FRANCE.

Early in this month, several alarming explosions of gunpowder were heard in and about the Thuilleries, which were supposed to have aimed at the destruction of the Royal Family; but the means were so inefficient (to a degree almost ludicrous), that no sensible person in Paris gives credence to any such mischievous intention. Late Paris journals have brought a satisfactory, or, at least, probable, solution of this novel species of outrage. It appears, that suspicions having arisen against an individual named Neveu, a warrant was issued, and, having been met in one of the streets in a cabriolet, he was arrested and conveyed to the Prefecture of Police. At the moment when he entered the office of the Commissary, he contrived to take out a razor which he had concealed in his clothes, and to cut his throat so as to cause his immediate death. This person (Neveu) had been an old merchant; he was afterwards a stock-jobber, and since a bankrupt. He is said to have bought twelve pounds of gunpowder on the day of the explosion, at different places. The explosions seem to have been directed, not against the lives of the Royal Family, but to a lowering of the funds, by exciting apprehensions for the security of the existing Government. A sudden depression of the five per cents. was, in fact, produced by the first promulgation of the circumstance at Paris; and thus, before the public had time to cool or to inquire, the blow was struck, and the fraudulent end accomplished.

A stormy debate has taken place in the Chamber of Deputies, upon a petition from Colonel Allix, calling upon the Deputies to respect the Charter. M. de

Chauvelin made a long speech; in the course of which he alluded to a report in circulation, that the French Government had signed the Act for the occupation of Naples, and that it was about to concur in the measures adopted by the absolute Monarchies. The petition was at length disposed of by passing to the order of the day.

At the Royal Observatory at Paris, a new comet was discovered, Jan. 21, in the constellation Pegasus, near the star marked gamma. The comet is not visible to the naked eye.

The following Letter from the King of France to the King of Naples is extracted from a Naples journal of the 5th inst.:

"Sir, my Brother,-Amidst the circumstances in which the events of the last five months have placed the States confided by Providence to the care of your

Majesty, you could not for an instant have doubted of the continued interest felt by me towards you, and of my prayers both for your individual happiness, and that of your people. Your Majesty is not ignorant of the powerful motives that have impeded the more early expression of the sentiments with which I am animated, and of that counsel which I felt authorized, by the most sincere friendship, to offer you. But I cannot now allow myself to hesitate longer. Informed by my Allies at Troppau of the invitation sent by them to your Majesty, I ought to unite my instances with theirs, both as the member of an alliance whose object is to secure the tranquillity and independence of every State, and as the Sovereign of a people friendly to the nation governed by your Majesty, if not as a sincerely affectionate relative. I cannot too strongly urge you to come and assist in person at the new Congress of my Allies that is about to take place. I can assert to you, Sire, that their views in this Congress are to reconcile the interests and general welfare that the paternal solicitude of your Majesty would desire for your people, with the duties they are themselves pledged to fulfil to their States and to the world. The most pure glory awaits your Majesty. You will assist in fixing the bases of social order in Europe; you will preserve your people from the misfortunes that threaten them; and secure, by that accord which is so necessary between power and liberty, their felicity and prosperity through a long series of generations. If my infirmities had permitted, I should willingly have accompanied your Majesty to this august Congress; but when you perceive that in writing this Letter I have been compelled to avail myself of the hand of another, you will easily judge of the impossibility under which I am placed of following on this point the impulses of my heart.

"You may rely, notwithstanding, that those of my Ministers who may assist there in my name, will omit nothing in furnishing you with all the support you might have expected from me. Your Majesty, in taking a determination conformable to the wish manifested by me and my Allies, will convey to your people an assurance of your affection by so much the greater, inasmuch as that determination, I feel wholly convinced, will be the most certain means of securing to them the blessings of peace and rational liberty.

"I request your Majesty to accept the expression of the sentiments of esteem, of friendship, and of high consideration, with

1821.]

HERALDRY.

A trial for right of armorial bearings occasioned much public attention a few weeks since in Paris. There exist in France several families of the name of Croy, which have no connexion with each other. There is Croy d'Havre, CroyChanel, Croy de Compeigne, Croy de Languedoc, Croy de Beance, &c.-To distinguish these families, and to find out the origin of each, there is nothing but their respective coats of arms. It was long a custom in France to keep up the honour and dignity of families by the exhibition of arms upon their carriages. This privilege was granted by the laws of the kingdom. Severe Ordonnances were issued by Philip Augustus, Charles VII. Henry IV. Louis XIII. and Louis XV. to uphold the privilege; but at the Revolution the Liberals proscribed the use of arms, as being a useless manifestation of Aristocracy. The Charter has re-established titles, and the right of wearing armorial bearings. The question at issue was, whether the family of Croy Chanel, or Croy d'Havre, was intitled to wear a Bend Gueules upon a shield Argent.

M. Croy-Chanel has printed the memoirs of his family, and the following seems to be the ground of his claim to the bend in question. In 1279 there was a Lord De Croy in France, who was the son of Andrew, called the Venetian, King of Hungary. His title was the noble, puissant, and magnificent Dom. Felix De Croy - Chanel. By a royal grant of that date, Croy-Chanel wore in his arms a silver shield. By common vicissitudes the posterity of the King of Hungary ceased to possess the Lordship of Croy, but they bear the name to this day. In 1790 they proved an uninterrupted succession of eighteen generations, from Felix Croy-Chanel, to Claude Francois De Croy-Chanel, the present claimant. Whilst the descendants of Felix, Lord of Croy-Chanel, were modestly established in the mountains of Dauphine, another family of Croy, which appeared originally of Amiens, acquired great power in the Courts of Sovereigns long since in the dust. Jean Croy, Counsellor and Chamberlain of Jean Sans Peur, Duke of Burgundy, merited by his services the greatest favours from his Sovereign, who loaded him with honours and estates. Antoine de Croy, son of the President, was first Minister to Philip le Bon, Duke of Burgundy. Here the service of the family extended to the Court of France. According to Philip de Commines, Autoine de Croy was an

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able and faithful agent of Louis the Eleventh, in his quarrels with the Duke of Burgundy, whose Court he quitted for that of Louis. Since that time the family has never ceased to be illustrious. They have distinguished themselves in great military functions, and in the church. The Princes and Dukes of Croy d'Havre, and of Solre, of the present Messrs. day, are descended from them. Croy-Chanel did not contend with Messrs. Croy-d'Havre for their brilliant advan tages; they only claimed a Bend Gueules, which had been added to the antient house of Croy-d'Havre, making it like the arms worn by the King of Hungary.

This singular cause was decided in favour of Messrs. De Croy-d'Havre aud Solre, who were declared entitled to the Bend in question.

PORTUGAL.

The river Douro, in Portugal, overflowed on the 27th ult, to such an extent, as to destroy shipping, houses, and other property, to a great amount. The calamity was at first erroneously attributed to an earthquake.

The Portuguese are like a people who have hitherto been deprived of speech; but, this being restored to them, they seem resolved to make up for the long silence imposed upon them. Every packet brings over newspapers, started in the cause of freedom, and in support of constitutional rights. The late elections presented to the people of Portugal scenes so novel, and, at the same time, so interesting, that every body took part in them, seeming anxious only that the best men might be returned. The Lisbon papers are filled with festivities on the occasion, from every part of the country. The elections are completed; and the Cortes are commencing their momentous labours in the midst of public joy and public tranquillity.

SPAIN.

Accounts from Madrid mention the arrest of Don Mathias Vinuesa, Chaplain to the King; who proves to have been the author of a seditious pamphlet, entitled, "The Cry of a True Spaniard." The people were loud in demanding his trial from the Magistrates; and the latter wrote a strong representation to the King, enforcing the necessity of a prompt and effectual administration of justice in a case of iniquity so flagrant.

The Municipality of Madrid received on the 6th inst. a dispatch from the King, complaining that on the 5th, during his promenade, he heard some cries disrespectful to him. His Majesty commanded the municipal authority to prevent such disorders from being renewed; and, in consequence, the municipality ordered nine Corregidors, with their respective es

corts,

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corts, to proceed to the Palace, to maintain good order, and execute the wishes of his Majesty.

The King came out on the 6th, as usual, to make his promenade. The people, whom the occurrences of the preceding days had collected there, overwhelmed his Majesty with cries of "Long live the Constitutional King!" But the King's carriage had hardly passed the arcades of the Palace, when some of the Body Guards, having their naked sabres hid under their cloaks, issued forth and struck two citizens. The authority of the Corregidors was mistaken. The people dispersed; but soon returned in great force, and obliged the Body-Guards to take refuge in their barracks; before which, for their security, three pieces of cannon were placed. The energy and promises of the magistrates calmed the effervescence of the people, to which the assistance of the National Guard powerfully contributed. The garrison took arms, to be ready to act in case of need. All the soldiers we learn, who were in the city, presented themselves to the municipality, to offer their services, and to aid in preserving tranquillity and defending the constitution. The Municipality presented an Address to his Majesty

relative to these events.

The Council of Ministers met under the presidency of the King. They determined on provisionally disbanding the four companies of Body-Guards, and referred how they were finally to be disposed of to the Cortes. The individuals composing this corps are to retire, till that decision, to their homes, after having left in their barracks their arms and uniforms.

The barrack of the Body Guards was kept in a state of blockade by the people for three days and two nights. The city

was illuminated at night to avoid any disorders to which darkness would be favourable.

Several of the Body-Guards, says the Universelle of yesterday, have offered their resignation to the Captain-general; stating that they did not think they could bereafter honourably serve in a corps,

some members of which had, in cold blood, sabred their fellow-citizens.

Since these events, the service of the interior and exterior of the Palace has been done by the Halberdiers, the Spanish and Walloon guards, and the Royal Carbineers.

Proceedings have been instituted against the authors of these troubles.

The Municipality addressed a Proclamation to the People, calling upon them to confide in the laws, and promising them speedy redress.

ITALY.

[Feb.

GERMANY.

About the middle of this month intelli-" gence was received in London that the main division of the Austrian army broke up from its quarters, on the right bank of the Po, on the 29th ult. with orders to march to Naples. Accounts from Frankfort, however, of the 6th inst. positively contradict the reports of the march of the Austrian army. A private letter from Lay. bach of the 26th ult. states, that the Neapolitan Duke de Gallo had been present at several conferences. It is said in this letter, that the bases upon which the Powers have agreed to treat at Laybach, are-1st. The territorial integrity of all the Italian states, as stipulated by the treaties of 1814: and 2d, The admission into Italian states of Representative Constitutions.

Lord Stewart, and the Portuguese Minister, General de Garua, arrived on the 24th ult. at Laybach. The number of diplomatists assembled there is unprecedented. There are no less than twelve

Russian, five Austrian, three French, three English, and two each from Prussia, Naples, and Sardinia.

1821.]

GREECE.

EARTHQUAKES IN ZANTE.-Extract of a letter dated Corfu, Jan. 16:-"Having been absent from Zante, I have escaped the terrible earthquakes that have visited, and perhaps continue to agitate, that island. The first shock took place on Dec. 29, soon after four o'clock, A. M.; it was of about one minute's duration; and so tremendously violent, as to overthrow a great many houses, and more or less injure every one in the city. Some lives were lost by the falling ruins, and a great many persons wounded. It happened to be the day for celebrating the festival of St. Dionysius, the tutelar saint of the island; and the customary proces: sion was commenced with more than usual solemnity, Sir Patrick Ross and the garrison also assisting, as is common; but in this instance with greater ceremony, in order to conciliate the superstitious ideas of the people. The procession had scarcely left the Church, when an unexampled deluge of rain commenced, with such violence, that the company was dispersed to seek refuge; and the priests, being unable to regain the Church of St. Dionysius, were compelled to deposit the relics in the nearest shelter they could gain. The rain continued 24 hours, attended with hailstones (or lumps of ice, as they are more properly termed), equal in size to an egg, and weighing a quarter of a pound, more or less. The situation of the inhabitants during this torrent, with their houses thrown down, unroofed, or cracked, is represented as indescribably miserable. During the night it broke down the dykes formed for leading the water from the castle (on a lofty hill immediately above the town), swept away six houses on the declivity, and carried them, with furniture and inmates, into the sea: three persons perished in this way, and many were maimed. Minor shocks have since been felt, to the number of ten in a day. The first was attended by the death of ten individuals, and about 100 more were wounded. The second, of any violence, took place on the evening of the 6th inst. (Greek Christmas-day), and lasted longer than the first, though the undulations were less strong; nevertheless, many buildings, already in a totterring condi. tion, fell a sacrifice to it; and, what is the most serious feature attending it, the country, which had pretty well escaped the first, has been the victim of the

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ASIA, &c.

Extract of a Letter from St. Helena, dated December 17, 1820: · "Buonaparte's new house is finished, but not yet furnished. It is one story high, and is situated about 200 yards from the old building, and forms three sides of an oblong square. The right wing contains the apartments destined for General Montholon, the surgeon, and the two priests; the centre and part of the left are allotted to Buonaparte, and the orderly officer. Those for Buonaparte consist of a library, drawing-room, dining-room, breakfastparlour, bed-chamber, bath, and dressingroom, with a water closet; Montholon has four rooms. The whole are neatly fitted up in such a style as you see in the country house of an English gentleman of 2,000l. a year. The court-yard contains

a tank of water. The kitchen is a separate building, erected at the end of the square, and contains every requisite accommodation. Buonaparte rode out some time ago, to Sir W. Doveton's, in Sandy Bay, to breakfast, taking with him a sumpter-mule, laden with provisions, and ate his meal on the grass near Sir William's house. This was nearly the first time he had been on horseback for four years; and he was so fatigued, that he was obliged to send for the carriage to convey him back to Longwood. He appears very unhappy. The Governor will have no communication with Bertrand; and Buonaparte will not receive any, except through him. Madame Bertrand and family purpose leaving this in April next; but Gen. Bertrand remains. The education of her young children is assigned as her motive for this step."