It may be truly said of the Opposition, that On hearing the evidence on both sides, his Lordship informed the Jury they must find all the parties guilty, but would do well to recommend them to mercy. MOMUS. AL THE MILLER WITH THREE THUMBS: MR. EDITOR, A PROPHECY. [From the British Press.] LL persons at all conversant with English prophecies, are very familiar with the predictions of Nixon, the Cheshire prophet, who delivered his oracles in the reign of James I. Nixon was a peasantboy, bred up on the estate of the Cholmondeley family, at Vale Royal, in the county of Chester. About the age of 15 or 16, he neglected his work, and began to utter those prophecies which have excited the wonder, and the accomplishment of which forms part of the creed, of the good people of Cheshire, even to this hour. His prophecies, that the park wall would fall down, and the owner of the mansion be hanged before his own door, having been fulfilled, the first unaccountably, and the second by the accident of Mr. Cholmondeley's getting his neck entangled in the loop of a hay-rope as he was riding into his courtyard, at night, gave him a reputation through the kingdom, which has since been enhanced by the accomplishment of the prophecy, that he should himself be starved to death. The prophecy which now particularly engrosses the attention of the people of this county, is that in which Nixon foretels, that in the reign of George, the son of George, the son of George, the son of George, a Miller shall be born with three thumbs, who shall hold the horses of three kings, between between whom England shall be bought and sold." The people here observe, that, at the time this prophecy was spoken by the boy, for he could neither read nor write, it was impossible for any one to foresee, otherwise than by inspiration, that there would have been even one sovereign, much less a line of them, of the name of George, in this country. Now, Sir, for the strange solution given here to this prediction. We all recollect the interview between Bonaparte and the Emperor of Austria at a mill, the then residence of the former, which, amongst us, is deemed sufficient to constitute him a miller. The difficulty which would next present itself respecting the three thumbs, is completely removed by a story prevailing amongst us, that Bonaparte was born with the impression of a thumb on his left ear, in consequence of his father, who was a surly jealouspated little Corsican, having pulled his wife's ear rather sharply, when the good dame was pregnant with the embryo Emperor. If this account be correct, (and who will take Bonaparte by the ears to ascertain it?) this mark, in addition to his two natural thumbs, as far as relates to the Miller with three thumbs, is a literal fulfilment of the prediction. With respect to holding the horses of three kings, that is equally easy of solution. We have only to suppose, what indeed must at all events be probable, that, when the interview took place at Bonaparte's mill, the two Emperors were on horseback. Now, these two in themselves constitute three Kings; as Bonaparte is King of Italy, and the Emperor Francis, King of Bohemia and King of Hungary. In respect to holding the horses, it does not signify whether Bonaparte himself was the groom upon that occasion or not. is sufficient that they were held, and that he, the Miller, was the means of doing it; for it is not necessary that a prophecy should be fulfilled in the manner It that that people may understand at the time, otherwise the prophecy which related to Mr. Cholmondeley, would not have been verified by the accident of his riding into the yard, so as to have his neck entangled in the loop of a hay-rope, as was the fact, or unless he was executed by a course of law. We come now, Sir, to the last and most important point, of England being bought and sold, at this conference between the Kings, which must be left for time and events to determine; for, at present, I think it a mere matter of conjecture. It is not unusual for people to buy and sell, upon speculation, that which they never may be in possession of; but, though my opinion is, that it is not in the power of those, or any other kings, to barter between them a single acre of Old England, the attention of some of my neighbours is, however, so much engrossed with this prophecy, that I fear there is danger of our being, this year, deprived of a considerable part of that excellent old Cheshire cheese, for which, perhaps, you, as well as myself, have ininitely more relish than for all the boding prophecies hat Nixon ever uttered. Chester, January 11. DAVID FLUELllen. I CHARACTER OF THE LATE MR. PITT. MR. EDITOR, SHALL be obliged by your early insertion of the following article; which, from your liberal plan of holding your Paper open to free discussion, may be published without pledging you to any agreement in its principle. "De mortuis nil nisi bonum." This sentiment has, from its humanity, obtained a general concurrence, and it has been deemed illiberal to to offend against its direction; yet, in respect to public utility, it can bear no comparison with the Chinese custom of a rigorous investigation into the conduct of the dead; and in weighing the authority due to it, we should ever take into our consideration the character of the individual who is the subject of our examination. If a private man, no matter what his station, we ought implicitly to obey its dictate; why should we rake up the ashes of the dead? Of what use is it to enumerate and expose his mistakes, his follies, and his vices? They might have affected the sphere in which he moved, but beyond that, their influence could not extend, and beyond that, their record should not be known. But if he has been a public man, his acts die not with him; he still lives in their consequences, and is still subject to the judgment of the public, especially if, in quitting this world, he leave behind him a set of attached adherents to tread in his steps, to pursue his measures, and to ape the boldness of his conduct, without possessing his mantle to dignify their presumption. No man can more justly estimate the extraordinary talents which distinguished Mr. Pitt-the splendid flow of his eloquence, which graced every measureand the manly firmness of his mind, which braved every opposition, and every disaster. There is, indeed, no quality more rare, and no one more essential to a statesman, than that decision of conduct which is independent of the wavering judgment of the populace but dreadful are the effects of that firmness of mind inclining to temerity and presumption. Of what great consequence is it to the nation, that its minister be pure and disinterested? Suppose him the reverse, a few thousands a-year make the utmost of his defalcations. But in directing the conduct of the nation, a higher injury may be sustained; lives, fortunes, liberty, independence, are at stake, if the measures public estimation, as the Home Minister of its con-" cerns? Where are his laws for the restraint of vice,* and encouragement of virtue? Where are the proofs of his vigilance in the preservation of its liberties? I' am afraid his legislative acts are only to be found in the Custom-house and Excise-office. Can he lay claim to the character of consistency of principle? The system of expediency, which ever governed his conduct, renders that claim inadmissible. The unbounded haughtiness of his demeanour was softened by a convenient pliancy of principle. He set out in political· life, the warm advocate for Parliamentary Reform; yet, when in power, he never could find a time expedient for its introduction. To attain the support of Mr. Wilberforce and his friends, he lent himself to the Abolition of the Slave Trade; yet, with all the force of Government at his command, he had not influence to obtain that abolition! He was an advocate for peace, yet, for the support of the Portland interest, he yielded to their antipathies, and engaged the nation' in a war with France. He was conscientiously pledged to the Catholic Emancipation; yet imperious circumstances, impelled him to forfeit that pledge. Are these facts to be controverted, or explained away? Impossible; he could not do it himself, and he has left behind no tongue of equal power. In one circumstance Mr. Pitt is eminently singular; he has uniformly triumphed over Opposition at home and has uniformly been discomfited by adversaries abroad: and at the precise moment when the failure of all his measures was to be heaped upon him, he is saved from the disgrace of public censure, of loss of office, by a removal from all earthly judgment; still leaving it in the power of his followers to assert, that, had life been spared to him, his eloquence would have made a victorious defence. Now that the blaze of |