WHAT think you now , was not our Plot well laid ?

What Plot , 'Pray you ? for I 'm ignorant .

To get Money , Man ; not against Church or State , you may be sure .

A Plot to get Money , do you say ? Why , you 'll most of you be ruin'd : Two Ships are cast away , Bantam's taken by the Dutch , the China-Trade's lost , Heugley not surrendred to the new Agent , your Estates less worth this Week by thirty or forty thousand Pound a Man than the last ; you must stop all Payments , a down-right Break follows , and then where are you !

You 're ignorant enough i' conscience , if you take all these Reports for Truth , and not so sharp neither as I took you for ; my purpose is to open this Intrigue , to rectifie your Notions , and detect some Practices , which being understood , you cannot be imposed on .

't would please me well to be in any honest Plot to get Money ; I think my self in as fair a way for that as any of you all , and perhaps honester : They talk strange things of you abroad , of the Measures you take ; that Arbitrary Government is no where exercised but with you ; you get Mens Stock from 'em , and afterwards make 'em pay for it again ; you take their Money and Goods , and open your Treasury at pleasure ; and yet in despight of the Tib and the Tom , Judgment has reach'd you ; you 're divided among your selves , and all at a stand at last .

You hug your self too much without cause , the Cards are playing , our business is half done , and the Game 's as good as our own : You 'll think it strange to tell you , I can make Stock worth 350 , or 150 per Cent . at pleasure ; I 'll buy great Parcels at the first Rate , and sell at the second , and yet be a Gainer . This is true , as sure as Two and Two make four .

Nay , you have more Tricks than a Dancing Bear ; but he that buys dear and sells cheap , must needs be a Loser , as I 'm convinc'd many of you are , and that by your own Confession .

True , it is confess'd , and that we have lost great Estates , and are divided among our selves , and all this without falshood , take us in our own sense .

Why , you are not Jesuits , I hope ; how are these things consistent ?

Very well . Know then that this Intrigue was hatch'd long since , Stock engross'd , Methods resolv'd on for the raising and falling it , which by the help of Romantado-Votes , and some other practices are regularly effected , and the Stock ( laid up in Lavender ) dispers'd into numerous hands at great Rates ; what may still remain , is reserv'd for the next rise , together with those loose Corns we may pick up from needy or frighted people , at low Rates ; and thus we may hold on , till some accident dissolves us , or , ( which may be fatal ) till our design be discovered , and the people be afraid to deal with us .

And then good night Nicholas . But what mean you by those Votes just now spoke on ?

Oh! Those are making two Hundred Pounds of one , with the holding up a finger , for sending out only thirty Ships , to fetch twelve Thousand Tun of Goods , that we will pay but three per Cent . Interest , and the like ; the very Nick of time wherein to run up Stock and to run it off too ! which design was well advanc'd and promoted by the greatness of that Sale , and the private intimations then given of a Dividend ; which with other seasonable Rumours , I promise you , was discreetly manag'd , and to good purpose .

There were some three or four Wise Men among you , who made Hay in that Sun-shine , but were however severely damn'd by the rest for their good fortune .

Neither the one nor the other , take my word ; the Wise Men were only Agents for the whole , and the severity no more than pretended . I must needs know how things go within Doors .

But to my knowledge , some forward men bought much at high Prices ; I saw them pay the Money ; I pity them with all my heart ; and yet they 're well enough serv'd , because they are so proud and self-conceited .

Hold ! You run on at a strange rate ; few of these were real Bargains , those that were , had as many Proprietors in them , as those Bargains had , where selling was in the case . The Club of Officers are a good institution , having many ends and uses in their contrivance ; The want of Money , caused by our selves , the Votes thereupon , the offering our Bonds for Money , and the pretended Divisions amongst us , were all of excellent use too , to further our design . To these we may add the Kings doing us new Honours , and our defeating your Tribe of Interlopers , and whatever may make a noise , and raise dust about our affairs , to amuse and confound mens minds .

Just now I hear that Twenty T. Merchants do put in to be of the Committee , and will buy up Stock to strengthen their Party against the next Election .

That 's a pleasant story ; I remember the very same this time Twelve-month . Do you hear of the New Vote to make no Dividends till Debts called in be all paid , and to keep no Money at Interest but what we 're desired on New Bonds ?

This Sugar-plumb will do no harm ; they say People are well pleased with it .

I hope it will do us good service , for more than ordinary is design'd by it . I 'm bewitched for not selling off all this while . What an Estate have I lost by holding ! The thoughts of it almost distract me .

Why are you so Melancholy of a sudden ? I fear all 's not right with you . I thought what you 've been saying , was impertinent , and the fruits of an intemperate fancy .

To deal truly with you , I have drawn in abundance to their vast loss ; and to take off ill thoughts , I must condole and sympathize with the sufferers ; whereupon there 's no suspicion of a Plot . This means does call in and cancel my Obligations , which I could not do otherwise without Jealousie ; this also makes way to leave me handsomely out of the Committee ; other benefits arise from my present dull humour , but time will set all things to rights . Farewell .