 
For the Duke of Gloucefter - - 470 
The Duke of Rutland ' ----- - 356 
Majority for the Duke of Gloucefter 114 
When the refult of the conteft was announced, the goyrnf- 
men in the gallery of the fenate-houfe rofe from their 
feats, and gave three cheers. 
The longevity of the chancellors of Cambridge has 
been remarkable; there having been only three fince 1688, 
a period of 122 years. The duke of Somerfet held the of¬ 
fice 60 years ; the duke of Newcaftle, 20 ; and the duke 
of Grafton, 42 years. There have been feven chancellors 
of Oxford during the fame period. 
The ceremony of the inftallation took place on the 29th 
of June.—About half paft ten, the fide-doors of the fe¬ 
nate-houfe were opened for the admiflion of the under¬ 
graduates,'and bachelors of arts, not fellow-commoners, 
who had been previoufly furnifiled with perfonal tickets ; 
they occupied the gallery, the front rows of which were 
filled by ladies, introduced by members of the fenate, no¬ 
blemen, and doftors. The front-doors were opened for 
the admiflion of members of the fenate, &cc. and their vi- 
fitors, into the pit of the fenate-houfe, which was in a 
very fliort time crowded, with the exception ol thole feats 
which were referred for the chancellor, vice-chancellor, 
and their friends. About half paft eleven, a deputation, 
confiding of fix doctors (two in each faculty), fix non¬ 
regents, and fix regents, were fent from the fenate-houfe 
to the chancellor-eleft at Trinity-lodge; whence, pre¬ 
ceded by a beadle, and attended by the deputation, he 
came to the fenate-houfe ; at the fleps of which he was 
met by Dr. Douglas, vice-chancellor, who walked up 
the fenate houfe at his liiglinefs’s left hand, when they 
af'cended the chair of ftate; his highnefs ftanding at the 
left hand of the chair, and the vice-chancellor on the 
3 right. 
