Social England under the Regency, Vol. 2 (of 2)Ashton, John
History
Social England under the Regency, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Ashton, John
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century; Regency -- England
In the latter part of this year, a great deal was heard of "The
Fortunate Youth." The story told about whom was, that a young
gentleman met with a very rich old one, who took a violent fancy
to the youth, used often to have him at his house, without the
knowledge of his parents, and finally, dying, left "The Fortunate
Youth" an immense fortune. This lad succeeded in humbugging people
to an unlimited extent, and in obtaining money from them, until, in
a Newspaper of the 6th of December, appeared: "SOI-DISANT FORTUNATE
YOUTH.--We lament to wound the feelings of the friends of this young
man, but we are bound by a painful duty to caution the public against
an impostor, whose detected falsehoods, and disingenuous acts,
authorize the assertion, that there is not one word of truth in his
whole story."
This was pretty plain speaking, and brought forth a disclaimer from
"The Solicitor and Confidential Friend of 'The Fortunate Youth'
and his family," in which he says, "I will venture to assert that
this Youth has never defrauded, nor attempted to defraud, any one;
and that if any person has any just pecuniary claim upon him, the
liquidation of it will be immediately provided for, on such claim
being made known to me." Once again he wrote defending his client;
but alack, and well-a-day, a little time afterwards, in a letter to
the same Newspaper, he writes (giving his own name, Weatherby): "I
feel it now a duty I owe to the public to declare, that circumstances
have since occurred, which induce me to think that I have been
grossly deceived in my opinion of him, and that his pretensions to a
large property are without foundation."
The editor then gives the impostor's real story.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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