sional brilliancy of the fire-balloons drew forth the admiration of the multitude.

A brig of war of 10 guns was worked up the river on Wednesday, and moored between Waterloo-bridge and Blackfriars, for the purpose of firing salutes. Her masts were necessarily struck to permit her to pass under London and Blackfriars bridges, but she was re-rigged with great expedition, and appeared on Thursday morning in gay trim, adorned from stem to stern with the flags of all nations known upon the waters. She ushered in the morning with a royal salute, and as her guns, being selected for the occasion, were of the largest calibre, the unwonted thunder that issued from her ports disturbed the slumbers of many a sound sleeper. The brig was one of the smallest of her class, but the unusual sight of a vessel of war so high up in the river, drew, at a very early hour, immense crowds of persons to see her. She lay nearly opposite Norfolk-street in the Strand. A considerable number of barges from several men of war were moored near the brig, each bear ing a small flag. These boats were prepared for the purpose of throwing rockets during the evening. At night, the principal streets were brilliantly illuminated.

HER MAJESTY'S WILL. "This is the last Will and Testament of me, Caroline QueenConsort of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland :

"I revoke all former wills.
"I constitute and appoint Ste-

phen Lushington, doctor of laws, and Thomas Wilde, esq. barrister at law, trustees and executors of this my will.

"In execution of all powers given me by the will of my late mother, Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick-Lunenburgh, I appoint, limit, give, devise, and bequeath to my said trustees all my right, title, and interest under the said will, and also all the rest of my property, real and personal, debts and effects, of whatsoever nature or kind soever, and wheresoever situate, upon trust to receive and collect the same; and, when collected, convert into money, and invest it at their discretion in the funds of the United Kingdom, or otherwise; and, upon further trust, to pay the principal of the whole of the said trust property to William Austin, who has been long under my protection, on his attaining the age of 21 years; and, in the mean time, to pay the interest and proceeds of the same, or so much thereof as to them may seem meet, towards the maintenance and education of the same William Austin: and I do declare that my said trustees and executors shall not be chargeable in respect of the default of each other, or of any agent employed by them or either of them, but only for their own respective receipts, acts, and wilful defaults. I also give and bequeath to my said executors, to be disposed of according to their will and pleasure, all and every my documents, manuscripts, papers, writ ings, and memoranda, wheresoever being at the time of my death.

"CAROLINE R. (Seal.) "Signed, sealed, and published

this 3rd day of August, in the year 1821. at Brandenburghhouse, in the presence of

"H. BROUGHAM.
"THOS. DENMAN.

"HOOD."

"This is a codicil to my will, dated

this 3rd day of August:"I give all my clothes, here and in Italy, to Marriette Brun. I direct that a particular box, by me described, be sealed with my seal and delivered to Mr. Obichini, of Coleman-street, merchant; and I acknowledge that I owe him 4,300l. I wish that government would pay the 15,000l. the price of my house in South Audleystreet. I desire to be buried in Brunswick. I leave my coach to Stephen Lushington, my executor; my landaulet to John Hieronymus.

"Witnesses, CAROLINE R.
"HOOD.

"H. BROUGHAM.
"T. DENMAN.

" HENRY HOLLAND, M.D."

"This is a codicil to my last will:

"I give to John Hieronymus and Marriette Brun all my bed and table linen, which has already been used. I give to Louis Bischi, the sum of 1,000l. and an annuity of 150l. per annum, payable half yearly. I give the large picture of myself and late daughter to the cardinal Albano. The half-length picture of myself to lady Anne Hamilton. I give the picture of myself, which is a copy of that given to the city of London, to my executor, Stephen Lushington. There are two pictures remaining, of which I be

Hieronymus one carriage; I also give him the other open carriage. I declare that my interest under my mother's will is given to William Austin, as a specific legacy. I desire and direct that my body be not opened, and that three days after my death it be carried to Brunswick for interment; and that the inscription upon my coffin be- Here lies Caroline of Brunswick, the injured Queen of England.'

"CAROLINE R." "Signed in the presence of HENRY HOLLAND, M. D, August 5, 1821."

"A codicil to my last will:I give and bequeath to William Austin, all my plate and household furniture at Brandenburghhouse, and also all unused linen.

sum

"I direct my executors to make application to his majesty's go vernment to pay to them such sum of money as at the time of my decease I may have paid, or which they may be called upon to pay, for the purchase of my house in South Audley-street; and I give and bequeath of money, as my said executors shall procure and obtain in that respect, unto them my said executors, in trust for William Austin, according to the provisions of my will: such sum to be considered a specific legacy. And in case the government shall refuse to pay such sum, I direct my executors to sell my interest in the said house, and also the furniture and things therein. And

I give and direct the proceeds thereof to be paid and applied to and for the use of the said William Austin in like manner, as a specific legacy; but in case the government shall repay the purchase money of the said house, in that case, the proceeds which may be realized by the sale are to fall into the general residue of my estate. Dated seventh day of August, 1821.

"CAROLINE R."

"Witness, HENRY U. THOMSON, Kensington."

THE FOLLOWING IS SAID TO BE THE TESTAMENT OF NAPO

LEON.

"This day, April 14, 1821, at Longwood, in the island of St. Helena.

francs. I desire that he may build his house near Ponte Novo de Rossino.

"To count Las Cases, 100,000 francs.-To count Lavalette, 100,000 francs.

"To the surgeon in chief, Larrey, 100,000 francs. He is the most virtuous man I have known.

"To gen. Lefevre Desnouettes, 100,000 francs.-To gen. Drouet, 100,000 francs.-To gen. Cambronne, 100,000 francs.-To the children of general Muton Duvernais, 100,000 francs.-To the children of the brave Labedoyere, 100,000 francs.-To the children of general Girard, killed at Ligny, 100,000 francs. To the children of general Chartrau, 100,000 francs.-To the children of the virtuous general Travost, 100,000 francs.-To general Lallemand, the elder, 100,000 francs. To Costa Bastilica, also

"I leave to the comte de Montholon 2,000,000 francs, as a proof of my satisfaction for the attentions he has paid to me for these six years, and to indemnify him for the losses which my residence in St. Helena has occasioned him.-I leave to the comte Bertrand 500,000 francs.-I leave to Marchand, my first valet-dechambre, 400,000 francs; the services he has performed for me are those of a friend. I desire that he may marry a widow, sister, or daughter of an officer or soldier of my old guard.To Saint Dennis, 100,000 francs. To Novarre, 100,000 francs. To Pijeron, 100,000 francs.-To Archambaud, 50,000 francs.-To Cuvier, 50,000 francs.-To Chandelle, idem.

"To the Abbe Visnale, 100,000

Clausel, 100,000 francs.-To the baron de Menevalle, 100,000 francs.-To Arnault, author of Marius, 100,000 francs.

"To colonel Marbot, 100,000 francs: I request him to continue to write for the defence and the glory of the French armies, and to confound the calumniators and the apostates.

"To the baron Bignon, 100,000 francs: I request him to write the history of French Diplomacy from 1792 to 1815.

"To Poggi de Talaro, 100,000 francs.-To the surgeon Emmery, 100,000 francs.

"These sums shall be taken from the six millions which I deposited on leaving Paris in 1815, and from the interest at the rate of 5 per cent. since July, 1815; the account of which shall be adjusted with the bankers by the

CONSISTORY COURT, MAY 4. Gilbert v. Buzzard and Boyer. -In this singular case, which related to the fees due to the parish for burial in iron coffins, the Consistory-court had directed affidavits to be filed, as to the comparative durability of iron and wood; and, these having accordingly been obtained from professor Brande, Messrs. Aikin, Parkes, &c.; and counsel having been heard at length thereon:Sir William Scott, in giving his judgment on the Table of Fees, observed, that in this case he was now called upon to determine the amount of fee fairly due to the parish for the interment of iron coffins. In delivering his former opinion, he had come to the conclusion, that if these iron coffins were more durable than those constructed of the usual materials, adequate compensation ought to be made to the parish for their longer duration, and a larger fee paid for their admission. Their proportionate duration, however, still seemed a controverted point; and in a case like this, where there was no experience to guide him, to reach any thing like exactness in fixing their compa

rative durability, was an expectation not to be indulged. The fact itself, of their duration, was influenced by so many various circumstances, as to make any general result, even when founded on experiment, in some degree doubtful. The only illustration the case had received, was derived from persons skilled in chemistry, but they could give their opinions on the subject only from analogy. In looking at this evidence, he saw, as was usually the case in matters of opinion, the most conflicting testimony; nor could the court presume to give a decisive judgment, when those most conversant with the subject had left it in a state of doubt; the judicial aphorism-perito in arte sua credendum, could in this question have no application; and the only alternative was, to look at the opposing evidence, and endeavour to ascertain on which side the balance rested. Looking at it in this point of view, he could not but express his conviction, that the balance was on the side of the greater durability of iron; and although it might be thought that he was in some measure influenced by his own prepossessions, he was bound to

say, that on referring to the affidavits, he thought the weight of the argument rested with Messrs. Brande and Aikin, who fixed the proportionate durability of iron and wood, as three to one. A test had been suggested to him, by a person of much various and accurate information, founded on the results of the casual discovery of these substances: both wood and iron have frequently been found together deposited in the soil, where they had been laid either accidentally, or in pursuance of the ancient usage of the country, and discovered afterwards at very distant periods of time. Three different states of the soil in which these substances had been found, might be presumed; one where the ground had remained dry throughout the whole period; in such a soil both substances might be supposed entitled to a sound longevity; rust would not corrode the one, nor rottenness decay the other, where moisture and the external air were excluded. In this state Egyptian mummies, ascertained to be of 2,000 years standing, had been discovered, composed, as it was said, of the sycamore of the country; which might hence be aptly termed, as Pliny had characterized the larch, the "immortale lignum." In the very interesting account given by sir Henry Halford, of the disinterment of Charles I. at Windsor, it is observed, that the wooden coffin was found to be very much decayed, though it had been protected from external injury by being inclosed in lead, carefully soldered, and internally secured from those gaseous vapours proceeding from dead bodies, by cerecloths and spices. Another state in which

these substances had been found in contact with the soil, was where they were entirely or partially covered with water, either salt or fresh; frequent instances had occurred of old anchors, bolts, and chains, having been fished up, after having remained under water for an unknown length of time; and the keys of Lochleven-castle were recovered from the sea 250 years after they had been thrown in upon the flight of Mary from that castle. It must, however, be allowed, that the piers of Trajan's-bridge over the Danube, and the Cowey stakes in the Thames, supposed to have supported the bridge over which the army of Cæsar passed, are striking instances of the durability of wood under certain circumstances. The third state of the soil is that in which these substances are subjected to alternations of moisture and dryness; here both decay, but at different periods: and it is a well-known fact, that of the various weapons that are frequently discovered in the ancient tumuli or barrows, the metallic heads of spears, and the blades of swords and daggers, are found in a condition from which they might easily be restored to their ancient or any other metallic use; whilst the wood that formed the handle, the haft, and the connecting parts, was entirely decomposed and associated with the soil, so that no traces could be found of them. Numerous instances of this are mentioned in the English Archæologia. It appears in an affidavit made by three persons on behalf of the patentee, that on taking up a child's coffin which had been deposited for only a short time in the soil, it was discovered to be