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
I have already told you of one of my Hosts misfortunes in the quart pot,
and how he was forced to pay twenty shillings instead of satisfaction
which he expected; it was not long before that, that he had a more
sensible loss, for one morning in comes a Countryman which calls for a
Flaggon of Beer, and desires a private Room, for, sayes he, I have
company a coming to me, and we have business. The Tapster accordingly
shews him a room, and brings a Flaggon of Beer, and with it a Silver Cup
worth three pound; the Countryman drank off his beer, and call’d for
another Flaggon, & withal for mine Host to bear him company: mine Host
seeing him alone, sate and talked with him about state affairs, till
they were both weary & mine host was ready to leave him: well, said the
Countryman, I see my Company will not come, and therefore I will not
stay no longer, neither did he; but having drank up his Beer, he call’d
to pay: A groat, quoth the Tapster; there ’tis, said the Countrey-man,
laying it down, and so he went out of the Room, the Tapster staide
behinde to bring away the Flaggon and Silver Cup, but though he found
the Flaggon, yet the Cup was not to be found, wherefore he hastily runs
out and cries, _Stop the man_. The Countrey-man was not in such haste,
but that he quickly stopt of himself; he was not quite out of the doors,
and therefore he soon returned to the Bar, where when he was come, he
said, Well, what is the matter? what would you have? The Cup, said the
Tapster that I brought to you; I left it in the Room, said the
Country-man: I cannot finde it, said the Tapster: and at this noise mine
Host appeared, who hearing what was the matter, said, I am sure the Cup
was there even now, for I drank in it; it is there still for me, said
the Countrey-man: Look then further, said mine Host; the Tapster did so,
but neither high nor low could he finde this Cup; well then, said mine
Host to the Countrey-man, if it be gone you must have it, or know of the
going of it, and therefore you shall pay for it: Not I, said the
Countrey-man, you see I have none of it: I have not been out of your
house, nor no body hath been with me, how then can I have it? you may
search me. Mine Host caused him to be searched, but there was no Cup to
be found, however mine Host was resolv’d not to lose his Cup so, and
therefore he sends for a Constable, and charges him with the
Countrey-man, and threatens him with the Justice; all this would not do,
and the Countrey-man told him, _That threatned Folks live long_, and if
he would go before a Justice, he was ready to go with him. Mine Host was
more and more perplexed, and seeing he could not have his cup, nor
nothing confess’d, before the Justice they went, when they came there
mine Host made his complaint, and told the story as truely it was, and
the Country-man made the same answer there, as he had done before to
mine Host; the Justice was perplexed, not knowing how to do justice,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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