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
But to my purpose: coming to _Balle-more-Eustace_, a little beyond the
Town, (which is in the County of _Wicklow_) there is a small River in
the Summer-time not above knee-deep; I perceived a young woman about to
cross it; drawing to the water, she stood not on the niceties of
modesty, but pulled up her Cloaths to the wast. The sight hereof stopt
me, and as near as I could opposite to her. She minded me not, but came
straight over to me, and at about three yards distance let down her
Coats. I observed so many excellencies that my blood began to boyl, and
my flesh was all of a flame. For her hair which naturally curled, and
was plaited, was of a bright flaxen, each hair in the Sun glittered like
a thread of Gold.
Here take notice by the way, that the Maids for the most part, Winter
and Summer, go without any coverings on their head, which they wash all
over every night; the meaner sort as soon as married wear Kerchers. She
had an Angelical countenance, onely somewhat brownish by the Suns
frequent kissing of it; I know not whether I may adjudge that a
deformity. The skin of her body might vye with Snow for whiteness. I
dismounted, & addrest my self to her in _English_; she answered me in
her own language, _she understood me not_: Then did I make use of that
little _Irish_ I had learned, which were some fragments of lecherous
expressions, to which she replied, but I understood her not. To be
brief, I so far prevailed that I got her into a small Wood, in which the
thick & spreading tops of the trees seemed to lay their heads together
in conspiracy to keep not only the Suns entry, but also the curious
search of any mortals eye. She permitted me to kiss, dally, lay my hand
on her thighs, _&c._, which were the only Preludiums of what should
follow. But herein I mistook, for their dispositions are much different
from the _English_. We use to say, that where we gain over any woman the
liberty to use the hand, we cannot fail of doing what we most desire:
whereas quite contrary they will without the least opposition permit the
first, but with the greatest difficulty admit of the last. For as soon
as she saw me ready to engage, she cryed out incessantly,
_Whillallalloo_; and presently I could hear this ululation ecchoed. I
had just recovered my Horse, when two or three fellows came running to
me, the one with a Flail, the rest with long Poles. The first salutation
I received was from the Flail, which failed but little of doing my
business: the next my Horses Crupper received; the poor beast being
civilly bred, could do no less then return them a Congee with his leg,
which made one of them fall on his knees to his Master, as if he had
been Monarch of that Soil. These two Rogues stood stiffly to me,
insomuch that I knew not what course to take. The Villains were so
nimble, that one of them was continually before me hindring my flight,
whilst the other drub’d me forward. I bethought my self of a Pistol I
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