deluged with counterfeit Money. In London, regular markets, in various public, and private, houses, are held by the principal Dealers, where Hawkers, Pedlars, fraudulent Horse-dealers, Unlicensed Lottery Office Keepers, Gamblers at Fairs, Itinerant Jews, Irish Labourers, Servants of Toll Gatherers, and Hackney-Coach Owners, fraudulent Publicans, Market Women, Rabbit Sellers, Fish Cryers, Barrow Women, and many who would not be suspected, are regularly supplied with counterfeit Copper, and Silver, with the advantages of nearly 100 per cent. in their favour: and thus it happens, that through these various channels, immense quantities of base Money get into circulation, while an evident diminution of the Mint Coinage, is apparent to every common observer.... Discoveries have been recently made, of no less than 120 persons, in the metropolis, and the country, who are employed, principally, in coining, and selling, Base Money: and this, independent of the numerous horde of utterers, who chiefly support themselves by passing it at its full value. "It will scarcely be credited, that of these criminal people who have either been detected, prosecuted, or convicted, within the last seven years, there stand upon the register of the Solicitor of the Mint, no less than 608 names! and yet the evil increases rapidly. And when it is known, that two persons can finish from £200, to £300, in base silver, _in six days_, and that three people, within the same period will stamp the like amount, in Copper, and when the number of known coiners are taken into the calculation, the aggregate in the course of the year must be immense!"--(_Times, Oct. 5, 1796._) LAW AND POLICE. In treating the above heading, I have no wish to introduce the "Newgate Calendar" element into this book. Let those who like such literature, consult that work--and, doubtless, they will be rewarded for their pains; but, in going through these old papers, much that is curious is met with, which throws light on the manners, and customs, of our forefathers. Of Police, as we understand the word, there was none--and the parochial Constables, and watchmen, who were supposed to guard the premises of the rate payers, and to keep the peace, were veritably of the Dogberry and Verges type--utterly useless for the detection, or suppression, of crime, and only fit to "comprehend all vagrom man," or lead some roysterer home.