102 Whyte-Mehilles Sermon. 



offering accommodation on personal security : it is the same 

 in the navy also. Has not the State some power to rescue 

 young fellows out of the hands of these men, by abolishing 

 all rights to sue officers on full pay for accommodation bills ? 

 The system is admirably organised, somewhat in this way : 

 First comes the tempting offer of ninety pounds for a 

 hundred at two months ; then, at the end of two months, 

 comes another advance of a hundred, with ten pounds for 

 renewing and ten more for interest on the next hundred, 

 and ten pounds interest on the original hundred ; and so it 

 runs on until an unfortunate youngster is bound hand and 

 foot by his creditors. A victim once came to me to rescue 

 him, and the transaction was as follows : Ninety pounds 

 paid down for one hundred, and interest (deducted) for 

 two months. Second hundred advanced for two months, 

 with ten pounds for renewal of first bill, and twenty pounds 

 interest on the two hundred (deducted) for another two 

 months. There were four subsequent renewals at forty 

 pounds each ; so that the poor fellow was called on, for 

 interest and renewals, to pay in all cent, per cent. 



In private society the well-bred Jews are the most charm- 

 ing people imaginable, hospitable, accomplished, and refined ; 

 but the lower division of the nation, who infest garrison 

 towns, are many of them the veriest scoundrels unhung. 

 They frequent young officers' haunts, and do everything in 

 their power to get hold of them and tempt them to extra- 

 vagance. 



The money-lending school consist of very many classes : 

 first come the great operators, who hunt and yacht and 

 keep their carriages and give parties, and fly at the high 

 game, such as young men of fortune who have come into 

 their property, and who form a racing stable and plunge on 

 the turf ; and transactions of this kind are done by mort- 

 gages and bills combined, the process often ending in the 



