fix or feven thoufand pounds in the funds, it was confidered he wanted the king's favours no longer, and his annuity of 100 ducats was cut off: this circumftance, it was fuppofed, occafioned him to leave England, a nation whofe generofity excited in our little hero the moft fincere gratitude. The Count has returned again to England, and is now at Birmingham; but it is expected he will be in the metropolis in a fhort time. We have written to him on the subject, and fhall be able in a future Number of our Work to give a statement of the exploits and adventures of this extraor dinary períon, during the last twelve years, from the time he left England last.

Account of MR. FORSTER POWELL, the celebrated English Pedestrian.

MR. F. POWELL was born at Horfeforth, near Leeds, in Yorkshire, 1734. He came to London and articled himself to an attorney in the Temple, 1762. After the expiration of his clerkship, he remained with his uncle, Mr. Powell of the New Inn, and when he died, he engaged with a Mr. Stokes, and upon Mr. Stokes's decease with a Mr. Bingly, both of the fame place.

Before his engagement with Stokes, he undertook (it is supposed for no wager), in the year 1764, to go fifty miles on the Bath road in feven hours, which he accomplished in the time, having gone the first ten miles in one hour, although encumbered with a great coat and leather breeches.

We are affured that he vifited feveral parts of Switzerland and France, where he walked two hundred miles beyond Paris, and gained much praife there, though his fame, as a Pedestrian, was not as yet publicly established; but, in the year 1773, (it being the first time, as imagined, for a wager) he travelled on foot from London to York and back again

(a

(a distance of 402 miles) in five days and eighteen hours.— Upon this he became notorious, and without seeing it, being remarkably modeft, attracted the notice of all.

In November 1778, about the afternoon, our hero attempted to run two miles in ten minutes for a wager; he started from Lee Bridge, and lost it by only half a minute,—All his biographers have artfully omitted this his only failure-but we cannot fee for what.-Our refpect for this Pedestrian is equally as great as their's-nor do we conceive that his lofing a wager once in a running match, can ever take away from his merit as a walker.

In 1786 he undertook to walk 100 miles on the Bath road in 24 hours-50 miles out and 50 miles in-he completed this journey three quarters of an hour before the time agreed upon.

In 1787, he undertook to walk from Canterbury to London Bridge and back again in 24 hours-the distance being 12 miles more than his former journey; and to the great astonishment of a thoufand anxious fpectators, who were waiting, he accomplished it.

The following year, 1788, he engaged to go his favourite journey from London to York, and back again, in fix days, which he executed in five days and twenty hours. After this he did not undertake any journey till the year 1790, when he fet off to walk from London to York and back again; he was allowed fix days to do it, and accomplished it in five days and eighteen hours.

In 1792 he was determined to repeat his journey to York and back again, for the laft time of his life, and convince the world that he could do it in a fhorter time than ever he had, though now at the advanced age of 58 years. Accordingly he set out from Shoreditch Church to York Minfter and back again in five days, fifteen hours, and one quarter.-On his return he was faluted with the loud huzzas of his astonished and anxious waiting spectators.

In this fame year he walked, for a bet of twenty guineas, fix miles in fifty-five minutes and a half on the Clapham road. A little after he went down to Brighton, and engaged to walk one mile and run another in fifteen minutes -he walked the mile in nine minutes and twenty feconds, and ran the other mile in five minutes and twenty-three feconds, by which he was feventeen feconds lefs than the time allowed him.

Before this, (the time is not afcertained) he undertook a journey to Canterbury, and by unfortunately mistaking the road from Blackheath to London, which confiderably increased it, he unavoidably loft the wager-yet, he gained more money by this accident, than all the journeys he accomplished; for his friends feeling for the great disappointment he experienced, made a subscription, and collected for him a prefent.

Powell seems to have confidered his wonderful agility as a circumstance from which he derived great glory. He defpifed wealth, and, notwithstanding his many opportunities of acquiring money, forty pounds was the largest sum he ever made, which was at the time of the above-mentioned fubfcription. He was content with a little for himself, and happy in being able to win much for others.

In perfon he was tall and thin, about five feet nine inches high-very strong downwards, well calculated for walking, and rather of a fallow complexion; in difpofition he was mild and gentle, poffeffed of many valuable qualifications.

In diet he was fomewhat particular, as he preferred light food-he abstained from liquor, but on his journeys made use of brandy, and when travelling, the delay he met with at the inns, for he had particular hours for taking refreshment, often chagrined him. No wonder indeed, if on this account he had frequently loft his wagers-he allowed him

felf

self but five hours reft, which took place from eleven o'clock at night.

In 1793, he was suddenly taken ill, and died April 15th about four o'clock Monday morning, at his apartments in New-Inn, in rather indigent circumstances-for notwithstanding his wonderful feats and the means he had of attaining wealth, poverty was the conftant companion of 'his travels through life, even to the hour of his death.— The faculty attributed the cause of his fudden diffolution to the great exertions and over-exercise he must have experienced in his last journey to York-for being determined to complete it in less time than ever, he probably exceeded, and confequently forced his ftrength. In the afternoon of the 22d, his remains were brought for interment, according to his own dying request, to the burying-ground of St. Faith, being St. Paul's Church-Yard. The funeral was characteristically a walking one, from New Inn, through Fleet Street, and up Ludgate Hill. The followers were twenty on foot, in black gowns, and after them came three mourning coaches. The attendants were all men. of respectability. The ceremony was conducted with much decency, and a very great concourse of people attended. He was buried nearly under the only tree in the church yard. He was aged fifty-nine.

A Remarkable Inftance of the POWER of CONSCIENCE. A real Fact, by Dr. Fordyce.

A JEWELLER, a man of good character, and of confide

rable wealth, having occafion, in the way of his business, to travel fome diftance from the place of his abode, took along with him a fervant, in order to take care of his portmanteau; he had taken with him some of his best jewels, and a large fum of money, to which his fervant was like