clergyman came from his pulpit to the mart; the country gentleman forsook the calmness of his rural domain for the feverish excitement of Threadneedle Street. Voluptuous tastes were indulged in by those who were previously starving. The new men vied with the old, in the luxurious adornments of their houses. Everyone smiled with contentment; every face wore a pleased expression. Some, who, by virtue of their unabashed impudence, became provisional committee men, supported the dignity of their position, in a style which raised the mirth of many, and moved the envy of more. Trustees, who had no money of their own, or, who had lost it, used that which was confided to them; brothers speculated with the money of sisters; sons gambled with the money of their widowed mothers; children risked their patrimony; and, it is no exaggeration to say, that the funds of hundreds were surreptitiously endangered by those in whose control they were placed.”

The Marquis of Clanricarde, in a speech, spoke very boldly as to the status, social and financial, of some of the subscribers to Railway Companies. Said he: "One of the names to the deed to which he was anxious to direct their attention, was that of a gentleman, said to reside in Finsbury Square, who had subscribed to the amount of £25,000: he was informed no such person was known at that address. There was, also, in the Contract deed, the name of an individual who had figured in the Dublin and Galway Railway case, who was down for £5000, and who was understood to be a half-pay officer, in the receipt of £54 a-year, but, who appeared as a subscriber in different railway schemes, to the amount of £41,500. The address of another, whose name was down for £12,200, was stated to be in Watling Street, but it appeared he did not reside there. In the case of another individual down for £12,500 a false address was found to have been given. Another individual, whom he would not name, was a curate in a parish in Kent; he might be worth all the money for which he appeared responsible in various railway schemes, but his name appeared for £25,000

in different projects, and stood for £10,000 in this line. Another individual, who was down for £25,000, was represented to be in poor circumstances. A clerk in a public company was down for upwards of £50,000. There were several more cases of the same kind, but he trusted that he had stated enough to establish the necessity of referring the matter to a committee. There were, also, two brothers, sons of a charwoman, living in a garret, one of whom had signed for £12,500, and the other for £25,000; these two brothers, excellent persons, no doubt, but who were receiving about a guinea and a half between them, were down for £37,000."

CHAPTER XXI

The Comic side of the Railway Mania-"Jeames's Diary," &c.-Universal Speculation as shown by Parliamentary Return - Rise of DiscountCollapse Shareholders not forthcoming-Widespread Ruin-George Hudson.

NOT particularly exaggerated is "Railroad Speculator" in Punch (Vol. viii., p. 244):

"The night was stormy and dark, the town was shut up in sleep: Only those were abroad who were out on the lark, Or those who'd no beds to keep.

I passed through the lonely street, The wind did sing and blow; I could hear the policeman's feet, Clapping to and fro.

There stood a potato man, in the midst of all the wet; He stood with his 'tato can, in the lonely Haymarket.

Two gents of dismal mien, and dank and greasy rags; came out of a shop for gin, swaggering over the flags :

Swaggering over the stones, these shabby bucks did walk; and I went and followed those seedy ones, and listened to their talk.

Was I sober or awake? Could I believe my ears? Those dismal beggars spake of nothing but Railroad Shares.

I wondered more and more: Says one, 'Good friend of mine, how many shares did you write for? In the Diddlesex Junction line?'

'I wrote for twenty,' says Jim, 'but they wouldn't give me one'; His comrade straight rebuked him, for the folly he had done.

'Oh Jim, you are unawares of the ways of this bad town: I always write for five hundred shares, and then they put me down.'

'And yet you got no shares,' says Jim, 'for all your boast': 'I would have wrote,' says Jack, 'but where was the penny to pay the post?'

'I lost, for I couldn't pay that first instalment up; but here's 'taters smoking hot-I say, Let's stop, my boy, and sup.'

And, at this simple feast, the while they did regale, I drew each ragged capitalist, down on my left thumb nail.

Their talk did me perplex, All night I tumbled and tost; and thought of railroad specs, and how money was won and lost.

'Bless railroads everywhere,' I said, ' and the world's advance; Bless every railroad share in Italy, Ireland, France; for never a beggar need now despair, and every rogue has a chance.""

But, should anyone wish to watch the progress of the Railway Mania, I would recommend a perusal of Punch, Vol. ix., in which appears, inter alia, Jeames's Diary, by Thackeray, afterwards published as The Diary of C. Jeames De la Pluche, Esq. The idea was started on p. 59, under the heading of—

"A LUCKY SPECULATOR.

Considerable sensation has been excited in the upper and lower circles in the West End, by a startling piece of good fortune which has befallen JAMES PLUSH, Esq., lately footman in a respected family in Berkeley Square.

One day, last week, Mr James waited upon his master, who is a banker in the city; and, after a little blushing and hesitation, said he had saved a little money in service, and was anxious to retire, and to invest his savings to advantage.

His master (we believe we may mention, without offending delicacy, the well known name of Sir GEORGE FLIMSY of the firm of FLIMSY, DIDDLER, and FLASH,) smilingly asked Mr JAMES, what was the amount of his savings, wondering considerably how-out of an income of thirty guineas, the main part of which he spent in bouquets, silk stockings and perfumery- Mr PLUSH could have managed to lay by anything.

Mr PLUSH, with some hesitation, said he had been speculating in railroads, and stated his winnings to have been thirty thousand pounds. He had commenced his speculations with twenty, borrowed from a fellow servant. He had dated his letters from the house in Berkeley Square, and humbly begged pardon of his master, for not having instructed the railway secretaries, who answered the applications, to apply at the area bell.

Sir GEORGE, who was at breakfast, instantly rose, and shook Mr P. by the hand; LADY FLIMSY begged him to be seated, and partake of the breakfast which he had laid on the table; and has subsequently invited him to her grand dejeuner at Richmond, where it was observed that Miss EMILY FLIMSY, her beautiful and accomplished seventh daughter, paid the lucky gentleman marked attention.

We hear it stated that Mr P. is of very ancient family (HUGO DE la PLUCHE came over with the Conqueror); and the new Brougham which he has started, bears the ancient coat of his race.

He has taken apartments at the Albany, and is a director of thirtythree railroads. He purposes to stand for Parliament at the next general

election, on decidedly conservative principles, which have always been the politics of his family.

Report says, that, even in his humble capacity, Miss EMILY FLIMSY had remarked his high demeanour. Well, 'none but the brave,' say we, 'deserve the fair.'-Morning Paper.

This announcement will explain the following lines, which have been put into our box, with a West End post mark. If, as we believe, they are written by the young woman from whom the Millionaire borrowed the sum on which he raised his fortune, what heart would not melt with sympathy at her tale, and pity the sorrows which she expresses in such artless language?

If it be not too late: if wealth have not rendered its possessor callous: if poor MARYANNE be still alive, we trust Mr PLUSH will do her justice.

JEAMES OF BUCKLEY SQUARE.

A HELIGY.

Come, all ye gents vot cleans the plate,
Come, all ye ladies maids so fair—
Vile I a story vil relate

Of cruel JEAMES of Buckley Square.

A tighter lad, it is confest,

Never valked vith powder in his air,

Or vore a nosegay in his breast,

Than andsum JEAMES of Buckley Square.

O Evns! it vas the best of sights,

Behind his Master's coach and pair,
To see our JEAMES in red plush tights,
A driving hoff from Buckley Square.
He vel became his hagwiletts,

He cocked his at with such an hair ;
His calves and viskers vas siech pets,

That hall loved Jeames of Buckley Square.

He pleased the hup stairs folks as vell,
And o! I vithered vith despair,

Misses vould ring the parler bell,

And call up JEAMES in Buckley Square.