The history of the life and adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell : $b a gentleman, who, tho' deaf and dumb, writes down any stranger's name at first sight, with their future contingencies of fortune
General
The history of the life and adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell : $b a gentleman, who, tho' deaf and dumb, writes down any stranger's name at first sight, with their future contingencies of fortune
Campbell, Duncan, 1680?-1730; Deaf people -- Great Britain -- Biography; Occultism -- Early works to 1900; Prophets -- Great Britain -- Biography
and begged to know how he came to be in that disguise; whether he was
under any misfortune, and apprehension of being discovered, that made
him go in so poor and so clownish a habit, and tendered him any
services, as far as his little capacity would reach, and desired him to
be free, and command him; if he was able to assist him in anything.
These were the most comfortable words that Duncan Campbell had read a
great while. He took the pen and paper in his turn; related to him his
whole story, gave the poor barber thanks for his good natured offer, and
said he would make so much use of it, as to be indebted to him for so
much money as would pay the stage-coach, and bear him in his travelling
expenses up to London, from whence he would speedily return the favour
with interest. The poor honest fellow, out of gratitude to a master
whose liberality he had formerly experienced, immediately furnished Mr.
Duncan Campbell with that little supply, expressing the gladness of his
heart that it lay in his power; and the stage-coach being to set out
within but a few hours, he ran instantly to the inn to see if he could
get him a place. By good luck, there was room, and but just room for one
more, which pleased Duncan Campbell mightily, when he was acquainted
with it by his true and trusty servant the barber; for he was as
impatient to see London again, it seems, as he had been before to quit
it. Well, he had his wish; and when he came to London, he had one wish
more for Fortune to bestow upon him, which appeared to begin to grow
kind again, after her fickle fit of cruelty was over; and this wish was,
that he might find his former lodgings empty, and live in the same house
as he did when he followed his profession. This too succeeded according
to his desire, and he was happily fixed once more to his heart's content
in his old residence, with the same people of the house round about him,
who bore him all that respect and affection, and showed all that
readiness and willingness to serve him on every occasion and at every
turn, which could be expected from persons that let lodgings in town to
a gentleman, whom they esteemed the best tenant they ever had in their
lives, or ever could have.
Immediately the tidings of the dumb gentleman's being returned home from
beyond sea, spread throughout all the neighbourhood; and it was noised
about from one neighbourhood to another, till it went through all ranks
and conditions, and was known as well in a day or two's time, all the
town over, as if he had been some great man belonging to the state, and
his arrival had been notified to the public in the gazette, as a person
of the last importance. And such a person he appeared indeed to be taken
for, especially among the fair sex, who thronged to his doors, crowd
after crowd, to consult with him about their future occurrences in life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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