192 
erofs-hatching on wocden cuts. This art 
was familiar to the old mafters 200 years 
ago, but even that excellent artift Nefbit 
could barely fucceed in fiewing a {peci- 
men of it in two or three of his prints. 
‘Yo the old mafters it appears, however, 
to have been as eafy as crofs-hatching on 
copper. Ancther difcovery of Mr Foulis 
#s the imitation of writing on wooden 
cuts, with the fame eafe and freedom of 
defign as on copper. I prefume that the 
cembination of thefe two difcoveries for 
Bark note, imprefiions, conftituted, the 
propofal of the perfon mentioned by Mr. 
Landfeer. Water marks are much lefs 
ufeful to the public, than tothe Bank for 
the detegtion of forgeries. A note that 
has been any time in circulation, becomes 
fo blotted. with ink, and tarnifhed, that 
it is difticult to diftinguifh the water- 
mark, and fincetzo and 40 fhilling notes 
are iffued, we do not take time, nor can 
afford it, to lock at every note between a 
ffrong light. But the water mark is no 
check to forgery. I recollect that it 
appeared upon the trial of a forger fome 
years ago, that he made the paper-and 
water-ma!k im his room. . 
Had proper attention beén paid to the 
engraving and defign of notes, not a 
teoth part of the forgeries would have 
been committed on the Bank. 
There are few firfi-rate engravers in 
any country; and the moft effectual fecu- 
rity is employing the very beft, becaufe 
there will be fo few that can imitate their 
workmantfhip. This appears to me a 
prisciple that every Bank fhould follow. 
Suppofe the Bank of England notes 
were engraved by Bartolozzi, or Sharpe, 
with a view of the Bank buildings, in 
‘ene of the upper corners, and an emble- 
matic groupe of figures in the other, would 
not the forgery of fuch an engraving be 
obvious at firft fight. Let me recommend 
thick paper; becaufe cn thin paper the 
hand writing becomes faint with the leaft 
damp, and the engraving is disfigured 
by the wrinkles of -fuch paper. The 
Scotch Banks are well aware of this, and 
all ufe thick fitout paper. Wooden cuts 
have, however, an important advantage 
over copper-plates: they can bear, with- 
out injury to the cut, ten times the num- 
ber af impreflions; and when a proper 
engraving for a bank-note is fixed, fimi- 
larity in the impreffions is a-chief object. 
Perhaps the beft plan would be to have 
part of the note engrayed on copper and 
part on wood; and the forgerer mutt 
‘then unite, in his own perfon, the art of 
engraving onboth, I believe there is not 
an aruft in Britain, who can engrave like 
Mr. Lofft on the Nw Planet —Thonias Barker. [ Odeber ty 
Sharpe on copper, and like -Anderfon or‘ 
Ne{bit on wood. MERCATORe 
To the Editer of ine Monthly Magazine. 
SIR; , ; 
Confefs myfelf one, perhaps of manys 
who have been mortified by your taking 
no notice of the New Planet in your laf 
publifhed number, although your prece- 
diog number announced a further account 
to be given of it in your next.* - 
I have feen a private letter, by which 
it appears, that fince the difcovery of it 
by Prazzi at PaLermo, it has been 
feen by Profeflor Bope at Beruin : and 
I think there is no reafon to doubt that 
it has been feen by the ASTRONOMERS at 
the NATIONAL OBSERVATORY at Paris. 
By the fame letter it appears, that the 
difcovery was communicated to the Royal 
Profeffor of Aftronomy, Dy. MASKELYNE. 
In the dearth of aftronomical intelligence, 
which we generally fuffer inthe country, 
it would be kind, as early as poffible, to 
fulfil your intimation, and-to lay before 
the public, as much as can be learnt re- 
{peéting this interefting difcovery at prefent. 
T take this occafion of mentioning, 
that the /pots on the fuz, which have 
been feen within the laft fortnight, have 
been remarkably large, very much diver- 
fified in their outline, very numerous and 
extenfive. . ; 
By the time one of thefe clufters took 
in paffing over the edge of the field of 
my reflector, I judge it not to have been 
much lefs in breadth, than a tenth of the 
fun’s diameter. I remain, 
Trefton Hall, Bury, Sugfolk. Yours, &c. 
Septembey 6, 1801. C. Lorrr. 
To ihe Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
I SHALL be very much obliged ta any 
of your numerous readers who will 
fend me, through the channel of your 
valuable Magazine, fome particulars of 
the life of Thomas Barker, author of a 
keok now lying before me, entitled, 
“Dr. Wells’s Letter to a Diflenting Pa- 
rifhioner confidéred,’ by Thomas Bar- 
ker, V. D. M. London; printed for J. 
Clark, at the Bible and Crown, in the 
Old Change, 1707.”> Who was Thomas 
Barker, and where 16 his life to be found ? 
Yours, &c. ° 
A ConsTanT READER. 
February 17, 1801. 
* The account.we promifed exifts in Von 
Zach’s Geographical Ephemerides, which, 
from fome accident, has not yet come tq 
hand from Germany, ~ 
