Tales and Legends of the English LakesArmistead, Wilson
General
Tales and Legends of the English Lakes
Armistead, Wilson
Folklore -- England -- Lake District; Legends -- England -- Lake District; Tales -- England -- Lake District
At the expiration of this time, the bill at the hotel amounted to £60
and upwards. The landlord became importunate, and after expressing his
astonishment at the non-arrival of Mr. Hatfield's domestics, etc.,
requested he might be permitted to send in his bill. This did not in the
least confuse Hatfield; he immediately told the master of the hotel,
that very unfortunately his agent, who received the rents of his estates
in the north of England, was then in Ireland, and held a public
employment; he lamented that his agent was not then in Dublin, but he
had the pleasure to know his stay in the country would not exceed three
days. This satisfied the landlord; and at the expiration of the three
days, he called upon the gentleman whose name Hatfield had given him,
and presented the account. Here followed another scene of confusion and
surprise. The supposed agent of the Yorkshire estate very frankly told
the man who delivered the bill, that he had no other knowledge of the
person who sent him than what common report furnished him with, that his
general character in London was that of a romantic simpleton whose
plausibilities had imposed on several people, and plunged himself into
repeated difficulties.
The landlord retired, highly thankful for the information, and
immediately arrested his guest who was lodged in the prison of the
Marshalsea. Hatfield had scarcely seated himself in his new lodgings,
when he visited the jailor's wife in her apartment, and in a whisper,
requested of her not to tell any person that she had in her custody a
near relation of the then Viceroy. The woman, astonished at the
discovery, immediately showed him into the best apartment in the prison,
had a table provided, and she, her husband, and Hatfield, constantly
dined together, for nearly three weeks, in the utmost harmony and good
humour.
During this time he had petitioned the Duke for another supply, who,
apprehensive that the fellow might continue his impositions in Dublin,
released him, on condition of his immediately quitting Ireland; and his
grace sent a servant, who conducted him on board the packet that sailed
the next tide for Holyhead.
In 1792, he came to Scarbro', introduced himself to the acquaintance of
several persons of distinction in that neighbourhood, and insinuated
that he was, by the interest of the Duke of Rutland, soon to be one of
the representatives in parliament for the town of Scarbro'. After
several weeks' stay at the principal inn, his imposture was detected by
his inability to pay the bill. Soon after his arrival in London, he was
arrested for this debt, and thrown into prison. He had been eight years
and a half in confinement, when a Miss Nation, of Devonshire, to whom he
had become known, paid his debts, took him from prison, and gave him her
hand in marriage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account