He discourses of several of his Masters Cheats, whereby he gets his Estate.
With this Stock of 350l. my Master set up all his Knaveries, and being unwilling to venture it all in one bottom, he lent a 100l. of it in small sums to House-keepers, which they paid again by the week, and gave him at least 40l. per Cent. for the use of it; for if he lent five pound, they paid it by five shillings per week, and had but four pound ten shillings for their money, and my Master making the Bond in another mans name, he had commonly five shillings, and sometimes ten shillings for Procuration, and sometimes I had a shilling or two: thus did he dispose of some. Others he lent upon Bommeree, which was thus: If he lent ten pound, he was to have fifteen pound for it on such a day, or the return of such a ship, which should first happen; and though there was no such ship in the world came home, yet the time would come, and then it must be paid; and this being counted an adventure, he could take what interest he pleased, as it is customary with Merchants to venture upon Bottomrie; that is, on the bottom or keel of the ship and then for security of payment of the money, though the ship should miscarry, they are wont to insure it at the Insurance-Office; but my Master needed no such charge or trouble for insuring any ship, for he was sure the day would come, though the ship never did; and thus did he make forty or fifty pound in the hundred: but he being once bit and sued in equity, afterwards took a more strict course, for he seldom lent any money thus, but he would include in the Condition of the Bond a warrant to confess a Judgement, upon default of payment: and to be sure when the time came, and the money not paid, he filed his Bond, which was warrant to confess Judgement, and thereby obtained a Scieri facias, to take execution on the body or goods of the debtor, who little dreamt thereof, and then he seized all the penalty, to the undoing of some; and he seldome lent unto any, but he had two or three bound for security, and that he might not be blamed nor sued, he made his Bonds and Judgements in the name of one who was his Confederate, and was was a Prisoner in the Kings-Bench, so that when the penalty was recovered, it was to no purpose to sue him. And by degrees being now in Credit, and having moneys of other persons to dispose of, he would seldome lend any but upon morgages, because under the pretence of being paid for writings (which he would be sure to make large enough) he would sometimes take five pound for procuring a hundred, and say, though indeed six per Cent was as much as his friend the Usurer would take, yet he was forced every six moneths to present him with somewhat that should be equal to eight pound per Cent, and withal, that he was at charge not only to imploy one at first to enquire of the Security, but he was at the charge of a Coach to go to see the estate, and then he will reckon so much for his pains, so much for loss of time, so much for writings, and so much for expences, and so much for expedition, and all this must be deducted out of the money: when the six moneths came that the money was due, then he must have the interest, and so much for Continuation; and this was a courtesie if he let them go so: but if the borrower came not, and readily at the time brought the interest and Continuation-money, he had several wayes to bring them in, for suddenly a Declaration of Ejectment was drawn up and delivered to the Tenant or Tenants in possession of the premises, who being frighted at the matter, presently goes to the Landlord, who sensible of the matter, hies him to us. If this will not do, then an Officer is feed to enter an Action and Arrest the Borrower, who then is forced to come and comply upon extraordinary disadvantageous terms; for after much entreaty, my Master may be perswaded to continue it, the interest-money being paid, as also Continuation-money, charge of Declarations of Ejectment (for which we will rekon five or ten shillings paid to an Attorney, though it were done by my Master, or me by his command) it may be twenty shillings, or forty shillings, for the Arrest, though it may be not above half a Crown was paid for it; and then there must be at least twenty shillings, or forty shillings, to my Master for his pains, and if the borrower be not willing to pay all this charge, then will my Master see an Attorney in earnest, and proceed upon the Declaration of Ejectment, and in short time get the possession of the estate: and thus put the poor borrower to ten pound charge, and if he refuse to pay this, he shall fair worse; for although in equity the lender of the money can hold the premises no longer in his hands than till he is paid his Debt, Interest, and charges out of the rent, yet my Master will so order the matter, that the borrower shall never have the estate again; for (pretending that the lender wanted his money, and was forced to sell the estate to raise it) he will pass it away to another, a Confederate, for the bare money, interest, and charges that is due on it, or it may be, five or ten pound more; and this is all the poor borrower can get in equity, which will cost him more the recovering than it is worth. Thus have we often had an estate worth two hundred pound, for only fifty pound and interest, and the poor borrower is forced to be quiet, not having any remedy. When an estate is mortgaged to us, we seldom let it go out of our hands; for if the money lent be not brought and paid just on the day, then we put the borrower off till the next six moneths, refusing to deliver up the writings, and then it becomes forfeited, so that we force them to sell it to us, or give extraordinary fees, to cause us to release our interest; especially if we discover it to be sold to another, we refuse to shew the writings, and so weary out the borrower with delays and pretences, &c. But this was but small game, to what we after played, as I shall presently tell you, for the 350l. being all put out in parcels, and though they often returned with profit enough, yet it was very hard to get 400l. together to pay the money that was borrowed, for now it had been lent a year, and the Usurer, though he hath never so good security, yet he loves to see his money sometimes, especially when he deals with a stranger, as the man was that borrowed it; and though my Master might have cheated him of his money, yet he was unwilling so to give over, but proceed in his Trade which had gained him so much: wherefore my Master upon search and inquiry, found that the same Company (whose Seal he had Counterfeited) had a parcel of Land in the Countrey, not far from London, which they had let to a wealthy Citizen, who had given over Trading for some years, and now lived in the Country: My Master getting the particulars of this Land soon makes a Lease, and with the help of his Counterfeit Seal, makes it authentick, so that without much trouble he procures a thousand pound to be lent upon it by another Usurer who lived private, and the business was so ordered, that the Usurer was well enough contented without seeing the Land: my Master gave his old Confederate forty pound to personate the borrower, and then he paid in the four hundred pound that was formerly borrowed, so that only he thereby engaged that Usurer to him, who now had so good an opinion of my Master, that he soon made it up fifteen hundred pound, and desired him to procure him either good security, or a purchase for it: all which was done in a fair way, to the Usurers content, and my Masters profit; and thus did our Trade increase, my Master getting much money, and many a Crown, and half piece came into my pocket; for he knowing that I was privy to the first Cheat, did humor me very much, and took his Son off from abusing me, and caused every body that borrowed money to give me some gratuity for expedition, so that I had money enough, and the keeping of all my Masters Cash is committed to my charge: My Master had one rare contrivance lately, which I will tell you of whilst it is in my minde; and thus it was, he had a Kinswoman who had long lived with him, and some moneys he had of hers in his hands, which was a Legacy formerly given her by another. This Maid being Courted by a Shop-keeper in way of Marriage, the match went forwards, and was agreed upon on these terms; the Shop-keepers Father was to give him a hundred pound in money to put him into Stock, and my Master was to give his Kinswoman fifty pound, this being agreed on, my Master takes the young man aside, and thus discourses him: Young man, here have I agreed to give fifty pound with my Kinswoman, which gains you a hundred pound of your Father, now I having not ready money by me, must borrow this fifty pound, for which you must be bound with me, and when it becomes due I will pay it; This I say you must do without acquainting your Father, and so the business shall be done, and I pray be a good Husband, &c. The young man soon consented, the marriage was consummated, and all things went well for a while, but within twelve months the young couple having run out all, my Masters Kinswoman came again to her Uncle to acquaint him with their condition, and desire his advice and assistance; my Master was much troubled at this chance, for he expected the contrary, and intended to get back the fifty pound for which end he had the young man bound, that he might be forced to pay the money, when in a condition; but seeing it was otherwise, he considered the matter, and wish’d her to send her Husband to him, and be patient, and make no words, and all should be well: her Husband according to order came, and after several checks past for his ill husbandry, he asked him if his Father knew any thing of his Condition? no, said the young man, I have kept it from his knowledge, and he thinks I thrive in the world, and is glad of it; well then, said my Master, you know I gave you fifty pound, for which you were bound, and indeed it is still unpaid: now if you will be contented to pay that fifty pound in, I will raise you two hundred pound, so that you shall have fifty pound more in ready money, and then see how good a Husband you will be. To this the young man gladly consented, and my Master soon after took occasion to meet and drink with his Father, and after some other discourse, they joyntly talked of the young mans thriving in the world, and were both glad of the match, and good husbandry: but said my Master, now I think on it, there is now an opportunity of doing him much good if he had more money, and therefore you would do well to furnish them; I shall not be backward, replies the Father, upon a good account, therefore I pray tell me the business: My Master thereupon told him, that with two hundred pound more he might be bravely settled and furnished, for the Lease of his House is to be sold, and I can get it for a hundred pound, and that is a rich penny-worth, and the other hundred pound, I would have him to lay out in furnishing his shop more plentifully, than now it is. Truly reply’d the old man, this would do well: but I have no money at present, neither if I had, should I be willing to part from any more than a hundred pound at a time; Well for that, said my Master, if you please, I will manage the matter: Thus will I procure two hundred pound for the young man; nay, and I have so great a love for him, that I will be bound with him and you for it, and when it shall be due, you shall only pay a hundred pound of the money, and your Son the t'other: To this the old man after some pause, and a little consideration consented, the business was done, and the money paid. My Master indeed being acquainted with the Landlord of the young man’s House, gained a Lease of it for eighty pound, and made the young man allow a 100l. and deducting the fifty pound he had formerly given him, he gave him the t'other fifty pound. Thus had my Master his fifty pound again, and twenty pound for his pains in the business. When the money became due, my Masters Confederate, the Usurer, in whose name the Bond was made, demanded the money of the young man, where there was none to be had; and the old man was willing to pay only a hundred pound of it according to Contract, where shall I have the rest, said the Usurer? why truly said the old man, if my Son cannot pay you, then let his wives Uncle, meaning my Master: But course was soon taken otherwise, and my Master being first, and principle in the Bond, made no more ado, but confessed Judgement, and thereupon Execution was taken out against them all, but served only upon the old man, who was forced to pay all the money. Thus my Master, by being principle in the Bond saved himself, regained the fifty pound he had formerly lent, and gained twenty pound, besides making of Writings; and this, said he, will serve to help my Kinswoman when I see occasion. I having heard him with good attention, and considering with my self my own petty Rogueries, and how inconsiderable they were in comparison of what he had related to me, could not but burst out into admiration, and told him, that I saw the world was an absolute Cheat: and now I find that saying to be verified which I had often heard, That the World consisted but of two sorts, Knaves and Fools, and that the one lived by out-witting and Cheating the other; and if there were any honest men, they were such as onely lived a contemplative life, and dealt not in this world; their whole thoughts being taken up in the Contemplation of another; Truly, reply’d the Scrivener, if you had known so much as I of all sorts of people (for we deal with people of all Qualities and Professions) you would conclude so indeed: and as the poor mans ability will not carry him high enough to Cheat so much at first, so he attempting it, and being discovered, is quite lost: but if a rich man, or any who had success in Knavery sets upon it to get an Estate, it is soon compassed, and the folly and easiness of many honest borrowers enriches the Knavish lender. Thus we both concluded, as sufficiently evidenced by the Examples he had given me: and therefore I desired him to proceed, which he did in this manner.
CHAP. XXI.
He proceeds in discovering several considerable Cheats of his Masters, whereby he grows very rich: also some Cheats of his own, and so concludes.
My Master (continued the Scrivener) being now possessed of a thousand pound in ready money, there fell out an opportunity of good advantage; (and I have observed it, that there is no loss, but profit enough to be gained in keeping five hundred pound alwayes in a readiness in Cash, especially in our Trade, where so many offers for sale of Land and Houses are daily made.). The Landlord of my Masters House was lately dead, and his Son and Heir being a wild blade, soon spent all the ready money his Father left, and all the Debts he could well get in; and now to selling of some of his Houses he must go, and my Master being known to be a moneyed man, and a Scrivener, was thought the best Customer: He therefore propounds borrowing of five hundred pound, but my Master being now possessed of a round sum, and hoping to have a good penny-worth, was very willing to buy. The young man and some friends were unwilling, and could not agree upon terms, and my Master at last consents to lend the money, provided he may have a mortgage of all that estate in that place, which amounted to two hundred pound per annum, was worth three thousand pound, and said he, you shall not need to make me an absolute assignment or sale of it all, only a Lease at a Pepper Corn a year for one and twenty years: But to confirm it, and for a Collateral security, you must give me a Statute Staple, to which our young man and his friends consented. The Lease was made, and a Statute for a thousand pound entred into, and the money paid and lent for six moneths only. The noise of this, and my Masters other Trading, brought him into great esteem both with lenders and borrowers, so that his Name being up, he may lie a bed till noon, and yet get money enough. A purchase of Land in the Country was offered, and my Master bought it for a thousand five hundred pound, of which he borrowed upon a Lease of part of it. The six moneths quickly came about wherein his young Landlord was to pay the five hundred pound: but (according to my Masters expectation) he failed, and then it was to be sold, my Master agreed to give two thousand five hundred pound for it, and so they struck up a bargain, five hundred he had received before, a thousand pound he made a shift to borrow upon the mortgage of the Land he had lately purchased; (for, though as I told you he borrowed five hundred pound of the money when he purchased the Land, and gave a mortgage of part of it for security, yet he keeping the principal Writings in his hands, concealed that mortgage, and now borrowed a thousand pound more of it) five hundred pound more he raised in ready money of his own, which was two thousand pound, and for the other five hundred pound, the remainder of the two thousand five hundred pound: his young Landlord took his Bond for the money, not questioning his security for five hundred pound, that could pay two thousand pound ready money, neither indeed had he occasion as yet for it. This being concluded, the money being paid, and writings seal’d, my Master would not remember to give up the Statute he had for a thousand pound, but he had another now for five thousand pound for security of his bargain, and the young man never so much as desired a Defeazance upon the Statute, but mark what follow’d. The youngster in short time, keeping riotous company, wasting his body as well as purse, died; and his younger Brother seized on his estate that was unspent: and among other things, on my Masters Bond of five hundred pound, and soon after demanded it; though my Master at first was non-plus’d, yet he soon bethought him of a way how to discharge and acquit himself of it: and thereupon returned this answer. It is very true, your Brother and I had much dealing, and I did give him such a Bond which I am ready to pay to his Executor, which you tell me you are, provided you pay me what he likewise owed unto me: why, reply’d the young man, did he owe you any moneys? yea, said my Master; and whereas you produce a Bond, which is indeed a very good speciality, I shall produce somewhat that is higher, and indeed the highest security that can be given for any Debt, and that is a Statute Staple: and thereupon he produced one Statute first, that was given for a thousand pound upon borrowing of the five hundred pound; nay, but said the young man, I suppose that this was part of the money that was for the purchase of your dwelling house and others; for that, said my Master I can shew you a particular Receipt for all the money under his hand and seal, and also a general acknowledgment in the Deed of conveyance: wherefore this money I must have you pay me first, and afterwards I shall talk with you further; what do you mean by further talk said the young man? why, said my Master, I mean to have of you all that your Brother owed me, which is much more than you think for: for he and I had great dealings together for a greater sum of money than all this, as I shall further shew you; and thereupon he produced the second Statute, which was for five thousand pound. This demand of my Masters so vexed the young man, that he departed, and soon began his course at Law against my Master, but he took a wrong sow by the ear, for he finding whereabouts he intended on his two Statutes, was too quick for this youngster, and gained a Liberate, which he delivered to the Sheriff, who served it upon all the estate of the deceased; so that by this means all that was unspent of the dead young mans estate (amounted in Land to the value of four thousand pound) came to my Masters hands, and yet he sayes he is unsatisfied: and the young man the Brother of the deceased cannot help it, for by this means he is bereft of all Estate to go to Law: and when money and means is wanting, friends are scarce; besides, I know not how he can avoid it, his Brother not having taken a Defeazance, as he ought to have done. Here was a matter worth playing the Knave for, and would induce some men to leave off: but my Master had so good success in his proceedings, that he is resolved to proceed in them. The money that he borrowed on all the Mortgages, both Counterfeit Leases and others, he soon paid off, and yet left himself worth above three hundred pound per annum, and money in his purse. Thus having a good estate, and now being full of imployments, both for buying, selling, borrowing, and lending: he always keeps a good Bank of money. If any purchase of Land come at twelve or thirteen years purchase, he buyes it, because he knows of a Customer that will give fifteen or sixteen. And thus he will gain five hundred pounds in a weeks time. We lately had one business worth all the rest, and which hath now made him weary of getting money: A Knight having a Lordship in the Country worth two thousand pound per annum, comes first to borrow money, and grants a Lease and Statute upon the borrowing of two thousand pound: this my Master lent himself of his own money, the Knight within a moneth or two being to marry a Daughter, wants two thousand pound more, which was likewise promised on the same security: by this time my Master was somewhat drained of his ready money, and knowing that the Knight would soon be with him again, he casts about how to raise more: which thus he does, he borrows 1500l. upon a Lease of part of his purchase, of his dwelling house and others, and keeps the grand Writings in his hands; he borrows a thousand pound on his Land in the Country, and of another party he borrows fifteen hundred pound more upon a Lease of part of his purchase of his dwelling house and others, keeping still the grand Writings in his hands: and thus having eight thousand pound ready money, he goes to the Knight, and upon treaty, agrees to give him thirty two thousand pound for his estate, which price being concluded on, he borrows two thousand pound upon his dwelling house and others, and then parts from the grand Writings, and Covenants that the estate is free of Incumbrances, though he had twice mortgaged it in part: and thus having raised ten thousand pound, he borrows twelve thousand pound more upon part of his new purchase, and the Knight is contented to take the t'other ten thousand pound in full of the purchase, at two six moneths, and only takes my Masters Bond: this was lately settled and agreed upon, and all Writings made, and I doubt the Knight will come short of his money; for my Master hath so many Statutes which the Knight never dreams of, having still given them without taking Defeazances, that I believe he will be cut off from his Debt, and so must the Usurer that lent my Master the twelve thousand pound upon a mortgage of part of his new Lordship; for my Master being resolved to make this a piece of wit, and to do his utmost to cheat them all, did the next day after the Purchase was made, and Writings sealed, cause us to sit up all night, and make an absolute bargain and sale of all that his new purchase to two friends in trust, for the use of his Children, so that the Usurer who lent his twelve thousand pounds, had not his Writings of Assignments sealed till a week or ten dayes after, and when the time comes for payment, he may be chous’d and defeated of all, and my Master being Master of an Estate of two thousand pounds per annum, may live and laugh at them all for their credulity; for he hath so ordered it that the Law cannot touch the Estate, it may only reach his person, and as for that, we know it is but a Kings-Bench matter, and there he may live all his life time, and spend like a Lord, and when he dies his Debts are paid, and his Estate goes to his Children. But if he hath success for two or three more such businesses as this last, he need not do so, but leave the Cheat to the last Cast, and grow infinitely rich, as I question not but he will.
Thus, said our Scrivener, have I given you an account of my Masters way to get money, and I have not been without mine: he would many times permit me to cheat a little, because I assisted him and was privy to his concerns. I have one way that brings me in twenty or thirty pounds per annum; for all Deeds of Bargain and Sale are to be Enrolled in six moneths after the date, either in Chancery, if it be Land or Houses out of London, or in Guild-Hall, if within London or the Liberties thereof; and I was once forced to trot to Chancery-lane four or five times for one Deed before I could get it done, and when it was done, all that was to be seen on the Deed was, Inrolled such a Day and Year in Chancery, per me such a one. I seeing that, learned to write the Hand, they use in Endorsing, and for the future only writ it my self on the back side to shew our Clients, and that was sufficient; for not one in a thousand is search’d for, and this is only done in case the Deed be lost, so that I now have got the trick on't to write on the back-side my self, and put that money the Register should have into my own pocket, and that is a pretty quantity, for an indifferent Deed comes to twenty shillings, at so much per Roll. Forty other wayes have I to get moneys, and indeed I need not invent wayes, for our Trade is so great for Procuration and Continuation, and such like, that I get money enough more than I can well tell how to spend.
I will now conclude, onely tell you a story or two, how I have initiated my self in this Art of Knavery, for my time being suddenly to expire, I thought it necessary to try some expedients how I might live hereafter when I came to be for my self; and knowing that my Master could not do any thing at first without a Confederate (some body to help and assist him) I procured the like: We had many indigent persons that came to borrow money, some Gentlemen, others decayed and decaying Citizens; amongst the rest a Master of a Ship, who had made so many broken voyages that he could make no more, for he had wearied all his Friends with holding parts of Ships with him to their great loss; but he holding to the Proverb, That a Sea-man is never broken till his neck is broken, was resolved to try his fortune one bout more, and had now with the help of Friends made a shift to buy an old Barque of near a hundred Tun, in which he was minded to go to Sea, partly as a Man of War, and withal to bring home prohibited Goods from France. This man was an earnest suiter to borrow an hundred pounds upon Bottomry, or any wayes, to victual and fit his Ship; I finding him ingenious, after some conference with him, and he being willing for any Undertaking, we concluded to go half snips in the profit of his Voyage, and I would furnish him with moneys to his content: I soon perswaded an easie friend of mine who had more money than wit, to lend our Captain an hundred pounds, promising him great profit, and indeed he was to have fifty in the hundred for that Voyage, which was to be finished in two moneths, and I told him that he might ensure his money at the Ensurance Office, which he did accordingly. Our Captain being furnished with a hundred pound of the Usurer, I made bold with an hundred pound more of my Masters, which could not soon be missed out of the Cash, and with this the Ship was so bravely fitted and provided with all Necessaries, that he was offered Fraights enough. At last he concluded with one to bring over some rich Goods, and the times being dangerous at Sea, by reason of Men of War at Sea, he ensured five hundred pounds upon the Ship.
The Ensurers knowing this, and that the man who ensured was a substantial Merchant, mistrusted nothing; but likewise ensured five hundred pounds more to the Captain, because he had laid out much in fitting the Ship, and did it as he pretended for satisfaction of the Owners. All things being thus fitted, our Captain leaving his Policy or Deed of Ensurance with me, put out to Sea, arrived at his Port, received the Goods on Board, but having a parcel of trusty Blades with him, and some who had shares in the purchase, he puts the best part of the Merchandize on Board of a small Barque he had hired for that purpose, and that being sent ashore to another Port, he soon after ran his Ship ashore in such a place as he was not likely to come off, and there she perished, he and his companions getting on shore with some small matter of Goods in the Long-boat: He being arrived on shore, soon writ word to me how he had sped, and I being acquainted very well with the Ensurers, perswaded them to pay me the money he had ensured first, upon some small rebate; and he on the other side selling the Merchandize on shore, put it into other commodities and sent them home, and himself came home as a distressed passenger, and here the Ensurers paid for all: Such bouts as these they sometimes met with, and that so often, that now adayes when a Merchant hath ensured, he had need to ensure on the Ensurers, and some have done so.