is money. Gideon procured 21,000 bank-notes,
rolled them round a phial of hartshorn, and thus mockingly repaid the
loan. Gideon's fortune was made by the advance of the rebels towards
London. Stocks fell awfully, but hastening to "Jonathan's," he bought
all in the market, spending all his cash, and pledging his name for
more. The Pretender retreated, and the sagacious Hebrew became a
millionaire. Mr. Gideon had a sovereign contempt for fine clothes; an
essayist of the day writes, "Neither Guy nor Gideon ever regarded
dress." He educated his children in the Christian faith; "but," said he,
"I'm too old to change." "Gideon is dead," says one of his biographers,
"worth more than the whole land of Canaan. He has left the reversion of
all his milk and honey--after his son and daughter, and their
children--to the Duke of Devonshire, without insisting on his assuming
his name, or being circumcised!" His views must have been liberal, for
he left a legacy of L2,000 to the Sons of the Clergy, and of L1,000 to
the London Hospital. He also gave L1,000 to the synagogue, on condition
of having his remains interred in the Jewish burying-place.

In 1772, the occurrence of some Scotch failures led to a Change-Alley
panic, and the downfall of Alexander Fordyce, who, for years, had been
the most thriving jobber in London. He was a hosier in Aberdeen, but
came to London to improve his fortunes. The money game was in his
favour. He was soon able to purchase a large estate. He built a church
at his private cost, and spent thousands in trying to obtain a seat in
Parliament. Marrying a lady of title, on whom he made a liberal
settlement, he bought several Scotch lairdships, endowed an hospital,
and founded several charities. But the lease of his property was short.
His speculations suddenly grew desperate; hopeless ruin ensued; and a
great number of capitalists were involved in his fall. The consternation
was extreme, nor can we wonder, since his bills, to the amount of
L4,000,000, were in circulation. He earnestly sought, but in vain, for
pecuniary aid. The Bank refused it, and when he applied for help to a
wealthy Quaker, "Friend Fordyce," was the answer, "I have known many men
ruined by _two dice_, but I will not be ruined by _Four-dice_."

In 1785, a stockbroker, named Atkinson, probably from the "North
Countree," speculated enormously, but skilfully, we must suppose, for he
realised a fortune of L500,000. His habits were eccentric. At a f