I paffed through two or three other apartments, when a gentleman approached me- Sir, it is not customary for any perfon to appear in the king's court with his hat on. I beg pardon, Sir; I was fo attentive to the objects before me, I forgot I had one.' In the grand council room I was indulged, like other children, with the chair of flate. The chandeliers and girondoles were of filver; rather heavy, and not very elegant; and though the furniture was rich, not too rich for a fovereign prince. THE BANK. Ir king William had performed but one action in his whole life, that action was fufficient to immortalize his name, inftituting the bank. The company, fenfible of the unparalleled merit of this act, erected a ftatue to his honour in one of the courts. No domeftic regulation, no treaty with foreign ftates, has been fo beneficial to trade as the bank. The building is odd, low, and regular, but well adapted to the defign. It is an edifice which appears better to the eye delineated upon paper, than upon the ground where it flands. This vivifying body, replete with fhining particles, like that in the heavens, nourishes the commercial world. Rays of bright influence, collected into this point, are diffufed through every latitude. Private banks, difperfed through the British vortex, like the leffer orbs, thine with borrowed light from this grand luminary. Public credit, when fhaken by political violence, as in 1745, has been restored by the bank to its bafis. Ignorant of etiquette, I entered this depofitory of riches, as I had done thofe at St. James's, much inclined to proceed from one apartment to another, except fome perfon fhould interrupt. me; in which cafe I should have made the best apology I was able. An apology will generally pafs, where no in jury is intended. Every man would be deemed honeft. By the precautions at the bank, one fhould be inclined to think every man a rogue. Perhaps there is not an inftitu tion conducted with more wifdom. The time is not very remote, when the commerce and the cafh of the kingdom were equal, except what little was tranfacted by barter. These two pil lars of the ftate muft ever answer each other, or fome remedy must be found to cure the evil. Four hundred years has made an amazing alteration in both. The cafh in currency has increased to twenty times its quantity; and commerce to that number multiplied by it felf. A want of cafh was the confe quence; but that want is fupplied by bills of exchange. Artificial cath makes up the real. As we cannot ere& our commercial fabric upon bullion, we make up the defect with paper. The moit substantial is that of the bank. Their paper alone is taken without objection. Their credit is fterling. The money-changers who refort to this temple are of two kinds, thofe who want, and thofe who abound. The influence of the bank is not limited to trade. One of their notes, which is value without weight, in the hands of a lover, would foften the ob durate heart of his miftrefs; would roll the gilt chariot, and furnish fix footmen in livery; preferve a grove from the axe, whofe mafter was duped by the sharper; purchase what one lady withes to keep, and keep another from the town, make one man forget his fiends, and another himself. It will purchase a good benefice, and spoil a good preacher; remove our prefent wants, and open a way to greater. It will not, however, as Solomon fays of money, buy all things; it cannot furnith wifdom to line the infide of a head, nor change one grey hair without. This defirable paper, which fome times lies fnug in the corner of a fnuffbox, has fallen into the hands of thofe who have defpifed it; fuch as the wil 7: wheels, I was no more folicitous about events than the giants before me. Entering another court, I heard parts of the famous trial between commodore Johnstone and captain Sutton. On which fide right lay, is uncertain; per yers.' The jury, however, seemed conf cious of their own weight, and deter mined to decide as feemed right in their own eyes. A practice worthy of imitation. ling lady, who, having conferred all the favours he had to confer upon a prince of the blood, received, in return, a bank note: but as the black letters upon its face compofed only the word twenty, the inftantly diffolved it in a glafs of wine, and drank it in his pre-haps on neither, or rather, on the lawfence: an injury to herself was a favour to the bank. A private failor, belonging to a fhip which was paid off in 1782, having received his arrears, threw two ten pound bank notes into the fea, near Bristol, in each of which he had wrapped a guinea, to make it fink. As the lady would not have performed her curious exploit in public, we may pronounce it fprang from revenge. As the failor would not have performed his in private, it fprang from often tation. One of my friends had this authentic-history of the failor's folly from the captain himfelf; who, while they were in converfation together, faw the very man in the ftreet at Brifiol. "John," fays the captain, "do you remember making fhipwreck of the bank notes, and feeding the fea with guineas?" "Yes, fir,"-half afhamed. Did you ever repent it?" "I have fince wanted the money."-Perhaps without pity. GUILD HALL. "I SHOULD be loft," fays the ftranger, “in that vast metropolis." There is nothing more unlikely. A man among men can fearcely be out of his way. His eye is continually caught with fomething new. He is ever feek ing, and ever finds. If he hungers and thirts after curiofities, here he may be filled. Entering Guild hall, on the left, they were bufy drawing the lottery, and the 'erowd very attentive. The character iftic of the nation is gambling. I was forry to fee it encouraged by government. Nothing fo much deranges the fortunes and the morals of a people. However, this is, perhaps, the only fpecies, where fraud is not practifed. As I am not fond of hazard of any kind, nor had any interest in the I then entered a third court, where lord Loughborough prefided. While the counsel were battling each other with keen weapons, his lordship was attentively perufing a newfpaper. I could not refrain from fmiling, when I confidered he was teaching the world to difregard his dark brethren of the long robe, by fetting the example himself. Being mafter of the fubject in difpute, and fixed in his judgment, perhaps he might view the combatants in the light of two animals often beheld in the. freet, which growl, pull each other down, and feemingly bite, yet meet and part friends. It is curious to a ftranger who is unbiaffed by cuftom, and often views things as they are, to contemplate the various ways of fighting, by which people become diftinguished with particular dreffes. Some of thefe dreffes appear of the ludicrous kind. There are fighting profeffions, befides that of a foldier, and implements of war, befides the fword. The counfel at Guildhall feemed to take the utmoft pleasure in cutting each other up, with that keen weapon, the tongue. The gown and the wig, like the painted bodies of the ancient Britons, feemed defigned to frike terror nto the enemy. But under the enormous wig, now and then appeared a natural head of hair; fo that both the man and his fubject appeared in a falfe drefs. Each of the counfel retains in view, as the result of victory, a fingular robe among the judges, perhaps among the peers. Before I quit Guild-hall, I fhall take a trip to the royal college of Greenwich, and the cathedral of St. Paul, both which happened the next day. The The beautiful palace of Greenwich gives pleafure to the beholder. I at tended to the fituation, the buildings, the paintings, the drefs, the manners, people, and was pleafed with all. I confidered its twenty five hundred inhabitants as an affemblage of men from every part of the British dominions. That among them were eyes which had furveyed every country on the globe, Seeing one man in a yellow coat with red fleeves, You feem, fays I, by the fingularity of your drefs, to fill fome important office in thefe fplendid regions?" No, fir," he replied, with the modefty of one whofe manners were faftened by long fervice, "the reafon of this dress is, I got drunk, and beat my comrade." And fo your dress, then, is the reward of your victory? You have not forgot the art of fighting. You have only changed your weapon, from the fword to the fift. But if you are in a drefs of difgrace, why do you not keep within? They oblige me, as an additional punishment, to appear in public." Why then you only fare like every one elfe; they all appear in public, who can'drefs, like you, in the garment of victory. as The fame day I attended divine fervice at St. Paul's, where the bishop of L preached in a black gown and white fleeves. It immediately occurred to my thoughts, whether his lordship did not acquire that diftinguished drefs, the refult of conqueft, gained by another keen weapon, termed a pen. The firanger too, would be apt to fuppofe this black and white drefs inferior to that which is all white; or, that two colours, hike thofe at Greenwich, were degree below one: for a fpeaker, in white, addreffed the Deity, but the bishop only the people. I I then entered another court in Guild-hall, which was crowded. attempted a paffage. The bar-keeper prevented me with, "Are you an attorney, fir?" Something like one. "Come, fir, I do not know them all." Here lord Mansfield fat as chief; on his right was lord Rodney, as his friend.. I could not forbear contempiating, that I had before me two of the principal characters of the age; one . food at the head of the law, the other of arms; they had both done fignal fervice to their country; that country had heaped favours upon both, and yet was debtor to both. The practice of the har is not fo much to open, as to complicate a cafe. He raifes his reputation who says the smarteft things, not he who fays the trueft. But lord Mansfield, like a fu perior power, eafily perceived the me rits of a caufe, carefully divided truth from difguife, and never lost fight of equity. I was pleafed, when 1 re fected he had lived to extreme age, becaufe his country had been benefited by it fifty years. But I was forry he had not fifty to live, that his country might have a benefit to come. The depredations made upon this great man by lord George's mob, in 1780, were as much to his honour as any act of his life. The public, in their collective capacity, feldom do wrong; but a capricious mob, conducted by a favourite madman, as feldom do right. I furveyed this venerable fage mort than three hours, during which time he determined about nine caules, and 19 my apprehenfion, as they ought. Perhaps it is not poffible to fay any thing greater of a judge-than, that his de cifions are right. I fhall repeat one. Two Jews, whofe names I have for got, fo fhall diftinguish them by thofe of plaintiff and defendant, were sehdents in London, but natives of the fame place in Germany. The latter, being in diftreffed circumftances, applied to the plaintiff for his afliftance, to enable him to begin business. Here, fays the plaintiff, I will lend you this watch, it is worth fitty fhillings; fell it, and buy fomething more to go as with. In a few days the defendant applied again, Sir, the watch is too trifling to begin with, I wish you would lend me more goods to fell with it, as one will help the other. Here are, fays the plaintiff, twelve fets of fine buckles, and four fets of finer, worth 181. Take them, and I with you fuccefs. In a few days more, the defendant applied for a third affiftance. It would bc be of great fervice if I had fome coarfet goods to fell with thefe, which, for ready money, I could buy very cheap. I find alfo, it will be dangerous to fell without a licence, and I know where one is to be fold for a trifle. Then take thefe fix guineas, fays the plaintiff, which will accomplish your with. The defendant took the money, and immediately ran away to America, where he refided nineteen years. In the beginning of 1784, he returned to London; and was quickly difcovered by the injured plaintiff, who fent his fervant, defiring to speak with him. "The defendant replied, "If your mafter has any thing to fay to me, I live at No. 9, in fuch a place. The plaintiff fent a fecond time, "My mafter fays, if you will not pay what you owe him, he will arrest you.' "If there is any little matter between your master and me, I am willing to fettle it at any time. The plaintiff hearing no more of his townfman, ferved him with the copy of a writ for 271. The defendant gave bail, which brought on the trial I heard. Long harangues were uttered in this plain cafe. But the defendant, by counsel, fheltered himfelf under thefe fubterfuges; the ftatute of limitations; the money having never been demanded on one fide, nor acknowledged on the other; and if the defendant, faid they, allowed any little matter between them, when they came to reckon, the balance might be on the other fide. Lord Mansfield, in a small diftinct voice, obferved, a balance was not like ly to exift on the other fide, because it appeared from the trial, that this was the only tranfaction of property between them. That the plaintiff could not eafily demand his money, while the other refided in America. That his acknowledging there might be fome little matter between them, was acknowledging the debt, by which the ftatute of limitations was done away. Though his lord hip did not exprefs himfelf upon this ftatute, it was easy to fee he confidered it as extremely ufe ful, in preventing litigious, obfolete, and even falfe claims; but he also confidered, that time pays no debts, that every juft demand fhould be fatisfied, and that a debt once contracted is a debt till paid. THE WILLING LADIES. We are now entering upon the fairest part of the creation; the profpecs are beautiful, but the ground is treacherous. As I profefs to relate only what I faw, it may fairly be fuppofed I preferve the fame rule in this flippery chapter; and," perchance, may be fufpected of falling. But cannot a man defcribe the courfe of a river, without defcending into the Aream? Befides, he who is sheltered under the word fixty, may venture himself among any defcription of the fair fez, without hazard to their reputation, of his own. He may retreat without any additional honour to his virtue. I have already remarked in the in-' troduction, that the curiofity of an ob ject confifts in its novelty. We may be furprifed to fee a man eight feet high; but if we fee him every day, the furprife ceafes. How often have I beheld aftonifhment in the face of a ftranger, at his firft view of Birming ham? fuch as, perhaps, was mine in London. His features told me, he had never feen its equal. Hence we members of the quill relate trifles to others, which are wonderful to ourselves. But let him view Birmingham for three days, and his aftonishment wears off. The philofophers will tell us, that one half of our fpecies were born for the other, and that human nature is every where nearly the fame. This fpecies, however, differs widely from habit in different places. The manner in which the two fexes approached each other in London, furprifed me, as being different from what I had ever obferved. Before I had been one hour there, a gentleman remarked, as two ladies were paffing along. They were girls of the town." I replied, "You muft be mistaken, they appear ladies of beauty, elegance, and modefty." I could could have laughed at his ignorance. But before I had been one day, he had reafon, I found, to laugh at mine. Thefe tranfitory meteors rife, like the ftars, in the evening; are nearly as numerous; and, like them, shine in their only fuit. They hawk their charms to a crowded market, where the purchaf ers are few. Many attempts are made for one cuftomer gained. They cling to ones arms like the Lilliputian fhips to the girdle of Gulliver. Some of the finest women I saw in London were of this clafs. I converfed with many of them. They could all fwear, talk indecently, and drink gin. Moft of them affured me, they had not a penny in the world. I confidered them as objects of pity more than of punishment; and would gladly have given a trifle to each, but found it could not be done for less than ten thousand thillings. Of all profeffions, this feems the moft deplorable, and the most induftriously purfued. That diligence is exercifed to ftarve in this, which would enable them to live in another. Many caufes tend to furnish the freets of London with evening game; as, being deftitute of protection in early years; being trepanned by the artful of our fex, or the more ariful of their own; accidental difirefs, without prof pect of relief; difappointment of places, or of love. But the principal caufe is idleness. To the generality of the world, cafe is preferable to labour. Perhaps it is difficult to produce an inftance of a girl, of an induftrious turn, going upon the town. It is feldom an act of choice, but of neceffity. Inclination feems no part of the excitement. This is much the fame as in the relt of women. It is not the man they want, but the money. They fuffer what they do not relifh, to procure the bread they do. In the connexions between the fexes, the heart is not of the party. Their language, like that of the leech, is, give and like it, they fquander their profits and become lean. Their price is various, but always a little more than they can get. There is a fmall degree of delicacy requifite even in the most abandoned. A female fhould ever appear in a fe male character. Charms tendered in the vulgar ftile, ceafe to be charms. We should not fee, but guess. (To be continued.) Mafonry. An Addrefs to the Brethren of St. John's Lodge, No. 534 Lancafer. Deliver ed at their commem ration of the Fes tival of St. John, Dec. 28, 1795. By the Rev. James Watson. ON quitting the chair at the period of my prefidency, I cannot help expreffing my fincereft thanks to you, my worthy and refpected BRETHREN, for your kind attention to all my recommendations; your ready obedience to all my official directions; and your candid indulgence to all my humble, but well-meant, endeavours to pro mote the profperity and happiness of this now flourishing Lodge. I cannot fufficiently applaud your temperance and regularity, both in and after Lodge hours; than which nothing tends more to the credit of our affociations in the eyes of a cenforious world. The rapid progrefs alfo made by feveral of our noviciate brothers demands my warmeft approbation; and their example will, I hope, fiimulate others to a fimilar application. Suffer me moreover to exprefs the fatisfaction I feel; in furrendering the diftinguished office you honoured me with into the hands of the CHIEF MAGISTRATE of this ancient and opulent borough; a man whofe integrity of principle, and whole laudable zeal and activity in every undertaking, I have learned to respect and admire from long friendship, and even domeftic intimacy. As at my entrance upon this flation, I obtruded a few mafonic obfervations upon your attention; fo your kind is dulgence then has emboldened me to tretpafs upon your patience with a few more, upon my quiting it, although they may have been already difcuffed by much abler brethren. The three degrees into which MASONRY is divided, feems to have an ob vicus and apt coincidence with the thr progreffive |