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
General
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
From thence he went in the same character to Lord Mansell’s, at
Cowbridge, and other places, and returned to Swansea. Thence he set out
again, travelling through the country to Tenby, where, hearing of one
Captain Lott, he waited upon him with the same story, but with the
addition of his name being John Lott, whereby he soon got half-a-crown
and a good welcome. He next set out for Carmarthen, and raised a great
deal of money from the Welsh gentry, pretending now to be an unfortunate
sailor belonging to Ireland, who had been cast away near Portland Race,
coming from Bilboa. He proceeded upon the same story to Aberystwyth and
Port Ely, where he chanced to meet with a brother of the mendicant order,
to whom he was well known; they inquired of each other’s success, and
many other particulars, and agreed to join company for some time. Mr.
Carew now got a cere-cloth of pitch, which he laid to his arms, with a
raw beef-steak at the top, covered over with white bread and tar, which
has the exact appearance of a green wound. They still continued in the
same story of being cast away, but, added to it, that he had fallen off
the rigging, and wounded his arm in that manner. They travelled together
with good success as far as Shadwell, where they parted company.
Our hero made the best of his way to Holyhead, and begging a passage on
board the packet to Dublin, after a fine trip landed at King’s End, near
that city. His first inquiry here was for an old acquaintance, and in
particular for one Mr. Crab, and Lord Annesly, who had been schoolfellows
with him at Tiverton. He found my Lord Annesly lived a mile from the
town, but did not see him the first day, being gone to Blessington, as
the servants told him. Accordingly he set out for that town the next
day, where he found my lord at a tavern with several officers; he went
in, and told the tavern-keeper he wanted to speak with his lordship; but,
as his appearance was none of the best, the tavern-keeper did not like to
deliver this message to my lord, but asked what his business was. Tell
him, said he, that I am an old school-fellow of his, and want to see him.
My lord, being told this, came out with two gentlemen, and inquired who
he was; which our hero told him. Ha! Mr. Carew, said his lordship, is it
you, mon? walk in, walk in. What, said one of the captains, is this old
Carew? the very same, replied my lord. After he had sat down for some
time, and talked over several old affairs with my lord, one of the
captains asked him if he could get him a good pointer. Ay, ay, that he
can, replied his lordship; for, by my saul, mon, he and I have stolen
many a dog, and lain in many a hay tallet, in our youthful days. Then
turning to Mr. Carew, he told his fame was spread as much in Ireland as
in England. Indeed it is so, replied one of the captains. His lordship
then asked him how he found him out there. He replied, he had been
directed there by their old school-fellow, Crab.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account