“Two causes led,” writes Mr. Page, “to the accumulation of the wealth which Mr. Brassey realised. One was the small extent of his personal expenses. He hated all show, luxury, and ostentation. He kept but a moderate establishment, which the increase of his means never induced him to extend. He was wont to say—‘It requires a special education to be idle, or to employ the twenty-four hours in a rational way, without any particular calling or occupation. To live the life of a gentleman one must have been brought up to it. It is impossible for a man who has been engaged in business pursuits the greater part of his life to retire; if he does so, he soon discovers that he has made a mistake. I shall not retire; but if for some good reason I should be obliged to do so, it would be to a farm. There I should bring up stock, which I should cause to be weighed every day, ascertaining at the same time their daily cost, as against the increasing weight. I should then know when to sell, and start again with a fresh lot.’” The second and far more important cause which led to Mr. Brassey’s wealth, was the extent of his business. “He knew the value of money as well as any one,” wrote a friend, “and how far a pound would go; but he had no greediness to acquire wealth, and he was always willing to give away a portion of his profits to any one who was instrumental in making them, and that to a remarkable extent. At no time did he realise more than three per cent. on the money turned over by him. He laid out seventy-eight millions of other people’s money on works, every one of which was of public utility; and upon that outlay he retained two millions and a-half. Mr. Brassey’s financial management was very simple; on each contract the agent was responsible for the money he received; he relied upon the cashier to keep the accounts.” The money-making men have, some of them, done good service in their day and generation. To the latter class emphatically belongs George Grote, the historian, whose grandfather came over to this country from Bremen, and established the banking-house of Grote, Prescott, and Co., on the 1st of January, 1766. At the early age of sixteen he was placed in the banking-house in Threadneedle Street, and commenced a business career, which he carried on thirty two years; when, having enough to live on, he retired, to devote himself more particularly to historical studies. And to his house in Threadneedle Street came the Mills (father and son), Mr. David Ricardo, Mr. John Smith, M.P., Dr. Black, of the _Morning Chronicle_, and Mr. Charles Austin, whom Mrs. Grote describes as the most brilliant conversationalist of his time.