It must have been the widow of some such shrewd assurer who dared the dangers of Chancery in 1682, and endeavoured to file a bill, the purport of which was to compel 500 individuals to declare the amounts they owed her husband, who is designated as “a kind of insurer.” The boldness of this woman in attacking 500 persons attracted attention; and the alarm which must have possessed her creditors was no doubt heightened by the fact that 60 skins of vellum and 3000 sheets of paper composed the bill, and that each would be compelled to have a copy, provided the plaintiff were successful. Not only, however, did Lord Chancellor North, “amazed at the effrontery of the woman,” dismiss the bill on the ground of the enormous expense which each defendant would incur, but he directed the plaintiff’s counsel to refund his charges and to “take his labour for his pains.” FOOTNOTES: [5] About as much silver as is now coined into 3_l._ 1_s._ 11_d._ [6] Equal in weight to about 2_l._ 1_s._ 3_d._ of our silver coinage. [7] Equal in weight to 10_s._ 4_d._ of our present silver coinage. CHAP. III. JUDAH MANASSEH LOPEZ, THE JEW USURER--HIS TRICK ON THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM--SUSPICIONS CONCERNING HIM.--THE INCREASE OF LONDON.--POPULATION OF LONDON.--PROCLAMATIONS.--HALLEY’S MOVEMENT IN LIFE ASSURANCE--HIS TABLES. Among the frequenters of St. Paul’s, when the noble, the merchant, and the citizen congregated in its walk, was an old man known to all who met there in their daily avocations as Judah Manasseh Lopez. A Lombard, a Jew, and a usurer, it was difficult to say whether the outward respect he received from his customers was not counterbalanced by the curses he received from the public. The bullying mien of the self-dubbed captain sunk into a more subdued tone as he asked for loans or deprecated payment. The spendthrift who was dicing away his paternal inheritance, and who had security to offer for the money he wanted, was more indifferent, while the goldsmith shrunk from his approach with a contemptuous expression he did not always care to conceal. This man employed his wealth in the purchase and sale of annuities. He lent to merchants when their vessels failed to bring them returns in time to meet their engagements. He advanced cash on the jewels of those whom a disturbed period involved in conspiracies which required the sinews of war. But annuities were his favourite investment; and to him, therefore, resorted all that were in difficulties and were able to deal with him. With the highest and the lowest he trafficked. He was feared by most, and respected by none. One remarkable feature in his business was, that no one found it easy to recover the property he had pledged, provided it much exceeded the amount advanced. In an extremity, Buckingham, the favourite of Charles, applied to and received assistance from the Jew on the deposit of some deeds of value. When the time approached which had been stipulated for repayment,