The English Rogue: Described in the Life of Meriton Latroon, a Witty ExtravagantHead, Richard
General
The English Rogue: Described in the Life of Meriton Latroon, a Witty Extravagant
Head, Richard
Rogues and vagabonds -- England -- Fiction
I wonder’d, said he, that contrary to my usual custom, I awak’d about
four a clock, whereas I used to sleep soundly, thou knowest till eight.
I hearkned, at first I perceived onely the boards to crack, but
presently after I heard chains rattle, and the stools flung about the
room, the bed, and I in it, _danced_ up and down, as if a _Scotch
Bagpipe_ had been plaid upon by a _Northern Witch_, and the Devil the
while had Danced with me, and the Bed a Morrice, (supplying the
_Bellows_ with wind.) Sometimes they pull’d me out of Bed, and laid me
on the cold floor, and then tost me in again like a _Dog in a Blanket_.
Hearing no noise, I attempted to peep out; but scarcely had mine eyes
recovered the top of the Bed-cloths, when I saw standing by me, a
composition of meer bones, with a shrowd thrown over his shoulders, like
an _Irish Brachin_, or a _Scotch Pladd_, with a light Taper in one hand
(I knew not what use he could make of it, for there were only _holes_ in
his head instead of eyes) and an Hour-glass in the other: he grinn’d at
me with his teeth, (for he had no lips) and shaking his chains left me,
which sight so terrified me, that I had like to have shot out (like a
_Pudding_ in a _Bag_) all that was within me. My Mistresse had like to
have broken out into extreme laughter, had not the consideration of
danger (that might have ensued thereon) hindred her.
After this, it was a long time before he would be perswaded to lie in
that Chamber again, which made me curse his strong conceit, for by this
means he would lye with his wife, which interrupted our sweet venereal
pastime. As for my part, I believed he would never have return’d to his
own chamber again, for he trembled when he past through it in the day
time; and if alone, he would so thunder down the stairs (fear giving
wings to his feet) as if (_Vulcan_-like) he had been sent by _Jupiter
head-long_ in a message.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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