CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 51 



to swindle two or three thousand pounds a-year, by means of alleged disbursements 

 of what they never paid, so that it is necessary to call strictly for every voucher, and 

 most carefully to examine it. — I have an aversion to accounts, and nothing but the 

 most pressing necessity can induce me to examine them. An agent soon finds out 

 this, and step by step goes on from robbery to robbery, till nothing will satisfy the 

 rapacity of his appetite. The difficulty of the task accumulates from day to day ; 

 and who, that shrinks from examining a month's accounts, will undertake to examine 

 those of a year ? " 



At the early age of twenty-two Sir Egerton Brydges married, and 

 without an income adequate to expensive and careless habits, 

 it will not create surprise that he was constantly involved in pecu- 

 niary difficulties. According to his own statement, he could not 

 *' sift bills, cast up accounts, examine prices, nor make bargains" — 

 and if a man cannot do these things, the riches of Croesus will not 

 save him from beggary. The influence this state of affairs had on 

 his spirits, his health and his happiness, he describes very forcibly, 

 and with all the truth of nature. His excess of expenditure beyond 

 his income he attributes to carelessness — but there are various 

 other causes by which genteel and even splendid fortunes may be 

 absorbed — amongst these are vanity and a false notion of the cha- 

 racter of mankind. Truly does he say — 



** A mind not sound is apt to value others accordinar to their station and 

 riches ; and as there is a natural passion in mankind to be well estimated, they 

 are thus compelled to put on outward appearances, which may induce the belief 

 that they possess a consideration and wealth which do not belong to them. 

 The mind that cannot purify itself from these vapourous delusions must be un- 

 happy. Riirht thinking, therefore, and dignity of sentiment on these important 

 subjects, which occur every day of our lives, are absolutely necessary to our 

 moral well-being. Mankind always take the ill-natured side, and confound the 

 expenditure of carelessness and erroneous calcidation with the expenditure 

 of vanity. There is nothing therefore more unfortunate, from whatever cause 

 it proceeds, than excess of expenditure beyond income. The greater part of the 

 harpies of society live and gorge themselves by taking advantage of this impru- 

 dence. Half the population of London live upon it ; three-fourths of the 

 ravenous lawyers live upon it ; all sorts of agents live upon it ; and half the 

 demoralization of society is generated by it. — Pecuniary embarrassment weakens 

 and chains the mind ; and perhaps the worst effect of all is in the indignities 

 to which it subjects its victim. There is no rule of life, therefore, more urgent 

 than to avoid it ; nor has a careless man the slightest suspicion of what may be 

 the effect of overlooking a comparatively slight error." 



The following extract from the second volume exhibits the 

 author's intimate knowledge of mankind in the different tastes and 

 feelings evinced on literary subjects : — 



*'I am aware that there is great difference of taste among readers as to the 

 sort of matter which is most interesting in autobiography. The greater part 

 like facts ; the better part like opinions, reflections, and sentiments. The 

 reason is, that facts are more easily understood than what is intellectual. But 

 the chances are, that he who has had an eventful life has little to say which is 

 instructive to others. — Some may remark on this, that then essays would be 

 better than biography, and that it would be preferable to have the whole matter 

 general at once. But when associated with an individual life they have some- 

 thing of a personified animation, and the force of individual feeling and expe- 

 rience. We want to know of an author, who has written on subjects extraneous 

 to himself, what are his own private convictions and sentiments. I believe that 

 this curiosity is very generally prevalent." 



