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
Having well recruited his pockets by this stratagem, he left the city
next day, and travelled towards Bath, acting the madman all the way till
he came to Bath. As soon as he came there, he inquired for Dr. Cooney’s,
and being directed to his house, found two brother mendicants at the
door; after they had waited some time, the servant brought each of them a
halfpenny, for which his brother mendicants were very thankful; but Mr.
Carew gave his halfpenny to one of them; then knocking at the door, and
the maid coming out again, Tell your master, said he, I am not a
halfpenny man, but that my name is Bampfylde Moore Carew, king of the
mendicants, which being told, the Dr. came out with one of his daughters,
and gave him sixpence and a mug of drink, for which he returned thanks.
The next day he went to Mr. Allen’s seat, near Bath, and sent in a
petition as from a poor lunatic, by which he got half-a-crown. From
thence he made the best of his way to Shepton Mallet, when, calling at
Mr. Hooper’s, and telling the servant who he was, the mistress ordered
him in, and inquired if he was really the famous Bampfylde Carew; she
then gave him five shillings, and ordered him to be well entertained. At
Shepton Mallet our hero had the pleasure of meeting with his beloved
wife, to their mutual joy and satisfaction; and finding several brethren
of the order there, they passed some days together with much mirth and
harmony.
Going near Rye, in Sussex, (where, upon account of their extraordinary
merit, the two brothers L---d are perpetually mayors,) he met two of his
mendicant subjects, who acquainted him there was no entering the town,
but with extreme hazard to his person, upon account of the severity which
the mayor exercised towards all of their community. Mr. Carew’s wife
hearing this, entreated him in the most tender manner not to venture into
the town; but as his great heart always swelled when any thing hazardous
presented, and as he was willing to show his subjects, by example, that
nothing was too difficult for industry and ingenuity to overcome, he was
resolved to enter Rye; which he did with a very slow, feeble, and
tottering pace, stopping every minute by the most violent fits of
coughing, whilst every limb shook with an universal palsy, his
countenance appearing rather to be the property of some one among the
dead than to belong to any living body: in this manner he crept along to
the mayor’s house, and in a most lamentable moan begged some relief. The
mayor, seeing so deplorable a figure, said he was indeed a real object of
pity; and therefore gave him a shilling, and liberty to go through the
town; which he did with no little profit, and with great applause from
the mendicants, when they heard of his success.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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