CHAPTER XL. THE BANK OF ENGLAND. The Jews and the Lombards--The Goldsmiths the first London Bankers--William Paterson, Founder of the Bank of England--Difficult Parturition of the Bank Bill--Whig Principles of the Bank of England--The Great Company described by Addison--A Crisis at the Bank--Effects of a Silver Re-coinage--Paterson quits the Bank of England--The Ministry resolves that it shall be enlarged--The Credit of the Bank shaken--The Whigs to the Rescue--Effects of the Sacheverell Riots--The South Sea Company--The Cost of a New Charter--Forged Bank Notes--The Foundation of the "Three per Cent. Consols"--Anecdotes relating to the Bank of England and Bank Notes--Description of the Building--Statue of William III.--Bank Clearing House--Dividend Day at the Bank 453 CHAPTER XLI. THE STOCK EXCHANGE. The Kingdom of Change Alley--A William III. Reuter--Stock Exchange Tricks--Bulls and Bears--Thomas Guy, the Hospital Founder--Sir John Barnard, the "Great Commoner"--Sampson Gideon, the famous Jew Broker--Alexander Fordyce--A cruel Quaker Criticism--Stockbrokers and Longevity--The Stock Exchange in 1795--The Money Articles in the London Papers--The Case of Benjamin Walsh, M.P.--The De Berenger Conspiracy--Lord Cochrane unjustly accused--"Ticket Pocketing"--System of Business at the Stock Exchange--"Popgun John"--Nathan Rothschild--Secrecy of his Operations--Rothschild outdone by Stratagem--Grotesque Sketch of Rothschild--Abraham Goldsmid--Vicissitudes of the Stock Exchange--The Spanish Panic of 1835--The Railway Mania--Ricardo's Golden Rules--A Clerical Intruder in Capel Court--Amusements of Stockbrokers--Laws of the Stock Exchange--The Pigeon Express--The "Alley Man"--Purchase of Stock--Eminent Members of the Stock Exchange 473 CHAPTER XLII. THE ROYAL EXCHANGE. The Greshams--Important Negotiations--Building of the Old Exchange--Queen Elizabeth visits it--Its Milliners' Shops--A Resort for Idlers--Access of Nuisances--The various Walks in the Exchange--Shakespeare's Visits to it--Precautions against Fire--Lady Gresham and the Council--The "Eye of London"--Contemporary Allusions--The Royal Exchange during the Plague and the Great Fire--Wren's Design for a New Royal Exchange--The Plan which was ultimately accepted--Addison and Steele upon the Exchange--The Shops of the Second Exchange 494 CHAPTER XLIII. The Second Exchange on Fire--Chimes Extraordinary--Incidents of the Fire--Sale of Salvage--Designs for the New Building--Details of the Present Exchange--The Ambulatory, or Merchants' Walk--Royal Exchange Assurance Company--"Lloyd's"--Origin of "Lloyd's"--Marine Assurance--Benevolent Contributions of "Lloyd's"--A "Good" and "Bad" Book 503 CHAPTER XLIV. NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE BANK:--LOTHBURY.