ty of setting. He was constantly called on to advance money
upon such objects, which were left in pawn only to be taken out on the
occasion of a great banquet, or when a court dress was to be worn. His
gains were enormous, though it was necessary to give long credit; and
his bills for twenty or thirty thousand pounds were eagerly discounted.
In fact, he was looked upon as a second Croesus, or a Crassus, who
could have bought the Roman empire; and his daughter's hand was sought
in marriage by peers. But all at once the mighty bubble collapsed. He
had advanced money to the Duke of York, and had received as security
property in Nova Scotia, consisting chiefly of mines, which, when he
began to work them, turned out valueless, after entailing enormous
expense. Loss upon loss succeeded, and in the end bankruptcy. I have
even heard that this man, once so envied for his wealth, died the
inmate of an almshouse.

Some persons of rank, tempted by the offers of these usurers, lent
their money to them at a very high interest. A lady of some position
lent a thousand pounds to King, on the promise of receiving annually 15
per cent.; which he continued to pay with the utmost regularity. Her
son being in want of money applied for a loan of a thousand pounds,
which King granted at the rate of 80 per cent.; lending him of course
his mother's money. In a moment of tenderness the young man told his
tale to her, when she immediately went to King and upbraided him for
not making her a party to his gains, and demanded her money back. King
refused to return it, saying that he had never engaged to return the
principal; and dared her to take any proceedings against him, as, being
a married woman, she had no power over the money. She, however,
acknowledged it to her husband, obtained his forgiveness, and after
threats of legal interference, King was compelled to refund the money,
besides losing much of his credit and popularity by the transaction.

LORD ALVANLEY

To Lord Alvanley was awarded the reputation, good or bad, of all the
witticisms in the clubs after the abdication of the throne of dandyism
by Brummell; who, before that time, was always quoted as the sayer of
good things, as Sheridan had been some time before. Lord Alvanley had
the talk of the day completely under his control, and was the arbiter
of the school for scandal in St. James's. A bon mot attributed to him
gave rise to the belief that Solomon caused the downf