3797-1 
Judged of merely by its operation upon 
the internal commerce, but by its fur- 
nifhing this country with the means of 
extending its foreign trade, with the 
extenfion of its credit. The paft expe- 
rience of the public, in the convenience 
of country banks, makes it almoft un- 
neceflary to remark, that the intro- 
ducing of agents from the bank of Eng- 
land inthe country, could neither accom- 
modate the public, nor be fo adequate an 
expedient to procure a general nego- 
Clation, as the eftablifhments the country 
have already {upported. 
It, therefore, feems, to the writer of 
this paper, of fome importance to con- 
tribute to the reftoration of that confi- 
dence by which the trade has fo many 
years profpered; and to invite others, 
who may entertain doubtful appre- 
henfions, or poffefs a more comprehenfiv 
view of this fubjeé&t, to a candid and 
complete difcuifion, which, it is pre- 
fumed, will terminate greatly in favour 
of a preference to provincial banks, 
which, under the fhock of 1793, and 
the concuflion given to credit, in gene- 
ral, by the bank of England declining to 
iffue fpecie, at a time too when the de- 
preffed ftate of the funds deprived the 
country banks of moft of their ufual 
depofits, have been followed with very 
few inftances of real deficiency of pro- 
perty ; and, had the country exercifed a 
proper reflection, they muft have been 
fenfible, that it is not the bufinefs of a 
bank, nor ought to be the expectation 
of thofe who place their money there 
and receive intereft, to fuppofe, that in 
a crifis of public extremity, they could 
all receive their devofits immediately: 
for what Mr. Thornton, in a late {fpeech, 
obferved of the bank of England, may be 
accommodated to the private banks: 
The propostion of capital any bank 
fhould have at command, at any given 
time, was to be decided on the proba- 
bility there was of a demand upon them, 
and not by the whole extent of their 
engagements. \ 
NOL 
April 15, 1797- 
See ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
A TASTE for rural fcenes, in the pre- 
~*~ fent ftate of fociety, appears to me 
to be very often an artificial fentiment, 
rather infpired by poetry and romances, 
than areal perception of the beauties of 
nature; but, as it 1s reckoned a proof of 
refined tafte to praife the calm pleafure 
» 
- 
Country Banks.w.On Artificial Tafte. 
which the country affords, the theme is 
exhaufted; yet, it may be made a 
quettion, whether this-romantic kind of 
detlamation has much effe@t on the con- 
duct of thofe who leave, for a feafon, the 
crowded cities in which they were bred. 
Ihave been led into thefe refletions 
by obferving, when Ihave refided for 
any length of time in the country, how 
few people feem to contemplate nature 
with their own eyes. I have “ bruthed 
the dew away’’ in the morning; but, 
pacing over the printiefs grafs, I have 
wondered that, in fuch delightful fitua- 
tions, the fun was allowed to rife in 
folitary majefty, whilf my eyes alone 
hailed its beautifying beams. ‘The webs 
of the evening have ftill been {pread 
acrols the hedged path, unlefs fome 
labouring man, trudging to work, dif. 
turbed: the fairy ftructure ; yet, in {pite 
of this fupinenefs, on joining the focial 
circle, every tongue rang changes on the 
pleafures of the country. 
Having frequently had occafion to 
make the fame obfervation, in one of 
my folitary rambles I was led to en- 
deavour to trace the caufe, and likewife 
to enquire why the poetry, written in 
the intancy of fociety, is moft natural = 
which, ftriétly {peaking (for natural is 
avery indefinite expreffion) is merely to 
fay, that it is the tranfcript of imme- 
diate emotions, when fancy, awakened 
by the view of interefting objeéts, in all 
their native wildnefs and fimplicity, was - 
moft aétively at work. At fuch moments, 
fenfibility quickly furnithes fimiles, and 
the fublimated fpirits combine with 
happy facility—images, which {ponta- 
neoufly buriting on him, it is not nee 
ceflary coldly to ranfack the underftand- 
ing or memory, till the laborious efforts 
of judgment exclude prefent fenfations 
and damp the fire of enthufiafm. 
The effufions of a vigorous inind will 
neverthelefs, ever inform us how fl 
the faculties have been enlarged by 
thought, and ftored with knowledge. 
The richnefs of the foil even appears 
on the furface; and the refult of pro- 
Ye ° ° e ° . i 
found thinking often Mixing with 
playful grace in the reveries of the poet 
{moothly incorporates with the ebulli. 
tions of animal {pirits, when the fineiy. 
fathioned nerve vibrates acutely with rap. 
ture, or when relaxed by foft melancholy 
a pleafing languor prompts the long. 
drawn figh, and feeds the flowly falling 
tear. | ‘ 
The poet, the man of ftrong feelings 
only gives us a picture of his mind when 
4 hte 
