The Surprising Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, King of the Beggars: Containing his Life, a Dictionary of the Cant Language, and many Entertaining Particulars of that Extraordinary ManUnknown
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The Surprising Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, King of the Beggars: Containing his Life, a Dictionary of the Cant Language, and many Entertaining Particulars of that Extraordinary Man
favour of lending him a couple of guineas, till he could receive some of
a merchant in the city upon whom he had a bill, for the merchant was gone
out of town. As Mr. Buckstone had a mare in his custody worth ten or
twelve pounds, he made no scruple of doing it; and soon after Mr. Carew
thought proper to change his quarters, without bidding the landlord
good-bye. Leaving the mare to discharge the reckoning and the loan he
had borrowed, he repaired immediately to a house of usual resort for his
community, where he pulls off the fine clothes the collector had lent
him, and rigged himself again in a jacket and trowsers; then setting out
for Topsham, about three miles from the city of Exeter, he there executed
the same stratagem upon Mr. Carter and the other officers there;
informing them also of some great concealments at Sir Coppleston
Bampfylde’s house, at Poltimore, for which they rewarded him with a good
treat and a couple of guineas.
The Exeter officers (whom, as we have before said, he left without the
least ceremony at Squire Gary’s) having searched all the out-houses, and
even in the dwelling-house, very narrowly, without finding any prohibited
goods, began to suspect the sailor had outwitted them; therefore they
returned in a great hurry to Newton-Bushel, all their mirth being turned
into vexation, and their great expectations vanished into smoke. Soon
after they had dismounted from their horses, the landlord brought in the
dinner, which he said their companion had ordered to be got ready for
them; but though it was a very elegant one, yet they found abundance of
faults with every thing; however, as it was too late to reach Exeter that
night, they were obliged to take up their quarters there; but, instead of
the jollity and good humour that reigned among them the night before,
there now succeeded a sullen silence, interrupted now and then by some
exclamations of revenge, and expressions of dislike of every thing that
was brought them: when they came into Exeter the next day, they had
intelligence brought them of the mare, which was safe enough at the
Oxford inn; but they were obliged to disburse the money Mr. Carew had
made her surety for.
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