The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second PartHead, Richard
General
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part
Head, Richard
Rogues and vagabonds -- England -- Fiction
But this is nothing to what ways my Master hath; and he lately exercised
his wits to a pretty profitable account, and thus it was: My Master
among other sorts of Drugs, had bought a quantity of Dragons-bloud,
being pieces of wood, dipped, as is supposed, or rather pretended, in
Dragons-bloud; and this is good in Physick, and for other uses: this
Commodity not proving very good, my Master had a great desire to put it
off, but could not get any body to buy of it: he had been not only with
Drugsters, but also with some Iron-mongers to sell it, for they use it
about their Locks, and other Iron-work, to keep them from rust; but no
person was willing to deal with him about it. My Master had a Neighbour
that was an Iron-monger, whom he had a great desire to deal withal; but
he being a wary young man, and hearing that my Master was a snap,
refused all dealing with him: and some words passed that displeased my
Master, and therefore he resolved to be avenged; and thereupon having
designed his business, with the help of two Confederates, he thus puts
it in execution.
He gave a small quantity of this Dragons-bloud to one of his
Confederates, who having full instructions, went to the Iron-mongers
house, and seeing him standing at the door, asked him if he wanted not
some of that Commodity, shewing the same to him: No, said the
Iron-monger. I was informed, said the man, that you sometimes deal in
it, and was recommended by a friend to come to you; and if you please to
deal with me, I shall use you very kindly. To this the Iron-monger
replyed, that he needed not any of it. But, said the other, I suppose
you sell of it to others sometimes, and may therefore do me a courtesie,
and your self too, for I have not a shop to sell it in, and am a
stranger; wherefore, if you please, I shall leave this parcel with you,
and you putting it on your stall may happen on a Customer, which if you
do, I can furnish you with more; and thus you, without laying out any
money, may get some profit. The Iron-monger hearing of this, and
conceiving the man to be honest and harmless, consented to his desire,
entertained the condition and the goods, and enquired further of the
price; the man telling him that he understood it was worth three
shillings _per_ pound, but he would willingly take two shillings eight
pence, because he might have profit; and telling him that he would call
on him in a weeks time: and they at this time parted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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