24.6 
aecifions, neverthelefs there is a difficulty 
that has arin in my mind refpetting 
them, which has never been fatisfattorily 
anfwered ; viz. how a perfon taking 2 Bill 
ander thefe circumftances can have a legal 
ig&t to it from another who had no fuch 
right to it himfelf?—But allowing thefe 
decifions to be perfeétly right and legal, 
might not the lew in this cafe be amenced 
by enaéting that any perfon taking a Bul 
of a ftranger muft take the confequences 
of that Bill, fhould it prove to have been 
ftolen. To this it may be objeGted that 
it would very much cramp trade, efpecial- 
ly what was done at public fairs, where 
the buyers and fellers were unknown to 
each other, and where Bills of Exchange 
were taken, not on the credit of the per- 
fon they were received from, but on the 
credit of the drawer. That fuch a cafe 
might arife cannot be denied, but it would 
fo feldom occur, very little inconvenience 
would arife from it: the parties going to 
fuch fairs might take Bank Notes; and it 
very rarely happens to perfons who go to 
fairs to purchale goods, but that there is 
fome perfon or other there that they are 
known to, who could inform the party if 
needful where they refide ; which in fuch 
cafes would be all that was necefiary. 
As to thofe perfons who go to London, 
Liverpool, Manchefter or Birmingham to 
purchafe goods, it would be no diilicult 
matter for any perfon, were they entire 
frangers at thofe places, to get fome 
friend or acquaintance to give the party 
a letter to fome refpectable perfon in thole 
places, to whom reference might be had 
by any other perfon in the fame piace, 
were any doubts to arife refpecting Bills 
that might be offered in payment for 
goods, on account of the parties not being 
known. 
Was fuch a law enacted, it. would be 
the moft effe@ual bar to the negotiation 
of ftolen Bills, and would thereby leffen 
the temptations clerks may be under of 
abfconding with property; and unlefs 
the Bills were due and prefented for pay- 
-ynent before the acceptor had notice of the 
theft, would fecure the value of.them to 
the party who was robbed: and although 
Bills that have been ftolen may through 
inattention he taken by honeft tracef{men, 
yet many inftances have been known, 
~ where they have been traced back to per- 
fons of fuch fufpieious character, that 
there has been great reafon to fufpect they 
wyere acceffarics if net principals in the 
robbery. Such a law would alio be the 
def check upon attempts upon the mails, 
Detedtion of fielen Bank Notes....Anfwer to Meirion. 
[oe 
many of which are ftill earried on horfes 
to thofe towns that do not lie upen the 
céaeh roads. Iam, Sir, your humble 
fervant, ie 2 
eee . 
To the Editor of the Mcnthiy Magazine. 
SIR, 
REMEMBER when I firf ftudied 
. mineralogy, nothing went down but 
the volcanic fyitem ; this formed a leading 
feature in my /jffew of afluciated ideas, 
and in eonlequence, wherever I travelled, 
T faw trong evidences of eruptions, cra- 
ters and concuffos, in every hill and -val- 
ley which met the eye. 
Some {uch an effect has place in the 
cerebrum and cerebellum ot your inge- 
nious correfpondent MEIRION; whole 
fancy dwelling on ideal. circular ftene- 
temples, druids, and oaks, fees the 
march of Cara&acus in the Rigadocr, and 
can trace the harp of the ancient Brits 
bard in the pocket-kit of the medern 
dancing-mafter. 
But without difclofing toe much from 
the multy parchment rolls of our family 
(for you muit know Mr. E. that *J alfa 
am an. Antiquarian). 1 can venture te 
affure our worthy friend Meirson that 
he is probably in the wrong, in fuppofing 
that the very expreflive and learned 
phrafes ‘* Hey derry down, and downy 
doun, dexry,” means an invitation to the 
{wine and iwine-herds, toga to the oaks, 
aud gatheracorns. 
No, fir! in the very teeth and fore- 
head of Talieffen himfelf, in fpite even 
of king Bladud, furrounded by his dogs 
(kings in thofe days, Mr E. were as fond 
of hogs, as ever fince the reign of Charles 
the fecond they have been of black fpa~ 
niels), I muft affert, that the words in 
queftion are purely of ENGLISH ORIGIN, 
and are fimply an amorous invitatidr, or 
rather exhortation, from the gentleman 
to his partner in the dance, to move a 
little quicker, and fignify (as you will 
fee by the help of an additional a only), 
Hep dow, deary down, down deary ! 
As we are both antiquarians, F tru 
MEIRION will not be angry at my fupe- 
rior. fuccefs in this tmportant controverly 3 
and that he will remember the .old fen- 
tenes, ‘* Yadeb a brawd garocht.” 
So fubfcribing myfelf your and his 
obedient fervant, I finifh my difquifition. 
Funz 20,1798. HARFAGER. 

% &¢ Et ego fum Piétor.” 
+ ** Let brotherly love prevail.’ 
matte of the focyty ef ancient Britons. 
The 
4G 
