about a mile from her own, where they forced
her into the room where the boy was, scratched
her arms and neck in the most cruel manner to
draw blood, as they said, of the witch, and then
threatened to swim her; but some people of
condition interposing, the poor woman's life was
happily preserved; and the persons concerned
in carrying on the imposture, particularly one
Beard, and Ladd's wife, being carried before a
magistrate, and compelled to make satisfaction
to the unhappy injured woman, the mob dispersed,
and the country, that was everywhere in
tumult, is again quieted. The boy pretended to
void needles and pins from his body, and his
father and mother upheld the deceit, and collected
large sums of money of those whose compassion
was excited by so melancholy a situation."

Amongst items of general news, we meet with
such as these: " On Saturday last, the famous
Porcupine-man having some words with two
others" (were they also Porcupine-men?) " at a
place called Bran, in Buckinghamshire, one of them
struck out one of his eyes, and so great an effusion
of blood flowed, that notwithstanding all possible
assistance was given, he died soon after." The
Porcupine-man seems to have had his full share
of the fretful qualities of the animal he was
named after. "Yesterday, by order of the
magistrates, notice was given by the eryer of St.
Margaret's, Westminster, to all persons keeping
swine, that the same, if found in the streets,
should be seized for the benefit of the poor of
the parish, pursuant to the statute in that case
made and provided." It must have been a
pleasant thing for members on their way to the
House, or lawyers wending to court, to have
the way stopped by swine; but there were worse
impediments to foot-passengers: "The Breeches-
Maker who was found dead in a ditch near
Burnaby-street, last week, is suspected to have
been robbed, and that on making resistance, he
was killed and thrown into the ditch."

Some singular accidents are recorded: "Feb.
21.—A little girl, daughter to Mr. Giffard, late
of Covent Garden Theatre, was lately burnt in
a very shocking manner, and died in great
agonies. A person in the house was subject to
fits, and among other methods practised to
recover her, it was usual to burn feathers, rags,
papers, &c., under her nose; this striking the
child, she was supposing her doll in like
circumstances, and burning something under its
nose, by which, means her own cloaths caught
fire, whilst her mamma's back was turned."
"Some time ago a man having stolen a sheep
at Mitcham, in Surrey, tied its hind legs
together, and put them over its forehead to carry
it away; but in getting over a gate, the sheep,
it is thought, struggled, and by a sudden spring,
slipped its feet down to his throat; for they
were found in that posture, the sheep hanging
on one side of the gate, and the man dead on
the other." "January 16. As Mr. Taylor, jun.,
anchorsmith, at Limehouse, was putting some
old iron into the fire, the barrel of an old pistol
happened to be in the parcel, which being loaded,
in a little time went off, and unfortunately shot
him dead. We mention incidents of this kind from
time to time, to put people on their guard."

We hear of some singular diseases a hundred
years ago. Here is an example: " A poor labouring
family near Biddeston, in Norfolk, have been
lately afflicted by a terrible disorder. The limbs
of several of them having rotted off, though without
any injury to their health, or the other parts
of their body." This case is thought so remarkable
(as well it might be) that a special article
is devoted to the subject in the Annual Register,
on the authority of Dr. Wollaston, of Bury, in
Suffolk, who, however, lays the scene at
Wattisham, and gives full details. He describes the
disease as beginning with violent pains in the
legs, and adds: " In about four, five, or six days,
the diseased leg began to turn black gradually,
appearing at first covered with blue spots, as if
it had been bruised .... and in a few days it
began to mortify. The mortified parts
separated gradually from the sound parts, and the
surgeon had, in most of the cases, to cut through
the bone, which was black and almost dry."
One or two thefts are worth noticing,—the
following from its miserly character: "February
6.—An old man standing at the fireside of the
Three per Cent Office at the Bank, was observed
to pick up the coals and put them in his
pocket, and afterwards went to the books and
received his dividend upon £600 stock. He
was carried before a magistrate, where the coals
were taken out of his pocket; but by reason of
his age, and his extreme penitence, he was
released." And this one, for the profane humour
of the thieves: "A little while since an elderly
gentlewoman, at Brainwood, in Gloucestershire,
had her box broke open, out of which she lost,
in plate and money, to the value of £40, in lieu
whereof they left her the following consolatory
letter: 'Madam,—Lay not up for yourself
treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.'"

While such, a hundred years ago, were the
occurrences of the hour in England, let us glance
at some odds and ends of adventure that turned
up in France. The year 1762 opened there
with a very singular affair, which is told in the
journal of the Avocat Barbier: "A sad, unfortunate,
and critical event happened," he says,
"at Versailles, on Wednesday, the 6th. (of
January), before the king's supper. There was
a grand concert (supping in public) that day,
and one of the body-guard, named La Chaux,
having left the Salle des Gardes to buy some
tobacco, passed through the Galerie des Princes,
and descended by the long corridor which leads
past the Contrôle Général, and terminates nearly
opposite the general entrance. In this corridor,
which is very badly lighted, as is the custom
at Versailles, at nine o'clock in the evening
La Chaux was discovered stretched on the
ground, with his sword broken, and wounded in
several places. Assistance was procured and
immediate information of the circumstance given
to the Comte de Saint Florentin, the Minister
of the King's Household, and to the Grand
Provost of the palace, or his lieutenant, that a