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
Coming home, this hypocritical jealous Devil prepared a sumptuous
Dinner, and invited his supposed Rival, with many friends to rejoyce
with him in this happy reconciliation between him and his wife, and in
the mean time he applied himself to an Apothecary, an intimate friend of
his, whom he thought wicked enough for his purpose, and one that he
might confidently trust, telling him that his wife was a Whore, and that
he knew the Rogue her lascivious Paramour; that he was a dead man if he
was not revenged on them both by death, and for that purpose he must
help him to a strong dose of poyson that shall dispatch them instantly;
the Apothecary after some pauses, with the proviso of never being
discovered, consented, and gave him something in a paper, which with
much joy he received, and carried home with all expedition. By this time
dinner was ready and serv’d up, the Guests seated, and he bidding them
welcome with a chearful countenance, declar’d to the whole Company that
he had highly wrong’d his wife, and that Gentleman pointing to him, that
if they would forgive him, he would make them amends; they readily
condescended to what he had propounded, and now nothing but a general
jolity was observed throughout the Table, the Glasses went about
merrily, there being all sorts of wine to excess; and now let me bring
this feast to its Catastrophe. The Cloth being removed, and all prepared
and ready for a Grace-cup, this graceless man, the Master of the Feast,
call’d for a Bottle of Wine, in which before he had conveyed what he had
received from the Apothecary, and filling out thereof in a large glass
up to the brimm, drank an health to his wife, wishing they might never
have more difference here, his Wife and all the Company gladly accepted
the notion; he having drank it off filled to his wife, which she drank
off to her former Lover, he receives it, and drank, as the other had
done, to the next having so done, the Husband started up, saying, It was
enough, it should go no further; every one admired at the humour, which
he perceiving, said, you must think I love my wife and her friends
better than so, than that they should drink what you do, they deserve to
have something therein better than ordinary to end all differences on
Earth, and make them Saints in Heaven, I love them not so ill as not to
bear them company; Come, come to your prayers for a prosperous journey,
our time is but short. Lord! what a confusion was all the room in, when
they heard him speak after this manner, knowing now that he had
perfected his revenge by poysoning them and himself too. Several were
dispatcht instantly for Antidote to expel the poyson, whilst the poor
Gentlewoman and her friend were on their knees offering up their last
Petitions: having said some Prayers, Husband, said she, I forgive you
with all my Soul, but know, I ever lov’d you too well to defile your
Bed, and as these are (as I suppose) the last words I shall ever speak
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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