'The other letter, by one of Barclay's daughters, is more minute in its details. "I fully intended," she begins, "before I received your last packet, to make choice of the first opportunity to give you a sketch of the honours we received, and to inform you that the splendour, with every other circumstance relating to the important day, far exceeded the utmost stretch of our imagination, and has left so pleasing an impression, that I am tempted to wish that old Time would forget to erase it. Next the drawing-room door was placed ourselves—I mean my papa's children; for to the great mortification of our visitors none else were allowed to enter the drawing-room; for as kissing the King's hand without kneeling was an honour never before conferred, his Majesty chose to confine that mark of condescension to our own family, as a return for the trouble we had been at upon the occasion. After the royal pair had shown themselves to the populace for a few moments from the balcony, we were all introduced, and you may believe that at that juncture we felt no small palpitations. His Majesty met us at the door, which was a condescension we did not expect, at which place he saluted us with great politeness, and advancing to the end of the room, we performed the ceremony of kissing the Queen's hand, at the sight of whom we were all in raptures, not only from the brilliancy of her appearance, which was pleasing beyond description, but being throughout her whole person possessed of that inexpressible something that is beyond a set of features, and equally claims our attention. To be sure she has not a fine face, but a most agreeable countenance; is vastly genteel with an air, and, notwithstanding her being a little woman, is truly majestic, and I really think by her manner expressed that complacency of disposition which is perfectly amiable; and though I never could perceive that she deviated from that dignity which belongs to a crowned head, yet on the most trifling occasion she displayed all that easy behaviour that elegant negligence can bestow. Her hair, which is of a light colour, was in what is called coronation ringlets, with a circle of diamonds so beautiful in themselves, and so prettily disposed, as will admit of no description. The lustre of her stomacher was inconceivable, being one of the presents she received while Princess of Mecklenburgh, on which was represented, by the vast profusion of diamonds placed on it, the magnificence attending so great a prince—who, I must tell you, I think a fine personable man, and the singular marks of honour by him bestowed on us, declares his heart disposed to administer all the pleasure and satisfaction that royalty can give. Nothing could have added to the scene, but that of conversing with the Queen, who inquired if we could speak French for that purpose, and so flattered our vanity as to tell the lady-in-waiting that the greatest misfortune she had met with since her arrival in England was her not being able to converse with us. The same ceremony was performed of kissing the hand with the Princess Dowager, Amelia Augusta, and the Dukes of Cumberland and York, and the other prince, who followed the King's example in complimenting each of us with a kiss, but not till their Majesties had left the room; for you must know there were proper apartments provided, to give the rest of the Royal family an opportunity of paying and receiving compliments, and then we were at liberty to go in and out as we pleased, but we could not bear the thought of absenting ourselves while we had one leg to stand on, and the feast supplied for our eyes supplied every other want, or at least rendered us insensible of any. As both the doors were open the whole time, the people without had a very good opportunity of seeing, besides which the Queen was upstairs three times, and one of the opportunities was made use of for introducing my little darling Lucy Barclay with Patty Barclay and Priscilla Bell, who were the only children admitted. At this sight, I was so happy as to be present; you may be sure I was not a little anxious on account of my girl, who, very unexpectedly, remembered all instructions, and kissed the Queen's hand with such a grace that I thought the Princess Dowager would

have smothered her with kisses, and on her return into the drawing-room, such a report was made of her to his Majesty, that miss was sent for again. She was so lucky as to afford the King great amusement, in particular by telling him that she loved the King, though she must not love fine things, and that grandpapa would not allow her to make a curtsey. Her sweet face made such an impression on the Duke of York, that I rejoiced she was only five instead of twentyfive. The leave which they took of us was such as we might expect from our equals-full of apologies for the trouble they had given us, and returning thanks for the entertainment, which they were so careful to have fully explained, that the Queen came up as we were standing all on one side of the door, and had every word interpreted, and left us in astonishment at her condescension."'-Vol. ii. pp. 133, 134.

The favour with which royalty continued to treat this worthy family was supposed to be one cause of their prosperity. David Barclay the elder died soon after this notable visit, and his eldest son gave up the American trade in the time of the restrictions placed upon it during the revolutionary war, but he continued at the head of his bank, and in 1781, he, conjointly with his friend Perkins, paid 130,000l. for Thrales's brewery, with which the two names have never ceased to be associated. He was a man of boundless charity, always ready to give time and princely assistance to philanthropic undertakings, and carrying them out with a wisdom that led to their success. Having an estate in Jamaica, he spent 10,0007. in instructing the slaves in arts and handicrafts, and then in transporting them to free American states, and placing them in the way of supporting themselves; and so well were his designs carried out that the gratitude and prosperity of the liberated slaves pleaded in favour of their race when properly dealt with. David Barclay died at eighty years of age in 1809, leaving an only daughter, who carried both his benevolence and his wealth into the congenial Gurney family, while his brother Alexander's descendants remained at the head of the brewery.

There is something in this volume that seems like a practical comment on the homeliest maxims of the Book of Proverbs, righteousness and almsdeeds do so evidently build up a house even under the present dispensation. The question is, whether the house so built up be the most favourable home for the next generation, who enter upon the enjoyment of that which has cost them nothing. Mr. Bourne has made a good selection, and old Nathan Meyer Rothschild is the only instance he gives us in detail of tricky shiftiness, while the character of his house has been redeemed by the uprightness and munificence of his many descendants.

The most interesting chapter is that upon the Peel family, bringing forward information not altogether new, but so full of character that we can easily forgive this for the sake of the

picture of the staunch old cotton manufacturer of the eighteenth century, working out his experiments in his private house as secrets of the trade, and profiting by the parsley-leaf suggested to him as a pattern by his little daughter Nancy, his goodly and well-trained family of six sons, active, dutiful, helpful, simple, and reserved. The old man had so thoughtful a cast of countenance, and was so shy and absent, that his neighbours at Burton used to call him the philosopher;' but he was more like a German burgomaster, as he walked about leaning on a goldheaded cane, his stately form in dark amply cut garments, and a Johnsonian wig flowing on his shoulders.

Robert, the third of these six sons, told his father at eighteen. that they were too thick upon the ground' at Blackburn, and a place was found for him in the establishment of Haworth and Yates at Bury, then a village, but now nearly absorbed by Manchester. He lodged in Mr. Yates's house, and made a plaything of his pretty little daughter Ellen. Nelly, thou bonny little dear,' he said, 'wilta be my wife?' and when she answered 'Yes,' 'Then I'll wait for thee, Nelly; I'll wed thee, and none else.'

He kept his word, and they were married in 1786, when she was eighteen and he thirty-six, and an excellent wife she made him, writing his letters, criticising his plans, and entertaining his friends, a matter which one of the shy and reserved family of Peel might well be glad to have taken off his hands. As the powers of machinery increased, so did the business in which Peel was engaged, and most indefatigable was he in his share of the toil. Once a week he sat up all night with his pattern-drawer to examine the patterns brought by the London coach, which arrived soon after midnight; and whenever the weather seemed likely to change for the worse, he would rise in the middle of the night to see that all was secure in the bleaching grounds. This diligence seems to have been as far as possible from mere greed, but to have been the earnest attention to his business of a man whose nature it was to do his work with all his might. In 1803 he had 15,000 persons in his employment; they never wanted for work in the most unfavourable times, and the remarkable healthiness of the establishment proved the excellence of the humane rules which he devised and kept in force. He was exceedingly attentive to the health and welfare of his work-people, and to the education of their children. The following character is given of him by his nephew, Sir Lawrence Peel:

'He was an ambitious man, he loved money, but he loved it principally as an instrument of power. He was the very reverse of a selfish man. He possessed a genial, generous nature; he loved young people, and loved to see all around

him happy. He was eager to diffuse happiness, he was at all times bountiful and munificent in his gifts. As his possessions were great, it was his duty to give largely, but still even so viewed his was a bountiful hand. He dealt with money as one who if he knew its value, with how much toil and anxiety it had been won by him, felt also that God has impressed wealth with a trust, and that the trustee must pass his accounts. He gave much, and by preference he gave in secret. He gave also with delicacy of manners, and the nice feelings of a gentleman. His was no narrow or one-sided beneficence. He knew no distinction of politics or creed when a man needed help. He was a moral and religious man. He was grave in exterior, yet a humorous man, with a quiet relish of fun. He had small respect for a man of idle life-for any one, in short, who was not useful, and neither fashion nor rank, without good service of some sort, won any allegiance from him. He was the true child of commerce. The productive industry of England, its value and its power-these were his abiding themes.'-Vol. ii. p. 162.

It was a real heartfelt love of his country, in the days when England received a genuine cult from honest hearts almost like that paid to Rome by her hardy sons, that made Mr. Peel, when his eldest son was born in 1788, fall on his knees and dedicate his child to the service of his country; and two years later that same desire to promote the welfare of his country made him enter Parliament as member for Tamworth, a seat which he held for thirty successive years: but it cost him dearly, for the hard toil of the London seasons, superadded to her other many occupations, was fatal to his beloved wife, who died in 1803, after seventeen happy years of marriage. Ah,' her father used to say, if Robert had not made our Nelly a lady, she might a' been living yet.'

6

The elder Sir Robert Peel's strong sense made him oppose the abolition of slavery until the negroes should have been properly trained to make use of their freedom, and his endeavour was to make England sensible of the domestic slavery practised in many manufactories. He attempted throughout his parliamentary career to obtain protection for the factory children, the prohibition of night-work, and in fact the rendering compulsory the measures which his experience showed could alone prevent the manufacturing system from becoming a crying evil. His wishes, though not realized in his lifetime, nor till much of the mischief had become incurable, have since had their weight.

At seventy years old he retired from Parliament, and spent his time in kindly intercourse with his friends and family. His generosity was most princely, though usually secret. In 1801, when in the height of business and pursuit of power, he learnt that a rival firm at Manchester had become involved in speculations that had brought it to the verge of bankruptcy. He at once advanced, without security, the sum of 6,000l. and thus enabled the house to tide over its difficulties. Learning that the sons of a merchant of his acquaintance had lost not only their own

property but that of their three sisters, he sent each of the ladies a cheque for 1,000l., and exerted himself to place the brothers in a situation where they might retrieve their position. Fifty children and grandchildren dined with him on his seventyeighth birthday in 1826; and two years after he died truly full of years and honours.

We cannot more fitly conclude our brief sketch of this interesting book than with this description of the admirable man whose diligence, uprightness, freedom of hand, dutifulness to his God, and attachment to his country, have rendered him no unfit representative man for the Prince Merchants of England.