We are apt to think that company promoters and commercial speculation are things of modern growth, but _Projectors_ and _Patentees_ (company promoters and monopolists) were common in the early seventeenth century; and we find an excellent exposition of their ways and commodities in a poetical broadside by John Taylor, the Water poet, published in 1641. It is entitled _The complaint of M. Tenter-hooke the_ Proiector, _and Sir Thomas Dodger, the_ Patentee. Under the title is a wood-cut, which represents a _Projector_, who has a pig’s head and ass’s ears, screws for legs, and fish hooks for fingers, bears a measure of coal, and a barrel of wine, on his legs respectively, tobacco, pipes, dice, roll tobacco, playing cards, and a bundle of hay slung to his body, papers of pins on his right arm, and a measure for spirits on his left arm, a barrel and a dredger on the skirts of his coat. With his fish hook fingers, he drags bags of money. This is Tenter-hooke, who is saying to his friend Sir Thomas Dodger, who is represented as a very well dressed gentleman of the period: “I have brought money to fill your chest, For which I am curst by most and least.” To which Sir Thomas replies: “Our many yeares scraping is lost at a clap, All thou hast gotten by others’ mishap.” _If any aske, what things these_ Monsters _be ‘Tis a_ Projector _and a_ Patentee: _Such, as like Vermine o’re this Lande did crawle, And grew so rich, they gain’d the Devill and all._ Loe, I, that lately was a _Man_ of Fashion, The _Bug-beare_ and the _Scarcrow_ of this Nation, Th’ admired mighty _Mounte-banke_ of _Fame_, The Juggling _Hocus Pocus_ of good name; The _Bull-begger_ who did affright and feare, And rake, and pull, teare, pill, pole, shave and sheare, Now _Time_ hath pluck’d the _Vizard_ from my face, I am the onely Image of disgrace. My ugly shape I hid so cunningly, (Close cover’d with the cloake of honesty), That from the _East_ to _West_, from _South_ to _North_, I was a man esteem’d of ex’lent worth. And (Sweet Sir _Thomas Dodger_,) for your sake, My studious time I spent, my sleepes I brake; My braines I tost with many a strange vagary. And, (like a Spaniell) did both fetch and carry To you, such _Projects_, as I could invent, Not thinking there would come a Parliament. I was the great _Projector_, and from me, Your Worship learn’d to be a _Patentee_; I had the Art to cheat the Common-weale, And you had tricks and slights to passe the Seale. I took the paines, I travell’d, search’d and sought, Which (by your power) were into Patents wrought. What was I but your Journey man, I pray, To bring youre worke to you, both night and day: I found _Stuffe_, and you brought it so about, You (like a skilfull _Taylor_) cut it out, And fashion’d it, but now (to our displeasure) You fail’d exceedingly in taking measure. My legs were Screws, to raise thee high or low,