HUE and CRY AFTER A Man-Midwife, Who has Lately DELIVER'D the Land-Bank OF THEIR MONEY.
IF any Good Person, in Country or Town,
Either Courtier, or Citizen, Sharper, or Clown,
Gives Tidings or Tale, of a [...]
[...] for
Shall at the Land-Bank be as nobly rewarded,
As by the Trustees it can well be afforded.
He's a little old Man, very pale of Complexion,
Into many Deep Things makes a narrow inspection▪
His Head's very Long, and his Hands very Small,
Fit to fathom a gentle Tuquoque withal:
In tor [...]nting of which, as the Good Women tell-us,
He strangles more Necks, than the Rope and the Gallows.
Among his Profession he's fam'd as a Topper,
By some call'd a Midwife, by others a Groper.
From his Office in Queen-street he lately has started,
And left his Society half broken-hearted.
Thus show'd them a Trick, one would think was beneath-him,
And run with their Stock; marry Devil go with-him!
But yet he was so civil unto the Trustees,
Tho he's taken the Chest, he has left 'em the Keys.
Of Iron 'twas made, and secured with Chains,
Being Lock'd with abundance of Cunning and Pains;
Which mingles their Sorrow with some little Pleasure,
To think how 'twill plague him to come at thē Treasure.
[Page]By common Report into Holland he's fled;
If so, the Land-Bank is brought finely to Bed:
For if to the old place of Refuge he's run,
Adzooks you're all Cozen'd as sure as a Gun.
And you that are Chous'd, for your Money may mourn;
For Holland, like Hell, never makes a Return,
'Tis known to all Europe, the Dutch, like the Devil,
Takes damnable care of the Root of all Evil.
What Money is once carry'd into their Nation;
Is more hard to regain, than if sunk in the Ocean.
If the Coin was inclos'd (like the Soil in a Gizzard)
In an Adamant Coffer, Lock'd up by a Wizard,
They'll show him a way by some [...] In [...]ernal,
To break up the Shell, and to take out the Kernel.
A Bank to give Paper, and hoard up our Coin,
Was nothing at first but a Coz'ning Design:
And he, like a Man of a Wise Cir [...]mspection,
Has sho [...]'d the true and of a Rogu [...]sh Proj [...]ction.
Considering how [...]ften the Nation is bit▪
By Projects, and yet will not see thro the Cheat,
'Tis a wonder to me, we should learn no more Wit.
We've Lott'ries from Venice, and Banks from the Dutc [...];
Tho' Holland indeed has Occasion for such;
For if they were down▪ as abundance do wish,
They must Die all like Puppies, or live all like Fish.
My Brains are so heavy, I Vow and Protest,
I must beg you'll accept of that Pun for a Iest.
For talking of Holland so much, I'm a Dog,
If my Fancy at last is not slip'd in a Bog.
But now to the matter, If any discover
The Man and the Money, and bring 'em both over,
He shall find the Trustees of the Bank to be Noble,
And give him what e'er he can get for his Trouble.
To give you his Character truely Compleat,
He's Doctor, Projector, Man-Midwife and C—
Who has Cunningly manag'd a subtle Device,
Beyond the poor Parson, or Auberry Price.
And all that I farther can say of the matter,
He's gone to the Dutch, and the Devil go a'ter.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1699.