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sisted on a short rustication; but the father, who had got intelligence of these transactions, laid his command on his son to bring matters to an issue the very next :day.

The contract was signed, and after the solemnization, the splendid company returned to the mother's house. Scarce was supper over, when in came a troop of masks <preceded by fiddles. The bride, who had feigned a slight ›indisposition, at supper, requested her husband to perform -the honours of the masquerade, while fhe withdrew to rest a while. With such dispatch did fhe equip herself in her former habit, that the entered the dancing room with another group of masks, which followed soon after the first they both consisted of some intimate friends who had been desired to form a masquerade for facilitating the execution of the bride's artifice. The faithful bridegroom, at the sight of that dreaded object, was for hastening out of the room; but the mother, catching hold of him, informed him fhe had designedly, invited the Espagnoletta, who was at a ball in the neighbourhood, to favour them with her company. "My daughter, (added fhe,) cannot be easy until you see her unmasked; as that will absolutely cure you for fhe is said to be even frightfully ugly."Ah! madam, (replied he,) all the faults of her face will never cure me of a detestable passion, which so many other charms have kindled; I have already imagined her more hideous than it is well pofsible for her to be, and am not a whit easier. Ah! madam, no longer stop me.'

While fhe was speaking, the Espagnoletta, animated by this scene, which gave her inconceivable delight, exerted the utmost of her skill and vivacity in all the motions of the dance. He turned aside his looks from the irresistible temptation; but he wantonly swept along close by him, which at once expelled his reason and duty, and he

April 24. forgot the presence of his mother-in-law. To complete his confusion, the Espagnoletta took him by the hand. This so overpowered his senses, that his mother-in-law taking him under the arm, he suffered himself to be drawn aside into the recefs of a window, without knowing whither he was going; and the mother set herself by them The Espagnoletta then sent forth a deep sigh; and no more than natural: for by unmafking herself the feared that she fhould totally lose the pleasure of seeing her husband so very fond. She loved him as much as he loved the Espagnoletta; her languishing looks answered those of her transported lover. They looked at each other for some time, without uttering a word, or taking notice of the rest of the company retiring to another apartment, whilst the anxious mother's fluent tongue was giving her son-inlaw an idea of the most distasteful ugliness; that by this contrast, when her daughter fhould come to unmask, she might appear to lefs disadvantage. The fond bride availed herself as long as she could of her husband's mistake but as fhe could not prevail on herself to terminate this scene, the mother at length took the mask from the daughter's face.

;

The powerful effect that this surprise produced in the happy bridegroom, is one of those things the force of which is diminished by any description. Imagine the situation of a man of honour, conflicting with love and beauty, infinitely esteeming one person, and passionately in love with another, and who at length finds them both united in one complete object.

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As to the bride, what must have been her ecstacy, that in so little time he had transformed an indifferent lover into an enamoured husband, and brought the struggle between esteem and love to a favourable issue, which established her felicity, and equal honour to both.

THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENT BANKRUPTCIES, WITH HINTS OF A PLAN FOR AFFORDING RELIEF TO MANUFACTURERS AND OTHERS.

For the Bee.

AT no former period in the commercial history of this country, has any thing equal to the present distress occurred, with regard to the universal complaint of a want of money arising from the public and private banks having in a great measure given over accommodating those engaged in trade and manufactures with the usual discount of bills. This country has on former occasions been preserved from ime pending ruin to their commercial concerns, by the very liberal afsistance afforded by the Edinburgh banks, to all whose funds entitled them to the public confidence. These banks are still under the direction of the same public spirited and liberal minded gentlemen, who have certainly very sufficient reasons for their present caution in discounting, otherwise they would step forward as in 1788, and support all those who could by a clear state of their affairs how that such afsistance would enable them to weather the storm; and who could put such funds or securities in the hands of the banks, as would decidedly insure them from a pofsibility of lofs.

It is well known that the Edinburgh banks have already gone great lengths within the last two months in their endeavours to avert the miserable consequences that must follow here, were the dreadful bankruptcies that have lately happened in England to extend to this end of the island. But as, from the nature of banks and banking, limits naturally arise to their ifsuing of notes to pass as an equivalent for cafh, and for which the public can at all times command specie by applying to the banks, it becomes a duty the directors of banks owe to the proprietors at large, to go no furthur in issuing notes, than experience has taught them can be safely done, according to the extent of their stock. In times like the present, when the hands of the manufacturers and of the merchants are full of goods, in consequence of the very flourishing state of the country some months ago, some expedient should be attempted to support all in that situation, who can produce good funds, either in goods, bills, or heritable property; and I know of none that can be done with equal ease to the banks, and the country at large as the following.

In the city of Amsterdam all payments of bills of exchange above 300 guilders must, by an order of the States of Holland of 11th December 1643, be made by the bank of Amsterdam, established 31st January 1609. The bank receives specie, gold and silver bullion, plate," jewels, &c. the value whereof is placed to the credit of the person who makes the deposit, with whom the bank opens an account, and who, when he has any bills to discharge, gives an order to write off so much from the credit of his account to that of the person to whom the mo ney is payable, who, if he has no account open in the bank's books, applies to a broker, to whom he indorses the bill and order thereon, and receives the value in specie, together with the agio, the bank money being in general from one to four per cent. more valuable than the current money of Holland. In this manner the bank of Amsterdam, without hurting the interests of trade, has become possessed of the money of the country. No one is reckoned lefs rich by being pofsefsed only of bank money, since without the smallest difficulty: current money can at all times be procured for it to any extent.

This being premised, my proposal is, that the bank of England, the Royal Bank, and Bank of Scotland, or other public banks, should: receive from the merchants or manufacturers of Scotland, as pledges or deposits, property of every kind, and advance thereon a certain proportion of the value thereof; not in bank notes, (for which specie could be demanded,) but by following the same plan which has been practised near 200 years by the bank of Amsterdam; or of issuing certificates for a variety of sums from L. 20 and upwards, to be taken in payment of all bills or debts whatever.

So.

We have been so long accustomed to see nothing but paper money. in Scotland, that there can be no doubt of their pafsing currrent; but r if there should, an act of the legislature could authorise their being Should this proposal be deemed eligible, the regulations for the sale of the articles so deposited, and for the payment of the interest by the borrower, as well as the re-payment by the banks of the balances of such sales, the re-delivery of the goods to the person by whom they were deposited, and every other regulation relative to the businefs, could be easily adjusted.

MERCATOR.

* On account of the importance of this last article at the prefent period, acknowledgements to correfpondents are ftill deferred. Since the above was fet, we have learnt that Mr Pitt has a plan of the fame fort in contemplation, which may be considered as a proof of the juftness of the reasoning of our ingenious correspondent.

126.

THE BEE,

OR

LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER,

FOR

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 31. 1793.

CRITICAL REMARKS ON SOME CELEBRATED

AUTHORS.

FROM A GENTLEMAN OF LITERARY EMINENCE LATELY DECEASED, TO A YOUNG GENTLEMAN WHO HAD REQUESTED HIS ADVICE IN REGARD TO THE PROPER MODE OF CONDUCTING HIS STUDIES.

LETTER IV.

Continued from p. 162.

Sterne,-Shakespeare;-The English Translation of

the Bible.

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I AM not so much surprised at your fondness for the writings of Sterne, as disappointed at finding your praise so vague and indiscriminate. It is time, my dear, for you to learn, that in this world the good and the bad are so intimately blended together, that there is no pofsibility of finding either the one or the other pure and unadulterated. No man is so VOL. xiv.

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