The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-18
CHAPTER v.
Divers Employments Of John Law.

Divers Employments Of John LAW
"And when shall send these garments
to your lordship" asked the haberdasher.
with whom Law was having speech on the
morning following the first night In Lon
don.
1.-TWO weeks from to-day" said Law.
Tin the afternoon, and not later than 4
o'clock. shall have need for Them"
"Impossible!' said the tradesnan.
hitherto obsequious. but now smitten with
the conviction regarding the limits Of
human possibilities.
"At that hour. or not at ALL" said John
Law. calmly. "At that time / shall per-
haps be at my lodgings, 80 Bradwell
street, west. AS have said to you, am
not clad as could wish. 1t is not a mat
ter Of your convenience, but Of mine
own"
But, sir" expostulated the other. 'tyou
order of the best. Nothing, I am sure,
save the utmost Of good Workmanship
would please you. I should like month
Of time upon these garments, in order to
make them worthy Of yourself. Moreover.
there are orders of the nobility already
In our hands will occupy US more than
past the time you name. Make It three
weeks. sir, and I promise"
His customer only shook his head and
reiterated, you heard me well.'
The tailor, sore puzzled, not wishing to
lose customer who came SO we'll recon-
mended, and yet hesitating at the exae-
lions Of that customer sat with perplexity
written upon his brow.
80" exclaimed Law. ''Sir Arthur
Pembroke told me that you were a clever
fellow and could execute exact any order
! might give you. Now 1t appears to
me you are like everybody else. You
pirate only Of hardships and of impossi-
bilities."
The Precipitation fairly stood out on the
forehead of the man of trade.
"Sir," said he, II should be 8lad to
please not only friend OF Sir Arthur
Pembroke, but also a gentleman OF such
parts as yourself. ] hesitate to promise
But you must promise" said John
Law.
"Well. then, do promise! I will have
this apparel at your place on the day
which you name. 'Tis most extraordin-
airy. but the order shall be executed"
LAS I thought" said John Law.
But must thank you BESIDES" re-
sumed the tradesman. In good truth ]
must say that of all the young gentle
men who come hither-and I may show
the names of the best nobility of London
and Of some ports beyond seas-there hath
never stepped within these doors a better
figure than yourself-nay. not so good.
And am judge Of men,
Law looked at him carelessly.
"You shall make me none the easier
nor yourself the easier, by soft speech,
said he, IF you have not these garments
ready by the time appointed. Send them,
and you shall have back the SO sovereigns
by the messenger, with perhaps g. coin or
so In addition if all be well"
1.-The air Of this nobility!' said the
tailor but smiling with pleasure none
the less. "rhis is. perhaps. some affair
with lady?" he added.
Its an affair with lady, and also
with certain gentlemen
ooh, So" said the tailor. IF it be, for
sooth, an enterprise with lady, ne
thinks I know the outcome now" He
gazed with professional pride upon the
symmetrical figure before him. "You
shall be all the better armed when well
fitted in my garments. Not all London
shall furnish properer figure Of a man.
nor one better clad, when I shall have
done with you, SIR
Law but half heard him, for he was al
ready turning toward the door, where he
beckoned again for his waiting chair,
ITO the offices Of the Bank of England, ="
he directed. And forthwith he was again
Jogging through the crowded streets OF
London.
The offices of the Bank Of England. to
which this young adventurer now 80 nom
chalantly directed his course, were then
not housed in any such stately edifce as
that which now covers the heart of the
financial world, nor did the location OF the
young and struggling institution, In by
street of the great city, tend to give dig
nifty to concern which still lacked i'm
portance and assuredness Thither, then,
might have gone almost any young trav-
eler who needed letter Of credit eashed,
or bill changed after the fashion Of the
passing goldsmtths.
Yet it was not as mere transient GUS
toner Of money-changer that young
Law now sought the Bank of England,
nor was 1t as commercial house that the
bank then commanded attention. That
bank, young as it was, had already be-
come a pillar Of the throne Of England,
William, distracted by wars abroad and
mands for funds ever in OK
cess of the supply. More than
that, the people Of England discovered
themselves in possession of a currency
fuctuating, mutilated, and unstable. SO
that no man knew what was his actual
fortune. The shrewd young financter,
Montague, chancellor of the exchequer
who either by wisdom or good fortune
had sanctioned the founding OF the Bank
of England, was at this very time ad-
dressing himself to the question OF a re-
| coinage Of the specie of the realm Of Eng
| land. He needed help. he demanded
| Ideas: nor was he too particular whence
he obtained either the one or the other,
John Law was in London on no such
| blind quest as he had himself declared
He was here by the invitation, secret yet
none the less obligatory, of Montague
| controller Of the financial policy of Eng
| land. And he was to meet, here upon
| this fair morning. none less than my Lord
| Somers, keeper Of tho seals; none less than
| Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest mathema-
tician Of his time; none less than John
Locke, the most learned philosopher Of the
| day. Strong company this, for young
and unknown man, yet in the belief Of
Montague, himself young man and d
gambler by instinct, not too strong TO,
| this young Scotchman, who had startled
| the parliament Of his own land by some
| of the most remarkable theories OF finance
which had ever been proposed in any
country or to any government. As Law
had himself arrosantly announced, he
| was indeed a philosopher ana a
mathematician, young as he was; ane
these things Montague was himself keer
enough to know. 49, .
1t promised, then. to be a strange and
| interesting council, this which was t
rnoof today al fhe Rank NJ E.npla M ~