The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants, Comprehending the most Eminent Cheats of Both Sexes: The Third PartHead, Richard
General
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants, Comprehending the most Eminent Cheats of Both Sexes: The Third Part
Head, Richard
Rogues and vagabonds -- England -- Fiction
danger being so near, and telling them that it was not good to leave a
house empty, and although all his folks went with him to Church, yet he
had left two honest Guests in his house, and besides they were locked in
fast enough. Thus, continued the Gentleman, was this Robbery committed,
and they who were guilty went away unsuspected. The next day they
conveyed part of their purchase away to a place where they hid all their
prizes, and by degrees getting the most part away, they continued not
long in those Quarters, but made another Remove. These fellows were
notable cunning Rascals, and had so many ways to bring in Purchases,
that they gathered much goods together, but covetous of more still
attempted further Projects, till in the end they were caught and
deservedly punished.
The next Project they had (said the Gentleman) was this, they had a boy
who oftentimes served and assisted them in their undertaking, and he was
now very useful; for one day intending to steal, they pretended to buy
some Linnen cloath; and a conceit coming into their heads, they did buy
some considerable quantity; they left it at the Drapers where they
bought it, paying a small matter of money in part at present, promising
to come the next day and fetch it away, and pay the rest of the money:
the next day they came and brought a Porter with them loaden with a Bayl
made up, as they said, of Woollen-cloath which they said they had
bought, and intending to send that, and what they had bought of him into
the Countrey, the Carrier was gone before they came, and therefore they
could not send away either till the next day; when, they said, another
Carrier was to go to the place they intended to send to; and therefore
they desired the Shop-keeper to let them leave that Bayl of Cloth in his
Shop till the next day, when they intended to fetch them both. They
having been Customers to the Shop, he did not refuse them so small a
courtesie, but permitted them to set it in a convenient place in the
Shop; but his entertaining of that Bayl of Cloth, was almost as fatal to
him as the _Trojans_ entertainment of the wooden-horse; for at midnight
when the Draper was asleep, these Rogues were wakeful, and having
conveyed this Roguish Boy I told you of, into this Bayl, which they
pretended was Cloth, he taking out his Knife cut his way through, so
that he came out the Bayl, and not finding the Key of the Shop-door, he
opened the Shop-windows and did let in his two Masters, who waited there
for that purpose; they being within the Shop were not idle, but having
seen by day-light where the finest Cloth was plac’d they now removed it,
and breaking open a Desk wherein they had observed the Draper did put
his money, there they found four hundred _French_ Crowns, so taking that
money, and as much of the finest Cloth as they could carry, they march’d
off; neither did the boy stay behinde, but leaving an empty Bayl covered
with Canvas, and stuff’d round about with Cotton, he also loading
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