a few shillings, at the utmost. However, Mr. Thomas Guy was so enraged by being put to an unnecessary expense, that he broke off the match with the too hasty kitchen lass, and, to spite her, resolved to give the whole of his fortune for the foundation of an hospital on the largest scale. Thus arose that magnificent charity, on the Surrey side of London Bridge, still known as Guy's Hospital. The charge of erecting this vast pile amounted to about £20,000; and Mr. Guy left in addition £220,000 as an endowment. The founder likewise erected almshouses at Tamworth, in Staffordshire, his mother's birthplace, a borough which had paid honour to his golden guineas by electing him to a seat among the representatives of the nation. Thomas Guy died in December, 1724, in the eighty-first year of his age, after having dedicated to charitable purposes more money than any other man upon record. It appears a singular relation of cause and consequence that the most gigantic swindling speculation of the eighteenth century gave rise to the most munificently endowed hospital in Great Britain.

V. PRIVATE BANKERS.

THERE is much of the romance of history in the origin of some of the great private banking houses still existing in our days-though all more or less threatened with destruction by the giant of joint-stock enterprise. The origin, among others, of the house of Jones, Loyd, and Co., was very curious. Mr. Lewis Loyd, the founder of the house, father of the present Lord Overstone, began his career as a Welsh dissenting minister in a small chapel at Manchester, the congregation of which included a Mr. Jones, a sort of half-banker, half-manufacturer. In addition to Mr. Jones, there was a young Miss Jones who attended the sermons of the Rev. Mr. Loyd; and, as often happens, the maiden found the orations so eloquent that she fell in love with the preacher. The affection was responded to by the minister, and the couple, fearing the purse-proud merchant would never consent to to the mésalliance, were privately

married.

Of course, when the affair became known to Mr. Jones, as it could not fail to do, he was exceedingly angry; but, seeing that things went on pretty comfortably with his daughter, he became reconciled in the end to his reverend son-in-law. However, though fond of attending sermons, he did not think preaching a good business, and therefore proposed that Mr. Loyd should give up the Welsh dissenting chapel and enter his counting-house as a partner, under the firm of Jones, Loyd, and Co. Mr. Loyd consented; and, to extend the business, it was subsequently agreed that he should go to London, and establish a bank under the name of the Manchester firm. Henceforth, Jones, Loyd, and Co., of Manchester, drew bills upon Jones, Loyd, and Co., of London, or, as it was facetiously called at the time, "pig upon bacon." It soon turned out that Mr. Lewis Loyd was eminently fitted to be a banker; for his clearness of head, untiring industry, and perfect honesty proved the foundation of success for the new establishment. After a very long and honourable career, Mr. Loyd retired from business, being succeeded as head of the London firm by his son, Mr. Samuel Jones Loyd, who was subsequently created Lord Overstone. Thus, the

falling in love of a young Manchester girl with a Welsh dissenting minister was the cause of the establishment of an important bank, besides leading to the creation of a new peer of the realm.

The great banking-house of Coutts and Co. arose under circumstances not less striking than those connected with the history of Jones, Loyd, and Co. The father of Mr. Coutts was a merchant at Edinburgh who had four sons, the two youngest of whom, James and Thomas, were brought up in the paternal counting-house. James, at the age of twenty-five, came to London, and first settled in St. Mary Axe as a Scotch merchant, from which business, however, he subsequently retired to become a banker. He took a house in the Strand, the same in which the firm still exists; and he was joined here, some years after, by his brother Thomas as a partner-the business being carried on under the name of James and Thomas Coutts. James Coutts died early, and Thomas was then left sole proprietor of the bank. His high integrity, joined to a very enterprising spirit soon gained him many friends, and made him remarkably successful in his business. A characteristic instance, both of his shrewdness and

enterprise, is given by Mr. Lawson, in his "History of Banking." In the early part of his career, Mr. Coutts, anxious to secure the cordial co-operation of the heads of the various banking houses in London, was in the habit of frequently inviting them to dinner. On one of these occasions, the manager of a City bank, in retailing the news of the day, accidentally remarked that a certain nobleman had applied to his firm for the loan of £30,000, and had been refused. Mr. Coutts listened, and said nothing; but the moment his guests had retired, about ten o'clock in the evening, he started off to the house of the nobleman mentioned, and requested the honour of an interview with his lordship the next day. On the following morning the nobleman called at the bank. Mr. Coutts received him with the greatest politeness, and taking thirty onethousand pound notes from a drawer, presented them to his lordship. The latter, very agreeably surprised, exclaimed: "But what security am I to give you?"—"I shall be satisfied with your lordship's note of hand," was the reply. The IOU was instantly given, with the remark, "I find I shall only require for the present £10,000; I therefore return you £20,000, with which you will be pleased to open an account in