MONACO AND THE BISHOP OF GIBRALTAR. 150 THE EDITOR or
THE " BrEcrAToa."1 SIR,—Permit me to say a word in defence of the Bishop of Gibraltar. He has not, as you suppose, refused to send, or
sanction, a mission to call to repentance the gamblers and har- lots of Monte Carlo. The promoters of an English Chaplaincy there have quite another object ; and it is they, and not the Bishop, who hold that "the end" of the Church is to keep up an unreal " appearance of respectability." They say that vice is so well regulated at Monte Carlo that its decency is quite admirable. All their reasonings show that this outward decency is virtue enough for them ; but for the sake of weak brethren, they desire that the vice should be made still more respectable, and so sanctioned, not denounced and attacked, by an English Church and Chaplain. They know, though you, Sir, doubt it, that there are plenty of our countrymen who will consent to ignore the vice with such sanction, but not without it. And then, what is at least one main object of the scheme, the price of land would go up, as in other parts of the Riviera, to a guinea a yard, or even double that. These promoters of English piety at Monte Carlo remind me of the mistress of the brothel who always had family prayers with her household.—I am, Sir, &c.,
EDWARD STRACHEY.
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