13:9.) 
to their wit, none but raw apprentices 
would ever consider them worth repeti- 
tion, But, to the public are these authors 
amenable for their deviation from the 
great end of dramatic writing. I am 
not inclined to cant, when I declare my 
abhorrence of the oaths, obscenities, 
immoralities; nay, of the solemn ad. 
dresses and prayers to the Deity, which 
are without number so perniciously intro- 
'duced.—This may be called stage-effect. 
The only effect I know of from such re- 
presentations and expressions, is the gra- 
dual depravity of the ignorant and inex- 
perienced part of the nudience; and the 
familiarizing all with words and actions 
at which they ought toshudder. Let us 
therefore hope, that the Theatre now 
in contemplation to be erected, will give 
the lie to those who think propriety and 
popular amusement incompatible. The 
first step towards this will be the forma- 
tion of an ‘Inder Expergatorius,’ con- 
taining the names of plays not to be re- 
presented on any terms, and the names 
of those which shall be prohibited, 
“ donec corrigantur.’ It is absurd to ima- 
gine that we want new plays: we have 
already a great sufliciency, whose merits 
have been approved. Let these, and 
these only, find admission on our new 
stage; and when the evening’s amuse. 
ment is announced, every man will know 
whether he may safely indulge his chil- 
dren, or introduce a female, where, as 
the stage is now constituted, common 
prudence forbids theirappearance. Much 
more might be advanced upon the regu- 
lation of such a Theatre, which, if I had 
influence to effect, it should be almost 
exclusively a Shakespeare Theatre.: But 
I have trespassed already beyond the 
limits of a letter; and must therefore, at 
length subscribe myself, 
ys slo oe 
——E 
To the Editer of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
J F any of your correspondents will take 
I the trouble of mentioning where the 
best account of gold fish is to be met 
with, it will confer a favour on some of 
your readers. How long have they been 
known to live in glass vessels? Do they 
ever breed in them? How often should 
the water be changed? What propor 
tion of fish ought there to be to any 
given quantity of water? How is it 
known when it is quite necessary to 
change the water? As they require soft 
water, and it sometimes is difficult to 
procoze that from a river, will rain water, 
Gold Fish—Speculations of Bankers. 
. ‘ 
227 
collected from a house-top, after it be- 
comes clear from the smoke, injure 
them? What food should they have? 
What are the usual periods of their 
change of celour, and by what rule is it 
governed? An answer to any of these 
questions, or any other information on 
the subject, will be thankfully received. 
August 12, 1810. be SC. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
Ti ia scarcely possible to read the ar- 
ticle in your last Number, entitled 
** A Vindication of the Banking System,” 
without being struck with the extreme 
unfitness of its title. One should rather 
imagine it was written with a view to 
expose the improper practices of bank- 
ers, than to vindicate theirconduct. The 
practice to which it alludes, as the cause 
of the many recent failures amongst 
bankers, of lending money upon bills of 
exchange to merchants and speculators, 
is of this nature, and so far is it from 
being, as the writer of that article re- 
presents, the business of a banker, that 
no banker can embark in it, and thus 
expose the money deposited with him, to 
the risk and uncertainty of trade, con- 
sistently with the obligation to return it 
on demand, which he contracts on re= 
ceiving it. Iam perfectly aware that it 
is not, and cannot be expected, that a 
banker should make no use whatever of 
the money placed in his hands; if so, it 
would not be possible for him to support 
himself, to pay his clerks, or to keep his 
house open: but, though it isknown that 
he cannot keep it idly in his hands, yet 
it is understood that he is only to employ 
it in such a manner, as not in the slight. 
est degree to expose it to the risk of 
being lost. The public funds, India 
bonds, exchequer bills, mortgages of 
land, and similar securities, from which 
(though slight fluctuations in their price 
may occasionally endanger the interest 
payable upon them), no loss of the prin- 
cipal can be apprehended, are the only 
description of securities upon which 
bankers are supposed to invest the mo- 
ney of their customers; and never, I 
believe, has it happened that a banker 
has failed who has so, and only so, em- 
ployed the money entrusted to his care. 
But this way of employing it cannot yield 
annually more than about 5 per cent. ; 
and though that rate of interest, npon 
the larze sums deposited with bankers, 
must produce a very ample income, and 
be a sufficient reward for the trouble 
for 
