M. DE RULHIÈRE.-RETENTIVE MEMORY. To the Editor of the Literary Panorama. Sir,-The following little anecdote of M. R. whose works you reviewed in Vol. II. p. 957, may perhaps amuse your readers, as a striking instance of the vast powers of a retentive memory.-C. W.

It appears that M. R. had given his word of honour to Catherine II. that his work on

the Revolution of Russia should not be published during her life. It was not, however, the less known at Paris, having been often read at private parties. To this species of mystery his work owed its great reputation, which was in some degree sullied when it issued from the press; for, though it sold very well, it did not excite the interest that was expected.

M. R. was told one day that a copy of his history had been seen in a particular society. Greatly distressed [for his life depended on its privacy], and being well convinced that he had never confided the MS. to any one; he endeavoured to trace the affair to its source. He soon learned that the bishop of Alais possessed a copy. He went to him, and was greatly astonished on verifying the fact. The Bishop had heard it read only twice, and his memory had assisted him in transcribing it with the greatest correctness. To tranquillize M. R's. mind, the bishop generously threw his copy into the fire.

ANECDOTES OF THE RUSSIAN ADMIRAL RIBAS.

Joseph Ribas, a Neapolitan, of Spanish extraction, possessed in a supreme degree of all the vices of his countrymen, without any of their good qualites. Singing, dancing, drinking, versed in various languages, and full of buffoonery, he was admitted into all the bacchanalian orgies. Never was a man more supple, wary, jesuitical, vile, crafty, and hypocritical. Being banished from some of the states of Italy on account of his malpractices, he took refuge at Leghorn, at the time that the famous Orlow commanded the Russian fleet. Orlow found Ribas a useful instrument in the infamous plot he had meditated of carrying off the unfortunate daughter of the Empress Elizabeth. After this scandalous exploit, Ribas considering he had rendered an essential service to Russia, went to Petersburgh with a recommendation from Orlow. He was at first placed in a corps of land cadets. In that situation he contrived to gain the confidence of old Betzkoi, who was at that time Director general of the corps, and in great repute for his plan of public instruction. Betzkoi even gave him his daughter in marriage, the famous Natalie Sakalow, maid of honour to Catherine, and known by

her correspondence with the learned Jameray Duval. The empress, by the solicitations of Betzkoi, afterwards confided to Ribas the son whom she had by Gregory Orlow, Bobrinsky, who accompanied him on his travels, and to whom Ribas communicated all his vices. On his return he was promoted to the rank of colonel of carabiniers. Prince Potemkin, who made him subservient to every purpose, finished by making Ribas an admiral, and gave him the command of a flotilla destined for the siege of Kilia and Ismail. Being an officer of very moderate abilities, and a very bad seaman, Ribas made his impudence serve instead of talents, and was always ready to appropriate the merit and labours of others. Achmatow and the chevalier Lombard fell sacrifices to his base jealousy. Their experi ence and valour offending his ignorance and cowardice, he denounced them. The first lost his post, and the other poisoned himself in despair. At the siege of Isinail in 1790 Ribas hid himself among the rushes on the Danube, and did not appear again till the danger was over, when he seized the major part of the plunder made by his sailors, which was very near causing a mutiny among At the peace he was appointed inspector of the works carrying on at Odessa and other ports of the Black Sea, which furnished him with ample means of gratifying his cupidity.

them.

When our adventurer was made admiral, he and the romantic prince of Nassau Siegen presented themselves one day in the hall of the grand duke Paul, in a new naval uniform, unknown to Paul, who, though he tore the title of grand admiral, was never permitted to meddle with naval affairs. The grand duke pretended not to know them, and obliged them to give him their names and rank. "Ha! Ha!" said he sneering, "I did not recollect you; but what uniform is that?" -"a marine corps that has just been formed, your royal highness."- -"Oh! that is not possible! never let me see you in that dress again, and recollect that I am grand admiral of the empire."

The two admirals complained to the em press, and stated the grand duke's prohibition, She ordered them to present themselves again on the morrow before her son, in the same uniform, and to tell him that it was by her express commands. The prince was obliged to submit to the humiliation, as well as to other mortifications which embittered his days, and at last changed his character entirely.

This scene Paul did not forget, He had scarcely ascended the throne when Ribas lost his command. He lived for a long time in disgrace; but his wife was the intimate friend of Mlle. Nelidow, the emperor's mistress. The latter brought him. forward again into public, where he has played a celebrated part,

It gives the sweet pow'r to impart
What fortune denies to the brave,
It lightens the care-loaded heart,
And redeems the disconsolate slave.
My money-bags safe and secure

I hoard, that the poor may partake,
Reproach and contempt I endure,
And starve for humanity's sake.
Let them freely enjoy their abuse,
And call me a miserly elf;

I confess it but 'tis for their use
I'm a miser-and not for myself.

Sung by Mr. Braham and Madm. Storace.
O fortune, if by thy command

We founder'd on this coast,
Redeem us from this barbarous land,
And give us what we lost!

The wretch, that pines for sordid gain,
May ransack earth and sea,

But what is wealth amass'd with pain,
And loss of liberty.

Amid the many restless scenes,

Thro' which we mortals toil,
One ruling passion intervenes-
The love of native soil.

So dear to memory ev'n in death
The spot, which gave us birth,
In our last moments we bequeath
Our bones to parent earth.

Sung by Mr. Braham.
Adieu, adieu, my comrades dear!
The waves have spent their fury;
The Sea-nymphs in their pearly caves
From future storms secure you.

Our cares are increasing, your troubles are "past, No sorrow can vex you, no horror appall,

You are safe in the haven, and there you shall rest Till the trumpet shall sound that must summon us all,

O cruel widow Wilkins, to refuse me would be

horrid,

My spirits are so high my finances are so low, All the brass in my pocket, has mounted to my forehead;

Dear widow wont you marry me? O no, my love, no."

O ye powers, bellow'd Pat, with jealousy I quiver, I'm love-sick-with pistols to Battersea I'll row, And shoot at my dear image as reflected in the river.

She sigh'd in tender sympathy. 'aye, go, my love, 80 :'

Then wav'd her lily hand and cried, go, my love, go.'

To the Printers of the Norfolk Chronicle.

Gentlemen-In the small market town in which I at present reside, we have several notorious instance of Longevity; but amongst them no one is so surprising as that of Mr. Wm. Skinner, Liquor-merchant, who, with "scarcely skin sufficient to cover his bones," has nearly completed his NINETY-SEVENTH year, and still continues to take his daily WALKS about the town in apparently perfect health.-Not many days since the conversation turning upon this extraordinary circumstance, a gentleman "of some humour" attempted thus singularly to accoun for it :

When DEATH meets SKINNER on the stones,
Death dares not SKINNER trouble,

So like to Death's are Skinner's BONES,
"Death takes Him for His DOUBLE."

And Skinner's bones Death therefore spares,
Because the skinless elf

In killing Skinner, has his fears,

That he might" kill HIMSELF.”
From Skinner's bones Death therefore shrinks,
And "lengthens out his Tether,"
For Skinner's BONES, Death surely thinks,
And his must rot together.

But Skinner's BONES Will Death's survive,
Preserv'd in " Genuine Gin" here,
If Skinner's SELF do not contrive
To shoot and leave his SKIN here.

THE LAWYER, THE PRIEST, AND DEATH.
Trois choses font le même effort;
L'avocat, le pretre, et la mort :
L'avocat tire du droit, et du tort;
Le prêtre du vif, et du mort;
La mort du foible, et du fort.

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY. CHAP. III.-Supply-Marquis WellesleySwedish Convention Approbation of the Speaker's Conduct-Cold Bath Fields Prison-Copenhagen, and Orders in Council-Barrack Department-Dublin Police ---Offices in Reversion-Greenwich Hospital-Correspondence with Russia-IVays and Means-Assessed Taxes regulationCatholics-Stamp Duties, new arrangement Local Militia-Foreigners' Exemp tion from Property Tax.

MARCH 9th. In a committee of supply, the following sums were voted:

To discharge PublicAnnuities £73,587
For the relief of French Cler-

2

gy and American Loyalists 144,455 For the Expences of the Alien Office...

6

1

7,548 12

6

For Printing Votes of this

House

For making good deficiencies

of last year, respecting the French and other Emigrants...

For Auditing Public Accounts For Expences of the Public Office, Bow-Street...

12,000 0 A motion was also agreed to, for funding £4,000,000 of outstanding Exchequer Bills,

in the 4 and

per cents.

On the affair of the Nabob of Oude, Lord Folkstone observed, that the charges which he meant to submit against the Marquis Wellesley, related to his cruel treatment of the Nabob, once a great and independent Prince, but now deprived of his rank and freedom. When that Prince ascended the musnud, a lac and a half of rupees were due, by the territory of Oude, to the East-India Company; and Lord Wellesley, on his setting out to India, conceived the plan of ruining him, which, he soon carried into execution. At that time, a treaty had been recently formed between the Nabob of Oude and the Company, which did away all former treaties, and clearly settled the terms of the future intercourse of the contracting parties. That treaty, the Marquis had wantouly violated. His Lordship, moved a string of resolutions, censuring the conduct of Lord Wellesley, which were seconded by Mr. Keene.

Sir J. Anstruther, in defending the conduct of the Marquis, stated, that he had resided long in India, and he could say, that the general opinion there was, that the noble Lord, in his conduct towards the Nabob of Oude, had done nothing but what was just, and right. His defence might even be rested on this point alone, that he acted in conformity to the principles and directions of the government of this country: moreover, the

directors, in answer to a dispatch of his lordship, dated September 1802, entreated bim to continue in the province of Oude, for the purpose of farther reducing its military and civil establishment-a measure which, they say, he had so happily begun.-The hon baronet also observed, that if the House should agree with him in opinion, he should move a resolution, purporting, that, "the marquis "Wellesley, in his conduct with respect to "the Nabob of Oude, had been actuated by "an ardent and well-directed zeal for the "service of his country, and that his services "in that instance had been highly merito"rious."

After a discussion of considerable length, the debate was adjourned to the 15th; on which evening, after another long discussion, the motions against the Marquis Wellesley were negatived, 182 against 31.—Sir J. mentioned Anstruther's counter motion, above, was then carried, by 180 against 29. MARCH 10. The convention between Great Britain and Sweden, (by which the latter power was to receive a subsidy of £1,200,000, in monthly instalments, of £100,000 each, on condition of employing the said sum in the naval and military defence of the Swedish territory against France) was this evening laid before Parliament. the Commons, Mr. Canning brought up a message from his Majesty, calling on the House, to enable him to carry the convention into effect. When the subject was afterwards discussed (on the 16th of the month) in a committee of supply, the proposal was agreed to, nem. con.

In

Mr. Whitbread, however, then moved an amendment, approving of the grant, but wishing it to be put more under the controul of Parliament, by obliging ministers to apply to the House for every specific sum, or instalment. This was negatived.

The same evening (March 10) on the presentation of a petition from certain merchants of London, trading to America, against the orders in council, it appeared, that the said petition had been rejected, by the meeting convened for the purpose of preparing it, by a majority, of at least 4 to 3. Ordered to lie on the table. A few evenings after, Sir C. Price presented a counter petition from certain London merchants, in favour of the orders in council,

MARCH 11.--In the debate which took place on the third reading of the orders in council bill, Mr. Rose stated that the trade of this country with the continent had increased considerably, since the issuing of those orders; so much so that if it continued at the same rate of increase as it had done during the last nine weeks, there would be an excess of £900,000 over the trade of last year. The third reading was carried by 168 against 68. The same evening, on the motion of Mr,

R. Dundas, a select committee was ordered to be appointed, to enquire into the present state of the East India Company's affairs.

In the House of Peers, lord Moira's debtor and creditor bill was lost, 19 against 5; lord Ellenborough opposed the principle of the measure, as trenching upon the ancient laws of the realm.

MARCH 15.-The offices in reversion bill was thrown out of the Lords; 128 against 48. MARCH 16.-A motion of lord Grenville's, for rejecting the orders in council bill, (on the plea that it clashed with the standing order of the house, established in 1702, which said, that nothing foreign to, or differing from, a bill of aid and supply, should be received by the House, as applicable only to measures of revenue) was negatived 129 against 59.-On the following evening, a motion of lord Erskine's, for going into a committee on the orders in council, on the 23d, was also negatived, without any debate.

This evening in the House of Commons, after some loose remarks, relating to the irregular conversations, which of late had frequently taken place, the Speaker rose, and, in a firm tone, said that he wished to take the sense of the house on a charge of partiality, which had been made by a right hon. member against him, in conducting the business of the House. He had now sat in the chair seven years, and he was conscious to himself of having conducted the business with the strictest impartiality and rectitude of conduct.-Mr. Canning then moved, that the House do approve of the upright, able, and impartial manner, in which Mr. Charles Abbot has uniformly conducted the business of the House.-This motion, with the solitary negative of Mr. Tierney, was agreed to. MARCH 17.-In the course of a conversation on the state of the Cold Bath Fields prison, Mr. H. Sumner intimated his intention of moving for the appointinent of a committee of the House of Commons, to examine that prison. This was opposed by Mr. Perceval, who stated, that government had already appointed a commission for the purpose of enquiry.-Mr. Mellish made some pointed allusions to the report of the visiting inagistrates, who had been appointed to examine the state of the prison, in consequence of the representation of Mr. Stephens, and to the report which was made by the grand jury in February last. Mr. Mellish likewise observed that he had lately visited the prison without any previous notice, and had seen the bread weighed for the different prisoners; when it appeared that 308 loaves weighed 3 lbs. which was seven pounds over weight, at the rate of one pound per loaf.-Mr. Sumner's motions for these two reports, were agreed to; but his motion for a committee, was negatived, 74 against 54. [Compare PANORAMA, Vol. III. p. 1305, Vol. IV. p. 364.]

MARCH 22.-This evening, in the House of Commons, Mr. Sharpe, after a very long speech, moved a resolution, for" an Address to his Majesty, acquainting him, that the House had taken into their consideration the papers which had been laid before them relative to the expedition to Copenhagen, and that they had found them completely insufficient for the justification of ministers with, regard to that measure,"-Mr. Stuart Wortley in reply, observed, that should the present resolution be negatived, he should then move another, approving the measures, adopted by ministers.'-After a debate of great length, in which nothing but the old arguments were adduced, a division took place on Mr. Sharpe's motion-Ayes, 64-Noes, 224-Majority 160.-Mr. Stuart Wortley then moved a vote of the House, approving of the conduct of Ministers.-The previous question being negatived-The House divi-, ded on the original motion.-Noes 61—Ayes 216-Majority 155.

Lord Lauderdale, in the House of Lords, moved eight resolutions, against the justice and policy of the orders in council, commercial interest of this country, and to as they appeared to his lordship to distress the depress our character in the estimation of civilised nations.-On the following evening, Lord Auckland resumed this subject and moved for a Committee to hear the counsel of the petitioners of London, Liverpool, and Manchester, with a view to acquire the fullest information on the subject.-The Lord Chancellor having expressed his opinion that the hearing of the counsel was not in opposition to the forms of the House, the motion was agreed to.

MARCH 23.-In a committee of supply, various papers relating to the expense of the Commissariat and Barrack Department were produced, and the following suins were voted for the service of the year 1808; £579,000. for the Barrack Department, including for the Barrack £200,000 for old arrears; £625,000 for the extraordinaries of the Commissariat Department; and £57,288 for defraying sums issued by his Majesty in pursuance of the addresses of the House.

Sir A. Wellesley obtained leave to bring in a bill for better regulating the police of Dublin.-It was proposed to extend the district of the police eight miles round that city, in all directions, and that the roads to that distance be protected by horse and foot patroles, in the same manner as round London. Also, that the district should be divided into a certain number of divisions, in each of which three magistrates, assisted by a barrister, should preside, all of whom to be removeable at the pleasure of the crown.

The bill, was read a first time and ordered to be printed. It was also agreed, that it