REMARKS ON TRADE IN A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A Committee-man and an Interloper.  Committee-man. 
WHAT think you now, was not our Plot well laid?  Interloper. 
What Plot, pray you? for I'm ignorant.  come. 
To get Money, Man; not against Church or State, you may be sure.  Interl. 
A Plot to get Money, do you say? Why, you'll most of you be ruined: Two Ships are cast away, Bantam's taken by the Dutch, the China-Trade's lost, Heugley not surrendered 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!  come. 
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 rectify your Notions, and detect some Practices, which being understood, you cannot be imposed on.  Interl. 
'twould please me well to be in any honest Plot to get Money; I think myself 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 despite of the Tib and the Tom, judgement has reached you; you're divided among yourselves, and all at a stand at last.  come. 
You hug yourself 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.  Interl. 
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 convinced many of you are, and that by your own Confession.  come. 
True, it is confessed, and that we have lost great Estates, and are divided among ourselves, and all this without falsehood, take us in our own sense.  Interl. 
Why, you are not Jesuits, I hope; how are these things consistent?  come. 
Very well. Know then that this Intrigue was hatched long since, Stock engrossed, Methods resolved 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) dispersed into numerous hands at great Rates; what may still remain, is reserved 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.  Interl. 
And then good night Nicholas. But what mean you by those Votes just now spoken on?  come. 
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 neck of time wherein to run up Stock and to run it off too! which design was well advanced 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 managed, and to good purpose.  Interl. 
There were some three or four Wise Men among you, who made Hay in that Sun-shine, but were however severely damned by the rest for their good fortune.  come. 
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.  Interl. 
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 served, because they are so proud and self-conceited.  come. 
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 ourselves, 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 confounded mens minds.  Interl. 
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.  come. 
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?  Interl. 
This Sugar-plumb will do no harm; they say People are well pleased with it.  come. 
I hope it will do us good service, for more than ordinary is designed 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 distracted me.  Interl. 
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.  come. 
To deal truly with you, I have drawn in abundance to their vast loss; and to take off ill thoughts, I must condole and sympathise 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 jealousy; 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.   

London, Printed for Joseph Hindmarsh, Book-sellar to his Royal Highness, at the Black Bull in cornhill; And Entred according to Order. 1683.