1810.) 
isnportation of Merino'rams as a cross to 
the offspring of their ancestors. 
The subject appears to me worthy of 
scrious investigation ; and I have nota 
doubt that many useful communica- 
tions may be produced, by the above 
extract from that faithful chronicler, 
** honest John Stowe.” 
Your's, &c. 
J.C. Rankin. 
Yo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
1 the Quarterly Review for Novem- 
ber, 1809, there is an article on the 
recently-published travels of Mr, Ker 
Porter, in Russia, in which the Re- 
viewers, after stating the unnecessary 
introduction of the whole stery of Ham- 
Jet into the work, remark, that the ‘‘ un- 
fortunate prince is murdered over again 
by a vile translation from the vile Latin 
of Saxo-Grammaticus.” _Now, without 
entering upon any discussion ebbcet ine 
the vileness of the translation, which 
anust be left to shift for itself against 
the critic’s insinuations (and these are, 
alas! too just,) I shall merely attempt 
to parry the blow aimed at the original 
author of the Danish story, or rather 
against his. Latinity, by opposing a shield 
borrowed on the eccasion, from a very 
celebrated champion in the field of lt 
terature, and probably at least as godd a 
judge of Latinity as the Quarterly Re- 
viewers, Jt is constructed of the follow. 
ing words: “ Dama nobis dedic Saxdnem 
<srammaticum, ae sue gentis historiam 
splendid? magniticégue contexuit: probo 
vividum et ardens lngenium, orationem 
Nusquam fremissam aut dormitantem, 
tam miram verborum copiam, sententias 
crebras, et figurarum admirabilem vari- 
etatem, ut satis admirari non queam, 
unde illa state homini Dano tanta vis 
eloqnendi suppetierit.”— Erasmus, in Ci- 
ceroniano. It this. will not protect the 
Dane against the critic’s lance, let us 
try another mode of defence in the words 
of Vossius : “ Quod ad Saxonis dictionem, 
tanta hujus est elegantia, ut ztatis illius 
captam plane excedat, imd cum anti- 
quidrum et nostri seculi plurimiscertet, iy 
De Histor. Lat. lib. ii. cap. lv. The 
celebrated Pontanus has compared the 
style of Saxo tothat of Valerius Maximus, 
This may serve as a lesson to Reviewers 
of ail kinds, how they hazard dashing 
inconsiderate opinions, which, generally 
speaking, they are much too apt to do. 
January 9, 1810. Your’s, &c 
CastTicator. 
Saxo-Grammaticus— Forgery of Bank Notes. 135 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
T was with satisfaction that I observed 
the other day, in your Magazine for 
November, the letter of your corres 
pondent I, L. P. on the forgery of Bank 
Notes. The lamentable waste of humam 
life which results from the prevalence of 
this crime, must be a subject of deep 
revret to every humane anq@ refiecting 
person. ‘To the unfortunate NED, SIK daa 
namber, whom I. L. P. mentions as 
having been capitally convicted at the 
last assizes for Lancaster, and who have 
since been executed, he might have 
added, that at the preceding springs 
assizes, there were eleven persons found 
guilty of a similar offence, of whona 
seven were executed, and four trans 
ported. And though in the newspapers 
these men were said to have beea 
punished fer forgery on the Bank of 
England, the truth is, that they wene 
fouins euilty, not of forgery properly s@ 
called, but of uttering — Notes, 
knowing them to be forged; different 
crimes, “certainly, but ho cibuiieed toge- 
ther in One common punishment by a 
late act of parliament, by one clanse of 
which, persons having any forged notes 
in their possession, are made fable to 
transportation. 
{i that superior mode of engraving, 
Tecommended by your correspondeni, 
should he found effectual to prevent the 
evil complained of, there is another which. 
he dees not touch upon, that would ce. 
tainly have the desired effect. It is 
only im the small notes, for cne and twa 
pounds, that forgery to any extent 
exists. To forge the larger notes would 
not answer the purpose: the parties 
could not iwtroduce them ivto cires- 
lation; such notes are not wanted tor 
every- day payments; they do not often 
get into the hands of ignorant peopic: 
and when taken, they are naturaily 
subject to a closer serutiny, in pro- 
portion to their increased value. To 
confirm these. remarks, I may appeal 
to fact. {iow rare, comparatively, were 
executions for forsery, before the smal 
Bank Notes appeared ! 
If then the evil arises from the circu- 
lation of these small notes, it is natural 
to ask, Are they necessary? I reply. 
without hesitation, No. There canuot 
be a question, that a supply of cash in 
their place would sson be found swiiea 
wanted. At present, the uotes have 
. drivea 
we 
. 
i 
i 
