7798, ] 
offered to the Bank of England by a Mr. 
TILLock ; at the rejection of which, by 
a Committee of Bank Direftors, I was 
prefent, together with Mefirs. ByRNE, 
FITLeR, Lowry, and SHARP. 
it was our unanimous opinion, as well 
as the opinion of Mr. BarroLozzi, 
(who was prevented by  indifpofition 
from attending on the occafién) that 
the fpecimen produced by Mr. TIL- 
LOCK of a newly-invented art, was 
not copyable by any known art of en- 
graving ; and that the attempt toward 
imitating it produced by the Engraver to 
the Bank was very eafy to be diftinguith- 
ed from its original, may be acceptable 
information to your correfpondent, and 
perhaps not ufelefs to the public. 
To fay that this invention would ut- 
terly prevent the poflibility of forgeries on 
the Bank, would be hazarding a rafh af- 
fertion: to determine that, if adopted, it 
would, by increafine the difficulty, di- 
minifh the number of forgeries, requires 
no hefitation, and’ very little eye-fight. 
That I mean to deny hai little to the D1- 
rectors of the Bank, 7:/? not be inferred, 
nor that I think they have fhewn them- 
felves lefs clear-fighted in this bufinefs 
than difinterefted. 
Irony apart, I fhould conceive it to be 
a point both of duty and honour, for the 
Bank Direétors---not to tempt men to the 
commiflion of a capital crime, by autho- 
rifing an eafy mode of committing it--- 
not themfelves to fuftain the loffes arifine 
from the frequent forgery of Bank-notes, 
---not to adopt Mr. TILLockx’s plan for 
the prevention of forgery, ifa better can be 
produced, but---to call forth the talents 
and ingenuity of the country in fair com- 
petition, by offermg a handlfome reward 
for the bet praétical means of preventing 
forgery on the Bank. 
That a procedure to this effect, is a 
duty the Bank Directors owe to the public, 
your correfpondent has fufficiently fhewn ; 
that it fhould be confidered as a point of 
honour too, I think, is evident, when we 
recollect that honour due is, in all cafes, 
proportionate to confidence repofed. 
Tam, Sir, your’s, &c, 
Queen Anne-fircet Eaft, 
J. LANDSEER. 
Dec. 20, 1797. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
Gh mene the parliamentary debates 
of laf winter, relative to impofing 
an additional tax pon new‘papers, it 
Rhapfody on Newfpapers. 
‘Phat. 
was difputed by fome of our ftate-orators, 
whether a newfpaper was an article of 
luxury or neceffity ; but the.Minifter, wha 
was more defirous to obtain an addition to 
the revenue, than to wait for the difcuffion 
of {o intricate a queftion, hurried the bu- 
finefs forwards, without allowing time to 
determine it. Perhaps, indeed, he might — 
think that much‘was to be faid on both 
fides; and that it was a matter of very 
little confequence to a mere financier whe- 
ther it was determined one way or other. 
When, however, I look around me in 
this vaft metropolis, and mix in the varied 
focieties that are formed in it, I am clear- 
ly of opinion, that a newlpaper ranks 
among the weceffaries oi life, and ranks fe 
high, that, if we except the mere mecha-~ 
nical operations of eating and drinking, I 
{carcely know any thing that is fo indif- 
penfiole to the happinefs of my fellow-ci- 
tizens. Asa queltion, ‘* What news ?”? 
is fecond only to ‘* Howdo you do ?”’ and 
-ITam much miftaken if, on many occa- 
fions, it does not precede even now, and 
hereafter, in all probability, - it will iffue 
at the firft opening of the lips. 
It is, perhaps, impoflible to prove the 
mifery that would overfhadow fucha place 
as London, werethere no newfpapers pub- 
lifhed in it; but my imagination has 
fometimes fuggefted to me the horrid 
thought of a fufpenfion of new{papers for 
only one week! Dreadful idea! Intellec- 
tual famirfe! What crowds of diftrefled 
human beings, hurrying from place to 
place, afking and befeeching one another, 
‘¢ for the love of mercy,”” to fupply one 
little bit of intelligence, to cool the parch- 
ed tongue of communication---one little 
accident to fupply the repetition of diur- 
nal morality---one anecdote, ever fo meagre 
and barren, juft to keep the life and foul 
of converfation together---or one CYiM1. CON» 
or even the leait fufpicion, hint, con- 
jecture, or furmife, to employ the magni- 
fying powers of imagination, and prevent 
the dreadtul neceflity of feeking for what 
we know we cannot find---refources with- 
in ourfeives. 
_ Such have fometimes been the horrid 
images which my imagination, probably 
difordered at the time, has fugeefted to 
me: but how faint is this expreflion of 
the workings of fancy ; for fure lam, it 
hath not yet entered into the heart of man 
to form words capable of difplaying the 
wretched ftate of our metropolis, were it 
to be aflitted with a ceffation of news. 
Wilely, therefore, did our anceftors con- 
trive, that, on our firft entrance into daily 
life, we fhould have it in our power to de- 
vour 
