This civil way of Robbing Houses, for I can esteem it no better, was
carry'd on by a middle sort of People, call'd in the Moon
BLOUTEGONDEGOURS, which which signifies Men with two Tongues, or in
English, Stock-Jobbing Brokers.

These had formerly such an unlimited Power and were so numerous, that
indeed they govern'd the whole Trade of the Country; no Man knew when
he Bought or Sold, for tho' they pretended to Buy and Sell, and
Manage for other Men whose Stocks they had very much at Command, yet
nothing was more frequent than when they bought a thing cheap, to buy
it for themselves; if dear, for their Employer; if they were to Sell,
if the Price rise, it was Sold, if it Fell, it was Unsold; and by
this Art no body got any Mony but themselves, that at last, excepting
the two capital Men we spoke of before, these govern'd the Prizes of
all things, and nothing could be Bought or Sold to Advantage but
thro' their hands; and as the Profit was prodigious, their number
encreas'd accordingly, so that Business seem'd engross'd by these
Men, and they govern'd the main Articles of Trade.

This Success, and the Imprudence of their Conduct, brought great
Complaints against them to the Government, and a Law was made to
restrain them, both in Practice and Number.

This Law has in some measure had its Effect, the number is not only
lessen'd, but by chance some honester Men than usual are got in among
them, but they are so very, very, very Few, hardly enough to save a
Man's Credit that shall vouch for them.

Nay, some People that pretend to understand their Business better
than I do, having been of their Number, have affirm'd, it is