It must be plain then, that this one thousand pounds has served to circulate or exchange property to the amount of four thousand; and from this instance, by following the progress of its circulation, an idea may be formed how immensely disproportionate may be the circulating medium, or currency of a kingdom to its actual wealth. It must be obvious also, that money, or the circulating medium, must be scarce or abundant in proportion to the activity of the various markets, or the amount and rapidity of articles bought and sold. Great demands, for instance, are made for the circulating medium, when large fleets of merchantmen arrive from abroad, which render large payments necessary. Greater quantities still of this medium are called for when a loan is made to Government; these demands must for a time lessen the quantity of currency in circulation, and though the money be not consumed, as before explained, still its use is lost for a time, and until it returns into circulation again, there is what is justly termed a scarcity of money. The inference is then, that though money be not a consumable article, like lead or corn, it is nevertheless a fluctuating commodity, and liable, like other commodities, to be of more or less value according to its abundance and scarcity in the circulation, or

market.

In this market the Goldsmids have for more than thirty years been wholesale traders. In the purchase and sale of bullion, stocks, Navy bills, and Exchequer bills, and in the negotiation of foreign bills of exchange, they annually turn millions of money.

Their acute knowledge and profound experience in money transactions, added to their unimpeachable credit, and princely capital, the amount of which we will not venture to name, have secured to these gentlemen an eminence in the monied world never before possessed by any private individuals. Nor are their influence and credit useful merely to them. selves. The effects of them have been beneficially experienced by the Government itself, whose opera. tions, in very critical times, have been accelerated by the zeal and public spirit of these gentlemen, in a manner which entitles them to the gratitude of the British nation.

We have already stated that these gentlemen are Jews; and if, in the present enlightened age, examples were needful to prove that a "Jew hath eyes, hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions," as a Christian hath, the families of both Benjamin and Abraham Goldsmid might be quoted as moral ornaments to society. With a spirit of princely magnificence, they are free from pride; with the purest and most liberal benevolence, they are free from all ostentation of charity. Their acts of bounty are literally innumerable, and are by no means confined within the boundaries of their own peculiar people, the Jews. The Marine Society, the Royal Humane Society, have publicly expressed their gratitude to the Goldsmids and there are few charitable institutions or benevolent subscriptions known in this metropolis, where the name of Goldsmids, the Jews, does not rank as high in generosity as the most dignified Christians.

These gentlemen are also honourably distinguished as the lovers and patrons of literature. Among the Jews, they are honoured and beloved; and their zealous interest in the welfare of the poor of their own nation has lately been the subject of several pamphlets.

In their manners, there is nothing to be found of that studied and ridiculous reserve remarkable in many little-minded men, in great and important situations of life: on the contrary, the most striking features of their character are candour, frankness, and affability. Their establishments are suitable to their great wealth, and their families are admitted into the very first circles. On a late visit which the Royal family paid to Mr. B. Goldsmid, at his elegant villa at Roehampton, his Majesty, in introducing these brothers to the Queen, expressed himself in terms so gracious as to denominete them his friends. We believe them entitled to the epithet; and as, in a free country like ours, the friend of the monarch is the friend of the people, we consider the title as reflecting honour on the sovereign who bestowed it, and on the subjects who deserved it.

S.

DR. WILLIAM VINCENT,

DEAN OF WESTMINSTER.

THERE are few situations of greater importance to society than that of the head of a public school; and he who discharges that trust well, is entitled to the gratitude of his countrymen. Of all the great seminaries of education in this kingdom, Westmin

ster

ster certainly bears the precedence; and it has been her lot to have had a brilliant series of learned men to keep up her interest and reputation. The subject of this brief sketch will be found not inferior to any of these either in learning, suavity of manners, or vigilance in bis arduous office. The ancestors of Dr. Vincent long enjoyed a good estate at Sheepy, near Atherston, in Leicestershire. His grandfather, who was a considerable farmer at that place, having a large family, placed his youngest son, Giles Vincent, apprentice to a tradesman in London. This person afterwards set up in business for himself, and was common council-man and deputy of the ward of Lime-street for about the space of thirty years.

He had a family of five children, of whom Dr. Vincent, the youngest, was born on November the 2d, 1739. Being designed for the church, of which his father was a very orthodox and zealous member, he was sent to Westminster school, and, in 1753, was admitted on the foundation. In 1757, he was elected to Trinity College, Cambridge, where, in 1761, he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and the year following was chosen usher of Westminster school. In 1764, he took the degree of Master of Arts, and, in 1776, that of Doctor of Divinity. In 1778, he was presented to the Rectory of Allhallows the Great and Less; and, about the same time, was appointed Chaplain to his Majesty. When Dr. Markham became archbishop of York, he appointed his friend Dr. Vincent to be sub-almoner, an office which he con-.. tinues to hold. In 1788, he became head master of Westminster

Westminster school, but his church preferments were very narrow till, about the beginning of last year, he obtained what he had long desired and deserved, a prebendal stall in the cathedral of Westminster. Mr. Addington, much to his honour, has, during his administration, paid a particular attention to merit in the disposal of ecclesiastical dignities. Thus he has raised the learned warden of Winchester, Dr. Huntingford, to the episcopal bench; and, when the deanry of Westminster became vacant by the translation of that profound scholar and divine, Dr. Horsley, to the see of St. Asaph, he bestowed it upon Dr. Vincent, who is thereby in a direct channel to a bishopric, a station which he will doubtless fill with as much honour as he hath uniformly done every other in the church.

We now turn to view him as a writer, in which light he will appear not less respectable than in his religious character.

In 1780, he published, but without his name, "A Letter to the reverend Dr. Richard Watson, (now bishop of Llandaff), king's professor of divinity in the university of Cambridge, 8vo." This pamphlet contained a refutation of some political positions advanced by the professor in a sermon preached before the university. In 1787, the Doctor printed "Considerations on Parochial Music, 8vo." a tract of considerable ingenuity. In 1789, he preached and published "A Sermon before the Sons of the Clergy, 4to." and, in 1792, "A Sermon preached at St. Margaret's, Westminster, for the Grey-coat school of