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
By this time I had conveyed away a sufficient quantity of his Goods,
intending them for my own use; and stowed them in a Warehouse which I
had lately taken privately for my purpose. My Master one night told me
his intended design, that he was resolv’d to pack up all his Goods, and
to gather in what moneys he could, and so take his wife with him for
_Ireland_. I thought I should have dy’d at first when I heard him talk
of carrying his wife with him, and could not forbear dropping some
tears; which he perceiving, his trickled down his Cheeks to bear mine
company. Well now, said he, I see thou lovest me too, as well as thou
hast hitherto proved faithful. But the dearest friends must part (& with
that he wept again like a child) however my comfort is, I hope we shall
see each other in Heaven. I thought with my self, I had rather see him
in the Counter. And from that minute I contriv’d how I might effect it:
For at that time I should never have been able to have brookt a
separation between my Mistress and self, especially at so great
distance. She and I often consulted what to do; Sometimes we were in the
mind to take what money the _old fool_ had, and so run away together,
with many stratagems which we propounded; but were rejected as no ways
expedient nor convenient. At last I resolved on this, that she should
acquaint her self of the exact time and way he intended to go, and so
inform me thereof. I receiv’d information in a short time after, that
before break of day, at such a time he would take Horse at _Islington_,
and so for _Winchester_. I immediately sent away word to one of his
chiefest Creditors, making known to him the sum and substance of every
thing, and, that if ever he expected to receive what was due to him, he
must at such a time have Officers ready to way-lay him, in order to his
arrest, which was punctually done according to what instructions I sent
him in a letter, without a name subscribed thereunto. He had not been
long in custody, before I was sent for, to advise with him what was best
to be done in this his great extremity and perplexity. I could do no
less than seemingly condole his misfortunes, and withal seemed to be
very active as to his assistance, running up and down to his Creditors
to bring them to a compliance; but he had been better to have sent some
person else as sollicitor in his businesse, for by my means I made his
wound incurable. Seeing there was no remedy but patiently to endure his
inevitable imprisonment, he got an Horse (as some men term it) _alias_ a
_Duce facies_, and so remov’d himself to _Ludgate_, where he had not
been long e’re he dy’d for grief.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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