Head The English Rogue

Continued in the Life of M Extravagants: The Fourth Part
1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-3-7364-1671-0
Verlag: anboco
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 545 Seiten

We see there is a necessity for our travailing in the common road or High-way of Prefacing; as if the Reader could neither receive nor digest the Pabulum mentis, or fatten by the mental nourishment, without a preparatory. And yet we think it savours neither of civility, nor good manners to fall on without saying something of a grace; but we do not love that it should be so tedious, as to take away your stomack from the meat, and therefore that we may not be condemned for that prolixity we mislike in others, we shall briefly tell you how little we value the favour of such Readers, who take a pride to blast the Wits of others, imagining thereby to augment the reputation of their own: What unexpected success we have obtained in the publication of the former parts, will keep us from despairing, that in this we shall be less fortunate than in the other. But although our Books have been generally received with great applause, and read with much delight and satisfaction, at home and abroad, (having travailed many thousand miles) yet we do not imagine them to be without their Errata's, for which they have suffered very hard Correction; this is a younger brother to the former, lawfully begotten, and if you will compare their faces, you will find they resemble one another very much: Or else match this pattern with the former cloth, you will find it of the same colour, wool, and spinning, only it having passed the curious hands of an excellent Artist, he hath by shearing and dressing it made it somewhat thinner, and withall finer, than was intended; however we hope it will prove a good lasting piece, and serviceable. You cannot imagin the charge and trouble we have been at, in raising this building, which we must acknowledg was erected upon an old foundation. From the actions of others we gather'd matter, which materials we methodized, and so formed this structure.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Head, Richard

Leseproben

CHAP. II.

They are ship’d from Palermo to Naples, by the way Mistress Dorothy continues the story of her Hostess who was hanged with her Husband for a Murder, the like was never heard of, her notorious confession at the Gallows of all her former Villanies: Latroons reflections on it. Mistress Dorothy and her Companion the Souldier, return for London.

Our Mulletteer was very well rewarded by our Entertainer, for the prevention of so much mischief, which had undoubtedly befel the Gentleman, had not this fellow gone down at that unseasonable time to stuff his insatiate guts. And now taking our leaves (the Gentleman and his friends being very unwilling and sorrowful to part with our Companies) away we came shaping our course for Palermo, where being arriv’d and finding out those Friends we had left too long, infinite was our satisfaction of meeting thus together again, but I I thought my Jinny would have been transported with joy when she saw me, but recovering her self, she check’d me severely for staying so long from her beyond my promise. Our caresses were accompanied with what choice Viands and Wine the City could produce.

Having now pleased our sight with the curiosities of this place, we concluded upon a remove; and the next place pitcht on was Naples, and to the intent we might convey our moneys with greater safety thither, we took up Bills at Palermo for 5000 pounds, drawn upon a Merchant of Naples, payable ten days after sight. Having shipp’d our selves, with all conveniences, that our Voyage might not seem tedious, I desired Mistress Dorothy to divert the Company with the continuation of her Story. Ah Master Latroon! (said she) your Request renews my grief, by putting me in mind of the loss of my dear Companion Mall, however I shall endeavour to satisfie your desire, and having given a summary account to the Captain and the rest, which had not heard anything of her former relation, of what was before discovered, she commenc’d her following discourse where she before left off, viz. her coming acquainted with the Soldier, and then she thus proceeded.

Being rid of my great Belly, and having now gotten me a good round sum of money, I took my pleasure with as much freedom as my unlimited desires could prompt me to, I was frequently at the old womans the Hostess, (alias my Procuress) where I found conveniences for all my secret, crafty, and pleasant Designs, and indeed to give her her due, she was no Back-friend to me, this was the place which I made my general Rendezvouz; here I did use to meet with my Friends, and here did I converse with my Soldier of Fortune (as I have already told you) before I make any further progress, give me leave to rehearse a Copy of Verses (which I got by heart) of his own composition, which he made upon the cunning trick he found in conjuring for food for his hungry Landlord and his own half famisht worship, which were these:

Hunger’s a Whetstone that so sharpens Wit,

It cuts away for some to feed by it.

For stomacks cramm’d with Lethargies do blind

The active wit, and hebetates the mind.

The Grammer-school when it hath spawn’d the Fry

Either to Oxford or to Cambridge hye:

Where lest they should by too much food grow dull,

They scarce in seven years have their belly full.

That Barresters at Bar may louder bawl,

See the short Commons that art in the Hall.

’Tis plenty rusts our Valour, when we need,

Rather than starve, we there can bravely bleed:

For food we fight, for which we Centry stand,

Want makes our wit as active as our hand.

Thus did my wit shew to my wants a way

To fill its belly, and increase my pay,

Hence I may say that I do live by wit,

For I’ve got money, and a Wench with it.

Grammercy Wit, help and assist me still,

He ne’re can want that hath but Wit at will.

This Souldier was a Gentleman of a good house, though fallen to decay, whose education might have renderd him capable of considerable employments, had not his Heroick inclination to the Wars taken his thoughts clearly off from every thing else. I appointed a day for this man of war, to attend me some few miles into the Countrey, having got leave of his Captain we went together, in the mean time my Hostess was spinning of Hemp, and by return had finisht a Rope for her self and Husband: and thus it was.

A single Gentleman came as a Traveller to lodge in her Inn, having set up his Horse, and his Portmantua carried to his Chamber, he knocks for his Landlady, who coming up to him he acquaints her that he thought he should make a stay for two or three days, and therefore delivers into her hands a bag of one hundred pounds, desiring her to lay it up safe for him, she took the Bag and promised to keep it safe, and so she did from him: The Devil was one of her Privy Councel who advised her to perswade her Husband to murder the Gentleman for his money, which thus they cunningly effected as they thought, but he that did set them at work will pay them their wages.

At midnight she and her Husband entred the Gentlemans Chamber through a private door which was hid behind the hangings, a Sally-port for a thousand Rogueries they committed; mine Host with a Pillow he had brought with him, and the assistance of his wife, smothered the Gentleman as he lay in his bed, having so done, and putting on his Cloathes, they laid him down into the Stable, and there with a Rope ty’d to a beam, they hung him up, and so went to Bed; In the morning the Hostler going into the Stable found a Gentleman there hanging, upon sight whereof he ran into the house with an Outcry, which quickly reacht the ears of the Neighbourhood, so that in an instant the house was filled with people, every one giving his Verdict as his imagination prompted him; the general Vogue was that for some discontent he had thus desperately made away with himself. This old Beldam had the impudence to come into the Throng of the people, and there declare her Hypocritical sorrow for the death of her Guest, protesting that she would have given an hundred pounds with all her heart, that no such thing had hapned in her house. I took notice, said the Host, of his extraordinary melancholy last night, and reproving him for his unsociableness, he clapt his hand upon his breast, and with erected eyes to heaven, he groaned so loud and long that I thought it would have been his last. This prodigious lye would have wrought wonderfully upon the belief of the People, being a strong Circumstance of his despair or great discontent, had not this unlucky boy which I told you of before, cryed out, true good people, I heard him groan too, but it was when my Master and Mistress were hanging him up in the Stable, what they had been doing with him before I know not, but I saw them as I lay under the manger bring in his body, which seem’d to me as dead, and had they seen me, I believe I had not been now living; my Mistress had the chiefest hand in this work as I judge, for she got up into the Rack, and stradling the beam tyed the Rope, then did my Master raise the body in his Arms for her to put the noose about his neck; this is a truth said he, for which I will rather dy then deny.

His Master hearing this, and being conscious to himself that this was no ly which the boy said, betook himself to his heels, whilst his wife with a brazen countenance was justifying her innocence. The people seeing the flight of one, and the matchless impudence of the other, concluded them guilty; and laying hands on her first, and hold of him after, they secured them with the boy till the Constable was fetched, who came immediately and carried them before a Justice, where being examined they stood out stiffly in their own vindication, maugre the boys peremptory and undaunted accusation; In fine their guilty consciences would not let them longer persist in their justification, but confest the Fact that it was an hundred pounds which was committed to their charge by the Gentleman, that first tempted them to smother him, the Devil helping them to way they thought undiscoverable. They were committed to a Goal, where they lay till Assizes; at which time they were both sentenced to dye.

Glad was I that it should come into my head to ramble into the Countrey at that nick of time, for my extraordinary familiarity with them might have raised a suspition to the endangering of my person, besides the boy which accused them had a spight against me for causing him to be soundly bang’d sometimes for some Roguish trick he served me; one he play’d a little before this Murder was committed, and being basted for it, I heard him say mutteringly, he would find a time to be even, judge you whether he be not, however thus he was an unhappy Roguish boy, yet Heaven judged him a fit Instrument to discover a deed so...