Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/307

 RICHARD CANTILLON 285 new business might suffer from just or unjust confusion between the bankrupt and himself ? At any rate we see that his com- mercial relations with the deceased were close and considerable. The statement for the Carols is mainly interesting in that it describes Cantilion as a silk mercer of Paris, but formerly a banker; and adds that ' this Richard Cantilion, who calls him- self to-day an Irish gentleman, declared himself a native of Cherbourg, in Normandy, in a mercer's license which he took out in 1716.' It may be observed here that, according to a note to Horace Walpole's letters, ' Cantilion was a Paris wine-merchant and banker.' The lengthy English correspondence shows Cantilion to have been a person of extreme ability and very great energy. The Carols had accused him of usury, and, before Cantilion was aware of the charge, had obtained from Thelusson, and other leading bankers, certificates justifying their contention. Directly Cantilion heard of this he whipped up the remaining bankers of note, pointed out that his adversaries were confusing bills payable at Amsterdam with bills paid at Amsterdam, and by A rrt of February 1, 1730, was discharged from the complaint of usury. He got judgments by default against William Law and Gage at the Bureau des Actions (July 19, 1733), and udgments, civil arid criminal, with costs against the Carols (June, 1733) in Parlia- ment and at the Bureau. Gage still kept off a final issue by dilatory tactics, so that we find Cantilion writing from Brussels, July 27, 1733, to tell Garyan that Gage's affair is nearing its end, 'but I now almost despair of compassing it thoroughly till about this time twelve months, and if any other obstructions intervene, the Lord knows when it may be ended.' His own death inter- vened within the period named. Emerging thus triumphantly from the Courts in France, Cantilion was impatient for a conclusion at home. But he ob- serves, 'I can easily believe the desperate situation of Gage and Lady Mary makes it difficult for them to want the theme which keeps up the spirit of their creditors.' As a matter of fact their success in the suits would have still left them in Cantillon's debt, though we must hope Lady Mary was unaware of this, for she appeals to her friends to help her to compound with her creditors, otherwise Cantilion will 'buy up her bills for a song,' and pay her too literally in her own coin in case she should win. Her correspondence, with that of Lady Carington,  is so full of  Ed. Cunningham, 1857, i. 241.  Brit. Mus. Add. MSS., 28,238, 28,251.