_Enormous Bribery by William.—Increased Taxation.—Speech of Sir Charles Sedley.—Wrongs of the Soldiers.—Defence of William.—Moral Disorganization of the Country.—First Exchequer-Bill Fraud.—First Foreign Loan.—Romantic Fraud in 1715.—Political Fraud of ’Change Alley.—Interference of the House of Peers.—First Hoax._ 12 CHAPTER IV. _Charitable Corporation Fraud.—Its Discovery.—Appalling Effects and Remedy.—Marlborough’s Victories, their History, and the Loans they brought.—Augmented Importance of the Stock Exchange.—Dislike to the Members.—Increased Loans.—Difficulties in procuring them.—Statement of Sir Robert Walpole.—Gifts of Contractors to Clothiers.—First Payment of Dividends by the Bank.—South-Sea Anecdotes._ 19 CHAPTER V. _Life of Thomas Guy.—Imposition in Sailors’ Tickets.—Foreign Loan attempted.—Sir John Barnard.—Expresses of the Jobbers.—Foreign Commissions.—Origin of Time-Bargains.—Attempt to stop them.—Its Inadequacy.—Proposal to reduce the Interest on the National Debt.—Opposition of Sir Robert Walpole.—New Mode of raising Loans.—Comparative Interest in Land and Funds.—Punishment of Manasseh Lopez.—The first Reduction of Interest.—Life of Sir John Barnard._ 25 CHAPTER VI. _Origin of New Loans.—Fraud of a Stock-broker.—East India Stock.—Sketch of Sampson Gideon, the great Jew Broker.—East India Company.—Restriction of its Dividends.—Liberality to its Clerks.—Important Decision.—Robbery at Jonathan’s.—Curious Calculation concerning the National Debt._ 31 CHAPTER VII. _Crisis of 1772.—Indian Adventurers, their Ostentation, their Character.—Failure of Douglas, Heron, & Co.—Neale, Fordyce, & Co.—Sketch of Mr. Fordyce.—His Success in the Alley.—Alarm of his Partners.—His Artifice.—His Failure.—General Bankruptcy.—Liberality of a Nabob.—Reply of a Quaker.—Witticism of John Wilkes.—War of American Independence.—Artifices of Ministers.—Anecdote of Mr. Atkinson.—Value of Life on the Stock Exchange.—Longevity of a Stock-broker._ 39 CHAPTER VIII. _Invention of Lotteries.—The First Lottery.—Employed by the State.—Great Increase.—Eagerness to subscribe.—Evils of Lotteries.—Suicide through them.—Superstition.—Insurances.—Spread of Gambling.—Promises of Lotteries.—Humorous Episodes.—Legal Interference.—Parliamentary Report.—Lottery Drawing.—Picture of Morocco Men.—Their Great Evil.—Lottery Puffing.—Epitaph on a Chancellor.—Abolition of Lotteries._ 45 CHAPTER IX.