North Wales Gazette

To the Editor of the A ortk Urales Gazette. LETTER VI. THE next argument produced in favour of the tradition of Bllllus, ts founded oil the tes- timony of William of Malmsbury, who men- tions II merely on the authority of Nennius. Britaniu insuia a quodatu degenee hiphet Britorip, le''»:!t esse uunenpata. G. Malnn Brilania insula a Britoue, oe genere laphet dicta est. Nennius. The translator has nnfortunatelv brought Higd en forward as entertaining a favourable J opinion of the ei-,icity of the author of the Brut. He thinks i probable that he believed the former part ot the history, because lie discredited'be latter part -an inference,agree able uiilv to the new-fangled logic of the au, thor. There is on tin. contrary sufficient evi- dence that H:gden discredited the whole of this Chronicle. He certainly delivers his sen time ;ts very freely upon certain parts of it, upon which he had occasion to expatiate. Geoffrey," continues Bidden, Polyciir. An. 544. wonders that neither Gildas nor Bede have made mention of Arthur. I however think it much more surprising that he should have recorded such extravagant exploits of a person whom all historians of credit. and ve- racity have not noticed." The la si document produced upon this sub ject is an extract from the Otia tmperialia Gervase of Tilbury This is introduced with an unsupported assertion, viz. that there is every reason to believe, that Gervase had not seen Geoffrey's history, and, therefore, as he agrees with him in his history, be concludes that there must have been other copies of the Brut extant in his time. Here is an inference drawn from a vague conjecture. Gorvase lived above, fifty years after the publication of the Brut, which the translator confes- ses was very widely circulated but here lie suppose* Gervase had not read it, because such a s pposilion suited his theory, by clear q in, GeoUrey from the charge of forgery, and proving that there were other souVces of in formatu n upou the subject. That he had, howevii, no other authority than the Brut, is not ohly extremely probable, but easily proved from the long extract given in the Collectanea Cambrica. He retails all the won de,I,ii xl)ioits i)i Arthur, winch Higden ex- pressly says were not mentioned by any other writer besides Geoffrey, and he ev-n shews liimseli inferior to Fordmi in judgment, by giving credit to the history of Curausius. He d omits the most impudent and ex, travagant parts of the Brut, such as Bran erecting the gallows before Home, and Beli bnrving the pigs in Oxford There is one cir cumslance which infallibly proves that Ger- "Vae copied from the Brut, and that is an ap pealii g to Gildas's book on the Laws of Moei mud in the very same words, and in the same part ot the history, as Geoffrey does. It can- not be supposed 4hat this appeal was to be -X I found in any antient manuscript, which, if such did exist, must have been prior to the time of Gildas, the latter part of the Brut, being confessedly the production of Geoffrey and therefore the appeal made by Gervase is in imitation of Geoffrey. If he had not been acquainted with his publication, he could not have agreed with him so entirely in the history of Brutus. The extracts from Nennius are likewise the same as in the Chronicle, and in opposition to the concurrent testimony of all historians of credit, Gervase agrees with him in his account of the Saxon invasion, and as serts that they were not previously invited over by Vorligern. There cannot, therefore, he a doubt hut that he.was a credulous fol- lower of Geoffrey. From the whole of what has been advanced in favour of the traditions, detailed in the Brut, it does not appear that any degree of credibility is hence to he attached to It. It is in fact a singular exception to the general course of history, and has iit, other foundation than the fabulous traditions of Nennius. These were the first materials which the fabricator adopted as the ground-work of his pretended Chronicle, to which were added the puenle stories of Gog and Magog: and, to complete his design, he allowed himseh the iiinifst la- titude III transposllig; and perverting the slender portion of authentic history with which he was furnished. If the fabulous part were ex- punged it would he reduced to a mere skele- ton—the bare mention of a few historical facts, in ,t broken series of events. Even the battle of Badon Hill is not mentioned with any of those circumstances which might naturally be expected. It is a proof that real history was not the object the author had in view, and that he depended more on his great powers of imagination, than the testimony of authentic history in the execution of his plan. Bangor. J. J.

BONAPARTE AND HIS SON. Men are but children of a larger growth." When Enip'ror NAP 10 France rcturn'd, He much admir'd his boy The nurse, whose anxious hosom burn'd T' increase the father's joy— How much lie talks, how much he's grown," Would every moment cry Besides he's learnt to run n'one — Says Boney, So have I

For the North Wales Gazelle. AIVDL A' R FR fVDGA R WCII. Brawrlnliae'b heiaelh o hyd Yn hyhvydd Hwn eio drwy ho/Ifyd; Ceniijen ar ferr ennyd. Aed hsihau o Barthau Byd. Arfer pob trawster,—er tristwch (")-csyn, Sy'n groes Ftawdgarwch Cod} millet" lIuehier i'r II weh Gcurvvysg ac anhawddgarwch. Hph gariad brawdol, gwrol, gorau, Mawiion, adN,yll), yw ymrauniadau Mawr Swn, ac ymrysonau A Rhagrith, Sy'n ein plilh-O dryfrith bwdr efrau! JRhyw boenau rai bennydd Yw'r¡;an yuirysoii ii) sydd: Y cariad hrawdol cy wrain Fo'n yr Edwys gyUlOlwyS gain Nid oes heddwch Na diddanwch Neud i ddynion; Heb wir gariad 0 anfoniad liin jNaf union. Duw 'r cariad to'n Tad a'n twr; A ninnau fo'n weision lor: Yij (;yl'eili:.oii gwiwioii gwar; A Christ tyg 1"0'0 meddyg mawr. Ein gwiw deyrnas a gadarnaidd, Heb nybod am offeren Babaidd; Gweis ffyddlon, prydion i'r Praidd, Heb draha FoYng Ngwaliu hoyw efengyiaidd. Brawdgar-,vc!i a heddwch hir r" ym M.-ydain—fy inrodir: Y en dad hael cadwed hon Unas gweli a rhwyg Galon. (Gelynion) A boed naddef T'angnefedd Ym Mr yd a in riiiii ei gwedd. I EDWARD, Alias, Gw!!ym Padarn (Gynt o Llanheris, oud yn awr o'r Waun fawr, yn Arfon.

-'t- TO THE ED! TOR, Much has been said and writlen lately res- pecting the Law of Libci and it has been in- sinuated that a certain great Law-officer would have been li.ible to an action, had lie printed or publish! d the words which he lately uttered under privilege of Parliament. But I beg leave to s'iew that this opinlOlI is erroneous, by pre senting your readers with the following quo- tation from ;\1 r. Christian's iNoteson lHack. stone, 13ih ed. pacre 125, The words sentrtdreh rascal, villain, knave, miseieanl liar, frlol, and such like general tenus ot scurrility, may he used with impunity, and are parts of Ihe rights aijd pi-i. vileges of the VULGAR Your's, &c. wlpril 20. SCRUTATOR.

MINES IN THE BRAZILS, IN SOUTH AMERICA. The diamond and gold mines in the Brazils, are of the greatest extent they were first discovered and opened in the vear 1681, since which time they have yielded annually up- wards of five millions sterling in value, of which one fifth part, or share, belongs to the crown of Portugal. The extraction of goid in the Brazils is neither very laborious, nor very dangerous. It is sometimes fonnd in the purest state on the surface of the soil, and a- other times it is necessary to dig for it. Goid is found upon the mountains and barren rocks, ill larger pieces than in the vallies, or on the 11 borders of the rivers. The Queen of Portugal has in her possession the largest diamond in the world, which was sent over in the year 1746, from the Brazils to Lisbon it weighs 1680 carats, and is valued by the Portuguese lapidaries, at a sum beyond what any nation in the world could afford to pay. The fol- lowing statement of their respective weights will clearly shew, that all other large diamonds at present known of in the world, are very small in comparison of this. Carats in weight. 106 in possession of the Emperor of Russia. 136 in possession of Bonaparte, called the Re- gent's diamond. 139 in possession of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. 278 in possession of the Great Mogul. 493 in possession of the King of Persia. 1680 in possession of the Queen of Portugal. The Brazil diamonds-are neither so hard nor so clear as those which are brought from So lempour, and other places in the East Indies, nor do they sparkle so much but Brazil dia monds are wliiter than those of the East Indies, and are sold ten per cent, cheaper, supposing the weihl of then) to he equal. The Ii I, e Star and Cross winch the Prince of Brazil wears in his hrcast Oil gaia days, as sovereign of the Portuguese order of kiwghtliood are ¡ hoth composed of a real number of large | diamonds, being of tne very first quality of «arer, set. m gold The centre diamond in the star is alone wurth" eight bundled ttious ? and pound sterling the star and the cross to- ( getber are valued at lour million. i height in f yards. | The highest mountain in Spanish America. | is called Coiopazi, in Hie province of yuito, in reiu 6,843 I Whereas the highest in England, Wheru- 1 side, in Yorkshire, is 1,350 | Snowdon, in Wales, is 1, 189 | Benevish, in Scotland, is. 1,459 I Mexico is an Archbishop's See, and contains one most magnificent cathedral, thir!.y-four public churches, thirty six monasteries of men and twenty-nine nunneries of women, with each a church. The riches and treasures in the high alt«r are great beyond description.— is made <»f silver, and contains thirty thousand ounces of that metal if took • sixty-four ounces of pure gold to g-ild it. It I contains a great it umber of silver pillars, and I one hundred little images cfjifferent saintsail I I of most rare workmanship, 'in the centre! I stands the image jf St. Mypolito, the patron j of Mexico, as large as life, made of pureg<>id, j and placed in a shrine of silver. In anolhn I silver shrine stands an image of the infant | Jesus, made of pure gold. wd adorned with 800 precious stones likewise a grand stiver II throne, on which is placed the image of the blessed Virgin, made of silver, wearing a su perb crown, and adorned with a profusion of valuable and preciousstones, fhe whole weitil) ing sixty arrobas of silver, which at fweiiiv- five pound in each arroba, make fifteen hun- dred pounds weight. In the chapel of the five pound in each arroba, make fifteen hun- dred pounds weight. In the chapel of the blessed Virgin is a beautiful altar, made of I silver, and richly inlaid with g'oid, worked in a most curious manner. In this cathedral there arc forty-eight candlesticks, ail made of silver, each measuring six feet in height, of curious workmanship. There arc three hun- dred masses said every day in IbiscathedcaL — They consume annually at. the altars, and in the procession, 800 arrobas of.oil, making 2,500 Spanish gallons 1200 arrobas of' wax", snaking 30.000 Spanish 1000 of wine, making 3,125 Spanish gallons. Ten large goid lamps, and JO large silver lamps, burn oil both night and day. The vestments and other ornaments of the Archbishop and the rest of the Clergy, as likewise the orna- ments exhibited on" the aitats, arc beautiful- beyond description, and as rich as can be made with gold and I diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, and oilier precious stones of dazzling lustre gold and silver stuns, embroidered velvets, satins, silks, Sic. are the richest and most valuable that ntoney can purchase and procure, in any part of the world, aud were hrOlwht fcoln Europe hy the register ships. The rest of I he churches', the monasteries, and the nunneries, are propor, tionably rich and splendid, and their revenues are great.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE. D.owni»g'Slreet, Jpril 19. A dispatch, of which the following is an extract, lias heen receivecf at fhis office, addressed to Earl Batliiirst, by Lieut. General Sir John Murray, Bart, dated head-quarters, Castalla, March 23, IS 13. I have the honor to inclose extracts of two dispatches, addressed to his Excellency Gen. the Marquis of Wellington, by which your Lordship will he fully apprised of the present situation of this army, and of the different trifling affairs which we have had with the enemy. ——— Extract, of a Letter from Lieut—Gen. Sir John Murray, to Lord Wellington, dated Alicant, March 10, IS 13. j I had the honor in my letter of the 26th ult, to acquaint your Lordship, that I had taken the command of !be division of the Mediterranean army, serving on the easlern coast of Spain. I Since my letter ofthe 26th Feb. nothing of importance has occurred. ° On the 3d inst. when reconnoitring the po- sition of Aicoy, it. became necessary to drive in the advanced posts. The enemy lost in the action, as i have been informed, one Officer killed, and about twenty men killed and wounded. The possession of Alcoy appeared to me of importance and having had an accurate view of the position, 1 thought it possible, in car- rying the place, to cut off the corps stationed tuere. nith tins intention, on the 6th inst. I directed the march of a part of the armv on Alcoy, and attacked that post on themorninr of the 7th; but by the unfortunate delay of the column which was destined to cut off his retreat, the enemy effected his escape had this column arrived a quarter of an hour be, fore, not a man could have got off. The ad vanced guard of the column destined to attack the enemy in front, drove him about six or seven miles, wheul found the soldiers so much fatigued, that even had I wished, I could have pressed them no further. The country over which the enemy retired was exceedingly fa- vourable for him, and certainly it have been much better defended. ° He was on this account enabled to dispose of his killed and wounded, and I cannot state his loss. That on the part of the allied army is inconsiderable. I have much satisfaction in acquainting your Lordship, that trifling as these affairs have been, they are sufficient to give me great confidence in the troops which ,Ive me great were engaged and it is with peculiar pleasure I have noticed the state of Major-Genera i's Wittingh iiii's division of the Spanish army. In my dispatch of the 9th instant, I liitd the honour to inform your Lordship, that 1 had found it expedient to drive the enemy from Alcoy, and to occupy that placewith a strong division of the allied army. In consequence of this movement, Marshal Suchet (I itilted Valencia, and has assumed the command, in person, of the troops on the right of the Xucar. He appears to have drawn up to this division of his army nearly all the (be disposable force lie has in the neighbour- hood of Valencia. Finding that the enemy was concentrating his force, I assembled the allied armv at Cas- talla on the 20tb. In consequence of this concentration of the allied army, Marshal Su chet has reinforced his right, and has now a strong force at Outeniente, Mogeote, and Fu- ente del Figuera. Since I had last the honor of addressing your Lordship, there have been several trifling affairs with Ihe enemy. Gen. Whittingham has forced him to retire beyond the Puerto de Albayda, with a considerable loss. In this affair, which General Whittingham conducted with great judgment, and in which the Spanish troops behaved with great gal f-Milry and order, the General was slightly wounded, as were an Officer and seven men. In a reconnoitring party on the same day, conducted hy Major-Gen, Donkin, Captain Jacks, and the foreign troop of light cavalry, Captain Waldron, and the grenadiers of tin- 2d, 27th, and Lieut. M'Dougall, ofthe AdJu, tant-General's Department, had an opportu nity of making a spirited attack on an ene niy's ;iosl, winch was carried in the presence of a battalion drawn up as spectators. We suffered no loss on this occasion, but killed some of the enemy, and look a few prisoners, Before I conclude this letter I beg to add, th«t since I have been ia co-operation with General £ ,no, 1 have found bis Excellency most anxious to forward every object I have in view; it is impossible too highly to extol his zeal, or the readiness with which lie meets my wishes. -<1:

MISCELLANEOUS. Sir John and Lady Douglas, it is expected, will be subpoenaed on a trial for an assault, which will take place in the ensuing Term, in the Court of Kill's Bench. The assault was committed by a marine officer, on a young farmer named Tyler; who, it appears, was knocked down with great cruelty. A Glocesler Assizes, the following trial oc- cupied the attention of the Court for a consi- derable titiie :-I,,tidlow v. the n(II. Him. S. Goodenough.—This was a feigned issue from the Court of Exchequer to ascertain whetbe, liere wag, as the plaintiff asserted, a mod/tsr pervading the whole parish of Yate, for the payment of 2d. in lieu of tithe for every load of hay On the behalf of the plaintiff, a copy ( of a very ancient Deed, containing a statement of the mod uses in Ihe parish, was, after many strenuous exertions by the defendant's coun- Bello exclude it from the consideration of the jury, directed by the learned Judge (Mr. Ba- ron Graham) to be produced. And the pro- I doction of if, coupled with corresponding pa- role evidence, rendered the ingenious and powerful arguments, that were tir-ed witti a view to establish the defendant's right to the tithe of hay in kind, utterly unavailing; and the Jury, after a most perspicuous and elabo- rate commentary from the Judge, on the evi- dence and arguments of the Counsel, prompt- ly delivered a verdict for the plaintiff. Lamentable Accident. — On Wednesday night last, about ten o'clock the side wall of Mr. •Barton's flour warehouse, in Loudon Road, Liverpool, fell with a dreadful crash, Every floor broke down, destroying all,ilic property on the premises. The persons in the house were Mr. and Mrs. Barton, and one daughter, who had retired to bed. They slept on the first floor aud were precipitated into the cel- lar. The neighbours immediately crowded to the spot, and on forcing the front door, dis- covered Mrs. Barton clinging to a wooden prop, having miraculously escaped unhurt. it was nearly two hours, however, before they discovered the daughter, a young girl of 13, who was considerably injured, but not dangerously, and about a quarter of an hour afterwards the body of Mr. Barton was extri- cated from Ihe ruins, we are sorry to say life- less. The principal room in the waffehouse had been generally used for Exhibition, at the time of the fairs held in that neighbourhood, and we understand was engaged for a similar purpose, yesterday, when the circumstances might have been still more calamitous. On the 12th instant, the principal tenants upon the Marquis of Stafford's Lilleshall, Trentham, and Wolverhampton estates, to the number of nearly one hundred, assembled at the Day House larm, near Newport, for the purpose of wit nessing the improvements which have been carrying on by Earl Goner on that farm. The company were much gratified with the exhibition of the tw o-horse ploughs,which his Lordship had brought from Scotland, and with which all the heavy ploughing of the farm has been undertaken four horses were before thought insufficient for this undertak- ing. The mode of harrowing with three horses ahreasl, ohlained the approbation of every person present. The operation of the drill hllshandty, system for turnips, and the mode of cleansing them by horse hoeing, was exhibited and a very powerful machine to go with eight horses, erected by his Lordship, was set at work, for inspection of the tenants the construction of this machine was particu- larly approved of, especially the size of the great wheel and the shape of the rakes, in both which it differed materially, and was preferred to the iiiaciiiiies in coiiii-noti use in this county. A letter was read to the meeting from the Steward upon the Sutherland Estate, Mr. Seller, to George Toilet, Esq. commending in the highest terms the well-known imple- ment in this country called Twins, and which was the invention of Mr. Firchild, one of the Marquis of Stafford's Lillssiiall tenants.—The company sat down to a cold collation in the Loft, at which Earl Gower presided, when the health of the Marquis of Stafford. of Earl Gower and of the Marquis's tenantry, were successively drank with mutual satisfaction. I On Thursday se'nnight, at Newcaslle, Ceo. Wilson, the celebrated pedestrian, undertook for a trifling wager to walk 50 miles in twelve I I successive hours in the Debtor's-yard of New- gate, being 33 feet by 25^ which, to the great astonishment of the spectators, he performed five minutes within the time, having walked the last six miles in 1 hour, 20 minutes, 46 seconds—an effort in so circumscribed a situa- tion nnparndletllll pedestrianism. Shocking Accident. -On Tuesday se'nnio-hf, aged 13, died. Master Samuel Free ) afrii, soil of the late celebrated artist of that name. His death was occasioned by a custom which, at one period, was too prevalent, and in ttiis un- fortunate instance too fatal The child, about Iwo nwnlhs since, complained to one of his school felfows of a stiff iieck he attempted to relieve his young friend by suspending him by the chin, and shelving him. London, as it is ealied. It appeared on investigation after his decease that the second vertebra? was wrenched from the others nearl) an inch, by which means the head was pressed forward, the ligaments torn, and an ahcess torii), (I between them and the windpipe. Thus was lost to f) I', family ,ut<[ friends a most affectionate and interesting youth, the particulars of whose death it is hoped may operate as a elution to the Masters of Seminaries to guard their pupils against a practice which in this instance, has been at- tended with such unfortunate effects. Anecdote. — In the city of Basil in Swif?^ land. all the clocks are an hour advanced.— When it is but one o'clock in all thelownsand villages around, it is exactly two at Basil.- This singularity is of three and four hundred years standing. The popular story, which assigns a reason for this, is; Tint about four hundred years ago, the city was threatened with assault hy surprise. The enemy was to begin Ihe attack when the large clock of the lower at one end of the bridge should strike one after midnight. The arlisl who had the care of the clock being iiiformedthal this was the expected signal, altered the clock, so that it struck two instead of owe; so that the enemy thinking they were an hour too lale, gave up the attempt; and in commemoration of this deliverance, all the clocks in Basil have ever since struck two at one o'clock, and so on. In confirmation of the matter, they shew a head, which is pLaced near 10 this patriotic clock, with the face turned to the road, by which the enemy was to have entered. The same head lolls out its tongue every minute in the most insulting manner possible. This was originally a piece of mechanical wit of the famous clock-maker, who saved the town and has been repaired, reilewed, and enabled to thrust out its tongue every minute, for these 400 years hy the care of the magistrates, who think so excellent a joke cannot be too often repealed. We subjoin the following opinion, delivered by Lord Ellenborough, in the itnporlaut Wortuen Tytiie CAUSE. as claiming the se- rious consideration and attention of Farmers and Agriculturists. Lord. Ellenborough.-I own I think the custom is sood as to Wheat, and that it is not good as to the other articles. As to the Wheal, its advance from the Swath to the Sheaf, in which state it becomes titheable and its advance a further stage towards preparing it to be carried away, namely to the Shock or Stick and the further stage of labour necessary for so preparing it, added to the superintending care of opening it: for ventilation, and other care and labour per- formed by the Farmer, altogether constitute ft good consideration for rendering to the Parson the Eleventh Cock or Stick instead of the Tenth, adopting the very opinion which Lord Kenyon is stated to have given in Knight v. Halsey but as to the other articles there is not the same quan- tity of labour, or the same meritorious care and attention bestowed as in the case of Wheat. With respect to Barley and Oats, they are not titheable in the Swath. It is necessary they should be placed in Cocks or Mows before they are in that state in which they can be tithed, and therefore to hold that the eleventh is to be ren- dered instead of the tenth, is to hold that the mere act of opening them is a sufficient consider- ation, It does not appear to me that it is an ade- quate or fit consideration, the quantum of labour being so very inconsiderable. As to the Peas and Vetches it does not appear that there has been any labour bestowed on them at all. They are not titheable in the shape of Wads for the Fanner should (and generally it is his duty) place them in such a manner that they be a fit subject of comparison. They are not in that state while they remain in Wads for according to the evi- dence, nine times out of ten they are not in a si- tuation in which an equal division of them can be made. Well then, they must be put into ;!t1 ul- terior stage—they must be put into Cocks before they are titheable, and beyond that nothing ap- pears to have been done. I think, therefore, the custom is good as to the Wheat, for there is a beneficial tabour performed by advancing it from the first stage, when it is titheable, to the second, when it may be more advantageously car- ried away but as to the other articles, there if, no adequate consideration for the custom. The verdict must be reduced in proportion. ¿ _=: j TIDE TABLE FOR THE ENSUING WEEK.. 33 z £ 2 M H < fc Q or Z t-3 pq LiVAM SANUS, £ >-5 ? «! H £ < « O j — e* g H 3 £ s § § # 2 ^be crossed 3 2 2 £ £ «* « g hours after high « g h S 5 S S a & 3 '/«/}conti- pqea^oo 35 »o *3 nue safe. & hours* Mi$h HlS/l I llt"k Hl"h UiSh I lii £ h Holidays. JJa^- FFafer j Wafer Wafer Wafer j Wafer ArRlTT~ H7 M. j H. M. H. M. | H. M. 11. M. | H. M. Thursday.29 5 ,54 6 54 T 84 I 8 24 S 44 j 9 24 Friday,30 6 42 j 1 42 8 22 i 9 12 9 32110 12 Saturday,MAY I 7 30 s, 8 30 | 9 10 10 0 10 20 I II 0 Sunday 2 8 18 j 9 IS 9 58 i 10 4S 11 8 11 48 2d S. af. Easter. Monday 3 9 6 10 6 10 46 111 36 11 56 12 36 Tuosdav 4 9 54 10 54 11 34 j 12 24 j 12 44 1 24 Wednesday. 5 10 42 j II 42 12 22 { 1 12 J 1 32 2 12