The Notorious Impostor (1692); Diego Redivivus (1692)Settle, Elkanah
General
The Notorious Impostor (1692); Diego Redivivus (1692)
Settle, Elkanah
Morrell, William, -1692 -- Fiction
Accordingly he Equips himself with a Sturdy Young Country Fellow, a
_Ralpho_ to our _Hudibras_, and takes a Knight-Errantry one day to a
Fair at _Brayls_ in _Warwickshire_, his Habit between a Grazier and a
plain Country Gentleman; where Santering about with his Man _Tom_ (for
so his Squire was titled) at last spying a Knot of good likely Kine
(near a Score of them). _Ah Master_, says Tom, _what a parcel of brave
Cattle are these_. _Ay_ Tom, replies the Master, _I am sorry I saw
them no sooner; these would do my Business to a T; but as the Devil
and ill Luck would have it, I have laid out my whole Stock already,
and so I'll e'en set my Heart at Rest_. The Country Fellow, the Owner
of the Cattle, seeing a Gentleman of his honest Appearance surveying
his Beasts, and hearing every word that pass'd between the Man and
Master (for they took care to talk loud enough to be heard) thought he
had got a good Chapman, and desired the Gentleman to draw nearer and
handle the Cattle. _Handle_, answers _Tom, what for?_ _You know, Sir,
you have laid out all your Money already, and what should we handle
Cattle unless we had Cole to buy 'em. I confess they are for your Turn
above any I have zeen in the whole Vair, but that's nothing, the Money
Master the Money._ _The Money_, replies the Country-man, _Troth
that shall make no Difference, nor break Squares between us; if you
and I can agree, the Cattle are at your Service: I suppose you are
some honest Gentleman hereabouts, and the Money will do my work next
Market-day. Pray what may I call your Name? My Name is_ Walters,
replies our Cattle-Merchant, _Walters, Master_, answers our
Country-man, _What any Relation to his Worship the Noble Sir_ William
Walters? _Ay, Friend, a small Relation, a Brother of his. A Brother of
Sir_ William_'s_! Off goes the Country-man's Bonnet at the next word,
and a long Scrape made; for no Respect was too great for a Brother to
a Person of such eminent Quality. _My Cattle, Noble Squire, Ay with
all my Heart._ In short after much ado to make the Country-man be
covered before him, he fell to treat about the Price of the Cattle, in
which he bargained so warily, that they had almost parted for a single
Shilling in a Dispute between them. But at last the Bargain and Sale
concluded, _Tom_ is commanded to drive home the Cattle, the Money to
be paid next Market-day, and the Country-man has the Honor to drink a
Pot at parting with his Worshipful Chapman our Sir _William_'s
Brother: This Feat performed, he takes a walk round the Fair, and
picks up a pretty Country Girl, a Mason's Daughter, at a small Town
about four Miles off, and gives her the common Country Civility of a
Fair, _viz._ a Glass of White-wine and Sugar. During this
Entertainment of our young Damsel, he is most desperately smitten with
her Beauty, insomuch that our _Inamorato_ must wait upon her home to
her Father's House, nothing but Death and Despair attending if he
cannot have that extraordinary Happiness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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