OF ATEW   YORK CITY.                     263
 

CHAPTER XXXI.

After I had written somewhat of Jacob Lorillard of
" the Swamp," who was many years tanner and currier
and hide dealer in that region, and prided himself, when
alive, that he was so employed for a long time — a
friend called upon me with a book containing " the Life
of Jacob Lorillard, by Rev. Mr. Berrian, D". D."

I do not pretend to give the full life of any one mer¬
chant, because I have not the materials. The Rev.
Mr. Berrian does, for there is evidence that he had ac¬
cess to papers that could only have been afforded to him
by the Lorillard family. Without any egotism, or with¬
out caring two straws, I will say that there is more of
the real, every-day life of Jacob Lorillard in our unpre¬
tending chapters than in all the clergyman has written.

No wonder that merchants' biographies are stupid af¬
fairs. They are given with their " Sunday-go-to-meet-
in clothes " on. With rich and rare materials out of
which to make a capital life of Jacob Lorillard, and a
most readable book, Mr. Berrian has made a " funeral
sermon " instead of a life. Will it be believed of the
merchant, Jacob Lorillard, wliom we wrote about re¬
cently, that his biographer. Dr. Berrian, does not even
allude to his having been In the leather business ?

I gather a few items  of wheat from the chaff, and