CURRENT LITERATURE.
SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this Lading ice notice such Books of the week as have not been reserved for review in other forms.] A History of Banking in Bristol. By Charles Henry Cave, B.A. (W. Crofton Hemmons.) –The most generally in- teresting part of this volume is to be found in the first chapter, "Banking in Bristol before 1850." The difficulty of the transference of money is one noteworthy thing. The expenses of remittance, however, varied curiously,—.£101 was sent from Bristol to Chester in 1684 for 15s.; but from 1688-1700 it cost ..C1 is. 8d. half-yearly to remit £20 from Bristol to Cirencester. A messenger was sent on purpose at the cost of .£1 is. 8d. This was part of Queen Catherine of Braganzes dowry and the affair was probably a job. In 1696 Bank of England notes were at 20 per cent. discount. This section is followed by an account of Bristol banking and bankers down to the present time. This is more commonplace, but here, too, there are not unfrequently touches of interest,—the jealousy, for instance, with which Bristol bankers, like their fellows elsewhere, regarded an invasion by the Bank of England. Nowadays the Bank is the fortification under cover of which the mass of institutions pay huge dividends. The personal element, illustrated by a number of well-executed portraits, is prominent here. Mr. Cave deserves the credit of having put together a handsome and carefully com- piled volume.
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