The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Fourth PartHead, Richard
General
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Fourth Part
Head, Richard
Rogues and vagabonds -- England -- Fiction
_In this stinking place I stayed so long till I was almost starved, yet
though I had nothing to feed on, I had daily a thousand which fed on me.
The Daughter of my merciless Creditor hearing the miserableness of my
condition gave me a visit, and supplyed me with some Money for the
present, and repeating her visits, pity did at last turn into affection;
this Love soon seeded into Matrimony; for she was her Mothers Darling,
and could perswade her to anything, and so it proved, for she so
prevailed, that I was discharged of my Debt, Fees paid, new Cloaths
bought, and we incontinently marryed. I knew her to be a Whore, but
necessity forced me to do what I did, or I must have perisht._
_My Wife on the Bridal night expected no new thing from me, but a new
fashioned duty; for she told me, if I expected to command, I was grosly
mistaken; that she raised me not out of that Tomb I must have lain
buryed in to my lives end, for that purpose, she knew how to rule her
own affairs without my assistance, however she could not but acknowledge
that man was a necessary implement in a Family, if it were but to cloak
his Wives imperfections; To be short, Sir, I was only a Titular master,
but a real Pimp and Cuckold; I bore all with a world of patience, still
waiting an opportunity to get what I could, and march off: which fell
out as happily as I could wish; for the House was noted to be a place of
debauchery, and whilst my mother in Law was condemned for a damn’d Bawd,
and my Wife for an errant piece of impudence, I was pityed by all as one
drawn in and undone by them both._
_Officers in fine seised them; and carried them to_ Bridewel, _being
both safe from interrupting my fixed resolution, I ransackt the house,
taking what Moneys I found, and selling what would yield me any, I
betook my self to this place, the remoteness whereof from my former
habitation affording me a very convenient refuge. Whilst I have been in
these parts I have not expended my time idly; for in Gaol and elsewhere
I have learned most knacks in playing I have ever heard of, and have
practiced them in many places very advantagiously, for I was a while of
a Gang that stroled all the Countrey over, to all the great Fairs in_
England, _resorting thither as constantly, as such Tradesmen who make it
their business to observe them, exercising their cheating faculties on
all they can pick up fit for their company: the reason why they go three
or four in Company, is, that if any contest in playing should arise, or
any opposition should be made, they may be the better able to defend
their Roguery. Besides, if they should miss of a prize, and be smoakt as
Gamesters, they are then strong enough for mischiefs of another nature,
as_ Padding, Ken-milling, _&c. and indeed let me tell you, there is no
profest Villain which hath not a very great insight in Gaming, and know
not only what advantages naturally accrue from every Game, but know how
to make them when occasion shall require._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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