of Paper stuck in their Girdles, run through their Button-holes, and
peeping through their Pockets. The Lord having made known his Wants,
demanded their Assistance; and they all at once laying hold of their
Papers, and crowding till they had almost stifled one another, in an
Instant heap'd up four Tables with their Memoirs. The first Paper he cast
his Eyes on was, _How to raise an unmeasurable Treasure by Subscription of
all that Men are worth, and yet inrich them by taking it away. The first
Part_, quoth the Lord, _of taking from all Men, I like; but as to the
second, which is to inrich them by taking it away, I am dubious of, yet let
them look to that_. He looked over a Multitude of others. In the mean Time
the Projectors quarrelled, each approving his own Scheme, and condemning
the rest; and they grew so Scurrilous, they called one another _Sons of
Projectors_ instead of _Sons of Whores_. The Lord commanded Peace, and
being tempted with their Offers, receiv'd and allow'd several of their
Proposals: Whereupon they all swore they would stand by him in all
Extremities. A few Days after, the Lord's Servants came out, and cried the
Palace was on Fire in three several Places, and the Wind blew high. The
Lord was in a great Consternation; the Projectors gathered about him, bid
him sit still, and be easy, and they would set all to Rights in a Moment;
Upon which they fell to Work, and laid their Hands on all they found in the
House, casting every Thing of Value out at the Windows; others with Sledges
threw down a Tower; others cried the Fire would cease, as soon as it had
Vent, and fell to unroofing the House; and so destroy'd the whole Structure
they were called to save. None endeavoured to extinguish the Fire; they
were all busy in confounding every Thing they could grasp. At length the
Smoak decreased, and the Lord, going out, perceived that the common People
had master'd the Fire, while the Projectors had demolished his Palace, and
destroyed his Furniture: Incens'd and raging at this Sight, he cried out,
_Rogues, you are worse than the Fire, and so are all your Projects; it were
better I had been burnt, than to have given Ear to your destructive