as one of the plenipotentiaries for his country, in signing the treaty of peace with England. He returned again to America in 1785, and lived five years, receiving continually from his grateful countrymen those honours and distinctions which he had so justly merited. He died April 17, 1790. As an author, he never wrote a work of any considerable length. His political works consist of Letters, or short Tracts; but all of them, even those of humour, bear the marks of his observing genius, and mild philosophy. In short, the whole life of Franklin, and his labours, have been directed to public utility. In society he was sententious, but not fluent; a listener, rather than a talker; and informing, rather than a pleasing companion. He requested that the following epitaph, which he composed for himself some years ago, might be inscribed on his tombstone, "The body of Benjamin Franklin, printer, (like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out, and stript of its lettering and gilding) lies here, food for worms: yet the work itself shall not be lost, but will (as he believed), appear once more, in a new, and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by the author. FYFIELD (JOHN), of Stanbridge, near Romsey, was born about the year 1716, and died the 23d day of February, 1796. He was a man of a most eccentric turn of mind, and great singularity of conduct. The manor of Stanbridge he inherited from his ancestors, who had been the possesors of it for many generations. He was of a penurious disposition, yet

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he would hardly ever suffer any of the timber on his estate to be felled, though it abounded with the finest in the country, a great deal of which was annually perishing: the price of fifty guineas had once tempted him to part with his far-famed oak-tree, but he repented of his bargain, and was happy to repurchase it, almost immediately after, at a higher price. All repairs of his mansion were prohibited, as an useless extravagance that would reduce him to poverty; and while such a superfluity of materials as would have paid his expences, and rendered his habitation comfortable, were rotting at the door, he chose rather to reside in it with the roof open in many places to the heavens, with hardly an apartment that afforded shelter from the weather, and with the joists and floors rotting with the wet that entered. The out-buildings were in a similar state, and the repair of them alike prohibited. He was totally blind for many of the latter years of his life, when his chief enjoyment was a pint of strong beer, which he usually quaffed twice or three times a week, at the Duke's-head, at Great-bridge (about a mile from his own house) whither he was led by a boy who constantly attended him. For many years he had a strong antipathy to the making of a will, considering it as a prelude to a speedy death. But the arguments of a very amiable wife, who turned many of his singularities into an harmles channel, at length prevailed over his prejudices, and induced him to make and execute the solemn instrument, in which he amply provided for his

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younger children, &c. His landed estates, which were very considerable, devolved to the eldest son. With all his whims, he had a heart open to friendship, and has frequently given substantial proofs of his regard to those who could indulge him in his eccentricities. FREDERIC (COLONEL), the unfortunate son of the wretched Theodore, king of Corsica. From his own account, it appears that he was born in Spain, where his mother, who was of the noble family of Lucan, in Ireland, attended the person of the queen. He followed his father, as he himself relates, to share his misfortunes, and administer to his necessities. Having acquired a very liberal education, he entered on a military life with the most ample qualifi cations. Arriving in England about 1754, he undertook to teach the Italian language, by which profession he subsisted for some years. By a German lady, whom he married abroad, he had a son and a daughter; the former fell in North-America, and the latter is still living. After an absence of some months on the continent, he returned with the brevet rank of colonel, from the late Duke of Wirtemberg, possessing, at the same time, the cross of merit. He acted as the agent of that prince, in England, and facilitated the disposal of a regiment of his subjects to the East-India Company. In 1791, he went to Antwerp, to negociate for a loan for the Prince of Wales, and other branches of the royal family. This project getting wind before the negociator had made any successful efforts to procure a pecuniary advance, the

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