1811.] 
Society for the Abolition df War, 
125 
history 5 which he rather resumed than 
began, as he had acquired some know- 
iedge of botany in early life, while he 
was under the tuition of his uncle Antro- 
bns. He wrote copious marginal notes 
tQ the works of Linnteus, and otiier 
writers, in the three kingdoms of nature.^^ 
What are become of them? 
1811. Observator. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
StR, 
T he public are indebted to your cor¬ 
respondent A. B. E. for his very 
just censure of the abominable prac¬ 
tice of introducing oaths and other 
profaneness on the stage. It was not so 
in Mr. Garrick’s time; to the best of my 
recollection, an oath was then never 
heard. Tliat the understrappers on the 
present stage, sfiould not‘only be ready 
to adopt the oaths and profaneness of 
those who write the miserable produc* 
tions of the present day, but should al¬ 
so give tfieir own additions of the same 
kind, is not to be vvondered at in men 
of such a stamp ; but that a Mr. Bannis¬ 
ter or a Mr. Lewis, men of the most re¬ 
spectable private characters, should per¬ 
mit such writers to put such words in 
their mouths, has always appeared to me 
surprising. ' That Mr. Bannister knows 
better, we knowq from his own production 
in the last winter ; I can witness that at 
Freemason’s Hall nothing was introduced 
which could offend. Mr. Bannister inav, 
and I hope will, refuse to take a part in 
any new performance, where such a gross 
viola tion of common decency, to give it 
IK) other name, is attempted to be put 
into his mouth. By so doing he wm! 1 re¬ 
ceive addition to that applause which, as 
an actor, and in his private character, 
be so well deserves, and it will be an ad¬ 
dition, the value of which he knows how 
to appreciate, as it will come from those 
whose applause is best worth ids notice. 
January, 1811. I. I. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
A mong many other of tlie innume¬ 
rable objects which your publica¬ 
tion serves to usher into public notice, 
antiquarian researclies, etymologies, 
&c. .are to me the most pleasing. I 
should be obliged, therefore, to any of 
your antiquarian correspondents, if they 
could tell me the etymology of J)orckes~ 
ter; whether tlie village of that name in 
Oxfordshire,, was ever a city; W'hether 
the church was thecatliedral ofa bishop's' 
see ; and wliat is the certain or probable 
date of its erection ; and whether Witen- 
liam hills, in that vicinity were the 
sites on which the Romans had a camp? 
Common and traditional report would 
answer most of these enquiries in the 
affirmative ; but something superior to 
this would be acceptable to 
Dec. 18, 1810. __ Inquisitor, 
To the Editor of' the Monthly Magazine, 
SIB, 
S the nominal value of gold and sil¬ 
ver very much influences tiie price 
of every other commodity, I am surprised 
that few or no periodical publications 
record its rise and fall. 
I have sent you the present prices 
with the difference from those fixed at 
the mint; should you think proper^o in¬ 
sert them I will from time to time ac¬ 
quaint you witli any variation that takes 
place hereafte.". 
f. s. d. 
Market price of standard 7 , ,0 ^ 
11 r 4 lo o 
gold per oz. - 3 
Mint ditto at ditto 3 17 10| 
Higher than the mint price 15 7 |peroz^, 
£. s. d. 
Market price of sterling^ 
silver per oz. - y o 4 
Mint ditto at ditto - 5 2 
Higher than the irnnt price 1 2 per oz. 
Pure virgin gold - 5 2 0 per oz. 
Pure virgin silver - 6 10 per oz. 
The above prices are what tiie gold 
and silver smiths of London pay to the 
refiners. 
N.B. The last rise in the price of gold 
was 2 shillings per oz. and took place April 
32 d, 1811 . 
The last rise in the price of silver was one' 
penny per oz. and took place the 2 d of August, 
1811 . 
London, August l^th, 1811. B. S* 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
I' IS Majesty having some time since 
determined on restoring that an- 
tient and honorable institution, the 
Knights of Windsor, to its original state 
of respectability, and an arrangement 
having now been made to preserve the 
establishment for the benefit of that me¬ 
ritorious class of people for which the 
order was founded. Tire annexed ex¬ 
tracts 
