nothing was heard till a little after twelve o'clock, when the child was feized with a trembling, and shivering; in which manner she has always been affected on the departure as well as at the approach of the ghoft. Upon this, one of the company afked, whether it would return again, and at what time? Anfwer was made in the ufual manner by knocks, that it would be there again before feven in the morning; and then a noife like the fluttering of wings was heard; after which all was quiet, till ' between fix and seven on Friday morning, when the knocking began again. A little before feven, two clergymen came, when the fluttering noife was repeated; which in this ftrange affair is confidered as a mark of the spirit's being pleafed. The clergymen then asked feveral questions, the most material of which and the refponfes are as follow: You W have often fignified that--poisoned · you; if this is really the truth, answer by nine knocks.' Anfwer was made by nine very flow and distinct knocks. Would it give you reft or fatisfaction to have your body taken up?' Anfwered in the affirmative. Would the taking up and opening of your body, lead to any material difcovery? This was answered in the affirmative. At another of thefe meetings, the fuppofed ghoft was asked, Whether it had power to appear to any 'perfon or perfons; or whether it would appear to the company then present if required.' Thefe queftions were anfwered by affirmative knocks; but fear. getting the better of curiofity, all the company except one gentleman opposed it. In this manner a converfation has been kept up night and morning for some time past. Many trifling queftions have been afked; the moft material are thofe abovementioned. In short, fome perfons feem to confider this as a ferious affair; while others treat it as a juggle, which a little time will detect. Several clergymen and other perfons of reputation, have been applied to and have confented to examine ferutinously into this affair, by taking the girl to an apartment of their own providing, and free from all her prefent connections, fo that it is ex- .. pected this mysterious affair will foon be unravelled. The clerk has been obliged to remove his furniture and hut up his house. SATURDAY, Jan. 30. Advice is received that a Spanish ship from Cadiz, bound to Naples, with 2,500, ,000 dollars on board, is taken by admiral Saunders's fquadron, and fent into Gibraltar. BIRTHS. Princess of Wurtemburgh, of a prince. Lady of William Woodley, Efq; member for Great Bedwin, of a fon. Lady of Henry Drummond, Efq; of a fon. Lady of Sir Charles Hardy, of a fon. A boatman's wife at Norwich, of three boys. MARRIAGES. Rev. Mr. Charles Wheler, to Mifs Lucy Strange, daughter of the late Sir John Strange. Thomas Gilbert, Efq; to Mifs Philips. Hon. John Yorke, Efq; to Mifs Lygon, of Maddresfield. -Provost, jun. of Shepton-Mallet, to Mifs Pigott. George Powlett, Efq; to Mifs Ingoldfby. Col. Prefcott, to Mifs Hill, of Cheapfide. Thomas Silvefter, Efq; of MortimerStreet, to Mifs Evans. Capt. Jonathan Blagdon of Gateshead, to Mrs. Heath of Weftoe. 器 The LIFE of SIR GEORGE ROOKE, Admiral of the British Fleet, in the Reigns of King William III. and Queen Anne. IR GEORGE ROOKE, knight, one of the braveft and most experienced feaS commanders Great Britain ever bred, was defcended from an ancient and very honourable family in Kent, many years feated at Monk's Horton, in that county; where he was born in the year 1650. His father, Sir William Rooke, knight, who was twice sheriff of Kent, and mayor of the city of Canterbury, gave him the education of a gentleman; in which, by the quickness of his natural genius, and the folidity of his judgment, he made a great proficiency; infomuch, that Sir William had great hopes he would have diftinguished himself in an honourable profefSon, for which he was intended. To this end, when he grew up and fit to enter upon bufinefs, he put him to a genteel employment: but as it frequently happens that genius gives a biafs too strong even for a parent to conquer; fo Sir William, after February 1762, a fruitless struggle with his fon George's bent to a naval life, yielded to his inclinations, and permitted him to go to sea. Before he was thirty, he fo diftinguished himself by his undaunted courage and indefatigable application, that he rose from the station of a reformade, to the rank of lieutenant and captain: a thing, in those days, very extraordinary, when no man, let his intereft or quality be what it would, was raised to that station, before he had given ample, and incontestible proofs of his being able to fill it with honour. The courage, fpirit, and refolution of Mr. Rooke supplied the place of testimonies; and fhewed he only wanted an opportunity to appear worthy of any dignity. Thefe preferments he was advanced to in the reign of Charles II. His fucceffor James II. who certainly had uncommon kill and experience in maritime affairs, favoured him with fo much cfteem as ro continue him in his poft, and prefer him to the command of the Deptford, a fourth I rate The Life of Sir George Rooke, man of war. But being too honeft to favour the unlawful designs of that prince, he heartily concurred in the revolution. On the landing of the prince of Orange, coming into the Downs with the reft of the fleet under lord Dartmouth's command, he readily concurred to have feveral officers that were known, or at least fufpected to be papifts, difmiffed from their employments. Indeed no man could be more affected to the religion and liberty of his country; and he engaged early and vigorously in promoting the delive rance of the nation. King James having landed in Ireland with a French army, admiral Herbert fent Mr. Rooke, as commodbre, with a fquadron on the coaft of that kingdom, to af fift in the reduction of it to their April majeflies king William and queen 1689 Mary, and to deliver that nation from the fame dreadful terrors which had just been fo happily averted from England. Arriving off Greenock, he prevented the Scots from having any intercourfe with king James and his army, and was particularly inftrumental in the taking of the Isle of Inch in Lough-Swille, which opened a paffage for the relief of London-derry, then clofely besieged by James. This major-general Kirke, with the hearty and effectual affistance of the commodore, likewife fortunately accomplished, and obliged king James to raise the fiege, after the place had been reduced to the very laft extremity and mifery, and must have surrendered but for this timely relief. Londonderry thus happily fecured and faved, he was employed' to convoy the duke of Schomberg's army, confisting of upwards of ten thousand men, horse and foot, embarked in ninety veffels, which had lately failed Auguft from England. He landed them fafely at Carrick-Fergus, and continued with the duke till he had taken the town, and had no further occafion for his affiftance. After ftationing as many ships and yatchts of his fquadron, as he thought neceffary to preferve the communication between Ireland and England, and prevent the attempts of any Scotch or Irish privateers, he failed along the Irish soaft by the direction of the general, and came into Dublin bay, where he infulted the city, by manning his boats, and making a fhew of landing, king James being then there. He next attempted to take or burn all the veffels in the harbour, and had not changed, and blown a fresh gale had certainly performed it, if the wind just as the yachts and ketches were going in, which drove him out to fea, and obliged him to abandon the defign. James From Dublin he failed for Corke; and arwas an eye witness of this bold attempt. riving before that place, fent in fome small people of the favour of their veffels for intelligence, and to affure the majesties king William and September going into the harbour; but was obûrucqueen Mary. He attempted ted by the brisk fire the enemy made from their batteries. Notwithstanding this, he landed his men on the Great Island, and though this was esteemed the best fortified port in Ireland, yer he took poffeffion of it, and might have one still more fervices, foul, and his provifions low. By which if his fhips had not by this time grown means, being constrained to quit his station, he arrived in the Downs, after having given by his activity, vigilance, and unwearried attention to his duty, an earnest ed, when admiral in chief of the British of the great things he afterwards perform fleet. Herbert, then lately created earl of Tor- he was appointed to command the fqua- the the first time of his majefty's going over to Holland, fince he had been king of Great-Britain. He faithful discharged this truft, and fafely landed the king there, after encountring many dangers from the ice, on the coaft of Holland. He Jan. then returned to England, and two 1691 months after failed to Holland again; but his majesty, not being yet ready to embark, fent back the admiral to England; intending, as he afterwards did, to take the opportunity of returning with part of the Dutch squadron. However, the king making but a very fhort ftay in England, admiral Rooke had the honour to convoy him over the May fecond time; and landing him fafe ly in Holland, rejoined the grand feet, commanded now by admiral Ruffel; but all their endeavours to meet with, and engage the French fleet, proving ineffecrual, this year terminated without any memorable action. A third time he convoyed king Williama to Holland, and was then, or foon after, promoted to the rank of vice-admiral of the Blue; in which ftation he ferved in the famous battle of La Hogue. In May this great engagement he bore a 1692 confiderable part, and behaved with the greatest courage and conduct. To his vigorous behaviour was owing the laft, and finishing stroke, given on that glorious and important day; which threw the French entirely into confusion, and forced them to run the utmost hazards, by paffing through the race of Alderney, full of thoals and rocks, with a moft furious and rolling fea, in order to fhelter themfelves from their victorious enemies. But the next day was for him still more glorious: for he received orders to go into La Hogue, and burn the French fhips as they lay. There were thirteen large French men of war drawn up as close to the fhore as poffible; befides tranfports, tenders, and ships with ammunition, difpofed in fuch a manner, that it was thought impoffible to burn them. Moreover, the French camp was in fight, with all the French and Irish troops that were to have been employed in the invasion of England, and feveral batteries upon the coaft well provided with heavy artillery. Vice-admiral Rooke, however, made the neceffary preparations for obeying his orders; but when he came to make the attempt, he found it impoffible to carry in the fhips of his fquadron. Therefore he or dered his light frigates to ply in clofe to the fhore and having manned all his boats, went out himself to give directions for the attack; burned that very night fix three-deck hips, and in the morning fix more, from feventy-fix to fixty guns; and destroyed the thirteenth, a fhip of fifty-fix guns, with most of the transports and ammunition veffels; and this under the fire of all thofe batteries in fight of the French and Irish troops: yet, through his wife conduct, this bold and fortunate enterprize coft him the lives of no more than ten men. Some time after, he was fent in company with the Dutch vice-admiral, Callemberg, with a fquadron towards St. Maloes, to bring an account whether the whole, or what part, of the French fleet might ride there; and, undoubtedly, to endeavour to deoy them. He carefully examined the found and tides; and obferved that there were at St. Malo's about thirty-five, or thirty-fix fail rigged: but not one of the pilots would undertake to carry in any man of war or fire-vessels, to make an attempt on the French fhips. So dangerous were all approaches to that place. He came back, therefore, through very stormy weather; and fafely arrived at Torbay. 1693 For fuch good fervices, king William would not suffer him to remain unrewarded. The behaviour at La Hogue appeared to him fo great, and fo worthy of public notice, that having no opportunity at that time of providing for him, he fettled a penfion of a thousand pounds a-year on him for life, in the fpring his majesty thought fit to go to Portsmouth to view the feet, as king Charles II. had sometimes done; and go. ing on board Mr. Rooke's fhip, then in the harbour, dined with, and conferred on him the honour of knighthood. A little before, a grand naval promotion had been made, in which Sir George was declared vice-admiral of the Red. Soon after he was appointed commander of the fqua dron which was to efcort the Mediterranean, and Smyrna fleet, of merchants, And the rest of the English and Dutch men of war received orders to accompany him to a certain latitude, or as far as they should think proper: then his inftructions were to take the best care of the fleet he could, and, in cafe of any misfortune, to reuire into fome of the Spanish ports, Į 2 and and put himself under the protection of their cannon. In the mean time, the French fleet had failed from Breft and other ports, for the Mediterranean, about the middle of May; and being joined by the Toulon fquadron, amounted together to no less than one hundred and fourteen fail. These all got into Lagos bay, on the coast of Portugal, and there waited to intercept the English fleet. Our admiralty and miniftry, to their great dishonour, had not taken care to get proper intelligence of the enemy's motions. Sir George failed about the end of May, with a fleet of four hundred merchant men of all nations; and befides his own fquadron of twenty-three fhips, was accompanied with forty-five English, and twentyfour Dutch men of war. Thefe left him on the fixth of June, though he expreffed to them fome concern at the great rifque fo numerous a fleet of merchant-men under his convoy was like to run; as they had not yet any certain intelligence either of the force of the French fquadron, or where they failed. However, he now with his own fleet of three and twenty men of war, pursued his courfe with the trade for the Streights, leaving by the way the veffels bound for Lisbon, and fuch other places as they paffed: but a very brisk gale of wind arifing, drove him directly towards the enemy, before he could be apprised of their number, or his own danger. While Sir George was in this perilous fituation, the lords of the admiralty received advice from the conful at Leghorn, that the Toulon fquadron were on the point of failing from Marseilles; and before this advice reached England, which it did on the thirteenth of June, that fquadron had joined the Breft fleet. Some ships being fent to gain intelligence on the French coaft, one of them returned the feventeenth of June, with an account that neither fhip nor veffel could be discovered in Breft bay, except a few fishing boats. Upon this it was concluded, that the Breft and Toulon fquadrons either had made, or would endeavour to effect, a junction. The English fleet of fixty-nine men of war, then idle and inactive at home, deter. mined to fail off of Scilly to look out for the enemy, and from thence to repair to Torbay. There they arrived in great want of feveral kinds of provifions, How ever, a council of war was called, upon commands from her majefty concerning Sir George Rooke; it being apprehended, though too late, that he might be in great danger from the French fleet. By this council it was determined to proceed to Lisbon, and join the Mediterranean fquadron (Sir George Rooke's ;) but it was found, upon ftri&t enquiry, they had not fufficient provifions fo to do. Neverthelefs, fince it was judged that squadron did greatly require the affiftance of the fleet, it was refolved to proceed in fearch of the enemy, if in fourteen days time they could be completely victualled for ten weeks. Just at this time came advice from the English conful at Oporto, and alfo from other quarters, with certain intelligence, that the French fleet had been discovered in Lagos bay; that they confifted of an hundred and twenty fail, befides fireships and bombs ; and that twenty of them were cruifing to the weftward. Upon thefe alarming news, the lords of the admiralty fent the most preffing orders to haten the victualling the fleet as much as poffible, and for it to proceed to fea with the utmost expedition at the fame time orders were fent to Sir George Rooke, to return and make the beft of his way back to Plymouth. If the facet had actually failed to Lisbon, fomething worthy of the English nation might perhaps have been done. Though they would not have arrived time enough to fuccour Sir George Rooke, they might have engaged the French fleet, and fet all things right again: but, instead of that, another council of war was called on the firft of July; in which, notwithstanding the queen's orders were produced for their executing what themselves had before propofed, yet they came to a new refolution; which was, to submit it to her majefty, whether it might be adviseable for the fleet to proceed to Lisbon; for that, if the French fquadrons were joined and failed northward, THE COASTS OF ENG LAND WOULD BE EXPOSED TO INSULTS DURING THEIR ABSENCE. This was doing what they had always charged the council with: altering their scheme when it ought to have been put in execution. They knew well enough that a hint of the coaft being in danger, would be sufficient to prevent their quitting it. They argued, that fince orders were fent to Sir George Rooke to return, they thought it would be |