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
I saw a couple of blades (Gentilely garb’d) enter one evening the
Ordinary; they were lookers on a while, at length there being a vacant
Room, one of them pulls the chair and sits down, as the box came still
round he passed it, doing it so often said one angerly, if you will not
throw sir what sit you there for? hereupon he snatcht up the box,
saying, set me what you will Sir I will throw at it, the other hearing
him say so, did set him two Guinneys, which he nickt, the Gentleman
being vext did set him four more, with a round parcel of Silver, which
he won also. Now did the whole Table concern themselves buttering him,
that is, doubling or trebbling what they did set before, yet could not
turn his hand, which was so successful that he held in eleven mains
together, and just as he had almost broke the Table he chanc’t to throw
out, having got his hat full of Money he arose from the Table and went
to the fire with his Comrade, who asked him how he durst be so
impudently bold to adventure after that manner knowing he had not a
Cross about him to bless himself with all; how is that said one of the
loosers who overheard what was said, had you no Money when you went to
play, it matters not replied the winner I have enough now, had I lost
having not wherewithal to pay you, why then ye must have been content to
kick me so long till ye should say yourselves ye were satisfied; besides
Sir I am a Souldier, and have past through many a brunt, venturing my
life hard for eight pence a day, and do you think now I would not hazard
a kicking or a pumping for so many fair pounds, all that were there
concerned smiled at his confidence, but he laught heartily at their
folly and his own good fortune. _Well may he laugh that wins._
Did you but see what passions and how divers effects do vary men into
several postures, you would absolutely conclude the place to be _Bedlam_
instead of an Ordinary; you may observe one loosing to gnaw the box in
pieces, or take the sawcer of Dice and throw it over his head, whilst
the winning caster smiles and is merry as a Bee, another you may see who
hath lost all his Money, standing like _Pontius Pilate_ in the old
Primmer, or like some antick figure in a suit of hangings as motion less
and almost as liveless.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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