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PROVOSTS:

Robert Donald, Efq;' of Glasgow; James of Ballmyle, Efq; of Dundee; Alexander Jopp, Efq; of Aberdeen; George Maxwell Watfon, Efq; of St Andrew's; and John Kirk, Efq; of Dunfermline.

Sir Thomas Halifax, Lord Mayor of London. The unanimity prevailing at the election was unexampled of late years.

On the 12th of September the degree of Doctor in Medicine was conferred, by the university of Edinburgh, on the following ten young gentlemen, students in the univerfity, after they had gone through the ufuat private and public trials. The titles of their thefes are annexed to their names refpectively. [344] From America.

Samuel Nicoll, De arthritide.

Jofiah Gibbons, De quibufdam puerperarum morbis.

From St Christopher's.

John Tailour, De cynanche gangrenofa.
From England.

Samuel Daniel, De iЯero.

John Heathfield Hiches, De epifpafticis.
William Holland, De cynanche tonfillari.
Of Scotland.

James Wood, De emeticis.
Thomas Clark, De hydrocephalo.
John Shepherd, De pneunomia.
Samuel Graham, De gonorrhea virulenta.

Merchant Counsellors Trades Counsellors

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Ordinary

Council

Deacons

26 FRANCIS BRODIE, wright, Con

vener,

27 Alexander Hamilton, furgeon,

28 Adam Davie, goldsmith,

29 Alexander Ritchie, skinner,

30 James Millar, furrier,

.31 Alexander Wilfon, flefher,

32 William Thom, weaver,

33 Robert Wight, dyer,

Extraordinary Council-Deacons

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John Grieve, Baron Bailie of Canongate

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James Hotchkis, Captain of Orange Colours 50 &

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George Syme, flater,

Charles Howifon, wright,

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William Jamicfon, mason,

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Water in the head

THE

SCOTS MAGAZINE.

OCTOBER,

1776.

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CONT

Origin of the GYPSIES 513.
A brave, honeft TAR: An anecdote 514
The Hiftory of EUROPE for 1775. British
parliament proceedings $15.—519.
On PRAYERS for the enfuing FAST $19.
On the YEAR of the WORLD 520.
The Ancient Testimony of the QUAKERS
renewed at Philadelphia $21. An addrefs
to the Quakers, in answer to that Teftimo-
ny 522.
Remarks on the plan of WILLIAMS's new
liturgy 525, 6.

A NIGHT SCENE in the Iliad and in the
Lufiad compared 528.

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E NT S.

rolinians 535. Oath of office taken by Mr Rutledge the Preûident of S. Carolina 536. Scarcity in that province ib. Pennsylvania declare for independence ib. Diviñons in that province ib. Congrefs refolutions 537. Accounts of the affair of the Cedars $37, 8. A letter from an hoftage on the breach of a cartel 538. Newfoundland fishery 539 A plot at New York ib. State of New York in Auguft 540. Strength of the King's army and fleet at Staren island ib. Öperations on

Long iẞand ib Cruelties exercifed by the

Let

provincials 542. Gen. and Ld Howe's ac-
counts of the taking of New York 542. to,
545. That city fet on fire 543.
Books. Campbell on Rhetoric 545.
ters of Pope Clement XIV. 547.
POETRY. Dean Barnard to Sir Joshua Rey.
nolds 553. Ode on the pedestal of a Mo-
dern Diana ib. On a tomb-(tone ib. A
Τα
request to the Divine Being $54-
Hope ib
The New Divinity ih.

A whimsical PAINTER: An anecdote $29.
AMERICA. Barbadoes affembly proceed.
ings 530. State of provisions in that co-
lony $31. A negro infurrection in Ja
maica ib. A fire in Baffeterre ib. Florida
an afylum for diftreffed North-Americans]]
532. Provincial account of the attack of
Sulivan's ifland 532 -535. A menacing
proclamation by Gen. Clinton 532. A
kirmish between the Indians and the Ca-HISTORICAL AFFAIRS 555-568.

To the author of the SCOTS MAGAZINE.
SIR,

P

ASQUIER, in his book, intitled, Recherches de la France, gives a quotation from an old treatife which he fays he met with, written by a divine of Paris, chiefly relating to the history and autiquities of that city. In this quotation, a pretty curious account is given of the first appearance in France of thofe troops of vagabonds called Gypfies, who, till of late, were frequent in most of the countries of Eu rope. This account, tranflated from the old French, in which it is written, is as follows.

"On Sunday the 17th day of Auguft $427, there came to Paris twelve pilVOL. XXXVIII.

other a Count, and ten others, all on grims; one calling himself a Duke, anhorfeback. They faid, they were from the Lower Egypt, and were good Chriftians. They told, That the Chriftians had lately fubdued their country, and made the inhabitants be baptized, threatening those with death who refufed to undergo that ceremony: That, a fhort time after they had embraced Chriftianity, being invaded by the Saracens, they abandoned their new religion, and returned to their former errors and fu perftition: That this apoftafy being heard of by the Emperor of Germany, the King of Poland, and other princes, they, from a zealous defire of extirpating Paganism, marched against them with a great force, and eafily again fubdued 3 T

them.

them. But as a proper punishment for their crimes, these princes exterminated the whole inhabitants, prohibiting their return to their country, unlefs on going to Rome they fhould obtain permiffion from the Father of the Church: That, accordingly, all in a body, men, wo men, and children, made a journey to Rome, and confeffed their heinous fins before the Pope; who, taking the advice of his conclave, enjoined them as a penance, That for the space of feven years they should wander over the world; and that each bishop and abbot should, for their support, give them ten livres; as a warrant for demanding which charity, his Holinefs gave them letters directed to all prelates of the church, and difmiffed them with his benediction: That in the accomplishment of their penance, five years were now elapfed before they came to Paris.

The day of the arrival of those twelve chiefs, was, as already faid, the 17th of Auguft, and on the day of St John De. colace, the common people came after. They were not fuffered to enter the town of Paris, but were lodged at the chapel of St Denis; the whole of them, men, women, and children, being in number only about a hundred and twenty, all that remained alive of above a thousand when they left their country.

Never were feen fuch crouds as poured out of Paris to St Denis, to see these pilgrims. They wore each of them a filver ring in their ears, and fome had two. The men were of a black complexion, with crifped hair, the women extremely ugly, with black hair, as coarfe as a horfe's tail. Their drefs confifted only of a coarse rug, tied with a trap over the shoulder, and a vile fhift, or rather a pron. They were in fhort the moft miferable-looking creatures that had ever appeared in France. There were among them, fhe-conjurers, who by examining the hand, told people their fortunes, predicting all that was to happen to them, and telling them what had formerly hap pened. By thefe arts they fowed much Strife among married folks; for they would fay to fuch an one, Friend, your wife has played you a trick. But what was worse, by means of magical art, or the devil's affiftance, or elfe by flight of hand, they could make the money pafs from other peoples purfes into their own, as was reported. And, truly, I myself went two or three times to fpeak with em, but, happily, I had no lofs by

them. At laft, the Bishop of Paris get ting notice of these doings, went out to St Denis, accompanied by a friar, called, the little Jacobine, who, by his orders, gave a fine difcourfe, in which he excommunicated all such as had any deal. ings with thofe knaves, or had fhowed their hands to them, or given faith to their predictions; and he commanded the vagrants to depart immediately. This they accordingly did, and set off, on the day of our Lady in September, taking the road to Pontoife."

It is furprifiug, fays Pafquier, remarking upon this account, that those miferable vagabonds, who make a perpetual profeffion of beggary, of theft, and of idlenefs, fhould now, for above 120 years, (he writes about 1560 or 1570), have infefted this kingdom, still making the old pretence of this penance that was enjoined them; which they now fay, defcends from father to fon, and must be performed by each fucceeding generation. This grievance, however, is rectified, fays he, by an edict of the ftates, held in our time at Orleans, and published 3d September 1561, which enjoins all bailiffs, fheriffs, and other officers, to command all that affume the name of Egyptians or Bohemians, with their wives and chil dren, to depart the kingdom within two months, on pain of being sent to the galleys, or corporally punished,

It is not improbable, that after the example of the first of those troops of vagrants, others equally difpofed to knavery and idlenefs, might in different quarters have adopted the fame pretence. As however, for fome centuries past, this penitential pilgrimage would have been no plea of favour in Britain, we do not hear that our Gypfies have ever made vfe of it, or indeed of any other. They made a tolerable harvest without it. Ta king advantage of the credulity of the vulgar, they found profit in fortune-telling, flight of hand, and ingenious theft; to which not unfrequently, in lefs po pulous quarters, they added rapine and violence. They are now however happily extirpated. I am, &c. [xxxvi. 705.]

For the Scors MAGAZINE. THE following anecdote will give plea

fure to every mind that poffeffes a fpark of virtue or humanity.

On the 16th of October 1775 a veffel of 200 tons burden came into Plymouth in a very fhattered condition after ba ving rode out the storm which happened

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Parliamentary proceedings.

Whilft matters of this magnitude were tranfacting in America, an unexampled fupinenefs, with regard to public affairs, prevailed among the great body of the people at home. The English nation, which used to feel fo tremblingly alive, upon every conteft that arofe between the remoteft powers in Europe, and to intereft itself fo much in the iffue, as scarcely to be with-held from becoming a party where ever juftice or friendship pointed out the way, by a ftrange reverse. of temper, feemed at this time much more indifferent to matters, in which were involved its own immediate and dearest interests. Even the great commercial and manufacturing bodies, who muft be the firft to feel, and the laft to lament any finifter events in the colonies, and who are generally remarkable for a quick forefight and provident fagacity in whatever regards their intereft, feemed now to be funk in the fame careleff-* nefs and inattention with the reft of the people.

on the 14th and 15th, in which feveral The History of Europe for 1775. [467.] large hips had perifhed. During the hurricane, which was most violent in the night, and came on of a sudden, the mafter of the veffel called out fucceffively to feveral of the men by name to mount the fhrowds, as fome part of the takling required to be immediately let loose. As the ftorm was very boisterous, and the night dreadfully dark, they all repeatedly refufed; whereupon the mafter, who was an intrepid feaman, went aloft himself. Mean time one of the failors, whose turn it was then to be at the helm, and who was lashed to the maft with a rope to prevent his being washed overboard, being feized with indignation at the behaviour of his comrades, defired one of them to untie him, and take his place at the helm; and believing that his commander would need affiftance, flew up the shrowds in a moment: but moft un happily coming upon each other before they were aware, the poor failor flipping his hold, from the hock fell from the top of the maft upon the deck, by which, both his legs were broken. On the veffel's arrival at Plymouth, he was carried to the hospital, where his commander, deeply affected with his misfortune, of which his gallant behaviour had been the caufe, bestowed every attention of which a man of humanity was capable. The poor tar had both his legs cut off above the knees. The mafter vifited him twice every day, and when he began to recover, fent him regularly two meffes of the moft delicate and nourishing victuals. Several weeks after, a stranger, from whom the writer of this letter had the account, vifiting the hospital from curiosity, found honeft Tom fitting in his little barrack, with his ftumps upon a fcot-ftool, regaling himself, with a fellow-invalid, over a little bowl of rum-punch: he heard the particulars of his ftory from his own mouth, which he concluded in this remarkable manner: "As for thofe lubberly dogs whofe duty it was to have gone aloft when their commander order. ed-may they be damn'd-that's all the harm I wish them *.- But for the noble and generous Captain P-- as true hearted a feaman as ever pulled a cable, may this glafs of punch be my laft, if I would not at his command mount the frowds in my ftumps, though my arms should follow my poor fhanks, and go to the dunghill after them.

According to the Tar's notions, a hearty

curfe could do no harm at all.

Several caufes concurred to produce this apparent indifference. The colony-. contefts were no longer new. From the year 1765, they had, with but few, and thofe fhort intermiffions, engaged the attention of parliament. Moft of the topics on the fubject were exhaufted, and the vehement paffions which accompanied them had fubfided. The non-importation agreement (by divisions within the colonies, which, if not caused, were much forwarded by the conceffions with regard to feveral of the taxes, laid in 1767), had broken up, before it had produced any ferious confequences. Moft people therefore flattered themfelves, that as things had appeared so ve-, ry frequently at the verge of a rupture, without actually arriving at it, that.. now, as formerly, fome means would be found for accommodating this difpute. At worst it was conceived, that the Americans would themselves grow tired. And as an opinion was circulated with fome induftry and fuccefs, that a countenance of refolution, if perfevered in for fome time, would certainly put an end to the conteft, which (it was faid) had been nourished wholly by former conceffions, people were in general inclined to leave the trial of the effects of

perfeverance and refolution, to a mini-, 3 T 2

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ftry who valued themselves on those qualities. The court had alfo with great tenacioufnefs adhered to this fyftem for fome years. It frequently got the bet ter, not only of the regular oppofition, but of parties in the miniftry itself, who were from time to time inclined to relax, either from fear, wearinefs, or change of opinion. All these things had hitherto indifpofed the body of the nation from taking part in the fanguine manner they had hitherto done on other fubjects, and formerly on this.

From thefe caufes, administration being totally disengaged at home, was at full leifure to profecute the measures which it had defigned against America, or to adopt fuch new ones, as the oppofition there rendered neceffary towards carrying the new laws into execution. The times indeed were highly favourable to any purpose, which only required the concurrence of that parliament, and the acquiefcence of the people.

Notwithstanding thefe favourable circumftances on the one fide, and that general indifference which prevailed on the other, it was not totally forgotten by either, that the time for a general election was approaching, and that the parliament had but one feffion more to complete its allotted term. In fome few places, where the popular fpirit ran high, tefts were already proposed to be figned by their future candidates, previous to their receiving any affurance, or promife of fupport from the electors [xxxvi. 440. 548.]; and it is ftill the opinion of fome of thofe who were fanguine in that mode of proceeding, that the apprehenfion of its becoming general, influenced the fubfequent conduct of administration to the dissolution of parliament [xxxvi. 501.]. This opinion, however, feems ill founded. There was no reafon then to expect, nor is there now to imagine, that the mode of fubfcribing to tefts would have become general, or even extensive.

Other more probable causes must be fought, for the measure of diffolving the parlament. The civil lift was again become deeply in debt, and the diftreffes of the lower part of the household, from the with-holding of their wages, were become fo notorious, and fo much fpoken of, that it seemed difgraceful to the nation, as well as grievous to the fovereign. It was therefore thought, and probably rightly, that it was intended,

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in the enfuing feffion, not only to demand a large fum of money for the dif charge of the ftanding debt, but allo that a requifition would be made, for fuch a confiderable and certain yearly addition to the civil-lift revenues, as would prevent all fuch mortifying applications for the future.

Though no doubt could be entertained of the good will and compliance of the then parliament, it was, perhaps, not thought prudent, to load them with fo disagreeable a task, at the eve of a general election. People are apt to be out of humour at the parting with their money, and an application for future truft and favour, in fuch a temper, would feem, at leaft, ill timed. On the other hand, fuch a measure would be nothing in the hands of a new parliament, and would be worn out of memory, or become only an historical reference, at the time of their natural demise. The finifter events which have fince taken place have, however, hitherto prevented the making of any requifition of this nature.

However it was, very unexpectedly, and much to the furprise of the nation in general (as it had not been a measure much practised of late years, no fimilar inftance having occurred fince the year 1746, and even that being an unique in the long reign of George II.), a proclamation was issued, Sept. 30. for the dif folution of the parliament, and the calling of a new one, the writs for which were made returnable on the 29th day of the following November. Notwithstanding the furprise, and fhortness of the time, fome of the elections were contefted with extraordinary perfeverance and ardour.

In London, the popular party carried every thing before them, and returned all the members. Mr Wilkes was again elected to reprefent the county of Middlefex, without a fhadow of oppofition from the court [xxxvi. 617.], and Lord Mayor of that city for the enfuing year; and there was no doubt that the courtparty, grown fomewhat wifer by long and bitter experience, would no longer controvert his feat.

On the meeting of the new parliament, Nov. 30. 1774, Sir Fletcher Norton was, without oppofition, chofen .Speaker. — The fpeech, the addreffes, the debates upon them in both houses, and a proteft in the Houfe of Lords, have been alrea dy inferted. [xxxvi. 626.-630.]

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