<SPAN name="startofbook"></SPAN>
<h1><span class="smcap">the surprising</span><br/> ADVENTURES<br/> <span class="smcap">of</span><br/> BAMPFYLDE MOORE CAREW,<br/> <span class="smcap">king of the beggars</span>;<br/> <span class="smcap">containing</span><br/> HIS LIFE,<br/> A Dictionary of the Cant Language,<br/> <span class="smcap">and many</span><br/> ENTERTAINING PARTICULARS<br/> <span class="smcap">of</span><br/> THAT EXTRAORDINARY MAN.</h1>
<p style="text-align: center">LONDON:<br/>
THOMAS ALLMAN AND SON.<br/>
W. WALKER AND SON, OTLEY.</p>
<h2><!-- page 5--><SPAN name="page5"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF BAMPFYLDE MOORE CAREW.</h2>
<p>Mr. Bampfylde Moore Carew was descended from the ancient
family of the Carews, son of the Reverend Mr. Theodore Carew, of
the parish of Brickley, near Tiverton, in the county of Devon; of
which parish he was many years a rector, very much esteemed while
living, and at his death universally lamented. Mr. Carew
was born in the month of July 1693; and never was there known a
more splendid attendance of ladies and gentlemen of the first
rank and quality at any baptism in the west of England, than at
his: the Hon. Hugh Bampfylde, Esq., who afterwards died of an
unfortunate fall from his horse, and the Hon. Major Moore, were
both his illustrious godfathers, both of whose names he bears;
who sometime contending who should be the president, doubtless
presaging the honour that should redound to them from the future
actions of our hero, the affair was determined by throwing up a
piece of money, <!-- page 6--><SPAN name="page6"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>which was won by Mr. Bampfylde; who
upon this account presented a large piece of plate, whereon was
engraved, in large letters,</p>
<p style="text-align: center">BAMPFYLDE MOORE CAREW.</p>
<p>The reverend Mr. Carew had several other children, both sons
and daughters, besides Mr. Carew, all of whom he educated in a
tender and pious manner; and Mr. Carew was at the age of twelve
sent to Tiverton school, where he contracted an intimate
acquaintance with some young gentlemen of the first rank in
Somersetshire, Devonshire, Cornwall, and Dorsetshire.</p>
<p>The desire of the reader to be informed of the person of the
hero of whom they are reading is so natural, we should be guilty
of a great neglect, were we to omit satisfying our readers in
this respect, more particularly as we can, without making use of
a figure in rhetoric, (which is of very great service to many
authors,) called amplification; or, in plain English, enlarging,
present our readers with a very amiable picture.</p>
<p>The stature of our hero was tall and majestic, his limbs
strong and well-proportioned, his features regular, his
countenance open and ingenuous, bearing all those
characteristical marks which physiognomists assert denote an
honest and good-natured mind.</p>
<p>During the first four years of his continuance at Tiverton
school, his close application to, and delight in his studies,
gave his friends great hopes that he might one day make a good
figure in that honourable profession which his father became so
<!-- page 7--><SPAN name="page7"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
7</span>well, for many years, and for which he was designed.</p>
<p>He attained, for his age, a very considerable knowledge in the
Latin and Greek tongues; but soon a new exercise or
accomplishment engaged all his attention; this was that of
hunting, in which our hero soon made a surprising progress; for,
besides that agility of limb and courage requisite for leaping
over five-barred gates, &c., our hero, by indefatigable study
and application, added to it a remarkable cheering halloo to the
dogs, of very great service to the exercise, and which, we
believe, was peculiar to himself; and, besides this, found out a
secret, hitherto known but to himself, of enticing any dog
whatever to follow him.</p>
<p>The Tiverton scholars had at this time the command of a fine
cry of hounds, whereby Mr. Carew had frequent opportunity of
gratifying his inclinations in that diversion. It was then
that he entered into a very strict friendship and familiarity
with John Martin, Thomas Coleman, John Escott, and other young
gentlemen of the best rank and fortune.</p>
<p>The wise Spaniards have a proverb, Tell me who you are with,
and I will tell you what you are; and we ourselves say, Birds of
a feather flock together. It is generally allowed that
proverbs are built upon experience, and contain great truths; and
though at this time very young, he contracted no acquaintance,
and kept no company, but with young gentlemen of birth and
fortune, who were rather superior to himself than beneath
him.</p>
<p><!-- page 8--><SPAN name="page8"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
8</span>It happened that a farmer, living in a county adjacent to
Tiverton, who was a great sportsman, and used to hunt with the
Tiverton scholars, came and acquainted them of a fine deer, which
he had seen with a collar about his neck, in the fields about his
farm, which he supposed to be the favourite deer of some
gentleman not far off; this was very agreeable news to the
Tiverton scholars, who, with Mr. Carew, John Martin, Thomas
Coleman, and John Escott, at their head, went in a great body to
hunt it; this happened a short time before the harvest. The
chase was very hot, and lasted several hours, and they ran the
deer many miles, which did a great deal of damage to the fields
of corn that were then almost ripe. Upon the death of the
deer and examination of the collar, it was found to belong to
Colonel Nutcombe, of the parish of Clayhanger.</p>
<p>Those farmers and gentlemen that sustained the greatest damage
came to Tiverton, and complained heavily to Mr. Rayner, the
schoolmaster, of the havock made in their fields, which
occasioned strict enquiry to be made concerning the ringleaders,
who, proving to be our hero and his companions, they were so
severely threatened, that, for fear, they absented themselves
from school; and the next day, happening to go in the evening to
Brick-house, an alehouse, about half a mile from Tiverton, they
accidentally fell into company with a society of gipseys, who
were there feasting and carousing. This society consisted
of seventeen or eighteen persons of both sexes, who that day met
there with a full purpose of merriment and jollity; and after a
plentiful <!-- page 9--><SPAN name="page9"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>meal upon fowls, and other dainty
dishes, the flowing cups of October, and cider, went most
cheerfully round, and merry songs and country dances crowned the
jovial banquet; in short, so great an air of freedom, mirth, and
pleasure, appeared in this society, that our youngsters from that
time conceived a sudden inclination to enlist into their company;
which, when they communicated to the gipseys, they, considering
their appearance, behaviour, and education, regarded as only
spoke in jest; but as they tarried there all night in their
company, and continued in the same resolution the next morning,
they were at length induced to believe them to be serious, and
accordingly encouraged them, and admitted them into their number;
the requisite ceremonials being first gone through, and the
proper oaths administered.</p>
<p>The reader may perhaps be surprised at the mention of oaths
administered, and ceremonials used, at the entrance of these
young gentlemen; but his surprise will lessen when we inform him,
that these people are subject to a form of government and laws
peculiar to themselves, and though they have no written laws, by
which means they avoid all perplexity with lawyers, yet they pay
obedience to one who is styled their king; to which great honour
we shall hereafter see our hero arrive, having first proved
himself worthy of it, by a great number of necessary
achievements.</p>
<p>There are, perhaps, no people so completely happy as they are,
or enjoy so great a share of liberty. The king is elective
by the whole people, <!-- page 10--><SPAN name="page10"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>but none are allowed to stand as
candidates for that honour, but such as have been long in their
society, and perfectly studied the nature and institution of it;
they must likewise have given repeated proofs of their personal
wisdom, courage and capacity; this is the better known, as they
always keep a public record or register of all remarkable (either
good or bad) actions performed by any of the society; and they
can have no temptation to make choice of any but the most worthy,
as their king has no titles or lucrative employments to bestow,
which might influence or corrupt their judgment.</p>
<p>The only advantage the king enjoys is, that he is constantly
supplied with whatever is necessary for his maintenance, from the
contributions of his people; whilst he, in return, directs all
his care to the defending and protecting his people from their
enemies, in contriving and planning whatever is most likely to
promote their welfare and happiness, in seeing a due regard paid
to their laws, in registering their memorable actions, and making
a due report of all these things at their general assemblies; so
that, perhaps, at this time, it is amongst these people only that
the office of a king is the same as it was at its first
institution;—viz. a father and protector of his people.</p>
<p>The laws of these people are few and simple, but most exactly
and punctually observed; the fundamental of which is, that strong
love and mutual regard for each member in particular, and for the
whole community in general, which is inculcated into them from
their earliest infancy; <!-- page 11--><SPAN name="page11"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>so that this whole community is
connected by stronger bands of love and harmony, than oftentimes
subsist even in private families under other governments; this
naturally prevents all oppressions, fraud, and over-reachings of
one another, so common amongst other people, and totally
extinguishes that bitter passion of the mind (the source,
perhaps, of most of the other vices) envy; for it is a great and
certain truth, that Love worketh no evil.</p>
<p>Their general meetings at stated times, which all are obliged
to be present at, is a very strong cement of their love, and
indeed of all their other virtues; for, as the general register
of their actions, which we have before spoken of, is read at
these meetings, those who have deserved well of the community,
are honoured by some token or distinction in the sight of all the
rest; and those who have done any thing against their fundamental
laws, have some mark of ignominy put upon them; for they have no
high sense of pecuniary rewards, and they think the punishing of
the body of little service towards amending the mind.
Experience has shown them, that, by keeping up this nice sense of
honour and shame, they are always enabled to keep their community
in better order than the most severe corporeal punishments have
been able to effect in other governments.</p>
<p>But what has still more tended to preserve their happiness is,
that they know no other use of riches than the enjoyment of them;
but, as the word is liable to be misconstrued by many of our
readers, we think it necessary to inform them, we <!-- page
12--><SPAN name="page12"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>do
not mean by it that sordid enjoyment which the miser feels when
he bolts up his money in a well-secured iron chest, or that
delicious pleasure he is sensible of when he counts over his
hoarded stores, and finds they are increased with a half-guinea,
or even a half-crown; nor do we mean that enjoyment which the
well-known Mr. K---, <SPAN name="citation12"></SPAN><SPAN href="#footnote12" class="citation">[12]</SPAN> the man-eater, feels
when he draws out his money from his bags, to discount the good
bills of some honest but distressed tradesman at fifteen or
twenty per cent.</p>
<p>The people we are speaking of are happily ignorant of such
enjoyment of money, for they know no other use of it than that of
promoting mirth and good humour; for which end they generously
bring their gains into a common stock, whereby they whose gains
are small have an equal enjoyment with those whose profits are
larger, excepting only that a mark of ignominy is affixed on
those who do not contribute to the common stock proportionably to
their abilities, and the opportunities they have of gain; and
this is the source of their uninterrupted happiness; for by this
means they have no griping usurer to grind them, lordly possessor
to trample on them, nor any envyings to torment them; they have
no settled habitations, but, like the Scythians of old, remove
from place to place, as often as their conveniency or pleasure
<!-- page 13--><SPAN name="page13"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
13</span>requires it, which renders their life a perpetual scene
of the greatest variety.</p>
<p>By what we have said above, and much more that we could add,
of the happiness of these people, and of their peculiar
attachment to each other, we may account for what has been matter
of much surprise to the friends of our hero, viz., his strong
attachment, for the space of above forty years, to this
community, and his refusing the large offers that have been made
to quit their society.—But to return to our history.</p>
<p>Thus was Mr. Carew initiated into the mysteries of a society,
which, for antiquity, need give place to none, as is evident from
the name, as well as their origin, which they derive from the
Egyptians, one of the most ancient and learned people in the
world, and that they were persons of more than common learning,
who travelled to communicate their knowledge to mankind.
Whether the divine Homer himself might not have been of this
society, will admit of a doubt, as there is much uncertainty
about his birth and education, though nothing is more certain
than that he travelled from place to place.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew did not continue long in it before he was consulted
in important matters: particularly Madam Musgrove, of Monkton,
near Taunton, hearing of his fame, sent for him to consult in an
affair of difficulty. When he came, she informed him, that
she suspected a large quantity of money was buried somewhere
about her house, and if he would acquaint her with the particular
place, she would handsomely reward him.</p>
<p>Our hero consulted the secrets of his art upon <!-- page
14--><SPAN name="page14"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>this
occasion, and after long toil and study informed the lady, that
under a laurel-tree in the garden lay the treasure she anxiously
sought for; but that her planet of good fortune did not reign
till such a day and hour, till which time she should desist from
searching for it; the good lady rewarded him very generously with
twenty guineas for his discovery. We cannot tell whether at
this time our hero was sufficiently initiated in the art, or
whether the lady mistook her lucky hour, but the strict regard we
pay to truth obliges us to confess, that the lady dug below the
roots of the laurel-tree without finding the hidden treasure.</p>
<p>When he was further initiated in the art, he was consulted
upon several important matters, and generally gave satisfaction
by his sagacious answers. In the meantime, his worthy
parents sorrowed for him as one that was no more, not being able
to get the least tidings of him, though they publicly advertised
him, and sent messengers after him in every direction; till, at
the expiration of a year and a half, our hero having repeated
accounts of the sorrow and trouble his parents were in upon his
account, his heart melted with tenderness, and he repaired to his
father’s house, at Brickley, in Devonshire. As he was
much disguised, both in habit and countenance, he was not at
first known by his parents; but when he discovered himself, joy
gushed out in full streams, stopping the power of speech; but the
warm tears they bedewed his cheeks with, whilst they imprinted
them with kisses, performed the office of the tongue with more
expressive eloquence; but the good heart and tender parent will
feel this much better than <!-- page 15--><SPAN name="page15"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>we can
describe. The whole neighbourhood, partook of this joy; and
there was nothing for some time but ringing of bells, with public
feasting, and other marks of festive joy.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew’s parents did every thing possible to render
home agreeable to him; every day he was engaged in some party of
pleasure or other, and all his friends strove who should
entertain him, so that there seemed nothing wanting to his
happiness. But the uncommon pleasure that he had enjoyed in
the community he had left, the freedom of their government, the
simplicity and sincerity of their manners, the frequent changes
of their habitation, the perpetual mirth and good humour that
reigned amongst them, and perhaps some secret presages of that
high honour which he has since arrived at; all these made too
deep an impression to be effaced by any other ideas; his pleasure
therefore grew every day more and more tasteless, and he relished
none of those entertainments which his friends daily provided for
him.</p>
<p>For some time these unsatisfied longings after the community
of gipseys preyed upon his mind, his heart being too good to
think of leaving his fond parents again, without
reluctance. Long did filial piety and his inclinations
struggle for the victory; at length the last prevailed, but not
till his health had visibly suffered by these inward
commotions. One day, therefore, without taking leave of any
of his friends, he directed his steps towards Brick-house, at
Tiverton, where he had at first entered into the community of the
gipseys; and finding some of them there, he joined their company,
to the great satisfaction of them, as well as <!-- page 16--><SPAN name="page16"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>of himself;
they rejoiced greatly at having regained one who was likely to be
so useful a member to their community.</p>
<p>We are now entering into the busy part of our hero’s
life, where we shall find him acting in various characters, and
performing all with propriety, dignity, and decorum.—We
shall, therefore, rather choose to account for some of the
actions of our hero, by desiring the reader to keep in mind the
principles of the government of the mendicants, which are, like
those of the Algerines, and other states of Barbary, in a
perpetual state of hostility with most other people; so that
whatsoever stratagems or deceits they can over-reach them by, are
not only allowed by their laws, but considered as commendable and
praise-worthy; and, as the Algerines are looked upon as a very
honest people by those who are in alliance with them, though they
plunder the rest of mankind; and as most other governments have
thought that they might very honestly attack any weak
neighbouring state, whenever it was convenient for them, and
murder forty or fifty thousand of the human species; we hope, to
the unprejudiced eye of reason, the government of the gipseys in
general, and our hero as a member of it, will not appear in so
disadvantageous a light, for exercising a few stratagems to
over-reach their enemies, especially when it is considered they
never, like other states, do any harm to the persons of their
enemies, and nothing considerable to their fortunes.</p>
<p>Our hero being again admitted at the first general assembly of
the gipseys, and having taken the proper oaths of allegiance to
the sovereign, was <!-- page 17--><SPAN name="page17"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>soon after sent out by him on a
cruise upon their enemies.</p>
<p>Our hero’s wit was now set to work, by what stratagems
he might best succeed. The first that occurred to his
thoughts was that of equipping himself with an old pair of
trowsers, enough of a jacket to cover his nakedness, stockings
such as nature gave, shoes (or rather the body of shoes, for
soles they had none) which had leaks enough to sink a first rate
man of war, and a woollen cap, so black that one might more
safely swear it had not been washed since Noah’s flood,
than any electors can that they receive no bribes. Being
thus attired, our hero changed his manners with his dress; he
forgot entirely his family, education, and politeness, and became
neither more nor less than an unfortunate shipwrecked seaman.</p>
<p>Here, if we may be allowed to compare great things with small,
we could wish that all orders of men were strict imitators of our
hero; we mean that they would put on the characteristics and
qualifications of their employment, at the same time they invest
themselves with the ensigns of it; that the divine, when he puts
on his sacred and venerable habit, would clothe himself with
piety, goodness, gentleness, long-suffering, charity, temperance,
contempt of filthy lucre, and other godlike qualifications of his
office; that the judge, at the time he puts on his ermined robes,
would put on righteousness and equity as an upper garment, with
an integrity of mind more white and spotless than the fairest
ermine; that the grave physician, when he puts on his large
perriwig, would put <!-- page 18--><SPAN name="page18"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>under it the knowledge of the human
frame, of the virtues and effects of his medicines, of the signs
and nature of diseases, with the most approved and experienced
forms of cure; that the mechanic, when he puts on his leather or
woollen apron, put on diligence, frugality, temperance, modesty,
and good nature; and that kings themselves, when the crown, which
is adorned with pearls and many precious stones, is put on their
heads, would put on at the same time the more inestimable gems of
all the precious virtues; that they would remember at times, they
were invested with the dalmatica at their coronation, only as an
emblem of the ornament of a good life and holy actions; that the
rod they received was the rod of virtue and equity, to encourage
and make much of the godly, and to terrify the wicked; to show
the way to those that go astray, and to offer the hand to those
that fall; to repress the proud, and to lift up the lowly; and
the sword they were girt with, was to protect the liberties of
their people, to defend and help widows and orphans, restore the
things which have gone to decay, maintain those which are
restored, and confirm things that are in good order.</p>
<p>As to our hero, he so fully put on the character of a
shipwrecked seaman, that in his first excursion he gained a very
considerable booty, having likewise ingeniously imitated the
passes and certificates that were necessary for him to travel
with unmolested.</p>
<p>After about a month’s travel, he accidentally, at
Kingsbridge, in Devonshire, met with Coleman, his late
school-fellow, one of those who entered <!-- page 19--><SPAN name="page19"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>with him into
the community, as before related, but had, after a year and a
half’s sojourn, left them and returned to his friends:
however, not finding that satisfaction among them as with the
gipseys, he had again joined that people—great was the joy,
therefore, of these two friends at their meeting, and they soon
agreed to travel together for some time; and accordingly
proceeded to Totness, from thence to the city of Exeter, where
they raised a contribution in one day amounting to several
pounds.</p>
<p>Having obtained all he could desire from this stratagem, his
fruitful invention soon hinted another. He now became the
plain honest country farmer, who, living in the Isle of Sheppy,
in Kent, had the misfortune to have his grounds overflowed, and
all his cattle drowned. His habit was now neat but rustic;
his air and behaviour simple and inoffensive; his speech in the
Kentish dialect; his countenance dejected; his tale
pitiful—wondrous pitiful; a wife and seven helpless infants
being partakers of his misfortunes; so that if his former
stratagem answered his wishes, this did still more so, he now
getting seldom less than a guinea a day.</p>
<p>Having raised a considerable booty by these two stratagems, he
made the best of his way towards Straton, in Devonshire, where
was soon to be held a general assembly of the gipseys: here he
was received with great applause, on account of the successful
stratagems he had executed, and he had an honourable mark of
distinction bestowed upon him, being seated near the king.</p>
<p>Though our hero, by means of these stratagems, abounded with
all the pleasures he could desire, <!-- page 20--><SPAN name="page20"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>yet he began
now to reflect with himself on that grand and noble maxim of
life, that we are not born for ourselves only, but indebted to
all mankind, to be of as great use and service to them, as our
capacities and abilities will enable us to be; he, therefore,
gave a handsome gratuity to a famous rat-catcher (who assumed the
honour of being rat-catcher to the king,) to be initiated into
that, and the still more useful secret of curing madness in dogs
or cattle.</p>
<p>Our hero, by his close application, soon attained so
considerable a knowledge in his profession, that he practised
with much success and applause, to the great advantage of the
public in general, not confining the good effects of his
knowledge to his own community only, but extending them
universally to all sorts of people, wheresoever they were wanted;
for though we have before observed that the mendicants are in a
constant state of hostility with all other people, and Mr. Carew
was as alert as any one in laying all manner of schemes and
stratagems to carry off a booty from them; yet he thought, as a
member of the grand society of human kind, he was obliged to do
them all the good in his power, when it was not opposite to the
interest of that particular community of which he was a
member.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew’s invention being never at a loss, he now
formed a new stratagem; to execute which, he exchanged his habit,
shirt, &c., for only an old blanket; shoes and stockings he
laid aside, because they did not suit his present purpose.
Being thus accoutred, or rather unaccoutred, he was now no more
than Poor Mad Tom, whom the foul fiend <!-- page 21--><SPAN name="page21"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>had led
through fire and through flame, through ford and whirlpool, over
bog and quagmire, that hath laid knives under his pillow, and
halters in his pew, set ratsbane by his porridge, made him proud
at heart to ride on a bay trotting horse over four-inch bridges,
to curse his own shadow for a traitor; who eats the swimming
frog, the toad, the tadpole, the wall-newt, and the water-newt;
that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages,
swallows the old rat and ditch dog, drinks the green mantle off
the standing pool;</p>
<blockquote><p>And mice and rats, and such small gear,<br/>
Have been Tom’s food for seven long year.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>O do, de, do, de, do, de; bless thee from whirlwind,
star-blasting, and taking; do poor Tom some charity, whom the
foul fiend vexes; there could I have him now, and there, and
there again, and there; through the sharp hawthorn blows the cold
wind; Tom’s a-cold! who gives any thing to poor
Tom?—In this character, and with such like expressions, our
hero entered the house both of great and small, claiming kindred
to them, and committing all manner of frantic actions; such as
beating himself, offering to eat coals of fire, running against
the wall, and tearing to pieces those garments that were given
him to cover his nakedness; by which means he raised very
considerable contributions.</p>
<p>But these different habits and characters were still of
farther use to our hero, for by their means he had a better
opportunity of seeing the world, and knowing mankind, than most
of our youths <!-- page 22--><SPAN name="page22"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>who make the grand tour; for, as he
had none of those petty amusements and raree-shows, which so much
divert our young gentlemen abroad, to engage his attention, it
was wholly applied to the study of mankind, their various
passions and inclinations; and he made the greater improvement in
his study, as in many of his characters they acted before him
without reserve or disguise. He saw in little and plain
houses hospitality, charity and compassion, the children of
frugality; and found under gilded and spacious roofs, littleness,
uncharitableness and inhumanity, the offspring of luxury and
riot; he saw servants waste their master’s substance, and
that there were no greater nor more crafty thieves than domestic
ones; and met with masters who roared out for liberty abroad,
acting the arbitrary tyrants in their own houses:—he saw
ignorance and passion exercise the rod of justice; oppression,
the handmaid of power; self-interest outweighing friendship and
honesty in the opposite scale; pride and envy spurning and
trampling on what was more worthy than themselves;—he saw
the pure white robes of truth sullied with the black hue of
hypocrisy and dissimulation; he sometimes, too, met much riches
unattended by pomp and pride, but diffusing themselves in
numberless unexhausted streams, conducted by the hands of two
lovely servants, Goodness and Beneficence;—and he saw
honesty, integrity and goodness of mind, inhabitants of the
humble cot of poverty.</p>
<p>All these observations afforded him no little pleasure, but he
felt a much greater in the indulgence of the emotions of filial
piety, paying his parents frequent visits, unknown to them, in
different <!-- page 23--><SPAN name="page23"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>disguises; at which time, the
tenderness he saw them express in their inquiries after him (it
being their constant custom so to do of all travellers) always
melted him into real tears.</p>
<p>It has been remarked, that curiosity, or the desire of
knowledge, is that which most distinguishes man from the brute,
and the greater the mind is, the more insatiable is that passion:
we may, without flattery, say no man had a more boundless one
than our hero; for, not satisfied with the observations he had
made in England and Wales, (which we are well assured were many
more than are usually made by gentlemen before they travel into
foreign parts,) he now resolved to see other countries and
manners. He was the more inclined to this, as he imagined
it would enable him to be of greater service to the community of
which he was a member, by rendering him capable of executing some
of his stratagems with much greater success.</p>
<p>He communicated this design to his school-fellow, Escott, one
of those who joined the gipseys with him, (for neither of the
four wholly quitted the community). Escott very readily
agreed to accompany him in his travels, and there being a vessel
ready to sail for Newfoundland, tying at Dartmouth, where they
then were, they agreed to embark on board her. Nothing
remarkable happened in their passage which relates to our hero;
we shall therefore pass it by, and land him safe in
Newfoundland. Having remained there during the fishing
season, he acquired all the information he possibly could, and
which he thought might be useful to him, and returned in the same
vessel to Dartmouth, from whence he had at first sailed, <!--
page 24--><SPAN name="page24"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
24</span>bringing with him a surprising fierce and large dog,
which he had enticed to follow him, and made as gentle as a lamb,
by an art peculiar to himself. Our hero was received with
great joy by his fellow gipseys, and they were loud in his
praises, when they understood he had undertaken this voyage to
enable him to deceive his enemies with the greater success.
He accordingly, in a few days, went out on a cruise in the
character of a shipwrecked sailor, lost in a vessel homeward
bound from Newfoundland, sometimes belonging to Pool, sometimes
to Dartmouth, at other times to other ports, and under such or
such commander, according as the newspapers gave account of such
melancholy accidents.</p>
<p>If the booty he got before under this character was
considerable, it was much more so now, for being able to give an
exact account of Newfoundland, the settlements, harbours,
fishery, and the inhabitants thereof, he applied with great
confidence to masters of vessels, and gentlemen well acquainted
with those parts; so that those to whom before his prudence would
not let him apply, now became his greatest benefactors, as the
perfect account he gave of the country engaged them to give
credit to all he asserted, and made them very liberal in his
favour.</p>
<p>It was about this time our hero became sensible of the power
of love; we mean of that sort which has more of the mind than the
body, and is tender, delicate and constant; the object of which
remains constantly fixed in the mind, and will not admit of any
partner with it. It was in the town of Newcastle, so famous
for its coal-works, which <!-- page 25--><SPAN name="page25"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>our hero
visited out of curiosity, appearing there undisguised and making
a very genteel appearance, that he became enamoured with the
daughter of Mr. Gray, an eminent surgeon there. This young
lady had charms perhaps equal to any of her sex; and we might in
that style, which one, who calls himself an author of the first
rate, calls the sublime, say, “Here was whiteness, which no
lilies, ivory, nor alabaster could match. The finest
cambric might be supposed from envy to cover that bosom, which
was much whiter than itself;” but we must confess we always
feel a cold horror shoot through our limbs at the reading of this
puerile sublime, and we make no doubt but many other readers do
the same, as it greatly tends to make our hearts ache by putting
us in mind of what our posteriors have suffered for us at
school. We shall therefore content ourselves by saying,
this lady had charms sufficient to captivate the heart of any man
not unsusceptible of love; and they made so deep an impression
upon our hero, that they wholly effaced every object which before
had created any desire in him, and never permitted any other to
raise them afterwards; and, wonderful to tell, we have after
about thirty years enjoyment, seen him lament her occasional
absence almost with tears, and talk of her with all the fondness
of one who had been in love but three days. Our hero tried
all love’s soft persuasions with his fair one in an
honourable way; and, as his person was very engaging, and his
appearance genteel, he did not find her greatly averse to the
proposals. As he was aware that his being of the community
of the gipseys might prejudice her against him without <!-- page
26--><SPAN name="page26"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
26</span>examination, he passed with her for the mate of a
collier’s vessel, in which he was supported by Captain
L---n of Dartmouth, an old acquaintance of our hero’s, who
then commanded a vessel lying at Newcastle, and acknowledged him
for his mate. These assertions satisfied the young lady
very well, and she at length consented to exchange the tender
care and love of a parent for that of a husband. The reader
may perhaps be surprised that she did not make any farther
inquiries about him; it is therefore necessary that we should
inform him, that our hero had engaged on his side a very eloquent
and persuasive advocate or counsellor, for we know not which
denomination most properly belongs to him; one, though still
beardless, existed as soon as the first woman was created, and
has had ever since, till within this last century, very great
practice in the business of uniting both sexes for life; but of
late years a neighbouring counsellor, named self-interest, has by
underhand dealings, false insinuations, and mean suggestions,
taken away the greatest part of his business, so that he is
seldom retained on either side. Our hero, however, engaged
him in his service, and he pleaded so strongly for him in the
young lady, that he removed all her objections, and silenced all
her scruples, and at last persuaded her to leave her home and
venture on board Captain L---n’s vessel with her lover;
for, though this counsellor, according to a very good picture of
him drawn by a famous master, has more of the wanton roguish
smiles of a boy in his countenance, than the formality, wisdom,
and gravity of those counsellors whom thou hast perhaps seen in
Westminster-hall; <!-- page 27--><SPAN name="page27"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>and never wore one of those ponderous
perukes which are so essential to the knowledge, wisdom, and
eloquence of those gentlemen; yet we are assured none of them
ever equalled him in persuasive arguments, removing of
difficulties, and silencing of doubts; for he indeed differs in
practice from most of the counsellors we ever heard of: for, as
these are apt to puzzle and perplex their clients by their
answers, and make intricate what was plain before, on the
contrary, the gentleman we are speaking of had a wonderful
faculty of making the greatest difficulties plain and easy, and
always answered every objection and scruple to the entire
satisfaction of his client.</p>
<p>The lover and his fair one being on board, they soon hoisted
sail, and the very winds being willing to favour these two happy
lovers, they had an exceeding quick passage to Dartmouth, where
they landed. Our hero being now no longer able to conceal
his being a member of the community of gipseys, after some
previous introduction, declared it to the young lady, who was not
a little surprised and troubled at it; but the counsellor we have
already spoken of being near at hand, soon composed her mind, by
suggesting to her the worthy family her lover was sprung from;
that the community of the gipseys was more happy, and less
disreputable than she imagined, that the person of her lover was
quite amiable, and that he had good nature, and love enough to
make her happy in any condition.</p>
<p>As these suggestions entirely satisfied her, the lovers in a
few days set out for Bath, where they lawfully solemnized their
nuptials with great gaiety <!-- page 28--><SPAN name="page28"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>and
splendour, and were those two persons whom many of the old
slanders at Bath remembered for many years after to have made
such an eclat, but nobody could, at the time, conjecture who they
were, which was the occasion of much speculation and many false
surmises.</p>
<p>We cannot conclude on this head, but with the deserved praises
of our hero, from whose mouth we have had repeated assurance,
that, during their voyage to Dartmouth, and their journey from
thence to Bath, not the least indignity was offered to the
innocence or modesty of his dear Miss Gray.</p>
<p>Our lovers began to be at length weary of the same repeated
rounds of pleasure at Bath, for at that time the wit of man had
not reached so high as the invention of that most charming,
entertaining, never-cloying diversion, called E, O, which seems
to have been reserved among the secrets of fate to do honour to
the present age; for upon the nicest scrutiny, we are quite
convinced it is entirely new, and cannot find the least traces of
its being borrowed from any nation under the sun; for, though we
have with great pains and labour inquired into all the games and
diversions of the ancients; though we have followed untutored
Indians through all their revels, and though we have accurately
examined into the dull pleasures of the uncouth Hottentots; yet
in all these we find either some marks of ingenuity to exercise
and refresh the mind, or something of labour to invigorate the
body;—we therefore could not avoid interrupting our
history, to do honour to this truly interesting and original
game.</p>
<p>Our lovers having left Bath, visited next the <!-- page
29--><SPAN name="page29"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>city
of Bristol, where they stayed some time, and caused more
speculation there than they had before done at Bath, and did as
much damage to that city as the famous Lucullus did at Rome, on
his return from his victorious expedition; we have some reason to
think they first introduced the love of dress among those plain
and frugal citizens. After some stay here, they made a tour
through Somerset and Dorset to Hampshire, where they paid a visit
to an uncle of our hero’s living then at Dorchester, near
Gosport, who was a clergyman of distinguished merit and
character; here they were received with great politeness and
hospitality, and abode a considerable time.</p>
<p>His uncle took this opportunity of making use of every
argument to persuade him to quit the community of the gipseys;
but our hero was so thoroughly fixed in his principles, that even
that argument which oftentimes convinces patriots in a few hours,
that all they said and did before was wrong, that kings have a
divine right to grind the faces of their subjects, and that power
which lays its iron hand on Nabal’s goodly vineyard, and
says, “This is mine, for so I will,” is preferable to
heavenly liberty, which says to every man, “Possess what is
thine own, reap what thou hast sown, gather what thou hast
planted, eat, drink, and lie down secure;” even this
powerful argument had no effect upon our hero; for, though his
uncle made him very lucrative offers for the present, and future
promises of making him heir of all his possessions, yet
remembering his engagements with the gipseys, he rejected them
all; and reflecting that he had long lived useless to that
community, <!-- page 30--><SPAN name="page30"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>he began to prepare for his departure
from his uncle’s, in order to make some incursions on the
enemy.</p>
<p>To do this with more effect, he bethought himself of a new
stratagem. He therefore equipped himself in a loose black
gown, puts on a band, a large white peruke, and a broad-brimmed
hat;—his whole deportment was agreeable to his
dress;—his pace was solemn and slow, his countenance
thoughtful and grave, his eyes turned on the ground—but now
and then raised in seeming ejaculations to heaven: in every look
and action he betrayed his want, but at the same time seemed
overwhelmed with that shame which modest merit feels, when it is
obliged to solicit the cold hand of charity; this behaviour
excited the curiosity of many gentlemen, clergy, &c., to
inquire into the circumstances of his misfortunes; but it was
with difficulty they could engage him to relate them, it being
with much seeming reluctance that he acquainted them with his
having exercised for many years the sacred office of a clergyman
at Aberistwith, a parish in Wales; but that the government
changing, he had preferred quitting his benefice, to taking an
oath contrary to his principles and conscience. This
relation he accompanied with frequent sighs, deep marks of
adoration of the ways of Providence, and warm expressions of his
firm trust and reliance in its goodness and faithfulness, with
high encomiums on the inward satisfaction of a good
conscience. When he discoursed with any clergyman, or other
person of literature, he would now and then introduce some Latin
or Greek sentences, that were applicable to what they were <!--
page 31--><SPAN name="page31"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
31</span>talking about, which gave his hearers a high opinion of
his learning; all this, and his thorough knowledge of those
persons whom it was proper to apply to, made this stratagem
succeed even beyond his own expectations. But now, hearing
of a vessel bound to Philadelphia, on board of which were many
Quakers, being cast away on the coast of Ireland, he laid aside
his gown, cassock, and band, clothes himself in a plain suit,
pulls the button from his hat, and flaps it on every side; his
countenance was now demure, his language unadorned with any
flowers of speech, and the words You and Sir, he seemed to hold
in abomination; his hat was moved to none, for, though under
misfortunes, he would not think of bowing the knee to Baal.</p>
<p>With these qualifications, he addressed himself to persons of
the denomination of Quakers with great success (for indeed it is
to be wished that all other sects would imitate them in their
readiness to relieve their brethren); and hearing that there was
to be a great meeting of them from all parts, at a place called
Thorncombe, in Devonshire, he makes the best of his way there;
and with a demure look and modest assurance enters the assembly,
where, making his case known, and satisfying them, by his
behaviour, of his being one of their sect, they made a very
considerable subscription for his relief.</p>
<p>So active was the mind of our hero, that he was never more
happy than when engaged in some adventure or other; therefore,
when he had no opportunity of putting any great stratagem in
execution, he would amuse himself with those which did not
require so great a share of art and ingenuity. <!-- page
32--><SPAN name="page32"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
32</span>Whenever he heard of any melancholy accident by fire; he
immediately repaired to the place where it happened, and there,
remarking very accurately the spot, inquired into the cause of
it, and getting an exact information of the trades, characters,
families, and circumstances of the unhappy sufferers, he
immediately assumed the person and name of one of them; and
burning some part of his coat and hat, as an ocular demonstration
of his narrow escape, he made the best of his way to places at
some distance, and there passed for one who had been burnt out;
and to gain credit, showed a paper signed with the names of
several gentlemen in the neighbourhood of the place where the
fire happened, recommending him as an honest unhappy sufferer, by
which he got considerable sums.</p>
<p>Under this character, he had once the boldness to address
Justice Hall, of Exmouth, in Devon, the terror and professed
enemy of every order of the gipseys; however, our hero managed so
artfully, though he went through a strict examination, that he at
last convinced his worship that he was an honest miller, whose
house, mill, and whole substance had been consumed by fire,
occasioned by the negligence of an apprentice boy, and was
accordingly relieved by the justice.</p>
<p>Coming one day to Squire Portman’s, at Brinson, near
Blandford, in the character of a famous rat-catcher, with a hairy
cap upon his head, a buff girdle about his waist, and a tame rat
in a little box by his side, he boldly marched up to the house in
this disguise, though his person was well known by the family,
and meeting in the court with Mr. Portman, the Rev. Mr. Bryant,
and several other <!-- page 33--><SPAN name="page33"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>gentlemen whom he well knew, but did
not suspect he should be known by them, he accosted them as a
rat-catcher, asking if their Honours had any rats to kill.
Do you understand your business well? replied Mr. Portman.
Yes, and please your honour; I have followed it many years, and
have been employed in his majesty’s yards and ships.
Well, go in and get something to eat; and after dinner we will
try your abilities.</p>
<p>Our hero was accordingly placed at the second table to dinner,
and very handsomely entertained; after which he was called into a
great parlour, among a large company of gentlemen and
ladies. Well, honest Mr. Rat-catcher, said Mr. Portman, can
you lay any schemes to kill the rats, without hurting my
dogs? Yes, boldly replied Mr. Carew, I shall lay it where
even cats can’t climb to reach it. And what
countryman are you, pray? A Devonshire man, please your
honour. What may be your name? Our hero now
perceiving, by the smiles and whispering of the gentlemen, that
he was known, replied very composedly, B, a, m, p, f, y, l, d, e,
M, o, o, r, e, C, a, r, e, w. This occasioned a good deal
of mirth; and Mr. Carew asking what scabby sheep had infected the
whole flock? was told, Parson Bryant was the man who had
discovered him, none of the other gentlemen knowing him under his
disguise: upon which, turning to the parson, he asked him if he
had forgotten good king Charles’s rules? Mr.
Pleydell, of St. Andrew’s, Milbourn, expressed a pleasure
at seeing the famous Mr. Bampfylde Moore Carew, saying he had
never seen him before. Yes, but <!-- page 34--><SPAN name="page34"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>you have,
replied he, and gave me a suit of clothes. Mr. Pleydell
testified some surprise at this, and desired to know when it
was. Mr. Carew asked him if he did not remember a poor
wretch met him one day at his stable-door with an old stocking
round his head instead of a cap, and a woman’s old ragged
mantle on his shoulders, no shirt on his back, nor stockings to
his legs, and scarce any shoes on his feet; and that he asked him
if he was mad? to which he replied No; but a poor unfortunate
man, cast away on the coast, and taken up, with eight others, by
a Frenchman, the rest of the crew, sixteen in number, being all
drowned; and that Mr. Pleydell having asked what countryman he
was, gave him a guinea and a suit of clothes. Mr. Pleydell
said he well remembered such a poor object. Well, replied
our hero, that object was no other than the rat-catcher now
before you: at which all the company laughed very heartily.
Well, said Mr. Pleydell, I will bet a guinea I shall know you
again, come in what shape you will: the same said Mr. Seymour, of
Handford. Some of the company asserting to the contrary of
this, they desired our hero to try his ingenuity upon them, and
then to discover himself, to convince them of it.</p>
<p>This being agreed upon, and having received a handsome
contribution of this company, he took his leave; but Parson
Bryant followed him out, and acquainted him that the same
company, and many more, would be at Mr. Pleydell’s on such
a day, and advised him to make use of that opportunity to deceive
them all together; which our hero soon resolved to do. He
therefore revolved <!-- page 35--><SPAN name="page35"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>in his mind what stratagem was most
likely to succeed: at length he fixed upon one, which he thought
could not fail answering his purpose.</p>
<p>When the day was come, the barber was called in to make his
face as smooth as his art could do, and a woman’s gown and
other female accoutrements of the largest size were provided for
him. Having jumped into his petticoats, pinned a large
dowde under his chin, and put a high-crowned hat on his head, he
made a figure so comical that even Hogarth’s humour can
scarcely parallel; yet our hero thought himself of something else
to render his disguise more impenetrable: he therefore borrowed a
little hump-backed child of a tinker, and two more of some others
of his community. There remained now only in what situation
to place the children, and it was quickly resolved to tie two to
his back, and to take the other in his arms.</p>
<p>Thus accoutred, and thus hung with helpless infants, he
marched forwards for Mr. Pleydell’s; coming up to the door,
he put his hand behind him, and pinched one of the children,
which set it a roaring; this gave the alarm to the dogs, so that
between their barking and the child’s crying, the whole
family was sufficiently disturbed. Out came the maid,
crying, Carry away the children, old woman, they disturb the
ladies. God bless their ladyships, I am the poor
unfortunate grandmother to these poor helpless infants, whose
dear mother and all they had was burnt at the dreadful fire at
Kirton, and hope the good ladies, for God’s sake, will
bestow something on the poor famishing starving infants.
This moving story was accompanied with tears; upon which, the
maid ran in to acquaint <!-- page 36--><SPAN name="page36"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the ladies with this melancholy tale,
while the good grandmother kept pinching one or other of the
children, that they might play their parts to greater perfection;
the maid soon returned with a half crown from the ladies, and
some good broth, which he went into the court-yard to eat,
(understanding the gentlemen were not in the house,) and got one
of the under-servants, whom he met, to give some to the children
on his back. He had not long been there, before the
gentlemen all came in together, who accosted him with, Where did
you come from, my good old woman? From Kirton, please your
honours, where the poor unfortunate mother of these helpless
babes was burnt to death by the flames, and all they had
consumed.</p>
<p>D---n you, said one of the gentlemen, (who is well known by
the name of Worthy Sir, and was particularly acquainted with Mr.
Carew,) there has been more money collected for Kirton than ever
Kirton was worth; however, he gave this good old grandmother a
shilling, the other gentlemen likewise relieved her,
commiserating her age, and her burden of so many helpless
infants; not one of them discovering our hero in the old woman,
who received their alms very thankfully, and pretended to go
away.</p>
<p>But the gentlemen were not got into the house before their
ears were saluted with a “tantivy, tantivy,” and
halloo to the dogs, upon which they turned about, supposing it to
be some brother sportsman, but seeing nobody, Worthy Sir swore
the old woman they had relieved was Carew; a servant therefore
was dispatched to bring her back; and she was brought into the
parlour among the <!-- page 37--><SPAN name="page37"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>gentlemen, where, being examined, she
confessed herself to be the famous Mr. Bampfylde Moore Carew,
which made the gentlemen very merry, and they were now all
employed in untying the children from his back, and observing the
features and dress of this grandmother, which afforded them
sufficient entertainment. They afterwards rewarded our hero
for the mirth he procured them.</p>
<p>In the same manner he raised a contribution of Mr. Jones, of
Ashton near Bristol, twice in one day, who had maintained, with a
gentleman of his acquaintance, that he could not be so
deceived. In the morning, with a sooty face, leather apron,
a dejected countenance, and a woollen cap, he was generously
relieved as an unfortunate blacksmith, whose all had been
consumed by fire: in the afternoon he exchanged his logs for
crutches; his countenance was now pale and sickly, his gestures
very expressive of pain, his complaints lamentable, a poor
unfortunate tinner, disabled from maintaining himself, a wife,
and seven children, by the damps and hardships he had suffered in
the mines; and so well did he paint his distress, that the
disabled tinner was now as generously relieved as the unfortunate
blacksmith had been in the morning.</p>
<p>Being now near the city of Bath, where he had not long before
made so great a figure with his new married bride, he was
resolved to visit it in a very different shape and character; he
therefore tied up one of his legs behind him, and supplied its
place with a wooden one, and putting on a false beard, assumed
the character of a poor old cripple. In this disguise he
had an opportunity of entertaining <!-- page 38--><SPAN name="page38"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>himself with
the different receptions he met with from every order of men now,
from what he had done before in his fine rich clothes. The
rich, who before saluted him with their hats and compliments, now
spurned him out of their way; the gamesters overlooked him,
thinking he was no fish for their net; the chairmen, instead of
Please your honour, d---d him; and the pumpers, who attentively
marked his nod before, now denied him a glass of water.
Many of the clergy, those disciples of humility, looked upon him
with a supercilious brow; the ladies too, who had before strove
who should be his partner at the balls, could not bear the sight
of so shocking a creature: thus despised is poverty and rags,
though sometimes the veil of real merit; and thus caressed and
flattered is finery, though perhaps a covering for shame, poverty
of soul, and abandoned profligacy. One character alone
vouchsafed to look upon this contemptible object; the good man
looked upon him with an eye melting into tenderness and soft
compassion, while at the same time the hand which was stretched
out to relieve him, showed the heart felt all the pangs which it
supposed him to feel. But, notwithstanding the almost
general contempt, he raised very considerable contributions; for,
as some tossed him money out of pride, others to get rid of his
importunity, and a few, as above, out of a good heart, it
amounted to no small sum by the end of the season.</p>
<p>It is almost unnecessary to inform the reader, that these
successful stratagems gained him high applause and honour in the
company of the gipseys: he soon became the favourite of their
king, <!-- page 39--><SPAN name="page39"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>who was very old and decrepid, and
had always some honourable mark of distinction assigned him at
their public assemblies. These honours and applauses were
so many fresh spurs to his ingenuity and industry; so certain it
is, that wherever those qualities are honoured, and publicly
rewarded, though but by an oaken garland, there industry will
outwork itself, and ingenuity will exceed the common bounds of
art. Our hero, therefore, was continually planning new
stratagems, and soon executed a very bold one on his grace the
Duke of Bolton. Coming to his seat near Basingstoke, in
Hampshire, he dressed himself in a sailor’s ragged habit,
and knocking at the gate, desired of the porter, with a composed
and assured countenance, admittance to the duke, or at least that
the porter would give his grace a paper which he held in his
hand; but, as he did not apply in a proper manner to this great
officer, (who we think may not improperly be styled the turnkey
of the gate) as he did not show him that passport which can open
every gate, pass by the surliest porter, and get admittance even
to kings, neither himself nor paper could gain any
entrance. However, he was not disheartened with this, but
waiting near the gate for some time, he at last saw a servant
come out, whom he followed, and, telling him that he was a very
unfortunate man, desired he would be so kind as to introduce him
where he might speak to his grace. As this servant had no
interest in locking up his master, for that belonged to the
porter only, he very readily complied with his request, as soon
as the porter was off his stand; which he accordingly did,
introducing him into <!-- page 40--><SPAN name="page40"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>a hall, where the duke was to pass
through soon. He had not been long there before the duke
came in, upon which he clapped his knee to the ground, and very
graciously offered a paper to his hand for acceptance, which was
a petition, setting forth that the unfortunate petitioner,
Bampfylde Moore Carew, was supercargo of a large vessel that was
cast away coming from Sweden, in which were his whole effects,
and none of which he had been able to save. The duke seeing
the name of Bampfylde Moore Carew, and knowing those names to
belong to families of the greatest worth and note in the west of
England, inquired of what family he was, and how he became
entitled to those honourable names? He replied, they were
those of his godfathers, the Honourable Hugh Bampfylde, and the
Honourable Major Moore. The duke then asked him several
questions about his friends and relations, all of which he
answers very fully; and the duke expressing some surprise that he
should apply for relief in his misfortunes to any but his own
family, who were so well able to assist him, he replied, he had
disobliged them by some follies in his youth, and had not seen
them for some years, but was now returning to them. Many
more questions did the duke, and a lady who was present, ask him;
all of which he answered to their satisfaction.</p>
<p>As this was not a great while after his becoming a member of
the community of the gipseys, the duke had never heard that any
of the noble family of the Carews was become one of those people;
and was very glad to have it in his power to oblige any of that
family; he therefore treated <!-- page 41--><SPAN name="page41"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>him with
respect, and called a servant to conduct him into an inner room,
where the duke’s barber waited on him to shave him.
Presently after came in a footman, who brought in a good suit of
trimmed clothes, a fine Holland shirt, and all the other parts of
dress suitable to these. As soon as he had finished
dressing, he was introduced to the duke again, who complimented
him on his genteel appearance, and not without reason, as few did
more honour to dress. He was now desired to sit down by the
duke, with whom were many other persons of quality, who were all
greatly taken with his person and behaviour, and very much
condoled his misfortunes; so that a collection was soon made for
him to the amount of ten guineas. The duke, being engaged
to go out in the afternoon, desired him to stay there that night,
and gave orders that he should be handsomely entertained, leaving
his gentleman to keep him company; but Mr. Carew, probably not
liking his company so well as the duke’s, took an
opportunity, soon after the duke was gone, to set out unobserved
towards Basingstoke, where he immediately went into a house which
he knew was frequented by some of his community. The master
of the house, who saw him entering the door, cried out,
Here’s his Grace the Duke of Bolton coming in! upon which
there was no small hurry amongst the company. As soon as he
entered, he ordered the liquor to flow very plentifully at his
private cost; his brethren discovering who he was, were greatly
amazed at the appearance he made, so different from the usual
custom of their order; but when he had informed them fully of the
bold stratagem he had <!-- page 42--><SPAN name="page42"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>executed, the whole place resounded
with applause, and every one acknowledged he was the most worthy
of succeeding their present good old and respected king.</p>
<p>As our hero’s thoughts were bent on making still greater
advantage of his stratagem, he did not stay long with his
brethren, but went to a reputable inn, where he lodged, and set
out the next morning for Salisbury; here he presented his
petition to the mayor, bishop, and other gentlemen of great note
and fortune, (applying to none but such who were so,) and
acquainted them with the favours he had received from his grace
the Duke of Bolton. The gentlemen, having such ocular
demonstration of the duke’s great liberality, treated him
with great complaisance and respect, and relieved him very
generously, not presuming to offer any small alms to one whom the
Duke of Bolton had thought so worthy of his notice. In the
same manner, and with the same success, he visited Lord Arundel,
Sir Edward Bouverie, and many other gentlemen in the counties of
Wilts, Dorset, and Somerset. Coming into Devonshire, his
native country, he visited all his friends and most intimate
acquaintance in that part, and was relieved by them, not one of
them discovering this unfortunate supercargo to be Mr. Bampfylde
Moore Carew. Being one morning near the seat of his friend
Sir William Courtney, he was resolved to pay him three visits
that day: he went therefore to a house frequented by his order,
and there pulled off his fine clothes, and put on a parcel of
rags; in this dress he moved towards Sir William’s: there,
with a piteous moan, a dismal countenance, <!-- page 43--><SPAN name="page43"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>and a
deplorable tale, he got half-a-crown of that gentleman, as a man
who had met with misfortunes at sea; at noon he put on a leather
apron, a coat which seemed scorched by the fire, with a dejected
countenance applied again, and was relieved as an unfortunate
shoemaker, who had been burned out of his house, and all he had;
in the afternoon he went again in his trimmed clothes, and
desiring admittance to Sir William, with a modest grace and
submissive eloquence he repeated his misfortunes as the
supercargo of a vessel which had been cast away, and his whole
effects lost, at the same time mentioning the kindness he had
received from his grace the Duke of Bolton. Sir William,
seeing his genteel appearance and behaviour, treated him with
that respect which the truly great will always pay to those who
supplicate their assistance, and generously relieved him,
presenting him with a guinea at his departure. There
happened to be at that time a great number of the neighbouring
gentlemen and clergy at dinner with Sir William, not one of whom
discovered who this supercargo was, except the Reverend Mr.
Richards, who did not make it known till he was gone; upon which
Sir William dispatched a servant after him, to desire him to come
back. When he entered the room again, Sir William and the
rest of the company were very merry with him, and he was desired
to sit down and give them an account by what stratagem he had got
all his finery, and what success he had with it, which he did;
after which he asked Sir William if he had not bestowed
half-a-crown that morning on a beggar, and at noon relieved a
poor unfortunate <!-- page 44--><SPAN name="page44"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>shoemaker. I remember, replied
Sir William, that I bestowed such alms on a poor ragged
wretch. Well, said Mr. Carew, that ragged wretch was no
other than the supercargo now before you. Sir William
scarcely crediting this, Mr. Carew withdrew, and putting on the
same rags, came again with the same piteous moan, dismal
countenance, and deplorable tale, as he had done in the morning,
which fully convinced Sir William that he was the same man, and
occasioned much diversion in the company; he was however
introduced again, and seated among them in his rags; Sir William
being one of the few who pay a greater regard to the man than the
dress, can discern and support merit under rags, and despise
poverty of soul and worthlessness in embroidery; but,
notwithstanding the success of this stratagem, our hero always
looked upon it as one of the most unfortunate in his whole life;
for, after he had been at Sir William’s, as
above-mentioned, coming to Stoke Gabriel, near Totness, on a
Sunday, and having done that which discovered the nakedness of
Noah, he went to the Reverend Mr. Osburn, the minister of the
parish, and requested the thanksgivings of the church for the
wonderful preservation of himself, and the whole ship’s
crew, in the imminent danger of a violent tempest of thunder and
lightning, which destroyed the vessel they were aboard of.
Though Mr. Osburn knew him very well, yet he had no suspicion of
its being him in disguise, therefore readily granted his request;
and not only so, but recommending him to his parishioners, a
handsome collection was made for him by the congregation, which
he had generosity <!-- page 45--><SPAN name="page45"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>enough to distribute among the poor
of the parish, reserving but a small part to himself.
Though this was bringing good out of evil, he still speaks of it
(after above thirty years lapse since the commission) with the
greatest regret and compunction of mind; for he is sensible, that
though he can deceive man, he cannot deceive God, whose eyes
penetrate into every place, and mark all our actions, and who is
a Being too awful to be jested with.</p>
<p>It was about this time the good old king of the mendicants,
named Clause Patch, well known in the city of London, and most
parts of England, finished a life of true glory, being spent in
promoting the welfare of his people. A little before his
death, finding the decays of nature increase every day, and his
final dissolution approach, he called together all his children,
to the number of eighteen, and summoned as many of his subjects
as were within a convenient distance, being willing that the last
spark of his life should go out in the service of his people;
this summons was obeyed with heavy hearts by his loving subjects,
and, at the day and place appointed, a great number assembled
together.</p>
<p>The venerable old king was brought in a high chair, and placed
in the midst of them, his children standing next to him, and his
subjects behind them. Reader, if thou hast ever seen that
famous picture of Seneca bleeding to death in the bath, with his
friends and disciples standing round him, then mayest thou form
some idea of this assembly: such was the lively grief, such the
profound veneration, such the solemn attention that appeared in
every countenance; but we can give <!-- page 46--><SPAN name="page46"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>thee no
adequate idea of the inward joy which the good old king felt at
his seeing such unfeigned marks of love in his subjects, which he
considered as so many testimonies of his own virtues; for,
certain it is that, when kings are fathers of their people, their
subjects will have for them more than the filial love or
veneration of sons. The mind of man cannot conceive any
thing so august, as that of a king beloved by his subjects.
Could kings but taste this pleasure at their first mounting the
throne, instead of drinking of the intoxicating cup of power, we
should see them considering their subjects as children, and
themselves the fathers, to nourish, instruct, and provide for
them as a flock, and themselves the shepherds to bring them to
pleasant pastures, refreshing streams, and secure folds; for some
time the king of the mendicants sat contemplating these emotions
of his subjects, then bending forward, thus addressed
them:—</p>
<p>“Children and friends, or rather may I call you all my
children, as I regard you all with a parental love, I have taken
you from your daily employments, that you may all eat and drink
with me before I die. I am not courtier enough yet,
however, to make my favours an honest loss to my friends; but,
before you depart, the book shall be examined, and every one of
you shall receive from my privy purse, the same sum that you made
by your business this day of the last week. Let not this
honest act of generosity displease my heirs; it is the last waste
I shall make of their stores: the rest of what I die possessed of
is theirs by right, but my counsel, though <!-- page 47--><SPAN name="page47"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>directed to
them only, shall be of public good to all. The good
success, my dear children, with which it has pleased heaven to
bless my industry in this our calling, has given me the power of
bestowing one hundred pounds on each of you, a small, but
improvable fortune, and of most use, as it is a proof that every
one of you may gain as much as the whole, if your own idleness or
vice prevent it not;—mark by what means! Our
community, like people of other professions, live upon the
necessities, the passions, or the weaknesses of their
fellow-creatures. The two great passions of the human
breast are vanity and pity; both these have great power in
men’s actions, but the first the greater far; and he who
can attract these the most successfully, will gain the largest
fortune.</p>
<p>“There was a time when rules for doing this were of more
worth to me than gold; but now I am grown old, my strength and
senses fail me, and I am past being an object of
compassion. A real scene of affliction moves few hearts to
pity: dissembled wretchedness is what most reaches the human
mind, and I am past dissembling. Take therefore among you,
the maxims I have laid down for my own guide, and use them with
as much success as I have done.</p>
<p>“Be not less friends because you are brothers, or of the
same profession: the lawyers herd together in their inns, the
doctors in their college, the mercers on Ludgate-hill, and the
old clothes-men in Monmouth-street: what one has not among these
another has; and among you the heart of him who is not moved by
one lamentable <!-- page 48--><SPAN name="page48"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>object, will probably be so by
another; and that charity which was half awakened by the first,
will relieve a second, or a third. Remember this, and
always people a whole street with objects skilled in scenes of
different distress, placed at proper distances: the tale that
moves not one heart, may surprise the next,—the obdurate
passer-by of the first must be made of no human matter if he
feels no part of the distress that twenty different tales have
heaped together; and be assured, that where it is touched with a
kindred misfortune, it will bestow.</p>
<p>“Remember, that where one gives out of pity to you,
fifty give out of kindness to themselves, to rid them of your
troublesome application; and for one that gives out of real
compassion, five hundred do it out of ostentation. On these
principles, trouble people most who are most busy, and ask relief
where many see it given, and you’ll succeed in your
attempt. Remember that the streets were made for people to
walk, and not to converse in: keep up their ancient use; and
whenever you see two or three gathered together, be you amongst
them, and let them not hear the sound of their own voices till
they have bought off the noise of yours. When self-love is
thus satisfied, remember social virtue is the next duty, and tell
your next friend where he may go and obtain the same relief, by
the same means.</p>
<p>“Trouble not yourselves about the nobility: prosperity
has made them vain and insensible: they cannot pity what they
cannot feel.</p>
<p>“The talkers in the street are to be tolerated on
different conditions, and at different prices; if <!-- page
49--><SPAN name="page49"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>they
are tradesmen, their conversation will soon end, and may be well
paid for by a halfpenny: if an inferior clings to the skirt of a
superior, he will give twopence rather than be pulled off; and
when you are happy enough to meet a lover and his mistress, never
part with them under sixpence, for you may be sure they will
never part from one another.</p>
<p>“So much regards communities of men; but when you hunt
single, the great game of all is to be played. However much
you ramble in the day, be sure to have some street near your
home, where your chief residence is, and all your idle time is
spent, for the night. Here learn the history of every
family, and whatever has been the latest calamity; of that
provide a brother or a sister that may pretend the same. If
the master of one house has lost a son, let your eldest brother
attack his compassion on that tender side, and tell him he has
lost the sweetest, hopefullest, and dutifullest child, that was
his only comfort: what would the answer be, but, aye, poor
fellow! I know how to pity thee in that; and a shilling be in as
much haste to fly out of his pocket as the first tear from his
eye.</p>
<p>“Is the master of a second house sick? waylay his wife
from morning till night, and tell her you will pray, morning,
noon, and night for his recovery. If he dies, grief is the
reigning passion for the first fortnight, let him have been what
he would: grief leads naturally to compassion, so let your sister
thrust a pillow under her coats, tell her she is a poor
disconsolate widow, left with <!-- page 50--><SPAN name="page50"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>seven small
children, and that she lost the best husband in the world; and
you may share considerable gains.</p>
<p>“Whatever people seem to want, give it them largely in
your address to them: call the beau Sweet Gentleman, bless even
his coat or perriwig, and tell him they are happy ladies where he
is going. If you meet with a schoolboy-captain, such as our
streets are full of, call him Noble General; and if the miser can
be any way got to strip himself of a farthing, it will be by the
name of Charitable Sir.</p>
<p>“Some people show you in their looks the whole thoughts
of their heart, and give you a fine notice how to succeed with
them: if you meet a sorrowful countenance with a red coat, be
sure the wearer is a disbanded officer: let a female always
attack him, and tell him she is the widow of a poor marine, who
had served twelve years, and then broke his heart because he was
turned out without a penny; if you see a plain man hang down his
head as he comes out of some nobleman’s gate, say to him,
Good worthy sir, I beg your pardon, but I am a poor ruined
tradesman, that once was in a good business, but the great people
would not pay me. And if you see a pretty woman with a
dejected look, send your sister that is at hand, to complain to
her of a bad husband, that gets drunk and beats her; that runs to
whores, and has spent all her substance: there are but two things
that can make a handsome woman melancholy: the having a bad
husband, or the having no husband at all; if the first of these
is the case, one of the former crimes will touch her to the <!--
page 51--><SPAN name="page51"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
51</span>quick, and loosen the strings of her purse; in the
other, let a second distressed object tell her she was to have
been married well, but that her lover died a week before; one way
or other the tender heart of the female will be melted, and the
reward will be handsome. If you meet a homely, but
dressed-up lady, pray for her lovely face, and beg a penny; if
you see a mark of delicacy by the drawing up of the nose, send
somebody to show her a sore leg, a scalded head, or a
rupture. If you are happy enough to fall in with a tender
husband leading his big wife to church, send companions that have
but one arm, or two thumbs, or tell her of some monstrous child
you have brought forth, and the good man will pay you to be gone,
if he gives slightly, it is but following, getting before the
lady, and talking louder, and you may depend upon his searching
his pocket to better purpose a second time. There are many
more things of which I have to speak, but my feeble tongue will
not hold out. Profit by these: they will be found
sufficient, and if they prove to you, my children, what they have
been to me these eighteen years, I shall not repine at my
dissolution.”</p>
<p>Here he paused for some time, being almost spent: then,
recovering his voice and spirits, he thus began again: “As
I find the lamp of life is not quite extinguished, I shall employ
the little that remains in saying a few words of my public
conduct as your king. I call heaven to witness, that I have
loved you all with a paternal love: these now feeble limbs and
broken spirits have been worn out in providing for your welfare,
and <!-- page 52--><SPAN name="page52"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
52</span>often have these dim eyes watched while you have slept,
with a father’s care for your safety. I call you all
to witness that I have kept an impartial register of your
actions, and no merit has passed unnoticed. I have, with a
most exact hand, divided to every man his due portion of our
common stock, and have had no worthless favourite nor useless
officer to eat the honey of your labour. And for all these
I have had my reward, in seeing the happiness, and having the
love of all my subjects. I depart, therefore, in peace, to
rest from my labours; it remains only that I give you my last
advice, which is, that in choosing my successor, you pay no
partial regard to my family, but let him only that is most worthy
rule over you.” He said no more, but, leaning back in
his chair, died without a sigh.</p>
<p>Never was there a scene of more real distress, or more
unfeigned grief, than now appeared among his children and
subjects. Nothing was heard but sighs and exclamations for
their loss. When the first transports of their grief were
over, they sent the sorrowful news to all the houses that were
frequented by their community in every part of the kingdom; at
the same time summoning them to repair to the city of London on a
certain day, in order to proceed to the election of a new
king.</p>
<p>Before the day appointed for the election a vast concourse of
mendicants flocked from all parts of the kingdom to the city of
London; for every member of the community has a right to vote in
the choice of their king, as they think it inconsistent with that
of natural liberty, which every <!-- page 53--><SPAN name="page53"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>man is born
heir to, to deny any one the privilege of making his own choice
in a matter of so great importance.</p>
<p>Here, reader, as thou wilt be apt to judge from what thou hast
seen, thou already expectest a scene of riot and debauchery; to
see the candidates servilely cringing, meanly suing, and basely
bribing the electors, depriving themselves of sense and reason,
and selling more than Esau did for a mess of pottage; for, what
is birthright, what is inheritance, when put in the scale against
that choicest blessing, public liberty! O, Liberty! thou
enlivener of life, thou solace of toils, thou patron of virtue,
thou encourager of industry, thou spring of justice, thou
something more than life, beyond the reach of fancy to describe,
all hail! It is thou that beamest the sunshine in the
patriot’s breast; it is thou that sweetenest the toil of
the labouring mechanic! thou dost inspire the ploughman with his
jocund mirth, and thou tunest the merry milk-maid’s song;
thou canst make the desert smile, and the barren rock to sing for
joy; by thy sacred protection the poorest peasant lies secure
under the shadow of his defenceless cot, whilst oppression at a
distance gnashes with her teeth, but dares not show her iron rod;
and power, like the raging billows, dashes its bounds with
indignation, but dares not overpass them. But where thou
art not, how changed the scene! how tasteless, how irksome
labour! how languid industry! Where are the beauteous rose,
the gaudy tulip, the sweet-scented jessamine? where the purple
grape, the luscious peach, the glowing nectarine? wherefore smile
not the valleys with their beauteous verdure, <!-- page 54--><SPAN name="page54"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>nor sing for
joy with their golden harvest? All are withered by the
scorching sun of lawless power! Where thou art not, what
place so sacred as to be secure? or who can say, this is my
own! This is the language only of the place where thou
delightest to dwell; but, as soon as thou spreadest thy wings to
some more pleasing clime, power walks abroad with haughty
strides, and tramples upon the weak, whilst oppression, with its
heavy hand, bows down the unwilling neck to the yoke. O, my
Country! alas, my Country! thou wast once the chosen seat of
liberty; her footsteps appeared in thy streets, thy palaces, thy
public assemblies: she exulted in thee: her voice, the voice of
joy and gladness was heard throughout the land: with more than a
mother’s love she held forth her seven-fold shield to
protect thee, the meanest of her sons; whilst justice, supported
by law, rode triumphant by her side with awful majesty, and
looked into fear and trembling every disturber of the public
quiet. O, thou whom my soul loveth, wherefore dost thou sit
dejected, and hidest thy face all the day long? Canst thou
ask the reason of my grief? See, see, my generous hardy
sons are become foolish, indolent, effeminate, thoughtless;
behold, how with their own hands they have loaded me with
shackles: alas! hast thou not seen them take the rod from my
beloved sister, Justice, and give it to the sons of blood and
rapine? Yet a little while I mourn over lost and degenerate
sons, and then with hasty flight fix my habitation in some more
happy clime.</p>
<p>Though the community of the gipseys at other times give
themselves up to mirth and jollity with <!-- page 55--><SPAN name="page55"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>perhaps too
much licence, yet nothing is reckoned more infamous and shameful
amongst them than to appear intoxicated during the time of an
election, and it very rarely happens that any of them are so, for
they reckon it a choice of so much importance, that they cannot
exert in it too much judgment, prudence, and wisdom; they
therefore endeavour to have their faculties strong, lively,
penetrating, and clear at that time. Their method of
election is different from that of most other people, though,
perhaps, it is the best contrived of any, and attended with the
fewest inconveniences. We have already observed, that none
but those who have long been members of the community, are well
acquainted with the institution of it, and have signalized
themselves by some remarkable actions, are permitted to offer
themselves as candidates. These are obliged, ten days
before the election, to fix up in some place of their public
resort an account of those actions, upon the merit of which they
found their pretensions of becoming candidates; to which they
must add their opinions on liberty, and the office and duties of
a king. They must, during these ten days, appear every day
at the place of election, that their electors may have an
opportunity of forming some judgment from the lineaments and
prognostics of their countenance. A few days before the
election, a little white ball, and as many black ones as with the
white one will equal the number of candidates, are given to each
elector.</p>
<p>When the day of election is come, as many boxes are placed as
there are candidates, with the name of the particular candidate
written on the <!-- page 56--><SPAN name="page56"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>box which is appropriated to him;
these boxes are quite closed, except a little opening at the top,
which is every night, during the election, locked up under the
keys and seals of each candidate, and of six of the most
venerable old men in the community; it is in the little opening
at the top of these boxes, that the elector puts in the little
ball we have just now mentioned; at the same time he puts his
white ball into the box of the candidate whom he chooses to be
his king, he puts a black ball into the boxes of all the other
candidates; and when they have all done so, the boxes are broken
open, and the balls counted in presence of all the candidates,
and of as many electors as choose it, by the old men above
mentioned; and he who has the greatest number of white balls is
always duly chosen. By this means no presiding officer has
it in his power to make one more than two, which sometimes
happens in the elections amongst other communities, who do not
use this form. There are other innumerable advantages
attending this manner of election, and it is likely to preserve
public liberty the longest; for, first, as the candidates are
obliged to fix up publicly an account of those actions upon the
merit of which they become candidates, it deters any but those
who are truly worthy from offering themselves; and, as the
sentiments which each of them gives upon public liberty, and the
duty and office of a king, is immediately entered in their public
register, it stands as a public witness against, and a check upon
that candidate who is chosen, to deter him from a change of
sentiments and principles; for, though in some countries this is
known to have little <!-- page 57--><SPAN name="page57"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>effect, and men have on a sudden,
without any alteration in the nature of things, shamelessly
espoused those principles and sentiments, which they had
vehemently all their life before opposed, yet in this community,
where there is so high a sense of honour and shame kept up, it
must necessarily be none of the least binding obligations.
Secondly, by this method of balloting, or giving their votes by
balls, the elector’s choice is more free and unbiassed;
for, as none but himself can know the candidate he gives his
white ball to, there can be no influence of fear, interest, ties
of blood, or any other cause, to oblige him to give his vote
contrary to his judgment; even bribes, if they were known amongst
these people, would lose their effect under this method of
voting; because few candidates would choose to bribe, when they
could have no security or knowledge whether the bribed elector
might have put a black ball instead of a white one into his
box.</p>
<p>Our hero was now one of the candidates, and exhibited to the
electors so long a list of bold and ingenious stratagems which he
had executed, and made so graceful and majestic an appearance in
his person, that he had a considerable majority of white balls in
his box, though there were ten candidates for the same honour;
upon which he was declared duly elected, and hailed by the whole
assembly, King of the Mendicants. The public register of
their actions being immediately committed to his care, and homage
done him by all the assembly, the whole concluded with great
feasting and rejoicing, and the electors sang the following
ode:</p>
<blockquote><p><!-- page 58--><SPAN name="page58"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>I.</p>
<p>Cast your nabs <SPAN name="citation58a"></SPAN><SPAN href="#footnote58a" class="citation">[58a]</SPAN> and cares away,<br/>
This is Maunders’ holiday;<br/>
In the world look out and see,<br/>
Where so blest a king as he! <SPAN name="citation58b"></SPAN><SPAN href="#footnote58b" class="citation">[58b]</SPAN></p>
<p>II.</p>
<p>At the crowning of our king,<br/>
Thus we ever dance and sing;<br/>
Where’s the nation lives so free,<br/>
And so merrily as we!</p>
<p>III.</p>
<p>Be it peace, or be it war,<br/>
Here at liberty we are:<br/>
Hang all Harmenbecks, <SPAN name="citation58c"></SPAN><SPAN href="#footnote58c" class="citation">[58c]</SPAN> we cry,<br/>
We the Cuffin Queres <SPAN name="citation58d"></SPAN><SPAN href="#footnote58d" class="citation">[58d]</SPAN> defy.</p>
<p>IV.</p>
<p>We enjoy our ease and rest,<br/>
To the field we are not press’d;<br/>
And when taxes are increased,<br/>
We are not a penny sess’d.</p>
<p>V.</p>
<p>Nor will any go to law<br/>
With a Maunder <SPAN name="citation58e"></SPAN><SPAN href="#footnote58e" class="citation">[58e]</SPAN> for a straw;<br/>
All which happiness, he brags,<br/>
Is only owing to his rags.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><!-- page 59--><SPAN name="page59"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
59</span>Though Mr. Carew was now privileged by the dignity of
his office from going out on any cruise, and was provided with
every thing necessary, by joint contributions of the community,
yet he did not give himself up to the slow poison of the mind,
indolence, which, though its operations are imperceptible, is
more hurtful and fatal than any of the quicker passions; for we
often see great virtues break through the cloud of other vices,
but indolence is a standing corrupted pool, which always remains
in the same state, unfit for every purpose. Our hero,
therefore, notwithstanding the particular privilege of his
office, was as active in his stratagems as ever, and ready to
encounter any difficulties which seemed to promise success, of
which the following is an instance.</p>
<p>Happening to be in the parish of Fleet, near Portland Race, in
Dorsetshire, he happened to hear in the evening of a ship in
imminent danger of being cast away, she having been driven on
some shoals. Early in the morning, before it was well
light, he pulled off his clothes, which he flung into a deep pit,
and then unseen by any one swam to the vessel, which now parted
asunder; he found only one of the crew alive, who was hanging by
his hands on the side of the vessel, the rest being either washed
overboard, or drowned in attempting to swim to the shore.
Never was there a more piteous object than this poor wretch
hanging between life and death; Mr. Carew immediately offered him
his assistance to get him to shore, at the same time inquiring
the name of the vessel, and her master, what cargo on board,
whence she came, and whither bound.</p>
<p><!-- page 60--><SPAN name="page60"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
60</span>The poor wretch replied, she belonged to Bristol,
captain Griffin, master, came from Hamburg, was bound to Bristol
with a cargo of Hamburg goods, and had seven men and a boy on
board; at the same time our hero was pressing him to let go his
hold, and commit himself to his care, and he would endeavour to
swim with him to shore: but, when the danger is so imminent, and
death stands before our eyes, it is no easy matter to be
persuaded to quit the weakest stay; thus the poor wretch
hesitated so long before he would quit his hold of the vessel,
that a large sea broke upon the wreck, and overwhelmed him in the
great deep. Mr. Carew was in no little danger, but, being
an excellent swimmer, he with great difficulty got to shore,
though not without hurt, the sea throwing him with great violence
on the beach, whereby one of his arms was wounded. By this
time a great number of spectators were gathered on the strand,
who rejoiced to see Mr. Carew come ashore alive, supposing him to
be one of the poor wretches belonging to the ship. Naked,
spent with fatigue, and wounded, he raised a feeling of pity in
all the spectators; for, so strongly is this tender passion
connected with our frame by the beneficent Author of Nature, to
promote the assistance of each other, that, no sooner does the
eye see a deplorable object, than the heart feels it, and as
quickly forces the hand to relieve it; so that those whom the
love of money, for we think that the greatest opposite to pity,
has rendered unfeeling of another’s woes, are said to have
no hearts, or hearts of stone; as we naturally conclude no one
can be void of that soft and Godlike passion—pity, but
either one <!-- page 61--><SPAN name="page61"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>who by some cause or other happens to
be made up without a heart, or one in whom continual droppings of
self-love or avarice have quite changed the nature of it; which,
by the most skilful anatomist, is allowed in its natural state to
be fleshy, soft, and tender; but has been found, without
exception, upon inspection into the bodies of several money
lovers, to be nothing but a callous stony substance, from which
the chemists, by most intense fires, have been able to extract
nothing but a <i>caput mortuum</i>, or an earthy, dry, useless
powder.</p>
<p>Amongst the spectators of Mr. Carew, was the housekeeper of
Madam Mohun, in the parish of Fleet, who had a heart made of the
softest substance; for she immediately, agreeable to the
beneficent precepts of the gospel, pulled off her own cloak to
give to him that had none: and, like the good Samaritan, giving
him a handkerchief to bind up his wounds, bid him follow her, and
led him to her mistress’s house, where, placing him before
a good fire, she gave him two large glasses of brandy, with loaf
sugar in it; then bringing him a shirt and other apparel, she
went up stairs and acquainted Madam Mohun, her venerable
mistress, in the most feeling manner, with the whole affair.</p>
<p>Here, could we hope our work would last to future ages, we
might immortalize this generous woman.—Her mistress was so
affected with her relation, that she immediately ordered a warm
bed to be prepared for the poor wretch, and that he should be
taken great care of, which was accordingly soon done, and Mr.
Carew lay very quiet <!-- page 62--><SPAN name="page62"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>for three or four hours; then waking,
he seemed to be very much disturbed in his mind; his talk was
incoherent, his groans moving, and he tossed from one side of the
bed to the other, but seemed to find ease in none: the good
people seeing him so uneasy in bed, brought him a good suit of
clothes, and he got up. Being told the bodies of some of
his shipmates were flung up by the sea on the shore, he seemed
greatly affected, and the tears dropped from his eyes.
Having received from Justice Farwell, who happened to be there,
ill of the gout, a guinea and a pass for Bristol, and
considerable contributions from the great number of people who
flocked to see him, to the amount of nine or ten pounds, he
expressed an inclination of making the best of his way to
Bristol: and the good Justice Farwell lent him his own horse to
ride as far as the town of Dorchester, and the parson of the
parish sent his man to show him the way.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew would have been gladly excused from going through
Dorchester, as he had appeared there but four or five days before
in the character of a broken miller, and had thereby raised a
contribution of the mayor and corporation of that place; but as
it lay in the direct road to Bristol, and he was attended by a
guide, he could not possibly avoid it. As soon as they came
there, his guide presented the pass in behalf of Mr. Carew to the
mayor, who thereupon ordered the town-bell to be rung, and
assembled the heads of the corporation. Though he had been
so lately with them, yet, being now in a quite different dress,
and a pass which they knew to be signed by Justice <!-- page
63--><SPAN name="page63"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
63</span>Farwell, and the guide testifying that he was an
unfortunate shipwrecked seaman, escaped from the most imminent
danger, they had no notion of his being the broken miller who had
been with them a few days before; they therefore treated him with
great humanity, and relieved him very generously. After
this, the guide took his leave of him with a great many good
wishes for his safe arrival at Bristol; but Mr. Carew, instead of
pursuing his way thither, steered his course towards Devonshire,
and raised contributions by the way, as a shipwrecked seaman, on
Colonel Brown of Framton, Squire Trenchard, and Squire Falford of
Tolla, Colonel Broadrip, Colonel Mitchell, and Squire Richards of
Long Britty, and several other gentlemen.</p>
<p>It was not long after this, that, being in the city of
Bristol, he put in execution a very bold and ingenious
stratagem. Calling to mind one Aaron Cook, a trader of
considerable worth and note, at St. John’s in Newfoundland,
whom he resembled both in person and speech, he resolved to be
the son of Aaron Cook for some time; he therefore went upon the
Tolsey, and other places of public resort for the merchants of
Bristol, and there modestly acquainted them with his name, as
well as his misfortunes; that he was born and lived all his life
at St. John’s in Newfoundland; that he was bound for
England, in the Nicholas, Captain Newman; which vessel springing
a leak, they were obliged to quit her, and were taken up by an
Irishman, Patrick Pore, and by him carried into Waterford; whence
he had got passage, and landed at King’s Road; that his
business in England <!-- page 64--><SPAN name="page64"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>was to buy provisions and fishing
craft, and to see his relations, who lived in the parish of
Cockington, near Torbay, where, he said, his father was born.</p>
<p>Captains Elton, Galloway, Masters, Thomas, Turner, and several
other Newfoundland traders, many of whom personally knew his
pretended father and mother, asked him many questions about the
family, their usual place of fishing, &c., particularly if he
remembered how the quarrel happened at his father’s (when
he was but a boy) which was of so unhappy a consequence to
Governor Collins? Mr. Carew very readily replied, that
though he was then very young, he remembered that the governor,
the parson and his wife, Madam Short, Madam Bengy, Madam Brown,
and several other women of St. John’s, having met together,
and feasting at his father’s, a warm dispute happened among
the men in the heat of liquor, concerning the virtue of women,
the governor obstinately averring that there was not one honest
woman in all Newfoundland. What think you then of my wife?
said the parson. The same as I do of all other women, all
whores alike, answered the governor roughly. Hereupon the
women, not able to bear this gross aspersion on their honour,
with one accord attacked the governor, who, being overpowered by
their fury, could not defend his face from being disfigured by
their nails, nor his clothes from being torn off his back; and
what was much worse, the parson’s wife thinking herself
most injured, cut the hamstring of his leg with a knife, which
rendered him a cripple his whole life after.</p>
<p><!-- page 65--><SPAN name="page65"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
65</span>This circumstantial account, which was in every point
exactly as the affair happened, and many other questions
concerning the family which the captains asked him, and he as
readily answered, (having got every particular information
concerning them when in Newfoundland,) fully convinced them that
he must really be the son of their good old friend Mr. Aaron
Cook; they therefore not only very generously relieved him, but
offered to lend him any moderate sum, to be paid again in
Newfoundland, the next fishing season; but Mr. Carew had too high
a sense of honour to abuse their generosity so far; he therefore
excused himself from accepting their offer, by saying he would be
furnished with as much as he should have occasion for, by
merchant Pemm of Exeter. They then took him with them to
Guildhall, recommending him to the benevolence of the mayor and
corporation, testifying he was a man of reputable family in
Newfoundland. Here a very handsome collection was made for
him; and the circumstances of his misfortunes becoming public,
many other respectable ladies and gentlemen gave him that
assistance according to their abilities, which is always due to
unfortunate strangers. Three days did the captains detain
him by their civilities in Bristol, showing him all the
curiosities and pleasures of the place to divert his
melancholy. He then set out for Cockington, where his
relations lived, and Bridgewater being on his road, he had a
letter, from one of the Bristol captains, to Captain Drake in
that place.</p>
<p>As soon as he came to Bridgewater, he went <!-- page 66--><SPAN name="page66"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>directly to
the mayor’s house, and knocking at the gate, it was opened
to him by madam mayoress, to whom he related his misfortune; and
the good lady, pitying him as an unfortunate stranger, so far
distant from his home, gave him half-a-crown, and engaged her
daughter, a child, to give him a shilling.</p>
<p>We cannot pass by this amiable lady, without paying her the
due tribute of praise; for tenderness and compassion ought to be
the peculiar ornament of every female breast; and it were to be
wished that every parent would betimes, like this good lady,
instil into their children a tender sense of humanity, and
feeling for another’s woes, they would by this means teach
them the enjoyment of the most godlike and pleasing of all other
pleasures, that of relieving the distressed; and would extinguish
that sordid selfish spirit, which is the blot of humanity.
The good lady not content with what she had already done, ushered
him into the room, where her husband, an aged gentleman, was
writing; to whom she related Mr. Cook’s misfortunes in as
moving a manner as she was able; the old gentleman laid aside his
spectacles, and asked him several questions, then dispatched his
servant into the town, who soon returned with two Newfoundland
captains, one of whom happened to be Captain Drake, to whom our
hero had a letter of recommendation given him by one of the
Bristol captains; and the other Captain Morris, whose business
having called him to Bristol, he had there been already informed
by the captains of the circumstances of Mr. Cook’s
misfortunes; and he repeating the same now to the <!-- page
67--><SPAN name="page67"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
67</span>mayor, Captain Morris confirmed this relation, told them
how he had been treated at Bristol, and made him a present of a
guinea and a greatcoat, it being then very rainy weather; Captain
Drake likewise gave him a guinea, for both these gentlemen
perfectly well knew Mr. Cook’s father and mother; the mayor
likewise made him a present, and entertained him very hospitably
in his house.</p>
<p>In the same character he visited Sir Haswell Tent, and several
other gentlemen, raising considerable contributions.</p>
<p>This activity and ingenuity of their new king was highly
agreeable to the community of the mendicants, and his applauses
resounded at all their meetings; but, as fortune delights to
change the scene, and of a sudden to depress those she had most
favoured, we come now to relate the misfortunes of our hero,
though we know not whether we should call them by that name or
not, as they gave him a large field of action, and greater
opportunities of exercising the more manly virtues—courage
and intrepidity in dangers.</p>
<p>Going one day to pay a visit to Mr. Robert Incledon, at
Barnstaple in Devon, (in an ill hour which his knowledge could
not foresee,) knocking at the door softly, it was, opened to him
by the clerk, with the common salutation of How do you do, Mr.
Carew? where have you been? He readily replied, that he was
making a visit to Squire Bassar, and in his return had called to
pay his respects to Mr. Incledon.</p>
<p>The clerk very civilly asked him to walk in; but no sooner had
he entered than the door was shut upon him by Justice
Leithbridge, a very <!-- page 68--><SPAN name="page68"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>bitter enemy to the whole community
of mendicants, who concealed himself behind it, and Mr. Carew was
made a prisoner;—so sudden are the vicissitudes of life;
and misfortunes spring as it were out of the earth.</p>
<p>Thus suddenly and unexpectedly fell the mighty Cæsar,
the master of the world; and just so affrighted Priam looked when
the shade of Hector drew his curtains, and told him that his Troy
was taken.</p>
<p>The reader will, undoubtedly, be at a loss to comprehend why
he was thus seized upon, contrary to the laws of hospitality; it
is therefore our business to inform him, that he had, some time
before this, in the shape of a poor lame cripple, frightened
either the justice or his horse on Hilton bridge; but which of
the two it was, cannot be affirmed with any certainty.
However, the justice vowed a dire revenge, and now exulted
greatly at having got him in his power; fame had no sooner
sounded with her hundred prattling tongues that our hero was in
captivity, but the justice’s house was crowded with
intercessors for him:—however, Justice Leithbridge was deaf
to all, and even to the entreaties of beauty,—several
ladies being likewise advocates for him; whether it was that the
justice was past that age when love shoots his darts with most
success, or whether his heart was always made of that unmalleable
stuff which is quite unassailable by love, or by his
cousin-german, pity, we cannot well determine.</p>
<p>Amongst the rest who came to see him, were some captains of
collier vessels, whom the justice espying, very probably taking
some disgust at their <!-- page 69--><SPAN name="page69"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>countenances, demanded who they were,
and immediately discharging the guard which had been before
placed over Mr. Carew, charged the captains with the care of him,
though they affirmed their vessels were to sail the next tide;
however the justice paying as little regard to their allegations
as he had done to their petitions for Mr. Carew, they found they
had no other hope but from the good-natured dame—Patience;
a good woman, who is always ready to render our misfortunes less,
and was, in all his adventures, a great friend to our hero.</p>
<p>At length a warrant was made out for conveying him to Exeter,
and lodging him in one of the securest places in that city; but,
as it was now too late to set forward on their journey that
night, they were ordered to a public house at Barnstaple; and the
justice remembering the old proverb, “fast bind, fast
find,” would fain have locked the door of the room where
Mr. Carew was, and taken the key with him; but the honest
landlord offering to become security for his appearance in the
morning, the justice was at last persuaded to be content without
a jailor.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew, notwithstanding his situation, was not cast down,
but bravely opposed his ill fortune with his usual courage, and
passed the night with great cheerfulness in the company of the
collier captains, who were his guard.</p>
<p>The next day Mr. Carew was conducted to Exeter, without any
thing remarkable happening on the road; here, to his great
annoyance, he was securely lodged for upwards of two months,
before he was brought to trial at the quarter sessions, <!-- page
70--><SPAN name="page70"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>held
at the castle, when Justice Bevis was chairman; but that awful
appearance,</p>
<p style="text-align: center">The judges all met—a terrible
show,</p>
<p>did not strike any terror into his breast; though loaded with
chains, he preserved his usual firmness of mind, and saluted the
court with a noble assurance. Being asked by the chairman
what parts of the world he had been in? he answered Denmark,
Sweden, Muscovy, France, Spain, Portugal, Newfoundland, Ireland,
Wales, and some parts of Scotland. The chairman then told
him he must proceed to a hotter country:—he inquired into
what climate, and being told Merryland, he with great composure
made a critical observation on the pronunciation of that word,
implying, that he apprehended it ought to be pronounced Maryland,
and added, it would save him five pounds for his passage, as he
was very desirous of seeing that country: but, notwithstanding,
he with great resolution desired to know by what law they acted,
as he was not accused of any crime; however, sentence of
banishment was passed upon him for seven years; but his fate was
not singular, for he had the comfort of having fellow companions
enough in his unmerited sufferings, as, out of thirty-five
prisoners, thirty-two were ordered into the like banishment.</p>
<p>Whether at that period of time mankind were more profligate
than usual, or whether there was a more than ordinary demand for
men in his majesty’s colonies, cannot by us be
determined. Mr. Carew was not, as is most commonly the <!--
page 71--><SPAN name="page71"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
71</span>case, deserted by his friends in adversity, for he was
visited during the time of his imprisonment by many gentlemen,
who were exceedingly liberal to him; and no sooner did the news
of his captivity reach the ears of his subjects, than they
flocked to him from all parts, administered to his necessities in
prison, and daily visited him till his departure.</p>
<p>This, and the thoughts of the many new scenes and adventures
which he was likely to encounter, whereby he might have an
opportunity of making his name as famous in America as it was
already in Europe, often filled his mind with too-pleasing
reflections to regret his fate, though he could have liked to
have performed the voyage under more agreeable circumstances;
whenever the thought of being cruelly separated from his beloved
wife and daughters glanced on his mind, the husband and father
unmanned the hero, and melted him into tenderness and fear; the
reflection too of the damage his subjects might sustain by his
absence, and the disorder the whole community would be put in by
it, filled him with many disquietudes.</p>
<p>Thus, between pleasing ideas and heartfelt pangs, did he pass
his time till the day arrived that he was to be conducted on
board the Julian, Captain Froade, commander. But how,
gentle reader, shall I describe the ceremony of parting—the
last farewell of that dreadful day!</p>
<p>Leaving the reader, therefore, to suppose all these fine
things, behold the sails already spread, and the vessel cutting
the waves; but, as if fate had opposed itself to the banishment
of our hero, the winds soon proved contrary, and they were <!--
page 72--><SPAN name="page72"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
72</span>obliged to stay more than a fortnight in Falmouth
harbour for a fair wind, and from thence, in eleven weeks, they
arrived safely at Maryland, after a disagreeable voyage.</p>
<p>The first place they touched at was Hampton, between Cape
Charles and Cape Henry, where the captain went on shore and got a
pilot; and after about two days stay there, the pilot brought the
vessel down Mile’s River, and cast anchor in Talbot county,
when the captain ordered a gun to be fired as a signal for the
planters to come down, and then went ashore. He soon after
sent on board a hogshead of rum, and ordered all the men
prisoners to be close shaved against the next morning, and the
women to have their best head-dresses put on, which occasioned no
little hurry on board; for, between the trimming of beards, and
putting on of caps, all hands were fully employed.</p>
<p>Early in the morning the captain ordered public notice to be
given of the day of sale; and the prisoners, who were pretty near
a hundred, were all ordered upon deck, where a large bowl of
punch was made, and the planters flocked on board; their first
inquiry was for letters from old England, what passage he had,
how their friends did, and the like.</p>
<p>The captain informed them of the war being declared against
Spain, that it was expected it would soon be declared against
France; and that he had been eleven weeks and four days in his
passage.</p>
<p>Their next inquiry was, if the captain had brought them good
store of joiners, carpenters, blacksmiths, weavers, and tailors;
upon which <!-- page 73--><SPAN name="page73"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the captain called out one Griffy, a
tailor, who had lived at Chumleigh, in the county of Devon, and
was obliged to take a voyage to Maryland, for making too free
with his neighbour’s sheep. Two planters, who were
parson Nicholas and Mr. Rolls, asked him if he was sound wind and
limb? and told him it would be worse for him if he told them an
untruth; and at last purchased him from the captain. The
poor tailor cried and bellowed like a bell-wether, cursing his
wife who had betrayed him. Mr. Carew, like a brave man, to
whom every soil is his own country, ashamed of his cowardice,
gave the tailor to the devil; and, as he knew he could not do
without them, sent his shears, thimble, and needle, to bear him
company. Wherefore all these wailings? said our hero: have
we not a fine country before us? pointing to the shore. And
indeed in this he was very right, for Maryland not only affords
every thing which preserves and confirms health, but also all
things that are charming. The beauty of the prospect, the
fragrancy of the fields and gardens, the brightness of the sky,
and the serenity of the air, affect the ravished senses; the
country being a large plain, and hills in it so easy of ascent,
and of such a moderate height, that they seem rather an
artificial ornament to it, than one of the accidents of
nature. The abundance of rivers and brooks is no little
help to the almost incredible fertility of the soil.</p>
<p>But to return.—When all the best tradesmen were bought
up, a planter came to Mr. Carew, and asked him what trade he was
of. Mr. Carew, to satisfy him of his usefulness, told him
he was a <!-- page 74--><SPAN name="page74"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>rat-catcher, a mendicant, and a dog
merchant.—What the devil trades are these? inquired the
planter in astonishment; for I have never before heard of them:
upon which the captain thinking he should lose the sale of him,
takes the planter aside, and tells him he did but jest, being a
man of humour, for that he was a great scholar, and was only sent
over on account of having disobliged some gentlemen; that he had
no indenture with him, but he should have him for seven years,
and that he would make an excellent school-master; however, he
did not buy him.</p>
<p>The next day the captain asked him to go on shore with him to
see the country, but with a view of getting a purchaser for him
among the planters. As they were walking, several people
came up to Mr. Carew, and asked him what countryman he was,
&c. At length they went to a tavern, where one Mr.
David Huxter, who was formerly of Lyme in Dorset, and Mr.
Hambleton, a Scotchman, seemed to have an inclination to buy him
between them; soon after came in one Mr. Ashcraft, who put in for
him too, and the bowl of punch went merrily round. In the
midst of their mirth, Mr. Carew, who had given no consent to the
bargain they were making for him, thought it no breach of honour
or good manners to seize an opportunity of slipping away without
taking leave of them; and taking away with him about a pint of
brandy and some biscuit cakes, which by good luck he chanced to
put his hand on, he immediately betook himself to the woods as
the only place of security for him.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew, having found he had eluded their <!-- page 75--><SPAN name="page75"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>search,
congratulated himself on his happy escape and deliverance; for he
now made no doubt of getting to old England again,
notwithstanding the difficulties which lay in his way, as he knew
his courage was equal to every danger; but we are too often apt,
as the proverb says, “to reckon without our host,”
and are sometimes near danger when we think ourselves most
secure: and so it happened to our hero at this time; for, amidst
his joyful reflections, he did not know that none were allowed to
travel there, unless when known, without proper passes, of which
he was not provided; and there is moreover a reward of five
pounds for any one who apprehends a runaway.</p>
<p>It therefore happened, that one morning early, passing through
a narrow path, he was met by four timbermen, going to work; he
would fain have escaped their observation, but they soon hailed
him, and demanded where he was going, and where his pass
was? These were questions which he would willingly have
been excused from answering; however, as his wit was always
ready, he immediately told them he belonged to the Hector
privateer, (which he knew then lay upon the coast,) and that he
was going on some business for the captain to Charles’
county:—but, as he could produce no pass, this would not
satisfy them, so they seized upon him, and conducted him to one
Colonel Brown’s, a justice of the peace in Anne Arundel
county.</p>
<p>But here, most gentle reader, that thou mayest not form a
wrong idea of this justice, and, as is too often the case, judge
of what thou hast not seen, from what thou hast seen, it will be
necessary <!-- page 76--><SPAN name="page76"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>to inform thee, that he was not such
a one as Hudibras describes:</p>
<blockquote><p>An old dull sot, who told the clock,<br/>
For many years at Bridewell dock.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Neither was he such a one as that excellent artist, Mr.
Hogarth, has depicted in his picture of a Modern Midnight
Conversation;—nor such a one as the author of Joseph
Andrews has, above all authors, so inimitably drawn to the life;
nor yet was he such a one as thou hast often seen at a quarter
sessions, with a large wig, a heavy unmeaning countenance, and a
sour aspect, who gravely nods over a cause, and then passes a
decision on what he does not understand; and no wonder, when he,
perhaps, never saw, much less read the laws of his country; but
of Justice Brown, I can assure the reader, he could not only
read, but upon occasion write a mittimus, without the assistance
of his clerk; he was thoroughly acquainted with the general
duties of his office, and the particular laws of Maryland; his
countenance was an awful majesty, tempered with a humane
sweetness, ever unwilling to punish, yet always afraid of
offending justice; and if at any time necessity obliged him to
use the rod, he did it with so much humanity and compassion, as
plainly indicated the duties of his office forced, rather than
the cruelty or haughtiness of his temper prompted to it; and
while the unhappy criminal suffered a corporeal punishment, he
did all that lay in his power, to the end that it might have a
due effect, by endeavouring to amend the mind <!-- page 77--><SPAN name="page77"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>with salutary
advice; if the exigencies of the state required taxes to be
levied upon the subjects, he never, by his authority or office,
excused himself from bearing his full proportion; nor even would
he meanly submit to see any of his fellow-justices do so.</p>
<p>It was before such a justice Mr. Carew had the good fortune to
be carried: they found him in his court-yard, just mounting his
horse to go out, and he very civilly inquired their business; the
timbermen told him they had got a runaway: the justice then
inquired of Mr. Carew who he was: he replied he was a sea-faring
man, belonging to the Hector privateer of Boston, captain
Anderson, and as they could not agree, he had left the
ship. The justice told him he was very sorry it should
happen so, but he was obliged by the laws of his country to stop
all passengers who could not produce passes; and, therefore,
though unwillingly, he should be obliged to commit him; he then
entertained him very plentifully with victuals and drink, and in
the mean time made his commitment for New Town gaol. Mr.
Carew, finding his commitment made, told the timbermen, that, as
they got their money easily, he would have a horse to ride upon,
for it was too hot for him to walk in that country. The
justice merrily cried, Well spoken, prisoner. There was
then a great ado with the timbermen to get a horse for him; but
at last one was procured, and our hero, mounted on a milk-white
steed, was conveyed in a sort of triumph to New Town, the
timbermen performing the cavalcade on foot.</p>
<p>The commitment was directed to the under-sheriff <!-- page
78--><SPAN name="page78"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>in
New Town, a saddler by profession, who immediately waited on him
to the prison; he found it well peopled, and his ears were
confused with almost as many dialects as put a stop to the
building of Babel. Mr. Carew saluted them, and courteously
inquired what countrymen they were: some were from Kilkenny, some
Limeric, some Dublin, others of Somerset, Dorset, Devon, and
Cornwall; so that he found he had choice enough of companions,
and, as he saw he had no remedy but patience, he endeavoured to
amuse himself as well as he could.</p>
<p>Looking through the bars one day, he espied a whipping-post
and gallows, at which he turned to his companions, and cried out,
A fine sight truly this is, my friends! which was a jest many of
them could not relish, as they had before tasted of the whipping;
looking on the other side, he saw a fine house, and demanding
whose it was, they told him it was the assembly-house.
While he was thus amusing himself, reflecting on the variety of
his fate, fortune was preparing a more agreeable scene for
him. A person coming up to the window, asked where the
runaway was, who had been brought in that day, Mr. Carew
composedly told him he was the man; they then entered into
discourse, inquiring of each other of what country they were, and
soon found they were pretty near neighbours, the person who
addressed him being one out of Dorsetshire. While they were
talking, our hero seeing the tops of some vessels riding in the
river, inquired what place they belonged to. The man
replied, To the west of England, to one Mr. Buck of Biddeford, to
whom most of the <!-- page 79--><SPAN name="page79"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>town belonged. Our hero’s
heart leaped for joy at this good news, and he hastily asked if
the captains Kenny, Hervey, Hopkins, and George Bird were there;
the man replying in the affirmative, still heightened his
satisfaction. Will you have the goodness to be an
unfortunate prisoner’s friend, said he to the person he was
talking with, and present my humble duty to any of them, but
particularly to Captain Hervey, and inform them I am here.
The man very civilly replied he would do it; and asked what he
should tell them was his name? Carew, replied our
hero. Away ran the messenger with great haste, but before
he got half way, forgetting the name ran back again to ask
it. Tell them my name is Carew, the rat-catcher; away went
the man again, repeating all the way, Carew, the rat-catcher,
lest he should forget it a second time; and he now executed his
message so well, that very soon after came the captains to the
gaol door.</p>
<p>Inquiring for Carew, the rat-catcher, as they wanted to speak
with him; our hero, who heard them, answered with a tantivy, and
a halloo to the dogs; upon which Captain Hervey swore it was
Carew, and fell a laughing very heartily, then coming to the
window, they very cordially shook hands with him, saying, they
should as soon have expected to have seen Sir Robert Walpole
there as him. They then inquired by what means he came
there; and he informed them circumstantially of every thing as
already mentioned. The captains asked him if he would drink
a glass of rum, which he accepted of very gladly in his present
condition; one of them quickly sent down to <!-- page 80--><SPAN name="page80"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the
storehouse for a bottle of rum and a bottle of October, and then
they all went into the gaol, and sat down with him.</p>
<p>Thus did he see himself once more surrounded by his friends,
so that he scarcely regretted his meeting with the timbermen, as
they had brought him into such good company. He was so
elevated with his good fortune, that he forgot all his
misfortunes, and passed the evening as cheerfully as if he was
neither a slave nor a prisoner. The captains inquired if he
had been sold to a planter before he made his escape; he replied
in the negative, when they informed him, that unless his captain
came and demanded him, he would be publicly sold the next
court-day. When they took their leaves, they told him they
would see him the next morning.</p>
<p>Accordingly they returned very early, and having got
admittance into the prison, hailed him with the pleasing sound of
liberty, telling him, they had agreed among themselves to
purchase him, then give him his release, and furnish him with
proper passes; but instead of receiving this joyful news with the
transports they expected, our hero stood for some time silent and
lost in thought. During this while, he reflected within
himself, whether his honour would permit him to purchase his
liberty on these terms: and it was indeed no little struggle
which passed in his breast on this occasion. On the one
side, Liberty, with all her charms, presented herself, and wooed
to be accepted, supported by Fear, who set before his eyes all
the horrors and cruelties of a severe slavery; on the other side,
dame Honour, with a majestic <!-- page 81--><SPAN name="page81"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>mein, forbade
him, sounding loudly in his ears how it would read in future
story, that the ingenious Mr. Carew had no contrivance left to
regain his lost liberty, but meanly to purchase it at his
friends’ expense. For some time did these passions
remain in equipoise; as thou hast often seen the scales of some
honest tradesman, before he weighs his commodity; but at length
honour preponderated, and liberty and fear flew up and kicked the
beam; he therefore told the captains he had the most grateful
sense of this instance of their love, but that he could never
consent to purchase his freedom at their expense: and therefore
desired they would only do him the favour to acquaint Captain
Froade of his being there. The captains were quite amazed
at this resolution, and used great entreaties to persuade him to
alter it, but all in vain; so that at last they were obliged to
comply with his earnest request, in writing to Captain
Froade.</p>
<p>Captain Froade received with great pleasure the news of his
being in custody in New Town, and soon sent round his long-boat,
paid all costs and charges, and brought him once more on board
his ship. The captain received him with a great deal of
malicious satisfaction in his countenance, telling him in a
taunting manner, that, though he had promised Sir William
Courtney to be at home before him, he should find himself
damnably mistaken; and then with a tyrannic tone bade him strip,
calling the boatswain to bring up a cat-o’-nine-tails, and
tie him fast up to the main geers; accordingly our hero was
obliged to undergo a <!-- page 82--><SPAN name="page82"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>cruel and shameful punishment.
Here, gentle reader, if thou hast not a heart made of something
harder than adamant, thou canst not choose but melt at the
sufferings of our hero; he, who but just before, did what would
have immortalised the name of Cæsar or Alexander, is now
rewarded for it with cruel and ignominious stripes, far from his
native country, wife, children, or any friends, and still doomed
to undergo severe hardships. As soon as the captain had
satisfied his revenge, he ordered Mr. Carew on shore, taking him
to a blacksmith, whom he desired to make a heavy iron collar for
him, which in Maryland they call a pot-hook, and is usually put
about the necks of runaway slaves. When it was fastened on,
the captain jeeringly cried, Now run away if you can; I will make
you help to load this vessel, and then I’ll take care of
you, and send you to the ironworks of Susky Hadlam.</p>
<p>Captain Froade soon after left the vessel, and went up to a
storehouse at Tuckhoe, and the first mate to Kent island, whilst
the second mate and boatswain kept the ship; in the mean time our
hero was employed in loading the vessel, and doing all manner of
drudgery. Galled with a heavy yoke and narrowly watched, he
began to lose all hopes of escape; his spirits now began to fail
him, and he almost gave himself up to despair, little thinking
his deliverance so near at hand, as he found it soon to be.</p>
<p>One day, as he was employed in his usual drudgery, reflecting
within himself upon his unhappy condition, he unexpectedly saw
his good friends, Captains Hervey and Hopkins, two of the <!--
page 83--><SPAN name="page83"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
83</span>Biddeford captains, who, as has been before related, had
offered to redeem him from the prison at New Town; he was
overjoyed at the sight of them, not that he expected any
deliverance from them, but only as they were friends he had been
so much obliged to.</p>
<p>The captains came up and inquired very kindly how it fared
with him, and how he bore the drudgery they saw him employed in;
adding, that he had better have accepted the offer they made him
at New Town. Our hero gallantly replied, that however
severe the hardships he underwent, and were they still more so,
he would rather choose to suffer them, than purchase liberty at
their cost. The captains, charmed with his magnanimity,
were resolved to make one attempt more to get him his
liberty. They soon after sounded the boatswain and mate;
and finding them not greatly averse to give him an opportunity to
escape, they took him aside, and thus addressed him:—Friend
Carew, the offer we made you at New Town may convince you of the
regard we have for you; we therefore cannot think of leaving the
country before we have, by some means or other, procured your
liberty; we have already sounded the boatswain and mate, and find
we can bring them to wink at your escape; but the greatest
obstacle is, that there is forty pounds penalty and half a
year’s imprisonment, for any one that takes off your iron
collar, so that you must be obliged to travel with it, till you
come among the friendly Indians, many miles distant from hence,
who will assist you to take it off, for they are great friends
with the English, and trade with us for lattens, kettles, <!--
page 84--><SPAN name="page84"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
84</span>frying-pans, gunpowder and shot; giving us in exchange
buffalo and deer skins, with other sorts of furs. But there
are other sorts of Indians, one of which are distinguished by a
very flat forehead, who use cross-bows in fighting; the other of
a very small stature, who are great enemies, and very cruel to
the whites; these you must endeavour by all means to avoid, for
if you fall into their hands, they will certainly murder you.</p>
<p>And here the reader will, we make no doubt, be pleased to see
some account of the Indians, among whom our hero was treated with
so much kindness and civility, as we shall relate in its proper
place.</p>
<p>At the first settling of Maryland, there were several nations
of them governed by petty kings. Mr. Calvert, Lord
Baltimore’s brother having been sent by him to make the
first settlement in Maryland, landed at Potowmac town; during the
infancy of Werowance, Archibau, his uncle, who governed his
territories in his minority, received the English in a friendly
manner. From Potowmac the governor proceeded to Piscataqua,
about 20 leagues higher, where he found many Indians assembled,
and among them an Englishman, Captain Henry Fleet, who had lived
there several years in great esteem with the natives.
Captain Fleet brought the prince on board the governor’s
pinnace to treat with him. Mr. Calvert asked him, whether
he was agreeable that he and his people should settle in his
country. The prince replied, I will not bid you go, neither
will I bid you stay, but you may use your own discretion.
The Indians, finding their prince stay longer on board than they
expected, <!-- page 85--><SPAN name="page85"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>crowded down to the water-side to
look after him, fearing the English had killed him, and they were
not satisfied till he showed himself to them, to please
them. The natives, who fled from St. Clement’s isle,
when they saw the English come as friends, returned to their
habitations; and the governor, not thinking it advisable to
settle so high up the river in the infancy of the colony, sent
his pinnaces down the river, and went with Captain Fleet to a
river on the north side of the Potowmac, within four or five
leagues, in his long-boat, and came to the town of Yoamaco, from
which the Indians of that neighbourhood are called
Yoamacoes. The governor landed, and treating with the
prince there, acquainted him with the occasion of his coming, to
whom the Indian said little, but invited him to his house,
entertained him kindly, and gave him his own bed to lie on.
The next day he showed him the country, and the governor
determining to make the first settlement there, ordered all his
ships and pinnaces to come thither to him.</p>
<p>To make his entry the more safe and peaceable, he presented
the Werowance and Wilsos, and principal men of the place, with
some English cloth, axes, hoes and knives, which they accepted
very kindly, and freely consented that he and his company should
dwell in one part of the town, and reserving the other for
themselves. Those Indians who inhabited that part which was
assigned to the English, readily abandoned their houses to them;
and Mr. Calvert immediately set hands to work to plant
corn. The natives agreed further to leave the whole town to
the English as soon as their <!-- page 86--><SPAN name="page86"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>harvest was
in; which they did accordingly, and both English and Indians
promised to live friendly together. If any injury was done
on either part, the nation offending was to make
satisfaction. Thus, on the 27th March, 1634, the governor
took possession of the town, and named it St. Mary’s.</p>
<p>There happened an event which much facilitated this with the
Indians. The Susquehanocks, a warlike people, dwelling
between Chesapeak Bay and Delaware Bay, were wont to make
incursions on their neighbours, partly for dominion and partly
for booty, of which the women were most desired by them.
The Yoamacoes, fearing these Susquehanocks, had a year before the
English arrived, resolved to desert their habitations, and remove
higher into the country; many of them were actually gone, and the
rest prepared to follow them. The ships and pinnaces
arriving at the town, the Indians were amazed and terrified at
the sight of them, especially at hearing their cannon thunder,
when they came to anchor.</p>
<p>The first thing that Mr. Calvert did was to fix a court of
guard, and erect a storehouse; and he had not been there many
days before Sir John Harvey, governor of Virginia, came there to
visit him, as did several of the Indian Werowances, and many
other Indians, from several parts of the continent; among others,
came the king of Patuxent, and, being carried aboard the ship,
then at anchor in the river, was placed between the governor of
Virginia and the governor of Maryland, at an entertainment made
for him and others. A Patuxent Indian coming aboard, and
seeing his king <!-- page 87--><SPAN name="page87"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>thus seated, started back; thinking
he was surprised, he would have fain leaped overboard, and could
not be persuaded to enter the cabin, till the Werowance came
himself, and satisfied him he was in no danger. This king
had formerly been taken prisoner by the English of
Virginia. After the storehouse was finished and the ship
unladen, Mr. Calvert ordered the colours to be brought ashore,
which was done with great solemnity, the gentlemen and their
servants attending in arms: several volleys were fired on board
and on shore, as also the cannon, at which the natives were
struck with admiration, such at least as had not heard the firing
of pieces of ordnance before, to whom it could not be
dreadful.</p>
<p>The kings of Patuxent and Yoamaco were present at this
ceremony, with many other Indians of Yoamaco; and the Werowance
of Patuxent took that occasion to advise the Indians of Yoamaco
to be careful to keep the league that had been made with the
English. He staid in town several days, and was full of his
Indian compliments; when he went away he made this speech to the
governor: “I love the English so well, that, should they go
about to kill me, if I had so much breath as to speak, I would
command my people not to revenge my death, for I know they would
not do such a thing, except it were through my own
fault.”</p>
<p>This infant colony supplied themselves with Indian corn at
Barbadoes, which, at their first arrival, they began to use to
save their French store of flour and oatmeal. The Indian
women, perceiving that their servants did not know how to <!--
page 88--><SPAN name="page88"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
88</span>dress it, made their bread for them, and taught them to
do it themselves. There was Indian corn enough in the
country, and these new adventurers soon after shipped off 10,000
bushels for New England, to purchase salt fish and other
provisions. While the English and Indians lived at St.
Mary’s together, the natives went every day to hunt with
the new comers for deer and turkeys, which, when they had caught,
they gave to the English, or sold for knives, beads, and such
like trifles. They also brought them good store of fish,
and behaved themselves very kindly, suffering their women and
children to come among them, which was a certain sign of their
confidence in them.</p>
<p>Most of the Indians still follow the religion and customs of
their ancestors; and are not become either more pious or more
polite by the company of the English.</p>
<p>As to their religion, they have all of them some dark notions
about God; but some of them have brighter ones, if a person may
be believed who had this confession from the mouth of an Indian:
“That they believed God was universally beneficent; that
his dwelling was in heaven above, and the influence of his
goodness reached to the earth beneath; that he was
incomprehensible in his excellence, and enjoyed all possible
felicity; that his duration was eternal, his perfection
boundless, and that he possessed everlasting
happiness.” So far the savage talked as rationally of
the existence of a God as a Christian divine or philosopher could
have done; but when he came to justify their worshipping of the
Devil, whom they call Okee, his notions were very
heterodox. He said, “It is true <!-- page 89--><SPAN name="page89"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>God is the
giver of all good things, but they flow naturally and
promiscuously from him; that they are showered down upon all men
without distinction; that God does not trouble himself with the
impertinent affairs of men, nor is concerned at what they do, but
leaves them to make the most of their free will, and to secure as
many as they can of the good things that flow from him; that
therefore it was to no purpose either to fear or worship him;
but, on the contrary, if they did not pacify the evil spirit, he
would ruin their health, peace, and plenty, he being always
visiting them in the air, thunders, storms, &c.”</p>
<p>As to the idol which they all worship, and is kept in a temple
called Quiocasan, he seemed to have a very different opinion of
its divinity, and cried out against the juggling of the
priests.—This man did not talk like a common savage, and
therefore we may suppose he had studied the matter more than his
countrymen, who, for the generality, paid a great deal of
devotion to the idol, and worshipped him as their chief
deity.</p>
<p>Their priests and conjurors are highly reverenced by
them. They are given extremely to pawning or conjuring; and
one of them very lately conjured a shower of rain for a
gentleman’s plantation, in a time of drought, for two
bottles of rum. We are not apt to give credit to such
supernatural events; and, had we not found this in an author who
was on the spot, we should have rejected it as a fable.</p>
<p>Their priests promise fine women, eternal spring, and every
pleasure in perfection in the <!-- page 90--><SPAN name="page90"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>other world,
which charmed them in this; and threaten them with lakes of fire,
and torments by a fairy in the shape of an old woman. They
are often bloody in their sacrifices, and offer up young children
to the devil. They have a superstitious ceremony among
them, which they call <i>Huskanawing</i>, and is performed thus:
they shut up ten or twelve young men, the most deserving among
them, about twenty years of age, in a strong inclosure, made on
purpose, like a sugar loaf, and every way open like a lattice,
for the air to pass through; they are kept for several months,
and are allowed to have no sustenance but the infusion or
decoction of poisonous intoxicating roots, which turn their
brains, and they run stark mad.</p>
<p>By this it is pretended they lose the remembrance of all
former things, even of their parents, treasure, and language, as
if they had drunk of the water of oblivion, drawn out of the lake
of Lethe. When they have been in this condition as long as
their custom directs, they lessen this intoxicating potion; and,
by degrees, the young men recover the use of their senses; but
before they are quite well, they are shown in their towns; and
the youths who have been <i>huskanawed</i> are afraid to discover
the least sign of their remembering any thing of their past
lives; for, in such a case, they must be huskanawed again, and
they are disciplined so severely the second time, that it
generally kills them.</p>
<p>After the young men have passed this trial, they are
Coucarouses, or men of quality in their nations; and the Indians
say they do it to take away <!-- page 91--><SPAN name="page91"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>from youth
all childish impressions, and that strong partiality to persons
and things which is contracted before reason takes place.</p>
<p>The Indian priests, to command the respect of the people, make
themselves look as ugly and as terrible as they can; the
conjurors always share with them in their deceit, and they gain
by it; the Indians consult both of them before they go on any
enterprise. There are no priestesses or witches among
them. They erect altars on every remarkable occasion, and
have temples built like their common cabins, in which their idol
stands, and the corpses of their kings and rulers are
preserved.</p>
<p>They have no sort of literature among them; and their way of
communicating things from one to another is by
hieroglyphics. They make their accounts by units, tens,
hundreds, &c., as the English do; but they reckon their years
by cohonks, or winters, and divide every year into five seasons;
the budding time, the earing of the corn, the summer, the
harvest, and the winter.</p>
<p>Their months they count by moons. They divide the day
into three parts, the rise, power, and lowering, of the sun; and
keep their accounts by knots on a string, or notches on a stick,
of which Captain Smith relates a very pleasant story; that, when
the princess Pocahonta went for England, a Coucarouse, or lord of
her own nation, attended her; his name was Uttamaccomack: and
king Powhatan, Pocahonta’s father, commanded him, when he
arrived in England, to count the people, and give him an account
of their number. Uttamaccomock, when he came ashore, got a
stick, intending to count them by notches; but he <!-- page
92--><SPAN name="page92"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>soon
found that his arithmetic would be to no purpose, and threw away
his stick. At his return, the king asked him how many
people there were? and he replied, count the stars of the sky,
the leaves upon the trees, and the sand upon the seashore, and
you will know how many are the people in England.</p>
<p>They esteem the marriage-vow as the most sacred of all
engagements, and abhor divorces; adultery is the most
unpardonable of all crimes amongst them, and seldom occurs
without exemplary punishment.</p>
<p>Their maidens are very chaste; and if any one of them happen
to have a child before marriage, her fortune is spoiled.
They are very sprightly and good humoured, and the women
generally handsome. Their manner of handling infants is
very rough: as soon as the child is born, they plunge it over
head and ears in cold water, and they bind it naked to a board,
making a hole in the proper place for evacuation. Between
the child and the board they put some cotton, wool, or fur, and
let it lie in this posture till the bones begin to harden, the
joints to knit, and the limbs to grow strong; they then loosen it
from the board, and let it crawl about where it pleases.
From this custom, it is said, the Indians derive the neatness and
exactness of their limbs, which are the most perfect in the
world. Some of them are of a gigantic stature, live to a
great age, and are stronger than others; but there is not a
crooked, bandy-legged, or ill-shaped, Indian to be seen.
Some nations of them are very tall and large limbed, but others
are short and small; their complexion <!-- page 93--><SPAN name="page93"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>is a dark
brown and tawny. They paint themselves with a pecone root,
which stains them a reddish colour. They are clear when
they are young, but greasing and sunning make their skin turn
hard and black. Their hair, for the most part, is coal
black; so are their eyes; they wear their hair cut after several
whimsical modes, the persons of note always keep a long lock
behind; the women wearing it very long, hanging at their backs,
or twisted up with beads; and all the better sort adorn their
heads with a kind of coronet. The men have no beards, and,
to prevent their having any, use certain devices, which they will
not communicate to the English.</p>
<p>Their clothes are a mantle girt close in the middle, and
underneath a piece of cloth tied round their waist, and reaching
down to the middle of the thigh. The common sort only tie a
piece of cloth or skin round the middle. As for their food
they boil, broil, or roast, all the meat they eat; honomy is the
standing dish, and consists of Indian corn soaked, broken in a
mortar, and then boiled in water over a gentle fire ten or twelve
hours together. They draw and pluck their fowls, skin and
paunch their quadrupeds, but dress their fish with the scales on,
and without gutting; they leave the scales, entrails, and bones,
till they eat the fish, when they throw the offal away.
Their food is chiefly beeves, turtle, several species of snakes,
broth made of deer’s humbles, peas, beans, &c.
They have no set meals: they eat when they are hungry, and drink
nothing but water. Their bread is made of Indian corn, wild
oats, or <!-- page 94--><SPAN name="page94"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the seed of the sun-flower; they eat
it alone, and not with meat.</p>
<p>They travel always on foot with a gun or bow. They live
upon the game they kill, and lie under a tree upon a little high
grass. The English prohibit them to keep corn, sheep, or
hogs, lest they should steal their neighbour’s.</p>
<p>When they come to rivers, they presently patch up a canoe of
birch bark, cross over in it, and leave it on the river’s
bank, if they think they shall not want it; otherwise they carry
it along with them.</p>
<p>Their way of receiving strangers is by the pipe, or calumet of
peace. Of this Pere Henepin has given a long account in his
voyage, and the pipe is as follows: they fill a pipe of tobacco,
larger and bigger than any common pipe, light it, and then the
chief of them takes a whiff, gives it to the stranger, and if he
smoke of it, it is peace; if not, war; if peace, the pipe is
handed all round the company.</p>
<p>The diseases of the Indians are very few, and easy to be
cured: they for the most part arise from excessive heats and
colds, which they get rid of by sweating. As for aches, and
settled pains in the joints or limbs, they use caustics and
scarifying. The priests are their physicians, and from
their childhood are taught the nature and use of simples, in
which their knowledge is excellent; but they will not communicate
it, pretending it is a gift of God; and by this mystery they make
it the more valuable.</p>
<p>Their riches consist of furs, peak, roenocke, and pearl.
Their peak and roenocke are made of <!-- page 95--><SPAN name="page95"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>shells; the
peak is an English bugle, but the roenocke is a piece of cockle,
drilled through like a bead. Before the English came among
them, the peak and the roenocke were all their treasure; but now
they set a value on their fur and pearl, and are greedy of
keeping quantities of them together. The pearl is good, and
formerly was not so rare as it is at this time.</p>
<p>They had no iron tools till the English brought them over:
their knives were sharpened reeds or shells, their axes sharp
stones. They rubbed fire, by turning the end of a hard
piece of wood upon the side of one that is soft and dry, which at
last would burn. They felled great trees by burning them
down at the root, having ways of keeping the fire from
ascending. They hollowed them with a gentle fire, and
scraped the trunk clean, and this made their canoes, of which
some were thirty feet long. They are very good handicraft
men, and what they do is generally neat and convenient.</p>
<p>Their kingdoms descended to the next heir, male or female, and
they were exact in preserving the succession in the right
line. If, as it often happened, one great prince subjected
the other, those conquests commonly were lost at his death, and
the nation returned again to the obedience of their natural
princes. They have no written laws, neither can they have
any, having no letters.</p>
<p>Their lands are in common, and their Werowances, or judges,
are all lord-chancellors, deciding causes and inflicting
punishments according as they think fit. These Werowances
and the Coucarouses are their terms to distinguish the men of
<!-- page 96--><SPAN name="page96"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
96</span>quality; the former are their war-captains, and the
latter such as have passed the trial of huskanawing. Their
priests and conjurors have great authority among them. They
have servants whom they call black boys, and are very exact in
requiring the respect that is due to their several qualities.</p>
<p>Most of the Indians live on the eastern shore, where they have
two or three little towns; some of them go over to the other
side, in winter time, to hunt for deer, being generally employed
by the English. They take delight in nothing else, and it
is very rare that any of them will embrace the Christian way of
living and worship. There are about 500 fighting Indians in
all the province; the cause of their diminution proceeded not
from wars with the English, for they have none with them worth
speaking of, but from the perpetual discords and wars among
themselves. The female sex have always swept away a great
many.</p>
<p>One thing is observed in them, though they are a people very
timorous and cowardly in fight, yet when taken prisoners and
condemned, they will die like heroes, braving the most exquisite
tortures that can be invented, and singing all the time they are
upon the rack.</p>
<p>We find several of the Indians doing actions which would do
honour to the greatest heroes of antiquity: thus captain Smith,
who was one of the first adventurers in planting the colony of
Virginia, being taken prisoner, while he was making discoveries,
by king Oppecamcanough, he not only spared Mr. Smith’s
life, but carried him to his town and feasted him; and afterwards
presented him <!-- page 97--><SPAN name="page97"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>to Powhaton, the chief king of the
savages, who would have beheaded him, had he not been saved by
the intercession and generosity of his daughter, Pocahonto, who,
when Mr. Smith’s head was on the block, and she could not
prevail with her father to give him his life, put her own head
upon his, and ventured receiving the blow to save him, though she
was scarce then sixteen years of age.</p>
<p>Some time after, Sir Thomas Dale sent captain Argall to
Patowmac to buy corn, where he met with Pocahonta. He
invited her to come aboard his ship, which with some difficulty
she consented to, being betrayed by the king of Postcany, brother
to the king of Patowmac, with whom she then resided.</p>
<p>Argall, having got her into his custody, detained her, and
carried her to James’s Town, intending to oblige her
father, king Powhaton, to come to what terms he pleased for the
deliverance of his daughter. Though the king loved her
tenderly, yet he would not do any thing for her sake which he
thought was not for his own and the nation’s interest; nor
would he be prevailed upon to conclude a firm treaty of peace
till he heard his daughter, who had turned a Christian, was
christened Rebecca, and married to Mr. John Rolfe, an English
gentleman, her uncle giving her away in the church.</p>
<p>Powhaton approved of the marriage, took it for a sincere token
of friendship, and was so pleased with it, that he concluded a
league with the English in the year 1613.</p>
<p><!-- page 98--><SPAN name="page98"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
98</span>Some time after, Sir Thomas Dale going for England, took
Mr. Rolfe and his wife Pocahonta with him, and arrived at
Plymouth.</p>
<p>Captain Smith, hearing the lady who had been so kind to him
was arrived in England, and being engaged at that time in a
voyage to New England, which hindered his waiting on her himself,
petitioned queen Anne, consort to king James, on her behalf,
setting forth the civilities he had received from her, and
obligations she had laid upon the English, by the service she had
done them with her father.</p>
<p>The queen received this petition very graciously; and before
Captain Smith embarked for New England, Mr. Rolfe came with his
wife from Plymouth to London. The smoke of the city
offending her, he took lodgings for her at Brentford, and thither
Captain Smith went with several friends to wait on her.</p>
<p>Pocahonta was told all along that Captain Smith was dead, to
excuse his not coming to Virginia again; from which he had been
diverted by settling a colony in New England. Wherefore,
when this lady saw him, thinking the English had injured her in
telling her a falsity, which she had ill deserved from them, she
was so angry that she would not deign to speak to him: but at
last, with much persuasion and attendance, was reconciled, and
talked freely to him: she then put him in mind of the obligations
she had laid upon him, and reproached him for forgetting her,
with an air so lively, and words so sensible, that one might have
seen nature abhors nothing more than ingratitude—a vice
that even the very savages detest.</p>
<p><!-- page 99--><SPAN name="page99"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
99</span>She was carried to court by the Lady Delaware, and
entertained by ladies of the first quality, towards whom she
behaved herself with so much grace and majesty, that she
confirmed the bright character Captain Smith had given of
her. The whole court was charmed with the decency and
grandeur of her deportment so much, that the poor gentleman, her
husband, was threatened to be called to an account for marrying a
princess royal without the king’s consent; though in that
king James showed a very notable piece of kingcraft, for there
was no likelihood that Mr. Rolfe, by marrying Pocahonta, could
any way endanger the peace of his dominions; or that his alliance
with the king of Wicomaco could concern the king of
Great-Britain; indeed, we are told, that upon a fair and full
representation of the matter, the king was pleased to be
satisfied.</p>
<p>The lady Pocahonta, having been entertained with all manner of
respect in England, was taken ill at Gravesend, where she lay in
order to embark for Virginia; she died there with all the signs
of a sincere Christian and true penitent.</p>
<p>She had one son by Mr. Rolfe, whose posterity are at this day
in good repute in Virginia, and inherit lands by descent from
her.</p>
<p>The language of the Indians is lofty, but narrow; the accent
and emphasis of some of their words are great and sweet, as
Okorocston, Rancoce, Oriston, Shakameton, Poquiffin, all names of
places, and as sonorous as any in Attica; then for sweetness they
have their <i>anna</i>, mother, <i>issimus</i>, brother,
<i>nelapsin</i> and <i>usque oret</i>, very good, <i>pone</i>,
<!-- page 100--><SPAN name="page100"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
100</span>bread, <i>morridge walk</i>, a burying-place,
<i>scaw</i>, a woman, <i>salop</i>, a man, <i>pappoes</i>, a
child.</p>
<p>The captains acquainted Mr. Carew, that the unfriendly Indians
were not the only enemies he had to fear, for he must expect to
encounter with great dangers and difficulties, as rattle-snakes,
horn-snakes, black-snakes, lions, leopards, bears, wolves, and
wild cats. However this did not dishearten our hero, for he
was resolved to attempt regaining his liberty, let the
consequence be what it would. The captains then gave him a
pocket-compass to steer by, a steel and tinder-box, a bag of
cakes, a cheese, and some rum, telling him, he must leave the
three-notched road a little way off, and steer to his left hand;
(in Maryland they distinguish the roads by letters or notches cut
on the trees;) that he must travel by night, and lie concealed in
the day, for forty miles, and then he would come to a part of the
country quite uninhabited; from thence he would enter the Indian
country. They likewise told him, that all the wild beasts
were afraid of fire, so that his best defence would be to strike
a light and kindle some sticks whenever he was apprehensive of
being attacked by any of them.</p>
<p>Our hero having received these and some other necessary
instructions, and having returned his generous benefactors many
thanks for their kindness, bidding them farewell with tears, set
out on his dangerous journey about three o’clock in the
afternoon. He had not travelled far, before he began to
reflect on his melancholy condition, alone, unarmed, unacquainted
with the way, galled with <!-- page 101--><SPAN name="page101"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the heavy
yoke, exposed every moment to the most imminent dangers, and dark
tempestuous night approaching with all its horrors, increased its
terrors; his ears were now assailed with the dismal yells and
crying of wild beasts of different sorts, but, remembering the
instructions he had received from the captains, he soon struck
fire, and kindled some sticks, and was obliged the whole night to
swing a fireband round his head; the sight of which kept the wild
beasts from coming near, for, though they often came and looked
at him, yet they soon turned tail again, seeing the fire.</p>
<p>However it was with great joy he saw day-light appear, at
first dawn of which he was quite freed from those troublesome
guests; he had nothing to do but to seek the thickest tree he
could find, and, climbing up into it, he took some refreshment of
sleep, which he had great need of, having travelled hard all
night. He afterwards eat sparingly of his cheese and
biscuit, fearing they might not last till he could get a fresh
supply, and then took a very large dram of rum, with which,
finding his spirits much refreshed, and night coming on, he began
his journey again, travelling in the same manner as the preceding
night, with a firebrand whirling round his head. In this
manner travelling by night, and concealing himself by day, he
went on four days, when he reached the Blue Mountains, where he
thought himself out of all danger of pursuit, or being stopped
for want of a pass. He now travelled by day, meeting with
great multitudes of buffaloes, black bears, deer, wolves, and
wild turkeys, the latter being so <!-- page 102--><SPAN name="page102"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>large as to
weigh thirty or forty pounds; none of these creatures offered to
attack him; but walking one day on the side of a small rivulet,
almost lost in thought, he was suddenly alarmed by something he
heard plunging into the water, and turning his head to the side
from whence the noise came, he was struck with the sight of a
great white bear, which, being likewise disturbed, raised itself
immediately and made towards him. Our hero now thought
there was no way to escape; however, with great presence of mind,
he stepped aside to a furze bush, and, striking a light with all
the haste he could, set it on fire; at the sight of which the
bear, who was now within a very small distance of him, turned
about, and went away roaring hideously.</p>
<p>Some time after this he was comically alarmed by an
inoffensive animal; as he was walking along a deer-track, he
chanced to spy a very fine tortoise-shell box, as he imagined,
though he could not conceive how it could be dropped there; and,
thinking he might make good advantage of it among the Indians,
claps it into his pocket; he had not gone far before he heard a
hissing noise, which seemed to be very near; he immediately
thought it to be some venomous snake, and endeavoured to avoid it
by going out of the path he was in; but still the noise seemed to
pursue him; at last looking down, he sees a little ugly black
head peeping out of his pocket, which he found came out of what
he had picked up for a box: he with much ado slips his fingers
into his pocket, takes out his supposed box, and flings it to the
ground, when the creature, opening the upper <!-- page 103--><SPAN name="page103"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>from the
under shell, marched away; this was, as he afterwards found, no
other than a land-tortoise.</p>
<p>He found his journey very often obstructed by rivers and
rivulets, which he was obliged either to wade through or swim
over. At length, after many days’ tiresome travel,
being grievously galled by his yoke, or collar, he discovered
several tracks of the Indians. Never did more different
passions agitate the breast of any man than did the breast of our
hero at this time; on the one side he was overjoyed at the sight
of the track of any human creature, thinking he should now get
rid of his heavy collar, as well as get some refreshment of
provisions, his own having been exhausted for almost two days
past; but he had not pleased himself long with this reflection
before the idea of the barbarous and unfriendly Indians struck
into his mind, for he was quite uncertain whether the footsteps
he discovered might lead him to the good and friendly Indians, or
to those barbarous and inhuman wretches; he now represented
himself as set upon by these, against whom he had no arms to
defend himself, cruelly tormented, and at last slain as a victim
in some of their bloody sacrifices.</p>
<p>It was about the evening when he discovered these footsteps,
and he passed the whole night in this tormenting suspense.
Very early in the morning he discovered five Indians at a
distance; his fears represented them in the most frightful
colours; they seemed of a gigantic stature, that he thought he
could perceive their faces to be very flat and broad, which was
the characteristic or mark of the unfriendly Indians. This
struck him with unusual dread, and he now gave himself over for
lost, when <!-- page 104--><SPAN name="page104"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>he saw they had espied him, and were
making towards him: they coming nearer, he perceived them to be
clothed in deer skins, their hair to be exceeding long, hanging
down a great way over their shoulders; and, to his inexpressible
joy, he distinguished they had guns in their hands, which was a
sure sign they were the friendly Indians. This raised his
spirits, and he approached them in a suppliant manner, making
signs that he craved their assistance. The Indians accosted
him with clapping their hands on their heads, and crying <i>hush
me a top</i>, which in their language signifies good-morrow; then
taking hold of his collar, they repeated one to another, in
broken English, a runaway! a runaway! Presently after came
up two more Indians, one of whom was a person of fine majestic
appearance, whose dress was by far more magnificent than any of
the others. His habit being a most beautiful
panther’s skin faced with fur: his hair was adorned with a
great variety of fine feathers, and his face painted with a great
many colours. By these marks of distinction, Mr. Carew
supposed him to be their king or prince, and indeed such he was;
he spoke very good English, and accosted him as the others had
done before. He then brought him to the wigwam, which is a
name they give their houses, which are no more than stakes driven
into the ground, covered over with deer or other skins.
Here, observing that our hero was grievously hurt by his collar,
this good king immediately set himself about freeing him from it;
but, as he had no proper tool for that purpose, he was at a great
loss how to execute it; but at last, taking the steel of <!--
page 105--><SPAN name="page105"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
105</span>Mr. Carew’s tinder-box, he jagged it into a kind
of saw, with which he cut off his collar, but not without much
labour, his majesty sweating heartily at the work. He then
carried him into his own wigwam, which appeared very handsomely
furnished. Here he ordered some Indian bread, and other
refreshments, to be set before Mr. Carew, who ate very
heartily. During this the prince acquainted him his name
was George Lillycraft; that his father was one of those kings who
were in England in the reign of Queen Anne; and then showed him
some fine laced clothes, which were made a present of to him by
the late king George of England (meaning his late majesty king
George the First); he expressed a great affection for his brother
kings of England, as he called them, and for the English nation
in general. Soon after came in the queen, dressed in a
short jacket, leading in her hand a young prince, who both
repeated the word runaway twice.</p>
<p>Next day the king presented him to the wisos, or chief men of
the town, who received him with a great deal of civility, and
tokens of high esteem. He ate every day at the king’s
table, and had a lodging assigned to him in his wigwam, and grew
every day more and more in esteem among them, being consulted in
all matters of difficulty. Thus sudden are the scenes of
life shifted and changed; for a brave man will never despair
under whatsoever misfortunes; for our hero, who but a few weeks
before was treated like a beast of burden, heavily loaded,
cruelly whipped, coarsely fed, and all by the insolence and
inhumanity of his own countrymen, is now seated, in a strange
country, <!-- page 106--><SPAN name="page106"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>with kings and princes, and
consulted by a whole nation.</p>
<p>King Lillycraft, who was a man of very good natural sense,
used to discourse with, and ask Mr. Carew many questions of the
customs and manners of his brother kings in England. Being
told one day that the king of England never stirred abroad
without being surrounded with a great number of armed men, whom
he paid for defending him, and fighting for him, he very simply
asked whom he was afraid of? or whether he was constantly at war
with any neighbouring king, who might fall upon him
unawares? Being told to the contrary, he expressed very
great surprise, and could not conceive of what use these armed
men were, when the king had no enemy, adding, when I am at war,
my people are my guard, and fight for me without being paid for
it, and would each of them lay down his life to defend mine; and
when I am at peace, I can fear no evil from my own people,
therefore I have no need of armed men about me. Being told
another time that the king of England kept himself generally in
his wigwam, or palace, surrounded by certain officers, who
permitted no one to come near him but by their permission, which
was the greatest difficulty in the world to obtain, and that not
a thousandth part of the people, who lived in the town where the
palace was, had ever seen him in their lives, he turned away from
Mr. Carew in a passion, telling him, He was certain he deceived
him, and belied his good brother of England: for how, added he,
can he be the king of a people whom he hath no knowledge of? or
how can he be beloved by <!-- page 107--><SPAN name="page107"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>his
subjects who have never seen him? how can he redress their
grievances, or provide for their wants? how can he lead his
people against their enemies? or how know what his subjects stand
in need of, in the distant parts of the kingdom, if he so seldom
stirs out of his wigwam? Being told that the king of
England was informed of, and transacted all this by means of the
officers that were about him, he replied, It might be so; but if
he should ever chance to go to England, he should talk with his
good friend the king upon these matters, as he could not clearly
apprehend how they could be. For my part, added he, I know
and am known by all my subjects. I appear daily among them,
hear their complaints, redress their grievances, and am
acquainted with every place in my kingdom. Being told the
people of England paid their king, yearly, vasts sums out of the
profits of their labour, he laughed, and cried, O poor king!
adding, I have often given to my subjects, but never received any
thing from them.</p>
<p>Hunting being the principal employment and diversion of the
Indians, at which they are very expert, Mr. Carew had an
opportunity of gratifying, to the utmost, his taste for this
diversion, there scarcely passing a day but he was a party
amongst them at some hunting match or other, and most generally
with the king himself. He was now grown into such great
respect among them, that they offered him a wife out of the
principal families of the place, nearly related to the king; but
our hero, notwithstanding these honours, could not forget his
native country, the love of which glowed within his breast; he
had therefore, <!-- page 108--><SPAN name="page108"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>for some time, formed the design of
leaving them, and, very soon after, found an opportunity of doing
so.</p>
<p>One day, being out a hunting, they chanced to fall in company
with some other Indians, near the river Delaware. When the
chase was over, they sat down to be merry together, and having
got some rum amongst them, they drank pretty freely, and fell to
singing and dancing after their country fashion.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew took this opportunity of slipping away, and, going
down to the river side, seized one of the canoes. Though he
was entirely unacquainted with the method of managing them, he
boldly pushed from shore, landing near Newcastle in Pennsylvania;
the place he crossed over being called Duck’s Creek, which
communicates with the great Delaware. Mr. Carew being now
got, as it were, among his countrymen again, soon transformed
himself into a quaker: pulling off the button from his hat, and
flapping it on every side, he put on as demure and precise a
look, as if his whole family had been quakers, and he had never
seen any other sort of people. Here, reader, it will be
necessary to remark, that, as our hero is no longer amongst
simple honest Indians, neither polite, lettered, nor deceitful,
but among polished people, whose knowledge has taught them to
forget the ways of nature, and to act every thing in disguise;
whose hearts and tongues are as far distant asunder, as the North
from the South pole, and who daily over-reach one another in the
most common occurrences of life; we hope it will be no disgrace
to our hero if among such he appears <!-- page 109--><SPAN name="page109"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>polished as
the best, and puts on a fresh disguise as often as it suits his
convenience.</p>
<p>The first house he went to was a barber’s, of whose
assistance he had indeed need enough, not having shaved his beard
since he left the ship: here he told a moving story, saying his
name was John Elworth, of Bristol; that he had been artfully
kidnapped by one Samuel Ball, of the same place, and gone through
great hardships in making his escape. The good barber moved
by his tale, willingly lent his assistance to take off his beard;
during the operation, he entered into a good deal of chat,
telling him his father was of Exeter; and, when he went away,
gave him a half-crown bill, and he recommended him to Mr. Wiggil,
a quaker of the same place. Here he told his moving story
again, and got a ten-shilling bill from Mr. Wiggil, with
recommendations to the rest of the quakers of the place, among
whom he got a great deal of money. When he took his leave,
he was recommended by them to the quakers of a town called
Castile. Here he found a great deal of favour, and made the
best of his way to Brandywine-Ferry, in which is room enough to
lay up the whole royal navy of England; and from thence to
Chester, so called, because the people who first settled there
came for the most part from Cheshire. It contains above a
hundred houses, and a very good road for shipping, the Delaware,
on which it stands, being about three miles over. Here are
a court-house and a prison. This place is also called
Upland, and has a church dedicated to St. Paul, with a numerous
congregation of those whom, exclusive of all other Christians, we
call <!-- page 110--><SPAN name="page110"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>orthodox. Mr. Carew came here
on Sunday, staid all the night, and the next morning he enquired
out one Mrs. Turner, a quaker, who formerly lived at Embercomb,
by Minehead, in Somersetshire; from her he got a bill, and a
recommendation to some quakers at Derby, about five miles
further, where she told him he would find Mr. Whitfield. On
hearing this, he set out for Derby; but, before he reached there,
was overtaken by hundreds of people going to hear Mr. Whitfield
preach. Friend, says he to one of them, where are you going
so fast? Hast thou not heard, friend, says the other, the
second Christ is come? He then joined them, and they all
proceeded to Derby, where he found Mr. Whitfield preaching in an
orchard, but could not get near enough to hear his discourse, by
reason of the great concourse of people; however, he seemed to be
affected with it, and strictly imitated the quakers in all their
sighs, groans, lifting up of the eyes, &c. Leaving
them, he went to the sign of the ship, and enquiring where Mr.
Whitfield lodged that night, was told at the justice’s, who
was a miller; he then asked if he could have a bed there that
night, and being told that he might, he passed the evening very
cheerfully.</p>
<p>In the morning he asked for pen, ink, and paper, soon drew up
a moving petition in the name of John Moore, the son of a
clergyman, who had been taken on board the Tiger, Captain
Matthews, and carried into the Havannah, from whence he had got
his redemption by means of the governor of Annapolis; that he was
in the most deplorable circumstances, having nothing to <!-- page
111--><SPAN name="page111"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
111</span>help himself with, and hoped he would commiserate his
condition. Having finished his petition, away he went to
the miller’s house, where Mr. Whitfield lodged, and found a
hundred people waiting at the door to speak to that
gentleman. Looking narrowly around, he espied a young lad,
whom he found belonged to Mr. Whitfield, and going up to him very
civilly, he begged he would do an unfortunate man the kindness to
present that paper (giving him his petition) to Mr. Whitfield:
and as soon as they perceived him, the quakers pressed round him,
one crying, Pray thee, friend, come and pray by my dear wife; and
another, Pray thee, friend, come and see my dear brother.
Mr. Whitfield made his way through them all, as well as he could,
towards Mr. Carew, whom the young lad pointed out to him.
When he came up to him, he kindly said that he was heartily sorry
for his misfortunes, but that we were all liable to them, that
they happened by the will of God, and therefore it was our duty
to submit to them with patience and resignation; then, pulling
out his pocket-book, he gave him three or four pounds of that
county paper-money. Mr. Carew returned him thanks with all
the marks of the most lively gratitude, and Mr. Whitfield wishing
him well to England, went away singing psalms with those that
were about him; and we make no doubt but Mr. Carew joined with
them in the melody of the heart for the good success he had had
with Mr. Whitfield.</p>
<p>From hence Bampfylde was only seven miles to the city of
Philadelphia, which is one of the finest in all America, and one
of the best laid out cities <!-- page 112--><SPAN name="page112"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>in the
world. It is the capital of Pennsylvania, and, were it full
of houses and inhabitants, according to the proprietor’s
plan, it would be a capital fit for a great empire; yet it is a
large city, considering its late foundation, most commodiously
situated between two navigable rivers, the Delaware and
Schuylkill. He designed the town in form of an oblong
square, extending two miles in length from one river to the
other. The long streets, eight in number, and two miles in
length, he cut in right angles by others of one mile in length,
and sixteen in number, all straight and spacious. He left
proper spaces for markets, parades, quays, meeting-houses,
schools, hospitals, and other public buildings. There are a
great number of houses, and it increases every day in buildings,
which are all carried on regularly, according to the first
plan. The city has two fronts on the water, one on the east
side facing to Schuylkill, and the other on the west, facing the
Delaware, which is near two miles broad, and navigable three
hundred miles, at least for small vessels. The eastern part
is the most populous, on account of the Schuylkill, which is
navigable eight hundred miles above the falls. We have
observed, that each front of the street was to be two miles from
river to river, as it was at first laid out; but one cannot
suppose that it is finished in that manner. The streets
that run against the Schuylkill are three quarters of a mile in
length; the houses are stately, the wharfs and warehouses
numerous and convenient. This city flourished so much at
first, that there were near a hundred houses, great and small in
it, in less than a year’s time; and it has made answerable
progress since <!-- page 113--><SPAN name="page113"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>that period; the number of houses,
at this time, being about two thousand, and, generally speaking,
better edifices than in the cities of England, a few excepted,
and those only in a few streets. All the houses have large
orchards and gardens belonging to them; the land on which the
city stands is high and firm, and the convenience of covered
docks and springs have very much contributed to the commerce of
this place, where many rich merchants now reside, some of whom
are so wealthy that they keep their coaches. Ships may ride
in six or seven fathoms water, with a very good anchorage; the
land about it is a dry wholesome level. All owners of one
thousand acres and upwards have their houses in the two fronts,
facing the rivers, and in the High-street, running from the
middle of one front to the middle of the other. Every owner
of one thousand acres has about an acre in front, and the smaller
purchasers about half an acre in the back streets, by which means
the least has room enough for a house-garden and small
orchard. High-street is a hundred feet broad, so is
Broad-street, which is in the middle of the city, running from
north to south. In the centre is a square of ten acres, for
the state-house, market-house, and school-house, as before
hinted. The names of the streets here denote the several
sorts of timber that are common in Pennsylvania, as
Mulberry-street, Sassafras-street, Chesnut-street, Walnut-street,
Beech-street, Ash-street, Vine-street, Cedar-street. There
are also King-street, Broad-street, High-street. Their
court-house is built of brick, and under it is a prison: several
houses on the quay are worth four or five thousand <!-- page
114--><SPAN name="page114"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
114</span>pounds; and thirteen ships have been on the stocks at a
time: some hundreds have been built there. The cellars and
warehouses, on the quay, are made over the river three stories
high. Here are two fairs in a year, and two markets in a
week. It sends two members to the assembly.</p>
<p>The inhabitants were at first mostly quakers, and so they
continue. It was some time before there was a church built
after the manner of England; but as soon as one was built, it was
called Christchurch. It had, in a few years, a very
numerous congregation, and King William ordered an allowance of
fifty-three pounds a-year to the minister; which, with voluntary
contributions, made a very handsome provision for him.
There are about twelve hundred of the inhabitants that are of
this congregation, who have for some years had the benefit of the
organ; and though it looked and sounded strange to the quakers at
first, yet they are now so far reconciled to it, as to bear with
their neighbours having it without grumbling. There are,
besides this, several meeting-houses; viz., for the quakers, who
are properly the church as by law established, being the
originals; the presbyterians, the baptists, and a Spanish
church.</p>
<p>According to the plan, there is in each quarter of the city a
square of eight acres, intended for the same uses as were
Moorfields in London—walks and exercises for the
citizens. The great dock is formed by an inlet of the river
Delaware, at the south corner of the front of the wharfs, and has
a bridge over it at the entrance: several creeks run into the
city out of the two rivers; and there is no city in Holland that
is so naturally <!-- page 115--><SPAN name="page115"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>accommodated with fine and
commodious canals, as this might very easily be. The quay
is beautiful, about two hundred feet square, to which a ship of
five hundred tons may lay her broadside; and, as these surprising
advantages have already rendered it one of the best trading towns
in the British empire out of Europe, so in all probability it
will continue to increase in commerce, riches, and buildings,
till for number and magnificence it will have no equal in
America; where the French have not, nor are likely to have, any
thing like it. Here are almost all sorts of trades and
mechanics, as well as merchants and planters. Here the
assemblies and courts of judicature are held, and the business of
the province is chiefly managed, as in all capitals. Here
are printing-houses, and several newspapers published. In a
word, here are all things necessary for an Englishman’s
profit and pleasure.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew, walking through the High-street, had a mind to
refresh himself with a nip of punch; the first public house he
chanced to come to was kept by an Irishman, and asking him if he
sold punch, Yes, my dear honey, replied the man. Arrah,
says Mr. Carew, are you my countryman, dear joy? quite in the
Irish brogue. Yes, replied the man: What, do you belong to
one of our vessels?—No, but I belong to Captain Dubois, of
Dublin, who was taken off the Capes, and carried into the
Havannah.—Arrah, dear joy, I know Captain Dubois very well,
replied the Irishman, come in. Accordingly in went Mr.
Carew: the Irishman was so well pleased with his countryman,
(for, giving a very particular account of many <!-- page 116--><SPAN name="page116"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>places in
Ireland, and counterfeiting the brogue extremely well, he did not
suspect him to be any other,) that he entertained him kindly, and
they passed the day merrily together.</p>
<p>The next morning his host takes him out to see the city: Mr.
Carew did not content himself with idly gazing, as most of our
modern travellers do; but diligently inquired the names of the
principal merchants and places, and informed himself of all those
circumstances, which could be of any service to him. At
length, seeing a very fine house, he inquired whose it was; and
being told Proprietor Penn’s, who was just come from
England with his brother-in-law, Captain Frame, he takes leave of
his host, telling him he had a little business to transact, and
would be at home presently, for he should be able to find his way
back without his staying for him.—Having thus got rid of
the Irishman, he claps his right hand into his coat, as if he had
lost the use of it; and then, going up to the proprietor’s,
knocks at the door, which was opened to him by a negro, with a
silver collar round his neck: he inquired if the proprietor lived
there, and if he was at home: being told he was, Pray tell him,
says he, that a poor man desires the favour of speaking with
him. The negro then bid him come into the court: soon
after, out came the proprietor, very plainly dressed, and his
brother, Captain Frame, in his regimentals. The proprietor
came up to him, inquiring who he was, and what he wanted with
him: he replied he was a poor unfortunate man, who craved his
honour’s charitable assistance: that his name was John
Dawkins, of the city of Exeter; and that he <!-- page 117--><SPAN name="page117"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>belonged to
Captain Davis’s ship of that place, who was taken near the
Capes. Captain Frame, seeing him a lusty tall fellow,
presently cries out, revenge! revenge! my brave boy! you shall go
along with me, and fight the dogs! Mr. Carew replied with a
sigh, that he should be glad to do that, but that, it was his
misfortune, by the severities and hardships in prison, to have
lost the use of his right arm by the dead palsy. This moved
their compassion so much, that each of them gave him a guinea;
the proprietor telling him he would take care to send him home
with Captain Read, who would sail, very soon; then asking him if
he had been at the governor’s, and he replying in the
negative, the proprietor told him he should go there, for he was
a very good-natured man, and would assist him; then calling to
the black, he bid him show the poor man to the
governor’s. As they were going along, he informed
himself of the black what countryman the governor was; and being
told a Welshman, and his name Thomas, he took care to make his
advantage of it. When he came to the governor’s and
inquired for him, he was told he was walking in the garden; while
he was waiting for his coming out, in came the proprietor and his
brother; and, going into the garden, they represented his case to
the governor, who, coming in, inquired where he was born,
&c.; he told him, as he had before done the proprietor, and
added, that he had married Betty Larkey, parson Griffy’s
maid, of Wales, and that the parson had a son at Bishop’s
Nympton, in Devon: the governor replied he knew the parson very
well, and likewise Betty Larkey; and <!-- page 118--><SPAN name="page118"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>after he
had asked him some questions about them, which Mr. Carew answered
very readily, he gave him two guineas.</p>
<p>In this manner did he apply to the most of the principal
merchants of Philadelphia, always suiting some circumstances of
his story in particular to the person he applied to; which he
did, by diligently inquiring what places they came from in
England, who were their friends and acquaintance, and the like,
which he knew how to suit most to his purpose.</p>
<p>Captain Read being now ready to sail, and Mr. Carew having a
curiosity of seeing more of the country, he thought proper to
leave Philadelphia without taking leave of any of his good
friends there. From this place he went into Buckingham
county, where he inquired for one George Boon, a justice of the
peace in that county, who formerly lived at Bradnich, in Devon,
his father being a weaver there. Here he went by his own
name, telling him, he had been taken prisoner, and carried into
the Havannah, where he had lain many months. The justice
having known his father very well, entertained him generously,
showed him the country, and gave him three guineas at his
departure, to help to pay his passage.</p>
<p>From thence he went to Burlington, the first town in West
New-Jersey, which contains about two hundred and fifty families,
and has an answerable number of acres laid out for
plantations. The houses are well built, and almost all of
brick. The market affords plenty of all sorts of
provisions, which are as good here as any where in America.</p>
<p><!-- page 119--><SPAN name="page119"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
119</span>From thence to Perth Amboy, so called in honour of the
Duke of Perth. It is at the mouth of the Rantan, which runs
into Sandyhook bay, and is able to contain five hundred
ships. The plan of this city was laid out very regularly
and spaciously. The plot of ground was divided into one
hundred and fifty shares, for purchasers to build upon.
Four acres are preserved for a market-place, and three for public
wharfage—very useful things, if there had been inhabitants,
trade, and shipping. The town being thus skilfully and
commodiously laid out, some Scots began building, especially a
house for the governor, which was then as little wanted as a
wharf or a market. The whole plan of the city consists of
one thousand and seventy-nine acres, and there are two good roads
from it to Piscataqua and Woodbridge. Ships in one tide can
come up to the port, and be at the merchants’ doors, though
of three hundred tons burden; but the Perth city has not above
two or three hundred men, women, and children.</p>
<p>From thence over a ferry, into a town called Trent-town, in
Staten-island; and from thence over Brunswick ferry to East
Jersey, where he found out a Mr. Matthews, a miller, who formerly
lived at Whitechurch, near Lime, in Dorset; and, making use of
his old story of having been taken, he was received by Mr.
Matthews with great hospitality; he kept him three days in his
house, and would have entertained him still longer. At his
departure he gave him a guinea, with several letters of
recommendation, and remitted letters by him to his friends in
England, sending his servant <!-- page 120--><SPAN name="page120"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>with him as
far as Elizabeth town, which is three miles within a creek
opposite to the west end of Staten-island. Here the first
English settlement was made, and if any place in the Jerseys may
be said to have thriven, it is this; for, notwithstanding the
endeavours of the proprietors to make a capital of Perth, by
calling it a city, Elizabeth town has near six times the number
of inhabitants, containing above two hundred and fifty families,
and forty thousand acres of land laid out. Here the
proprietors have a plantation, which goes by the name of their
farm. The government of the province is here managed,
courts are kept, assemblies held, and the greatest part of the
trade of the colony carried on. Here he met with one Mr.
Nicholas, a Cornish man, who gave him a ten-shilling bill, and
recommended him to one Mr. Anderson, in Long-island, sometimes
called Nassau-island, stretching from Fairfield county, in a fine
spot of ground, one hundred and fifty miles in length, and twenty
in breadth. Here he changed his religion, and turned
Presbyterian, most of the inhabitants being of that denomination:
he travelled quite through the island, and then crossed over a
ferry into Block-island, from whence there are great quantities
of timber transported to the town of Boston.</p>
<p>Soon after, crossing another ferry, he came into New York,
which is a very fine city. There are now about one thousand
one hundred houses, and near seven thousand inhabitants in
it. The houses are well built, the meanest of them is said
to be worth one hundred pounds, which cannot be said of any city
in England. The great church here <!-- page 121--><SPAN name="page121"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>was built
in the year 1695, and is a very handsome edifice. Here are
also a Dutch church, a French church, and a Lutheran
church. The inhabitants of the Dutch extraction make a very
considerable part of the town; but, most of them speaking
English, one may suppose they went pretty much to the great
church, especially all those that are and hope to be in
offices. Here he was surprised at the sight of a great
number of gibbets, with blacks hanging upon them; but, upon
inquiring, he found the negroes had not long before entered into
a conspiracy for burning the whole city; however, the plot being
timely discovered, great numbers were executed and hung up to
terrify others. His first care here was to inquire the
names, circumstances, families, and countries, of the principal
inhabitants of the city; amongst the rest he inquired out Captain
Lush, who was formerly of Carmouth, by Lime, in Dorsetshire, to
whom he had recommendatory letters from Mr. Matthews, of East
Jersey. He was received very hospitably by Captain Lush,
who likewise gave him two shirts, and informed him, there was no
ship ready to sail for England there, but that he would find one
at New London. Having found there was one Mr. Lucas,
formerly of Taunton, in Somersetshire, in New York, and judging
he was brother to Mr. Lucas, of Brampton, in Devon, whom he knew
very well, he went boldly to his house, which was in the
fish-shambles, and knocking at the door, it was opened to him by
a negro; he enquired if Mr. Lucas was at home; and, before the
negro could give him an answer, out came Mr. Lucas with a little
boy, and demanded what <!-- page 122--><SPAN name="page122"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>he wanted:
he replied he was an Englishman, born in Devonshire, who had the
misfortune to be cast away in a ship behind Long-island, and
hearing his name was Lucas, he had made bold to apply to him for
his assistance, as he was very well acquainted with his brother,
Mr. Lucas, of Brampton. Mr. Lucas asked him, if he could
tell him whom his brother married; he replied, Mrs. Mary
Tristam. Do you know Huntsham? Yes, replied he, and
Mr. Beer, who first courted Mrs. Tristam. And how many
children has my brother? To this likewise Mr. Carew
answered very exactly; and Mr. Lucas, being convinced by this of
his being no imposter, bid him come in, telling him, he expected
his youngest brother there in three weeks time. He was
entertained here very generously, and at his departure Mr. Lucas
gave him two guineas.</p>
<p>From thence he went through Seabrake and Seaford to New
London, which is situated on a river called the Thames. The
first branch of which river goes by the name of Glass river, the
next branch by that of Russel’s Delight, and the third by
that of Indian river. There is a small river which falls
into the sea at Manchester. The trade of ship building
flourishes here. He now inquired if there were none of the
name of Davy in that city; and being asked why, he replied, they
were near heirs to a fine estate near Crediton in Devon, formerly
belonging to Sir John Davy. He was then shown to two
ancient sisters of Sir John Davy, whose sons were timbermen: they
asked a great many questions about the family, and he told them
that Sir John Davy was dead, <!-- page 123--><SPAN name="page123"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>and his
eldest son also, who had left two sons; that the youngest
brother, Humphrey Davy, was then living at Creedy-house, and the
little boys somewhere about Exeter. Then they gave him two
letters to give to Mr. Humphrey Davy; after which, each gave him
a guinea, with recommendations to one Justice Miller and Captain
Rogers, who was bound for England. Justice Miller received
him very kindly, with whom he agreed to take a run to England for
ten gallons of rum, ten pounds of sugar, ten pounds of tobacco,
and ten pipes.</p>
<p>Captain Rogers having taken in his lading, which consisted of
rice, tobacco, and pipe staves, set sail with a fair wind from
New London, and run to Lundy in a month and three days.
Nothing happened material on their voyage, and the sailors passed
this time very joyfully, having so favourable a gale; but our
hero, who knew that fortune, like a common jilt, often puts on
the fairest smiles when she is about to discard you, thought it
prudent to provide against her slippery tricks as much as lay in
his power; he therefore pricked his arms and breast with a
needle, and then rubbed it with bay salt and gunpowder, which
made it appear like the small-pox coming out; in the night-time
he groaned very dismally, till at length the captain called to
him to know the reason of his groaning so in his sleep.
Alas! Sir, replied he, I have been dreaming my poor wife
was dead, and that she died of the small-pox. Be of good
cheer, man, says the captain, dreams are but fables; and, for
your comfort, I believe we shall quickly make land: however, they
did not do this as soon as the <!-- page 124--><SPAN name="page124"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>captain
expected; for, towards the next evening, the wind springing up a
fresh gale, the captain ordered to stand out to sea again: during
all the day, Mr. Carew did not stir out of his hammock,
pretending to be very ill. Towards the morning, the wind
was somewhat laid, and they stood in before it; but it being very
hazy weather, the captain ordered a good look-out, crying, my
brave boys, take care we don’t run foul of some ship, for
we are now in the channel. The men replied, all is
well.</p>
<p>Now the cocks began to crow on board, and Sol took his last
embrace of Thetis, to begin his daily stage; for, indeed, already
had his equipage waited near an hour for him. Reader, if
thou art acquainted with the inimitable history of Tom Jones,
thou mayest perhaps know what is meant by this; but, lest thou
shouldest not, we think it not improper to inform thee, that we
mean no more than what we might have told thee in three words,
that it was broad day-light. The captain called out, how
goes the glass, my brave boys? Eight glasses are just run,
replied the men; then look out sharp for land. Soon after,
the cabin boy hallooing out, land, land! the captain ran nimbly
to see if it was so, saying, I am afraid we are embayed.
No, replied the mate, I will be bound for it, it is
Lundy-island. The captain ran up immediately to the
main-topmast head, to look out for other lands to the right and
left, and found it to be indeed Lundy-island; upon which several
sailors ran up the rigging, and, among the rest, Mr. Carew creeps
out with nothing but a blanket upon his shoulders, and makes an
attempt to run up the <!-- page 125--><SPAN name="page125"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>rigging; which the captain seeing,
he hastily cries out, where is old John going? take care of the
old man, he is light-headed: upon which, some of the sailors took
him down, and carried him back to his hammock. They then
crowded all the sail they could for Lundy. When they came
near, they perceived several ships laying at anchor there, and
made a signal for a pilot. Soon after comes up a pilot of
Clovelly, who was then upon the island, waiting to pilot ships up
to Bristol. The captain welcomed him on board, and agreed
for seven guineas to be pilotted up to Bristol: then the captain
asked him what news, and if any New-England men were gone up the
channel? He replied, that none had passed, but that he
could inform him of bad news for his men, which was, the Ruby
man-of-war, Captain Goodyre, lay then in King-road, and pressed
all the men he could lay hold of. Mr. Carew, hearing this,
immediately comes upon deck, with his blanket upon his shoulders,
and pretended to vomit over the ship’s side. The
pilot, observing him, asked what was the matter with the old
man. I believe, replies the captain, he has got the
small-pox; he dreamed the other night that his wife was dead of
them, which frightened him so much, that I think the small-pox is
come out upon him. The pilot then stepped up and asked him
to let him look upon him, which he complying with, and showing
him his arms, the pilot swore he had got the small-pox heavily
upon him, and Mr. Carew kept on groaning very mournfully.
They then sailed by Appledore, Biddeford, and Barnstaple, (where
Mr. Carew, notwithstanding his having the small-pox <!-- page
126--><SPAN name="page126"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>so
heavily, wished himself on shore, drinking some of their fat
ale,) so to the Holmes, and into King-road early in the
morning. He then thought it advisable to take a pretty
large quantity of warm water into his belly, and soon after, to
their concern, they saw the Ruby man-of-war lying in the road,
with jack, ensign, and pendant hoisted.</p>
<p>Now were all the sailors, who had been so jovial before,
struck with a dreadful panic; but our hero, secure of the favour
and protection of the goddess prudence, was quite easy at
heart.—Soon they perceived the man of war’s boat
making towards them, upon which Mr. Carew grew sicker and sicker:
the captain ordered the ropes to be flung out for a
man-of-war’s boat, and the stanchions and red ropes to be
got ready for the lieutenant, as though they had been to receive
some good visitor on board; such are the polished arts of the
world; for we think we may venture to say, that both the captain
and the crew, at the time they were making these preparations to
receive the lieutenant, had rather have seen him gone to the
bottom of the sea, than come on board their vessel. At
length the man-of-war’s boat came along side of the ship,
when Mr. Carew went down into the steerage with his belly full of
hot water, and the lieutenant came on board. Sir, you are
welcome on board, says the captain; or, rather, that little part
of the captain called the tongue; for the heart, mind, and every
other particle, of the captain wished him at the d---l at the
same time. The lieutenant inquired from whence they came
and what passage. The captain replied, from Boston, in a
month and four <!-- page 127--><SPAN name="page127"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>days; and then asked him to walk
aft, and take a drop of rum; but, before he did so, the
lieutenant asked how many hands there were on board. The
captain answered, he had only fifteen, for men were very
scarce. Of what burden is your ship?—Two hundred and
fifty tons. I must have your hands, sir, said the
lieutenant: come in, barge crew, and do your duty. No
sooner were the words spoken, than the crew leaped upon the deck,
and the lieutenant ordered all the ship’s company aft,
saying he wanted to talk with them. He then accosted them
with an oratorial harangue: “Gentlemen sailors,” said
he, “I make no doubt but you are willing to enter
voluntarily, and not as pressed men; if you go like brave men,
freely, when you come round to Plymouth and Portsmouth, and get
on board your respective ships, you will have your bounty money,
and liberty to go on shore and kiss your landladies.”
Though this oration was pronounced with as much self-applause as
Cicero felt when, by the force of his eloquence, he made
Cæsar the master of the world to tremble; or as the
vehement Demosthenes, when used to thunder against king Philip;
yet we are not quite certain whether it was the power of
eloquence alone persuaded the men to enter voluntarily, or
whether being seated between the two rocks of Scylla and
Charybdis, it was indifferent to them which they dashed upon;
however this was, all but one of them entered (though with sad
hearts) without being pressed, which we make no doubt the
lieutenant attributed to the eloquence of his oration.</p>
<p>The lieutenant observing a stout fellow, in a <!-- page
128--><SPAN name="page128"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
128</span>frock and trowsers, who did not come aft with the other
men, asked the captain who he was. The captain replied, he
was an Indian, and a brave sailor, so called him by his
name. Wat ye want wit mee, replies the Indian, mee wont
come, dammee. Upon which the lieutenant sent some of the
barge crew to bring him forward which the brave Indian
perceiving, he caught hold of a handspike, and put himself in a
posture of defence, crying out to the barge crew who came up
towards him, dammee, ye meddle wit mee, mee dash your brains
out. The crew, finding him resolute, did not think proper
to attack him: upon which the lieutenant asked him, if he would
serve king George. Dam king George, mee know no king
George: mee be an Indian, mee have a king in my own country, whom
mee love and fightee for, because he be de very good king: at
which the lieutenant and captain fell a laughing, and left
him.</p>
<p>Are these all your men? says the lieutenant. Yes,
replied the captain, except an old man, who dreamed the other
night that his wife died of the small-pox, and was so much
frightened, that the small-pox is come out upon him. The
captain then ordered the bills to be made for what was due to the
men, and asked the lieutenant in the mean while to walk down and
taste his rum. Accordingly down comes the lieutenant,
humming a tune. Mr. Carew, hearing this, prepared himself,
and, taking an opportunity of putting his finger down his throat,
discharges his stomach just under the lieutenant’s feet,
crying out in a most lamentable tone at the same time, O, my
head! <!-- page 129--><SPAN name="page129"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>O my back! What! cried the
lieutenant very hastily, is this the fellow who has the
small-pox? No, no, replied Carew; I have had the small-pox
many years ago, and have been with Sir Charles Wager and Sir
George Walton up the Baltic; and now, for God’s sake, take
me on board your ship, noble captain, for I want only to be
blooded. The lieutenant whipped out his snuff box, and
clapped it to his nose, swearing, he would not take him on board
for five hundred pounds, for he was enough to infect a whole
ship’s crew; that the devil should take him before he
would—hurrying at the same time as fast as he could into
the great cabin. When he came there, Mr. Carew heard him
complaining how unfortunate it was that he should come on board,
as he had never had the small-pox himself. When the rest of
the men had had their bills made out, the captain, willing to get
rid of Mr. Carew, said to him, come, old John, I will have your
bill made to; which was accordingly done, and it amounted to
seven pounds ten shillings, for which the captain gave him a
draught on merchant Tidiate of Bristol. The captain then
ordered the boat to put him on shore; but he besought the captain
to let him die on board. No, no, says the captain; by all
means take him on shore. Ay, ay, says the lieutenant, take
him on shore. Then the captain called to some of the
sailors, to help the poor old man over the side of the ship, and
out came Mr. Carew, with the blanket wrapped about his shoulders,
and so well did he counterfeit, that he seemed a most deplorable
object of compassion. The boat having <!-- page 130--><SPAN name="page130"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>got a
little distance from the ship, was called back again, and the
lieutenant tossed him half-a-guinea, charging him not to go into
the city of Bristol, as he was enough to infect the whole
city.</p>
<p>Thus our hero, after seeing many cities and men, undergoing
great hardships, and encountering many dangers and difficulties,
once more set foot on his beloved country. Notwithstanding
the joy he felt at being safe on shore, he did not lay aside his
small-pox, but travelled on towards Bristol as one very bad in
that distemper. Coming to Justice Cann’s, near Derham
Downs, he met with the gardener, whom he asked if the justice
lived there, and was at home? Being told he was, he made a
most lamentable moan, and said, he was just come from New
England, and had the small-pox on him. The gardener went
into the house, and, soon returning, told him the justice was not
at home; but gave him half-a-crown. He still kept crying, I
am a dying man, and I beseech you let me lie and die in some
hay-tallet, or any place of shelter. The gardener, seeing
him so ill, went in again, and brought out a cordial dram, and a
mug of warm ale, which Mr. Carew made shift to swallow. The
gardener then left him, being so much affrighted at his
appearance and lamentable moans, that he let both glass and mug
fall to the ground, before he reached the house. Mr. Carew
then made a shift, notwithstanding his dying condition, to reach
the city of Bristol; and being now freed from his apprehensions
of being pressed, at the first barber’s he came to he got
rid of his beard, and bid adieu to the small-pox; he then <!--
page 131--><SPAN name="page131"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
131</span>made the best of his way to the mendicants’ hall,
on Mile-hill. Just as he came there, the landlady and an
old croney, a tinker’s wife, were standing at the door; as
soon as the landlady espied him, she clapped her hands, and swore
it was either Mr. Carew or his ghost. As soon as they were
convinced he was flesh and blood, great were the kisses, hugs,
and embraces, of the three. Our hero’s first inquiry
was, when they had seen his dear Polly, meaning his wife: the
landlady told him she had not seen her lately, but had heard that
she and his daughter were well; but that his wife never expected
to see him more.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew soon called for a room above stairs, ordered an
elegant dinner to be provided, and passed the afternoon very
merrily. The next morning he waited on the merchant with
his bill, and received the money for it; then weighed anchor, and
steered for Bridgewater, where he arrived at night. He
immediately repaired to a mumper’s house, kept by a
one-eyed woman, named Laskey, from whence he went to the Swan,
where several gentlemen were passing the evening together, viz.
Mr. More, Dr. Deptford, Counsellor Bedford, and others, all of
whom were particularly acquainted with him; however, he pretended
to be a West Indian who had been cast away in a ship, coming from
Antigua, which foundered behind Cape Clear; that he was taken up
by an Irishman, and afterwards put on board a Bristol ship.
Having by this story raised a handsome contribution from the
gentlemen, he discovered himself, knowing them to be his good
friends; but the gentlemen could scarcely credit him, till he
<!-- page 132--><SPAN name="page132"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
132</span>gave them sufficient proofs of his being the real
Bampfylde Moore Carew.</p>
<p>The next morning he went to Sir John Tynte, and made the same
complaint he had done the night before at the Swan in
Bridgewater: the servant telling him Sir John would come forth
soon, he waited till he did so, and then discovered himself; Sir
John would not believe him, but at last made him a present.
He afterwards visited Justice Grose, of Bromfylde, who presently
knew him, and made him very welcome; from whence, setting out for
Exeter, he visited on the road Mr. John Bampfylde, of Hesticomb,
the Rev. Mr. Boswell, and Dr. Hildyard, of Taunton, the Rev. Mr.
Manifee, Squire Bluet, of Melcombe Regis, the Rev. Mr. Newt, of
Tiverton, Squire Blundel, and Major Worth, in the neighbourhood
of that place, who, being all his particular friends, were very
glad to see him return, and treated him very handsomely.
Major Worth took a hunting with him: but he soon found an
opportunity of slipping away, and directed his steps to his own
parish of Bickley. Here he happened to meet Lady Carew; but
so great was his respect for her, that he, who used to attempt
every thing, had not courage to accost this lady, and therefore
turned off to a place called Codbury, the seat of Mr.
Fursdon. As soon as he came there, he was known to Mr.
Fursdon’s sister, who told him he should not stir thence
till her brother came home; soon after Mr. Fursdon returned, and
brought with him one Mr. Land, of Silverton: he was very much
surprised to see him, and treated him very generously, making him
a very handsome present, as did also Mr. <!-- page 133--><SPAN name="page133"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>Land.
He abode there that night, went a hunting with Mr. Fursdon the
next day, and likewise to see Mr. Bampfylde Rode, at Stoke, who
would not believe Mr. Carew had been in America; he treated him
handsomely, and made him a present at his departure. He
came next into Exeter, the place he had sailed from to Maryland,
and going into St. Peter’s church-yard, saw Sir Henry
Northcote, Dr. Andrews, and two other gentlemen, who were walking
there; he accosted them with a God bless you, Sir Harry, Dr.
Andrews, and the rest of the company. Sir Harry, staring
very wistfully at him, cried, are you flesh and blood? why you
can never have been in America? Dr. Andrews then asked if
it was Carew; and the report being spread that he was in Exeter,
it drew a number of spectators to see him; and amongst the rest
merchant Davy himself, who asked him, in a very great hurry, if
the ship was cast away. No, no, said he, I have been in
America, have had the honour of seeing your factor, Mr. Mean, and
saw Griffiths sold for a thousand weight of tobacco: did I not
tell you that I would be at home before Captain Froade? He
then gave an account of several particulars, which convinced the
gentlemen he had really been in America. Mr. Davy asked
him, if he had been sold before he ran away; and he replying he
had not, the merchant told him jeeringly, that he was his servant
still, that he should charge him five pounds for his passage, and
five pounds for costs and charges, besides Captain Froade’s
bill. He next inquired where he had left Captain
Froade. Mr. Carew told him he had left him in Miles’s
river. The gentlemen <!-- page 134--><SPAN name="page134"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>then gave
him money, as did likewise merchant Davy.</p>
<p>Two months after this came home Captain Froade, laden with
tobacco. As soon as he came to an anchor, several gentlemen
of Exeter went on board, and inquired what passage, and where he
left Mr. Carew? Damn him, replied the captain, you will
never see him again: he ran away, was taken, put into New Town
gaol, brought back again, and whipped, had a pot-hook put upon
him, ran away with it on his neck, and has never been heard of
since; so that, without doubt, he must either be killed by some
wild beast, or drowned in some river. At this the gentlemen
fell a laughing, telling the captain he had been at home two
months before him. Captain Froade swore it could never be;
however, they confirmed it to him that it was so.</p>
<p>Soon after this Mr. Carew went and paid his respects to Sir
William Courtenay, returning him many thanks for what he had
furnished him with when he sailed for Maryland; adding, he had
been as good as his word, in coming home before Captain
Froade. Sir William told him he thought he had; and then
called to his butler to give him something to drink. In a
little time Sir William came to him again, with his brother, Mr.
Henry Courtenay, who conducted him to a noble parlour, where was
a great company of fine ladies sitting, whom our hero accosted
with all that respect which is ever due to beauty and
merit. Sir William then asked him jocosely if he could find
out which was his dove. He replied, he knew some of the
ladies there; and that, unless his <!-- page 135--><SPAN name="page135"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>judgment
deceived him, such a lady, (singling out one of them) was the
happy person. You are right, replied Sir William; this is
indeed my dove, and turtle-dove. Sir William then put a
piece of money in his hat, as did Mr. Courtenay, and bid him go
round to the ladies, which he did, addressing them in a very
handsome manner; and, we need not add, gathered a plentiful
harvest, as the fair sex are, in general, so much inclined to
humanity and good-nature. Sir William asked him if he would
not drink to the ladies’ health? and filled him up a bumper
of excellent wine; he then took his leave of this truly noble and
hospitable gentleman.—Here, reader, if my pen were equal to
the task, I would describe to you one whom, in this degenerate
age, thou mayest gaze at as a prodigy; one who, like the
phœnix rising from the ashes of his father, inherits all
the virtues of his glorious ancestors; I would describe to you
magnificence without extravagance, pomp without ostentation,
plenty without luxury or riot, and greatness undiminished by
little pride; I would set before you something more than a king,
surrounded and imprisoned by worthless and impervious favourites,
fawning sycophants, and tasteless grandeur. Such are the
scenes within thy walls, such thy master, happy Powderham!</p>
<p>From hence our hero went to Squire Bell’s, of Mamheap;
in the way he met with Mr. Jackson, his steward, who was lame
with the gout; he presently knew Mr. Carew, gave him
half-a-crown, and told him, he would hop back on his crutches to
give him something to drink. While they were drinking a
glass, the steward advised <!-- page 136--><SPAN name="page136"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>him to make
application to the squire. Presently after, he came out,
and Mr. Carew soon began his attack upon him. Pray, who are
you? said the justice. I am a poor unfortunate West Indian,
replied he, who has been shipwrecked on the coast of Ireland, and
was taken up by a Bristol ship. Ay, ay, you are one of
Carew’s gang, I suppose, said the justice, but he is
transported. Bless your honour, returned he, I am no
impostor; I have heard that he was a very great one, and I think
deserved more than transportation. Well, well,
there’s a shilling for you, replied the justice, and go
about your business.</p>
<p>From hence he steered towards Mr. Oxenham’s, at
New-house: when he came near the house, he pulled off his shirt,
and gave it to an old man he met, as though he had been amazed:
then marched up to the house, and just at the stable met Mrs.
Oxenham and another lady, whom he immediately accosted with a
doleful complaint of being a poor shipwrecked mariner. Mrs.
Oxenham told him, she should have taken him for Bampfylde Moore
Carew, but she knew him to be transported. He was not
disconcerted at this, but readily told her, with great composure,
that his name was Thomas Jones, belonging to Bridport, in
Dorsetshire. The ladies gave each a shilling, and then bid
him to go into the house, where he had victuals set before him;
before he went away the lady sent him a Holland shirt.
Being thus equipped, he inquired out the churchwardens of the
parish, and by the same story got a crown of them. From
hence he went to Lord Clifford’s, at Uggbroke, in the
parish of Chudleigh: here he sent in a petition to my <!-- page
137--><SPAN name="page137"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
137</span>Lord as an unfortunate Roman Catholic, and received a
guinea; he lay that night at Sandy-gate, and behaved as a Roman
Catholic, under the name of William Passmore.</p>
<p>The next day, at Moll Upton’s, in Newton Bushel, he met
with one of the sisters of that order of mendicants commonly
called cousin Betties; and he, having an inclination to pay a
visit to Sir Thomas Carew, at Hackum, soon made an agreement with
the cousin Betty to exchange habits for that day. The
barber was then called in to make his beard as smooth as his art
and razor could make it, and his hair was dressed up with
ribbons; thus metamorphosed, our hero set out, having a little
dog under his arm. Being come to Sir Thomas Carew’s,
he rushed into the house without ceremony, demanding his rent in
an imperious tone. None of the men-servants being in the
way, the women first ran one way and then another; but he, taking
notice of this confusion, continued to act the mad woman, beating
his head against the wall, kissing the dog, and demanding his
rent; at last, one of the women-servants came out, crying, lady,
you are welcome to the rent, and gave him a crown; but he was not
to be removed so easily, for now he fell a raving again, and
demanded some merry-go-down; they then brought him some ale,
which having drunk, he took his leave, thanking them with a very
low courtesy. From hence he returned in his progress to
parson Sandford’s, of Stoke, in Tinney, where, having
entered the house with as little ceremony as before, he not only
demanded his rent, as usual, but a gown for some of his cousins:
neither would he take his leave <!-- page 138--><SPAN name="page138"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>till he had
got a shilling for rent, a good gown, and some pinners. He
next called upon parson Richards, at Coombe, in Tinney, where he
got a shilling and a shift. Having thus succeeded in his
new adventure, he returned to his quarters at mother
Upton’s, in Newton-Bushel, where he divided the profits of
the day with his good cousin Betty, and also passed the night
very merrily with her.</p>
<p>The next day he restored his borrowed accoutrements to cousin
Betty, and, calling for a pen and ink, wrote a petition in the
character of a poor unfortunate soap-boiler, whose house was set
on fire by the carelessness of an apprentice, in the parish of
Monksilver, not forgetting to sign it with the names of several
neighbouring gentlemen. With this fictitious petition he
went to Justice Taylor’s, at Dembury, where he was
handsomely relieved: thence he went to Justice Neil’s, and
finding upon inquiry the justice himself was at home, he did not
venture to deliver his petition, but begged as an unfortunate
man, and was relieved with a cup of cider, and some bread and
cheese. At Darlington he assumed the character of a
rat-catcher, and sold a receipt to a gentleman’s steward
for a crown: and under this character he travelled forward to
Plymouth. Here, learning that there was to be a great
cock-match, he laid aside his rat-catcher’s habit, and put
on that of a gentleman, and not the habit only, as too many do,
but the manners and behaviour likewise. At the cock-match,
he betted several wagers with Sir Coventry Carew, and his own
brother Mr. Henry Carew, the minister of Saltash, which he had
<!-- page 139--><SPAN name="page139"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
139</span>the good fortune to win, and left the cock-pit
undiscovered by any one. Thus great is the power of dress,
which transforms and metamorphoses the beggar into a gentleman,
and the cinder wench into a fine lady; therefore let not the
little great (I mean those who have nothing to recommend them but
their equipage) pride themselves as though they had something
superior in them to the poor wretch they spurn with so much
contempt; for, let me tell them, if we are apt to pay them
respect, they are solely indebted for it to the mercer and
tailor; strip them of their gaudy plumes, and we shall not be
able to distinguish them from the lowest order of mumpers.
This puts us in mind of a remarkable adventure of our
hero’s life, which he always told with a great deal of
pleasure.</p>
<p>One day, as he was begging in the town of Maiden Bradley, from
door to door, as a poor shipwrecked seaman, he saw on the other
side of the street a mendicant brother-sailor, in a habit as
forlorn as his own, begging for God’s sake, just like
himself. Seeing Mr. Carew, he crossed the way, came up to
him, and in the cant language, asked where he lay last night,
what road he was going, and several other questions; then,
whether he would brush into a boozing-ken and be his thrums; to
this he consented, and away they went; where, in the course of
their conversation, they asked each other various questions
concerning the country, the charitable and uncharitable families,
the moderate and severe justices, the good and queer
corporations. This new acquaintance of Mr. Carew’s
asked him if he had been at Sir Edward <!-- page 140--><SPAN name="page140"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
140</span>Seymour’s? He answered, yes, and had
received his alms: the stranger, therefore, not having been
there, left him at the alehouse, and went thither himself, where,
having received the same alms that his new companion had, he
returned to him again.</p>
<p>The next day they begged through the town, one on one side of
the street, and the other on the other, each on his own separate
story and account: they then proceeded to the houses of several
gentlemen in the neighbourhood, both in one story, which was that
of the stranger. Among many others, they came to Lord
Weymouth’s, where it was agreed that Mr. Carew should be
spokesman: upon their coming up to the house, the servants bid
them begone, unless they could give a good account of themselves
and the countries in which they pretended to have been, for,
should Lord Weymouth come and detect them in any falsehood, he
would horse-whip them without mercy, which was the treatment to
all those whom he found to be counterfeits met with from him, and
he had detected great numbers of them, having been abroad
himself. Our travellers were not the least daunted, Mr.
Carew being conscious in himself that he could give a
satisfactory account of Newfoundland, and the other affirming
that he had been at Rome, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, &c.
and could give as good a description of those countries as his
lordship himself. Therefore up they went to the kitchen
door, and Mr. Carew broke ice, telling the deplorable story of
their misfortune in his usual lamentable tone. The
housekeeper at first turned a deaf ear to their supplication and
entreaty; but Mr. Carew, at the instigation of his <!-- page
141--><SPAN name="page141"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
141</span>companion, redoubled his importunity, kneeling on one
knee, and making use of all the methods of exciting charity, of
which he was capable; so that at last the housekeeper gave them
the greatest part of a cold shoulder of mutton, half a fine
wheaten loaf, and a shilling, but did it with great haste and
fear, lest his lordship should see her, and be angry. Of
the butler they got a copper of good ale, and then, both
expressing their thankfulness, departed.—Having reached
some distance from the house there arose a dispute who should
carry the victuals, both being loath to incumber themselves with
it, as having neither wife nor child near to give it to.
Mr. Carew was for throwing it into the hedge, but the other urged
that it was both a sin and a shame to waste good victuals in that
manner, so they both agreed to go to the Green Man, about a mile
from my lord’s, and there exchange it for liquor. At
this alehouse they tarried for some time, and snacked the argot;
then, after a parting glass, each went his way.</p>
<p>The reader cannot but be surprised when we assure him that
this mendicant companion of his was no less a person than my Lord
Weymouth himself, who, being desirous of sounding the tempers and
dispositions of the gentlemen and other inhabitants of the
neighbourhood, put himself into a habit so vastly beneath his
birth and fortune, in order to obtain that discovery. Nor
was this the first time that this great nobleman had
metamorphosed himself into the despicable shape and character of
a beggar, as several of that neighbourhood can testify; but, when
he went abroad into the world in this disguise, he took especial
care to <!-- page 142--><SPAN name="page142"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>conceal it even from his own family,
one servant only, in whose secrecy he greatly confided, being
entrusted therewith; and this was his valet-de-chambre, who used
to dress, shave, and perform other such offices about his
lordship’s person.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew and his noble companion having thus parted from each
other, he took his way into the woodlands towards Frome; and the
disguised lord, by a private way through the park and gardens,
returned to his own house, and there, divesting himself of his
rags, put on his embroidered apparel, and re-assumed the dignity
and state to which both his birth and fortune entitled him.
I am informed, said his lordship, that two sailors have been at
my house; and, inquiring which way they went, he ordered two men
and horses to go after them, with a strict charge to bring them
back to his house, for he had heard they were impostors; and, if
he found them such, he would treat them accordingly. The
servants obeyed his commands without the least suspicion of the
intricacy of this affair, and soon came up with Mr. Carew, whom
they forcibly brought up to my lord. His lordship accosted
him in a very rough stern manner, asking where the other fellow
was, and told him he should be made to find him. Mr. Carew
in the mean time stood thunder-struck, expecting nothing less
than a commitment to prison, but, upon examination, made out his
story as well as he could.</p>
<p>After having thus terrified and threatened him for a
considerable time, his lordship went out, and, divesting himself
of the habit and character of a nobleman, again put on his rags,
and was, by his <!-- page 143--><SPAN name="page143"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>trusty valet-de-chambre, ushered
into the room where his brother-beggar stood sweating for fear,
when they compared notes together, whispering to each other what
to say, in order that their accounts might agree when examined
apart, as in effect they were. The steward took Mr. Carew
aside into a private chamber, and there pretending that the other
fellow’s relation contradicted his, and proved them both to
be counterfeits, he said that a prison must be the portion of
both; and indeed nothing was omitted that might strike Mr. Carew
with the greatest terror and confusion. By this time my
lord having thrown off his rags, and put on his fine apparel, Mr.
Carew was again brought into his presence to receive his final
sentence; when his lordship, having sufficiently diverted himself
with the fear and consternation of his brother mumper discovered
himself to him.</p>
<p>We might have mentioned before, that, while my lord and Mr.
Carew travelled together, they asked each other whence they came,
and what their names were. Mr. Carew ingeniously confessed
his, but my lord disguised both his name and country; so that
having accidentally met with a mendicant of the greatest note in
England, his lordship thought fit to treat him in the manner
aforesaid, which he would not have done to every common
vagrant.—However, to satisfy himself that this was the
famous and true Bampfylde Moore Carew, for many impostors had
usurped his name, he sent for Captain Atkins, a gentleman of his
acquaintance in the neighbourhood, who went to school with Mr.
Carew at Tiverton. This gentleman was very glad to see his
old school-fellow, <!-- page 144--><SPAN name="page144"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>and assured his lordship that it was
really Mr. Bampfylde Moore Carew, upon which his lordship very
nobly entertained him at his house for the space of three days,
and gave him an excellent suit of clothes and ten guineas; but,
remembering the trouble they had, and the loss they were at to
dispose of the shoulder of mutton and bread which the housekeeper
had given them, as likewise the resolution Mr. Carew had once
taken to throw it away, he called his housekeeper, and strictly
charged her never to give away a morsel of victuals more, but
bestow the alms in money only, rightly judging that to be more
acceptable to beggars than the best of provisions, the greatest
part of which they either waste, give away, or exchange for an
inconsiderable quantity of drink, as my lord and Mr. Carew had
done. His lordship took Mr. Carew to Warminster horserace,
and there recommended him to many honourable gentlemen, who were
very liberal to him. He several times after made bold to
call upon his lordship in his rounds, and at every visit received
a guinea, and a hearty welcome at his house. His lordship
would frequently make himself merry with the story, and jocosely
say, that he was more expert in the science of mumping than even
Mr. Carew himself.</p>
<p>Not long after this, Mr. Carew came to Biddeford again, where
he had been some time before, and delivered the compass to
Captain Haley’s wife, who immediately burst into tears upon
seeing it, supposing her husband was dead: he then went to the
Dolphin, where, as he was drinking, he saw some gentlemen in the
Butchers’ Row, and asked <!-- page 145--><SPAN name="page145"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the
landlord who they were. Being told they were the Captains
Harvey, Hopkins, and Burd,—Go, said he, and give my duty,
and tell them Mr. Bampfylde Moore Carew is at your house.
The landlord went accordingly, and soon returned with the
captains. They were glad to see our hero, who returned them
thanks for the favours he had received from them in
America. The captains asked him a great many questions
respecting his travels through the Indians’ country,
&c., and told him they never thought he could have gone
through that dangerous undertaking, but expected to have seen him
return again. He then gave them an account of every thing
to their satisfaction, telling them he had followed their
directions in every point. They afterwards treated him very
handsomely, and made a collection for him. The captains
then going out, and reporting that he was in town, a great
concourse of people assembled to see him, to the no little profit
of the landlord; for our hero ordered that no one should be
admitted to see him, till he had first drunk a quart of ale in
the house.</p>
<p>Some time after this, he disguised himself like a poor
miserable decrepid old man, and took to selling of matches and
gathering old rags. Happening to meet a brother ragman at
Wiveliscombe, they joined company, and agreed to travel to
Porlock together. Just as they came to Gutter-Hall, night
coming on a-pace, they proposed taking up their quarters
there. The landlord told them he had no lodging to spare,
but if they would go half-a-mile farther, and lie in a haunted
house, they should have their lodging free cost, and good bread,
<!-- page 146--><SPAN name="page146"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
146</span>cheese, and cider, with a rasher of bacon into the
bargain. The ragmen very readily accepted this offer, and,
accompanied by the landlord, repaired to Farmer Liddon’s
house. When they came there the landlord told the farmer he
had brought two men who would lie in the haunted house. The
farmer received them very gladly, and asked them if they were
sure they had courage enough to do it, adding he would give them
twenty shillings if they could lay the old woman. Never
fear, farmer, replied Mr. Carew; we have not only courage to
speak to, but learning enough to lay, the old woman, so that you
shall never hear of her more. Things being thus agreed on,
the farmer’s son, a great stout fellow, willing to show his
courage, in a very bold manner offered to keep them
company. Having provided themselves with firing, cider,
bread, cheese, and bacon, they adjourned to the haunted house,
but not before Mr. Carew had taken an opportunity of going into
the yard, and filling his pockets with large stones. When
they came to the haunted house, they made a good fire, and he and
his companion sat down, eating and drinking very merrily; but the
farmer’s son, beginning to have some terrors upon him, had
little stomach to eat. About the middle of the night, when
every thing is most silent and solemn, at that time when every
whisper of the mind is apt to create fear, Mr. Carew took an
opportunity of throwing a stone unseen up the stairs, which,
coming rumbling down again with a frightful noise, might have at
that time struck a panic into the most courageous heart.
The farmer’s son turned pale, and leaped from his chair in
a great fright, <!-- page 147--><SPAN name="page147"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>believing that the old woman was
making her entrance; but nothing appearing, the same awful
silence and stillness as before took place, only fear staid
behind in the farmer’s breast, and Mr. Carew and his
companion kept mute, as though in expectation of what would
follow; but soon this solemn silence was disturbed by a loud
thump at the door; again the farmer leaped from his seat, crying
out, O Lord! save and deliver us! At the same time, unable
to command those passages at which fear is apt to issue out, he
caused a smell almost as bad as Satan himself is said to bring
along with him. Mr. Carew caught him in his arms, and,
holding his head close to his breast, cried, don’t be
afraid, Mr. Liddon, for I will make the old woman fly; at the
same time, pretending to conjure her, he repeated three times
very solemnly, “Hight spirito diabolico rubro
oceano,” whilst his companion went a little aside, and
answered in a squeaking tone, like Joan Liddon, unless my will is
fulfilled, I will tear them in pieces.</p>
<p>Soon after cock-crowing, there was another huge blow at the
door, and then they bid the farmer look up, telling him the old
woman was gone; however, he would not let go his hold of Mr.
Carew. Just as day-light appeared, his companion went
forth, and picked up the stones from the stairs, entry,
&c. He had scarce done this, before the old farmer came
down, to see if his son was alive, and if they had seen old
Joan. He accosted them with, How do you do? how have you
spent the night? O father, replied the son, most terribly
indeed. You can’t conceive what rattlings and noises
we heard; but this good man secured <!-- page 148--><SPAN name="page148"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>me in his
arms. But what smell is this? replied the father; sure old
Joan stinks of brimstone, or something worse, if she brought this
along with her. Ay, father, father, said the son, I believe
you would have raised as bad a smell as I have done, if you had
been here. Well, well, said the father, perhaps I might;
but have you spoken to old Joan? Yes, indeed, replied Mr.
Carew. And what does the old woman say? she says, if her
will is not exactly fulfilled as she desired, she will never
leave haunting you; but, if it be, all shall be well and
quiet. They then went to the farmer’s house, where
they were made very welcome, and received the twenty shillings,
according to promise, the farmer requesting they would stay the
next night by themselves, for he believed his son would have no
stomach to go with them, and tell the old woman every thing
should be fulfilled according to her will, and they should be
satisfied to their content. They accordingly passed the
next night there very merrily, and received another twenty
shillings in the morning, which was well bestowed too by the
farmer; for ever after the house had the reputation of being
quiet.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew and his companion then set forward for Porlock,
where they parted company; and Mr. Carew coming into Porlock, met
Dr. Tanner, a relation of old Joan Liddon’s, and his
brother, Parson Tanner, who was with him. After the usual
salutations, he very composedly asked if they had heard the news
of the conjuring old Joan? The doctor replied they had
heard something of it, and that he was resolved either to send or
take a ride over himself, to inquire into the truth of it.
He <!-- page 149--><SPAN name="page149"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
149</span>confirmed it to them, which occasioned a great deal of
discourse about it, and who these two conjurers could be.</p>
<p>We should, perhaps, have passed over in silence this adventure
of our hero’s, but that an author of the first rate has
taken a great deal of pains to frighten a poor soldier, and
entertain his readers by dressing up his hero in a white coloured
coat, covered with streams of blood; though we cannot well
conceive how those streams of blood, which ran down the coat in
the morning, should appear so very visible twenty hours after, in
the middle of the night, and at a distance by the light of a
single candle; notwithstanding this great author has very
judicously acquainted us with a light-coloured coat; but however
this may be, we are of opinion that the farmer’s son in the
above adventure is a more entertaining character than the soldier
in the renowned history we are speaking of; and that our hero,
whenever it was needful, could make a much more tremendous figure
than Mr. Jones in his white-coloured coat covered with streams of
blood. The following is a sufficient instance.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew being in the town of Southmolton, in Devon, and
having been ill used by a great officer, vulgarly called the
bellman, was resolved to take comical revenge. It was about
that time reported and generally believed, that a gentleman of
the town, lately buried, walked by night in the church-yard; and,
as the bellman was obliged by his nightly duty to go through it
just at the hour of one, that well-known accustomed time of
spectres issuing from their graves, Mr. Carew repaired <!-- page
150--><SPAN name="page150"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
150</span>there a little before the time, and, stripping to his
shirt, lay down upon the gentleman’s grave. Soon
after, hearing the bellman approach, he raised himself up with a
solemn slowness; which the bellman beholding, by the glimmering
light of the moon through some thick clouds, he was harrowed up
(as Shakspeare expresses it) with fear and wonder, and an
universal palsy seized every limb; but, as nature most commonly
dictates flight in all such cases, he retreated with as much
haste as his shaking limbs would allow; yet, as fear naturally
inclines us to look back upon the object we are flying from, he
several times cast his eyes behind him, and beheld the ghost
follow him with a solemn march. This added fresh vigour to
his flight, so that he tumbled over graves and stones, not
without many bruises, and at length dropped his bell, which the
ghost seized upon as trophy, and forbore any farther
pursuit. The bellman, however, did not stop till he reached
home, where he obstinately affirmed he had seen the
gentleman’s ghost, who had taken away his bell, which
greatly alarmed the whole town; and there were not wanting many
who afterwards frequently heard the ghost ringing the bell in the
church-yard.</p>
<p>It was some time before the bellman had the courage to resume
his usual nightly rounds through the church-yard; but after a
while, his fear abating, he ventured upon it again, and met with
no interruption. Mr. Carew happening about a year
afterwards to be in Southmolton again, was afresh insulted by the
bellman, which made him resolve to give him a second meeting in
the church-yard; taking therefore the opportunity of a very dark
<!-- page 151--><SPAN name="page151"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
151</span>night, he dressed himself in a black gown, put a great
fur cap upon his head, and at the usual time of the bellman
coming, repaired to the church-yard, holding in his mouth, by the
middle, a stick lighted at both ends, at the same time rattling a
heavy iron chain. If the bellman’s terror before was
great, it was now much greater; and indeed the appearance, joined
to the rattling of the chain, was so hideous, that the boldest
soldier might have been terrified by it, without any imputation
of cowardice. The bellman fled away with all the wings of
fear, the spectre following him at a distance, rattling the chain
with a most hideous noise; hence the bellman concluded himself to
be haunted by the devil, and declined ever after his nocturnal
employment.</p>
<p>About this time Mr. Carew met with one Mr. Philips, a
celebrated limner in Porlock, who showed him a great many
pictures of different likenesses, and asked him if he knew any of
them. He pointed out his old school-fellow, Edward Dyke,
Esq., and Sir Thomas Carew. Mr. Philips then asked him if
he would sit for his picture, as he had been desired to draw it
for Mr. Copplestone Bampfylde; which our hero agreeing to, he
went the next day, and the following, to sit for the picture,
undisguised. When it was finished, Mr. Philips desired him
to come again another time in his mumping dress, which he
accordingly promised to do.</p>
<p>After this he went to Minehead, and called on several of his
old acquaintance, viz. Dr. Bell, Parson Beer, and the Collector,
who all treated him very kindly. Having raised
contributions from <!-- page 152--><SPAN name="page152"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>these gentlemen, he repaired to his
quarters, and desired them to lend him a pair of trowsers.
Having a mind to try some of the neighbouring country parishes,
he pretended to be a cast-away seaman, 3500 miles from home, and
picked up a great deal of money, and seven or eight pounds of
bacon, which he brought to his quarters, and gave as a recompense
for the loan of the trowsers.</p>
<p>Some days after he met with an old female acquaintance, who
had a young child with her, at a place called Embercomb, with
whom joining company, they came into Dunster, and lay at private
lodgings. The next day, being willing to indulge his
companion, he borrowed her child, a gown, and one of her
petticoats. Thus accoutred, with the child in his arms, he
returned to Minehead among the gentlemen he had so lately
received contributions from; and pretending to be an unfortunate
woman, whose house had been burnt at Chadleigh, and giving a good
account of that place and its inhabitants to those who questioned
him, coughing very violently, and making the child cry, he got a
great deal of money, clothes for the child, and victuals.
On his return to Dunster, he gave the mother of the child the
clothes, and the greatest part of the money he had obtained in
his trip; neither was this method new to him, for he had long
before this taught his own daughter, a little infant, to say,
“drowned in a boat,” as often as he or any other
person asked her what was become of her mother, or mammy.
Having made her perfect in this lesson, he set out with her upon
his back, and pretended to have been a sailor on board a vessel
that had been lately lost on the <!-- page 153--><SPAN name="page153"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>coast of
Wales, when most of the ship’s crew and passengers were
drowned, among whom, he said, was the mother of the tender infant
at his back, and that he had saved himself and the infant by
swimming. By this story he pocketed a great deal of money
every where, especially, as by way of confirmation, when he was
telling of it, he would turn and ask the babe, where is your poor
mammy, my dear, my jewel? To which the babe would reply,
drowned in the boat; which so affected all that heard it, that it
not only drew their purse but their tears also.</p>
<p>From Dunster he went through the country to Ilfracombe, where
he inquired for a passage to Ireland. He was told there was
no vessel going to Ireland, but that he might have a passage for
Wales, which he soon resolved upon, and, after waiting upon the
collector and some other friends in Ilfracombe, set sail for
Swansea. He had no sooner landed there, than he repaired to
the Rev. Mr. Griffy of that place, in the character of a
cast-away seaman, a native of Devonshire; and, as he gave a
particular account of Mr. Griffy’s son, the minister of
Bishop’s Nympton, he was made very welcome, and handsomely
relieved, and by his recommendations obtained a great deal of
money in the town.</p>
<p>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 <!-- page 154--><SPAN name="page154"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>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.</p>
<p>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 <!-- page 155--><SPAN name="page155"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>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. Well, said
my lord, you shall go home along with me. He desired to be
excused, as he designed to go and see lord St. Leger, who was
another of his school-fellows; but my lord swore by his saul he
should go home along with him, and visit Lord St. Leger another
time; accordingly a good horse was provided for him, and they all
set out for Dublin.</p>
<p>The next day my Lord Annesly took him to his own house.
During his abode here, which was about a fortnight, our hero
received great civilities from the Irish gentry; Lord Annesly
introducing him to all the chief company in the city, <!-- page
156--><SPAN name="page156"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>as
the man they had heard so much talk of. One day Mr.
O’Brien, a gentleman of great fortune, being in company,
asked Mr. Carew if he had ever been on board the Yarmouth
man-of-war; he replied, that he had been in her up the
Baltic. The gentleman asked if he remembered a young
gentleman about fourteen years of age, very fat, and who had a
livery-servant to wait on him. He replied, that he
remembered him very well, and that he was blest with as beautiful
a face as any youth he ever saw. The gentleman then asked
him if he recollected what became of him; which he answered, by
saying he died at Gosport a day or two after they landed; and
that Mr. Price, of Pool, composed a Latin epitaph for him; at
which the gentleman could not refrain letting fall some tears, it
being his own brother he was speaking of. He then asked
what men-of-war were with them at that time; all which he gave a
very good account of, saying, Sir Charles Wager and Rear-Admiral
Walton commanded; Sir Charles carrying a red flag at the
fore-topmast head of the Torbay, and the latter a blue at the
mizen of the Cumberland, both eighty-gun ships. The
gentleman replied, he was satisfied, for he had given a very
faithful account of every thing; he then made Mr. Carew a present
to drink his health when he came to England, as Lord Annesly said
he would supply him while he was in Ireland. A great
hunting-match being proposed, Lord Annesly told them that Mr.
Carew could make one with the best of them at the diversion, upon
which he was desired to make one of the party. Accordingly,
they set out very early next morning, and had fine <!-- page
157--><SPAN name="page157"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
157</span>sport, he exerting all his abilities, though he was
afraid of riding into some bogs, of which the country is
full. When the chase was ended, they all went to Lord
Annesly’s to dinner, and the company allowed him to be an
excellent sportsman.</p>
<p>Lord Annesly afterwards took him to Newry and many other
places, introducing him to much company. At length he
desired liberty to go and see his old school-fellow, Lord St.
Leger, at Donnerail, which Lord Annesly would not consent to,
unless he promised to call upon him again on his return; which
agreeing to do, he sent his servant with him as far as
Blessington. Parting with the servant here, he travelled to
Kilkenny; thence to Cashel, (where is a fine seat belonging to
Lord Mark Ker,) Clonmel, and Cahir, where our hero was taken
dangerously ill. It would be unpardonable not to mention
the hospitality he was treated with here. His good
landlady, finding him so ill, sent for the minister of the place
to come and pray by him, which he accordingly did, and at going
away clapped half-a-crown into his hand, and soon after sent an
apothecary to him, who administered what medicines were proper
for him, which had so good an effect as to enable him to get upon
his legs: however, they would not let him proceed forward for
several days, lest he should relapse; and before he set out, the
minister of the parish sent his clerk round the place to make a
collection for the stranger. At length, being perfectly
recovered, he set out for Lord St. Leger’s. When he
came there, and was introduced, my lord presently recollected
him, and cried, Why sure, and doubly sure, it is Carew!
<!-- page 158--><SPAN name="page158"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
158</span>He then asked how long he had been in Ireland; adding,
he hoped he would stay with him for some time. His lordship
made him very welcome, and they talked over some of the merry
pranks they had played together. Mr. Carew inquired if Sir
Matthew Day, another of their old schoolfellows, was alive.
His lordship told him he was dead; but that there was a young
gentleman would be glad to see any old friend of his
father’s. He abode with Lord St. Leger about a
fortnight, being entertained in the kindest manner possible; at
his departure, my lord made him a handsome present, and gave him
a good suit of clothes, with a recommendatory letter to young Mr.
Day.</p>
<p>Here he was received with great civility, as well upon account
of Lord St. Leger’s letter, as being an old school-fellow
of Mr. Day’s father. The conversation happening to
turn upon dogs, Mr. Day told him he had heard he was very famous
for enticing dogs away, and that Sir William Courtenay’s
steward had told him there was not a dog could resist his
allurements; however, he believed he had one that would; he then
ordered a surly morose dog to be brought out, and offered to lay
a wager he could not entice him away, which he readily accepted,
and began to whistle to the dog, but found him very surly; upon
which he took out a little bottle, and dropping a few drops upon
a bit of paper, held it unseen to the dog, and then told Mr. Day
the dog would follow him to England. Away then he went, and
the dog after him. Mr. Day and his servants all followed,
calling Roger, Roger, which was the name of the dog; but Roger
turning a deaf ear to all they <!-- page 159--><SPAN name="page159"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>could say,
not thinking proper to turn about once. Mr. Carew having
diverted himself sufficiently, by leading Mr. Day and his
servants above half-a-mile, turned back again, with the dog still
following him. Having abode here some days, he took his
leave, receiving a handsome present from Mr. Day; he then
returned back to Lord Annesly, and thence to Kinsale, where he
took the first opportunity of a vessel, and landed at Padstow, in
Cornwall, after a short and pleasant passage.</p>
<p>From this place he went to Camelford; thence to Great
Torrington, where he met with his wife, and then proceeded to
Biddeford: and on the next day, being Sunday, he strolled down to
one Holmes, who kept a public-house between Biddeford and
Appledore, where he passed great part of the day drinking pretty
freely; and money being at a low ebb with him, he desired
landlord Holmes to lend him a good suit of clothes, which he
accordingly did. Being thus gallantly equipped, he went and
planted himself at the church-door in Biddeford, and pretending
to be the supercargo of a vessel which had been a few days before
cast away near the Lizard, he got a very handsome
contribution. From thence he travelled to Barnstaple, where
he had great success, none suspecting him in his dress, as it was
certainly known such a ship had been really cast away near the
Lizard a few days before. Returning back, he called upon
Squire Ackland, at Tremington, where he got half-a-crown of the
lady upon the same story; then, steering to Appledore, he met
with landlord Holmes, who had been in no little fear about his
clothes; however, he would not disrobe till he got <!-- page
160--><SPAN name="page160"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>to
Appledore, where also he added to his store, and then returning
to Holmes, he restored him his clothes, and gave him some small
part of the profit of the excursion.</p>
<p>It was about this time Mr. Carew became acquainted with the
Hon. Sir William Wyndham in the following manner.—Being at
Watchet, in Somersetshire, near the seat of this gentleman, he
was resolved to pay him a visit; putting on, therefore, a jacket
and a pair of trowsers, he made the best of his way to Orchard
Wyndham, Sir William’s seat; and luckily met with him, Lord
Bolingbroke, and several other gentlemen and clergy, with some
commanders of vessels, walking in the park. Mr. Carew
approached Sir William with a great deal of seeming fearfulness
and respect; and with much modesty acquainted him he was a
Silverton man, (which parish chiefly belonged to Sir William,)
and that he was the son of one of his tenants, named Moore; that
he had been at Newfoundland, and in his passage homeward, the
vessel was run down by a French ship in a fog, and only he and
two more saved; and, being put on board an Irish vessel, he was
carried into Ireland, and from thence landed at Watchet.
Sir William, hearing this, asked him a great many questions
concerning the inhabitants of Silverton, who were most of them
his own tenants, and of the principal gentlemen in the
neighbourhood, all of whom Mr. Carew was perfectly well
acquainted with, and therefore gave satisfactory answers.
Sir William at last asked him if he knew Bickley, (which is but a
small distance from Silverton,) and if he knew the parson
there. Mr. Carew replied <!-- page 161--><SPAN name="page161"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>he knew him
very well, and indeed so he might, as it was no other than his
own father. Sir William then inquired what family he had,
and whether he had not a son called Bampfylde, and what was
become of him. Your honour, replied he, means the mumper
and dog-stealer: I don’t know what has become of him, but
it is a wonder he is not hanged by this time. No, I hope
not, replied Sir William; I should be very glad, for his
family’s sake, to see him at my house. Having
satisfactorily answered many other questions, Sir William,
generously relieved him with a guinea, and Lord Bolingbroke
followed his example; the other gentlemen and clergy contributed
according to their different ranks, which they were the more
inclined to do, as the captains found he could give a very exact
account of all the settlements, harbours, and most noted
inhabitants of Newfoundland. Sir William then ordered him
to go to his house, and tell the butler to see him well
entertained, which he accordingly did; and he set himself down
with great content and satisfaction; but our enjoyments are often
so suddenly dashed, that it has become a proverb, “that
many things happen between the cup and the lip,” and Mr.
Carew found it so; for, while he was in the midst of his regale,
he saw enter, not the ghost of bloody Banquo to take his seat
from him, nor yet the much more tremendous figure of Mr. Tom
Jones, in a light-coloured coat covered with streams of blood;
no, but the foot-post from Silverton, with letters to Sir
William. This proved to be little less than a very sharp
sword hanging by a hair over Mr. Carew’s head, <!-- page
162--><SPAN name="page162"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
162</span>for, as he thought it natural Sir William would ask him
some questions about Mr. Moore, and as he did not choose, though
he had passed Sir William’s strict examination, to undergo
a fresh one, he made great haste to rise from table, and set out
without using much ceremony. A few miles distant from hence
he met Dr. Poole going from Dulverton to Sir William’s,
who, knowing Mr. Carew, stopped his horse to talk to him.
Amongst other conversation at Sir William’s, the Dr.
happened to mention whom he had met that day (not knowing that he
had been lately there); it was soon known by the description he
gave of his person and habit, to be no other than the unfortunate
Silverton man, to whom Sir William and his friends had been so
generous, which occasioned a great deal of mirth. About two
months after, Mr. Carew again ventured to pay his honour a second
visit, in the habit and character of an unfortunate grazier; he
met the worthy baronet and his lady taking the air in a chaise,
in a meadow where some haymakers were then at work; he approached
them with a great deal of modest simplicity, and began a very
moving tale of the misfortunes he had met with in life. In
the midst of his oration, Sir William called to the haymakers to
secure him; which struck his eloquence dumb, or at least changed
it from the pathetic to the tragic style, for he could not
conceive what might be the end of this; however, the baronet soon
gave him a choice of either a true confession of his name and
profession, or a commitment to prison; he made choice of the
former, and confessed himself to be Bampfylde Moore Carew,
sovereign of the whole <!-- page 163--><SPAN name="page163"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>community
of mendicants. Sir William, with a great deal of
good-nature, treated him with all that respect which is due to
royalty; entertained him generously at his house, and made him a
very handsome present at his departure, desiring him to call upon
him as he came that way; and he was ever a constant friend and
benefactor to him.</p>
<p>Soon after this he planned a new design, which he put into
execution with great success. Dressing himself up in a
chequered shirt, jacket, and trowsers, he went upon Exeter quay,
and, with the rough but artless air and behaviour of a sailor,
inquired for some of the king’s officers, whom he informed
that he belonged to a vessel lately come from France, which had
landed a large quantity of run goods, but the captain was a
rascal, and had used him ill, and damn his blood if he would not
---. He was about to proceed, but the officers, who with
greedy ears swallowed all he said, interrupted him by taking him
into the custom-house, and filling him a bumper of cherry brandy,
which when he had drunk, they forced another upon him, persuading
him to wet the other eye, rightly judging that the old proverb,
‘In wine there is truth,’ might with equal propriety
be applied to brandy, and that they should have the fuller
discovery, the more the honest sailor’s heart was cheered;
but, that no provocation should be wanting to engage him to speak
the truth, they asked him if he wanted any money. He with
much art answered very indifferently, no; adding, he scorned to
make such a discovery out of a mercenary view, but that he was
resolved to be revenged of his captain. They then ordered
him to the sign <!-- page 164--><SPAN name="page164"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>of the Boot, in St. Thomas’s,
Exeter, whither they soon followed him, having first sent to Mr.
Eastwood, an exciseman, to ask what he would have for dinner, and
what liquor he would have to drink. A fire was lighted up
stairs in a private room, a couple of ducks roasted, and full
glasses of wine and punch went cheerfully round; they then thrust
four guineas into his hand, which at first he seemed unwilling to
accept of, which made them the more pressing. He now began
to open his mind with great freedom, gave a particular account of
the vessel, where they had taken in their cargo at France, and
what it consisted of; the day they sailed, and the time they were
on their passage; and at last concluded with acquainting them
they had landed and concealed part of their valuable cargo in the
out-houses of Squire Mallock, of Cockington, and the remainder in
those of Squire Cary, of Tor-abbey, both which houses, upon
account of their situation on the sea-side, were very noted for
such concealments. The officers, having now got on the
scent, were like sagacious hounds for pursuing it forthwith, and
also thought proper the sailor should accompany them; and, to
prevent all suspicion, resolved he should now change his habit;
they therefore dressed him in a ruffled shirt, a fine suit of
broad cloth belonging to the collector, and put a gold-laced hat
on his head; then, mounting him on a fine black mare, away they
rode together, being in all seven or eight of them; they that
night reached Newton-Bushel, and slept at the Bull; nothing was
wanting to make the night jovial; the greatest delicacies the
town afforded were served up at their table, the best liquors
<!-- page 165--><SPAN name="page165"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
165</span>were broached for them, and music, with its enlivening
charms, crowned the banquet; the officers’ hearts were
quite open and cheerful, as they already enjoyed, in imagination,
all the booty they were to seize on the morrow. Thinking
they could not do enough for the honest sailor, they inquired if
he knew any thing of accounts; promising, if he did, to get him a
place in the customs. In the morning, after a good hearty
breakfast, they set forward for Tor-abbey; and, being arrived in
Tor-town, they demanded the constables’ assistance, who was
with the utmost reluctance prevailed on to accompany them in
making this search; Squire Gary being a gentleman so universally
beloved by the whole parish, (to which he always behaved as a
father,) that every one was very backward in doing any thing to
give him the least uneasiness. Did gentlemen of large
estates in the country but once taste the exalted pleasure of
making the whole neighbourhood happy, and consider how much
honest industry they might support, how much misery they might
alleviate, and how many daily blessings they might have poured
forth upon their heads from hearts overflowing with love, respect
and gratitude, almost to adoration, we should not so often see
them leave their noble country mansions to repair to noise and
folly; nor exchange the heart-enlivening pleasure of making
numbers happy, for the beguiling smiles and unmeaning professions
of a prime minister.</p>
<p>Being come to the house, they all dismounted, and the
collector desired the sailor to hold his horse, but he replied he
would rather go round the garden, and meet them on the other side
of the <!-- page 166--><SPAN name="page166"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>house, to prevent any thing from
being conveyed away, and that it would be proper he should be
present to show the particular place where every thing was
deposited. This appeared quite right to the collector; he
therefore contented himself with fastening his horse to the
garden rails, and proceeded with the rest of the officers, in
great form, to search the dog-kennel, coal-house, dove-house,
stables, and all other suspicious places, expecting every minute
to see the informing sailor, who by this time had nearly got back
to Newton-Bushel, having turned his horse’s head that way
as soon as he was out of sight of the collector. He stopped
at the Bull, where they had been the preceding night, and drank a
bottle of wine; then, ordering a handsome dinner to be got ready
for his company, whom he said he had left behind, because his
business called him with urgent haste to Exeter, he clapped his
spurs to his horse, and did not stop till he reached that city,
where he put up at the Oxford inn, then kept by Mr. Buckstone, to
whom both himself and friends were well known; he acquainted Mr.
Buckstone that he was now reformed, and lived at home with his
friends, and spent the night very jovially, calling for the best
of every thing. In the morning he desired Mr. Buckstone to
do him the 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. <!-- page 167--><SPAN name="page167"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>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.</p>
<p>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 <!-- page 168--><SPAN name="page168"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>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.</p>
<p>From Topsham Mr. Carew proceeded to Exmouth, where he also
succeeded, and from thence to Squire Stucky’s, a justice of
peace at Brandscombe, about four miles from Sidmouth; and, being
introduced, acquainted his worship with several discoveries he
could make; the justice thereupon immediately dispatched a
messenger for Mr. Duke, an officer in Sidmouth; in the mean time
he entertained him very handsomely, and pressed him to accept of
two guineas, as a small token of kindness, often shaking him by
the hand, and saying, he thought himself very much obliged to him
for making this discovery: and that, as a reward for his loyalty
to the king, he would engage to get him a place, having many
friends at London. About two o’clock the next
morning, Mr. Duke, the sailor, and servant of the squire’s,
set forward towards Honiton, it being at Squire Blagdon’s,
near the town, where they were to find the hidden treasure.
Mr. Carew was mounted on a good horse of Justice Stucky’s,
and, while the officer and servant were very busy in searching
the out-houses and stables, Mr. Carew gave them the slip, and
posted away to Honiton, and took some refreshment at the Three
Lions; then leaving the justice’s horse to answer for it,
hasted away to Lime, in Dorsetshire; where he applied to Mr.
Jordan, the collector of the place, whom he sent upon the same
errand some miles off, to Colonel Brown’s, at Frampton; but
the collector, not judging it proper <!-- page 169--><SPAN name="page169"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>for him to
accompany him, for fear of creating suspicion, left him at his
own house till his return, giving his servant orders to let him
want for nothing; at the same time making him a handsome present,
as an earnest of a greater reward when he returned. Mr.
Carew enjoyed himself very contentedly at the collector’s
house for several hours, both eating and drinking of the best, as
he knew Frampton was at too great a distance for him to return
presently; but he prudently weighed his anchor when he thought
the collector might be on his return, and steered his course
towards Weymouth, where he made his application to the collector,
and after being handsomely treated, and a present given to him,
sent the officers to Squire Groves’s, near White-street,
and Squire Barber’s, on the Chase, both in Wiltshire.
And as soon as they were gone, he set out for Poole; and sent the
collector and officers of that place to Sir Edward
Boobey’s, who lived in the road between Salisbury and
Hendon; they gave him two guineas in hand, and a promise of more
upon their return with the booty; in the mean time they
recommended him to an inn, and gave orders that he should have
any thing the house afforded, and they would make satisfaction
for it; but this adventure had like not to have ended so well for
him as the former; for, being laid down upon a bed to nap, having
drunk too freely, he heard some people drinking and talking in
the next room of the great confusion there was in all the
sea-ports in the west of England, occasioned by a trick put on
the king’s officers by one Bampfylde Carew, and that this
news was brought <!-- page 170--><SPAN name="page170"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>to Poole by a Devonshire gentleman,
who accidently came that way. Mr. Carew hearing this,
rightly judged Poole was no proper place to make a longer stay
in; he therefore instantly arose, and, by the help of a back
door, got into a garden, and with much difficulty climbed over
the wall belonging thereto, and made the best of his way to
Christchurch, in Hampshire; here he assumed the character of a
shipwrecked seaman, and raised considerable contributions.
Coming to Ringwood, he inquired of the health of Sir Thomas
Hobbes, a gentleman in that neighbourhood, who was a person of
great hospitality; he was told that some of the mendicant order,
having abused his benevolence, in taking away a pair of boots,
after he had received a handsome present from him, it had so far
prejudiced Sir Thomas, that he did not exercise the same
hospitality as formerly. This greatly surprised and
concerned Mr. Carew, that any of his subjects should be guilty of
so ungrateful an action: he was resolved therefore to inquire
strictly into it, that, if he could find out the offender, he
might inflict a deserved punishment upon him; and therefore
resolved to pay a visit to Sir Thomas the next morning, hoping he
should get some light into the affair. When he came to the
house, it was pretty early in the day, and Sir Thomas had not
come out of his chamber; however, he sent up his pass, as a
shipwrecked seaman, by one of the servants, who presently
returned with half-a-crown. As he had been always wont to
receive a large present from Sir Thomas, whenever he had applied
to him, he thought there was some unfair practice at the bottom;
he therefore <!-- page 171--><SPAN name="page171"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>asked the footman for a copper of
ale to drink the family’s health, hoping Sir Thomas might
come down by that time; the servant pretended to be in so great a
hurry, that he could not attend to draw any, but he was of too
humane a nature to permit the poor sailor to suffer by his hurry,
so gave him a shilling out of his own pocket to drink at the next
public-house. This extraordinary generosity of the footman
increased Mr. Carew’s suspicion; he therefore kept
loitering about the door, and often looking up at the window, in
hopes of seeing Sir Thomas, which accordingly happened, for at
length he flung up the sash, and accosted him in a free familiar
manner, called him Brother Tar, and told him he was very sorry
for his misfortunes, and that he had sent him a piece of money to
assist him in his journey towards Bristol. Heaven bless
your honour, replied he, for the half-crown your honour sent me;
upon which Sir Thomas ran down in his morning gown, and with
great passion seized the footman by the throat, and asked him
what he had given the sailor. The fellow was struck dumb
with this, and indeed there was no need for his tongue on the
present occasion, as his looks, and the trembling of his limbs,
sufficiently declared his guilt; however he at last owned it with
his tongue; and excused himself by saying, he knew there was an
ill use made of the large bounties his honour gave. Sir
Thomas, enraged at the insolence of his servant, bestowed upon
him the discipline of the horse-whip, for his great care and
integrity in not seeing his bounty abused; adding, he now saw by
whose villany he had lost his boots. He then made the
footman return the <!-- page 172--><SPAN name="page172"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>whole guinea to the sailor, and
discharged him from any further service in his family; upon which
Mr. Carew took his leave with great thankfulness, and went his
way, highly pleased with his good success in this
adventure.—Here we cannot forbear wishing that there was no
higher character in life than Sir Thomas’s footman, to
whose hands gold is apt to cling in passing through them; that
there was no steward who kept back part of his master’s
rent, because he thinks he has more than he knows what to do
with; no managers of charities, who retain part of the
donors’ benefactions in their own hands, because it is too
much for the poor; nor officers of the public, who think they may
squander the public treasure without account, because what is
everybody’s is nobody’s.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew having laid aside his sailor’s habit, put on a
long loose vest, placed a turban on his head, dignified his chin
with a venerable long beard, and was now no other than a poor
unfortunate Grecian, whose misfortunes had overtaken him in a
strange country. He could not utter his sorrowful tale,
being unacquainted with the language of the country; but his mute
silence, his dejected countenance, a sudden tear that now and
then flowed down his cheek, accompanied with a noble air of
distress, all pleaded for him in more persuasive eloquence than
perhaps the softest language could have done, and raised him
considerable gains; and indeed benevolence can never be better
exerted than towards unfortunate strangers, for no distress can
be so forlorn as that of a man in necessity in a foreign country;
he has no friends to apply to, no laws to shelter him under, no
means to provide <!-- page 173--><SPAN name="page173"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>for his subsistence, and therefore
can have no resource but in those benevolent minds who look upon
the whole world as their own brethren.</p>
<p>We have already mentioned Mr. Carew’s being on board the
Yarmouth man-of-war up the Baltic; it will not, therefore, be
improper here to relate the occasion of that voyage, which was as
follows:—He and his friend, Coleman, being at Plymouth, and
appearing to be able-bodied men, some officers seeing them there,
thought them extremely fit to serve his majesty, therefore
obliged them to go on board the Dunkirk man-of-war: but they not
liking this, Coleman pricked himself upon the wrists, between his
fingers, and other joints, and inflamed it so with gunpowder,
that every one thought it to be the itch; he was therefore
carried ashore, and put into the hospital, from whence he soon
made his escape. Mr. Carew tried the stragem, but too late;
for the Lively and Success men-of-war now arriving from Ireland
with impressed men, they were all of them carried immediately
(together with the impressed men lying at Plymouth) to the grand
fleet, then lying at Spithead; they were first put on board the
Bredau, Admiral Hosier, to choose whom he liked of them: and
their names being called over, the Irishmen were all refused;
which Mr. Carew seeing declared himself, in a true Irish brogue,
to be a poor Irish weaver, and disabled in one arm, whereupon he
was also refused: the Irish, among whom he was now ranked, were
carried from ship to ship, and none would accept of them, which
made them all expect to be discharged; but they were disappointed
in their hopes, for they were <!-- page 174--><SPAN name="page174"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>put on
board the Yarmouth, Captain O’Brien, being one of the
squadron destined for the Baltic. Mr. Carew finding Captain
O’Brien refused no Irishmen, when he came to be examined
changed his note, and declared himself to be an Englishman, but
crippled in one arm: however, the captain accepted of him, and
putting a sword in his hand, made him stand sentry at the bitts,
which easy post he liked very well; and during all the time he
was on board, every one supposed him really disabled in his
arm.</p>
<p>The fleet, sailing from Spithead with a fair wind, anchored
safely at Copenhagen, and then the king of Denmark came on board
Sir Charles Wager: the moment he set his foot on board, both the
flag-ships were covered with an infinite number of colours of
every hue, which, waving in the wind, made a most gallant sight:
upon his departure, the colours were all taken down in an
instant, and every ship fired eighteen or twenty guns.
Sailing from Copenhagen, they anchored next in Elson Cape, in
Sweden; from hence they sailed to Revel, in a line of battle, in
form of a rainbow, and anchored there: the sick men were carried
ashore to Aragan island, which Mr. Carew observing, and burning
with love to revisit his native country, counterfeited sickness,
and was accordingly carried ashore to this island, which lies
near Revel, belonging to the Muscovites, from whence boats came
every day to fetch wood. He prevailed upon an Englishman,
who was a boatswain to one of the Czarina’s men-of-war, to
give him a passage in his boat from that island to Revel town;
when he came there, the boatswain used great endeavours <!-- page
175--><SPAN name="page175"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>to
persuade him to enter her majesty’s service, but it was all
in vain, being resolved to return to his beloved country; the
boatswain, therefore, having entertained him a day and a night at
his house, gave him, at his departure, a piece of money, and
engaged several Englishmen of his acquaintance to do the same; he
likewise furnished him with a bag of provisions, a bottle of
excellent brandy, a tinder-box, and a few lines wrote in that
country language, which he was to show to those he met, to inform
him of the road he was to go; and then conducted him out of the
town. That night he took up his lodgings in the woods, and,
by the help of his tinder-box, made a large fire all round him,
to secure himself from any visits from the wild beasts, then
broiled a piece of flesh, drank a dram, and rested very quietly
till morning, it being the middle of summer.</p>
<p>The whole country here is wild, full of large woods and
uninhabited deserts, the towns and villages lying very
thin. In the morning, finding his way out of the woods, he
espied a lonely hut, to which he made up, and making signs of
hunger and thirst, they gave him some rusk bread and cabereta, or
goat’s flesh, to eat, and some goat’s milk to drink,
which is the usual fare amongst those people, who are most of
them Lutherans by religion, and lead very sober lives; of some of
them he got small bits of money, which they call campekes, and
are of silver, something larger than a barley-corn, being of a
penny value; he likewise frequently got drams of excellent brandy
amongst them, and his shoes being worn-out by travelling, <!--
page 176--><SPAN name="page176"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
176</span>they gave him a pair of good wooden ones, which sat
very awkwardly on his English feet.</p>
<p>After six or seven days’ travel through this wild
country he came to Riga, a large town and famous sea-port: here
he met with many English merchants and commanders of vessels, who
were very kind to him; he tarried two days in Riga, to rest and
refresh himself: during which the English merchants and
commanders provided lodgings and other accommodations for him,
collecting upwards of fifty shillings for him. Having
expressed his utmost gratitude towards his good benefactors, he
again pursued his journey, subsisting himself sometimes on the
charity of the inhabitants of the country, and at other times
milking the cows upon the mountains or in the woods. The
next place of note he arrived at was the city of Dantzic, in the
kingdom of Poland: here he found a great number of English
merchants who traded to Exeter, and Bristol, and had many
correspondents living in those places, several of whom Mr. Carew
being acquainted with, he gave a particular account of.</p>
<p>Having been entertained here very hospitably for several days,
he set out again, having first received some handsome presents
from the English merchants. From Dantzic he got a passage
on board an English brigantine bound for Copenhagen, but through
stress of weather was obliged to put into Elson Cape, where he
went on shore, and travelled by land to Stockholm, the capital of
Sweden, but in his road thither he lost his way in this wild and
desert country, and for the space of three days and nights saw
neither house, hut, nor human <!-- page 177--><SPAN name="page177"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>creature,
the weather being very thick and foggy. Nothing could be
more melancholy and dreadful than these three days’ travel;
his provisions were exhausted, and every step he took he was
uncertain whether it might lead him farther into the woods, as he
could make no observation how the country lay, the fog
intercepting the light of every thing. Sometimes fancy
would paint to him a hut through the fog at a little distance, to
which he would direct his steps with eager haste, but when he
came nearer, found it nothing but an illusion of sight, which
almost drove him to despair. The fourth day he was
exceedingly hungry, when, to his great joy, he espied two
she-goats fastened together with ropes of straw: he ran to them
with great eagerness, and drunk very heartily of their milk;
after this he began to consider that there must be some hut at
least hard by, as the goats could not have strayed in that manner
any great distance; he therefore resolved to stay upon the spot
for some time; and soon after the fog clearing up, he espied a
hut just before him, to which he directly repaired, and there got
a belly-full of their homely fare, and directions to find his way
to Stockholm.</p>
<p>The religion of this country being chiefly Lutheran, he passed
for the son of a presbyterian parson, and his name Slowly,
pretending to have been cast away in a vessel bound for
Revel. The Lutherans at Stockholm were exceedingly kind to
him and raised a handsome contribution for him. He likewise
chanced there to meet with a relation of Dr. Bredaw, a Swiss
gentleman, that resided at <!-- page 178--><SPAN name="page178"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>Dartmouth,
in Devonshire, who asked several questions about him; and as Mr.
Carew was well acquainted with him, he gave very satisfactory
answers, upon which account that gentleman gave him a guinea, a
great fur cap, a coat, and a fine dog, with a letter to carry to
his relation at Dartmouth.</p>
<p>From Stockholm he went to Charles-town, and after a short stay
there continued his journey to Copenhagen, the metropolis of
Denmark; here he met with one Captain Thomas Giles, of Minehead
in Somersetshire, who knew him, and was surprised to see him in
that part of the world, and not only liberally relieved him
himself, but recommended him to several English commanders there,
and also to several inhabitants of the city. From
Copenhagen he went to Elsinburgh, thence to Elsinore, where he
got a passage for England, and once more arrived in his native
country. Landing at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he visited his
wife’s relations, and then set forward for Devonshire,
travelling all the way in the character of a shipwrecked
seaman. Meeting at Exeter with his beloved wife, and
likewise with his friend Coleman and his wife, they travelled
together for some time, during which Coleman’s wife was
delivered of a daughter; but as they found so helpless an infant
a great hindrance to their travelling, Mr. Carew contrived a
stratagem to get rid of it, and at the same time advanced the
fortune of the child.</p>
<p>There was in the town, where they then were, a gay bachelor,
who lived with his mother and sisters, and was a great admirer of
that order of female travellers called Cousin Betties.
Coleman’s <!-- page 179--><SPAN name="page179"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>wife had been with him some months
before in that character, was very well entertained, and, amongst
other favours, received a present of a silk handkerchief.
They therefore dressed up the babe very neatly, wrapped it up
exceeding warm, and put it in a hand-basket, taking care to put
in the handkerchief Coleman’s wife had received from this
gay bachelor; then getting a large boar cat, in the dusk of the
evening they tied it to the knocker of the door, setting down
before it the basket with the helpless infant. The cat, not
liking the treatment, made a hideous squalling, and with his
struggling, rap, rap, rap, went the knocker of the door; out ran
the gentleman, with his mother, sisters, and servants, and the
neighbourhood gathered about the door to see what this noise
could mean. Mr. Carew and Coleman mingled among them to
learn what would be the event of their stratagem. The cat,
by long struggling, got free of the knocker, and ran away, only
leaving part of the tail behind. The basket alone now
engaged the attention of every one, and being delivered to the
gentleman to open, the feeble cries of an infant soon reached
their ears. The mother and sisters, alarmed at this
unexpected salutation, snatched the basket from him, and upon the
child’s breast found a note in these words:</p>
<blockquote><p>“Remember, sir, where you last met me, you
have not been so kind as you often promised and swore you would:
however, it justly belongs to you. I have made bold to send
you the fruits of our meeting, and this handkerchief which you
made me as a token. Be kind to our infant daughter; <!--
page 180--><SPAN name="page180"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
180</span>and the unfortunate mother on her part, will forgive
you.</p>
<p style="text-align: right">“Your’s,
&c.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The horrid squalling of the cat did not grate so disagreeably
upon the gentleman’s ears, as the reading of these words;
so that his hat and wig were flung off, and he ran about stamping
and swearing that the child was none of his, neither did he know
any thing of the mother. On the other hand, his mother and
sisters flew into a violent rage, assailing his ears on every
side with reproaches; so that he would at that time have thought
deafness preferable to any one of the senses. “Dost
thou deny the child to be thine?” cried the mother:
“has it not thy very eyes, nose, and mouth? and is this not
thy very handkerchief? this thou canst not deny, for I can safely
swear it was thine.” The poor gentleman, thus beset
on all sides, was obliged to quit the field; the child was taken
into the house, and brought up and educated there, and is at this
day a very accomplished fine lady.</p>
<p>Some time after this adventure, Mr. Carew took passage at
Folkstone, in Kent, for Boulogne in France, where he arrived
safe, and proceeded to Paris and other cities in that
kingdom. His habit was now tolerably good, his countenance
grave, his behaviour sober and decent, pretending to be a
Roman-catholic, who left England, his native country, out of an
ardent zeal of spending his days in the bosom of the catholic
church. This story readily gained belief; his zeal was
universally applauded, and handsome contributions made for him;
but at the same time he was so zealous a <!-- page 181--><SPAN name="page181"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
181</span>Roman-catholic, with a little change of habit, he used
to address those English he heard of in any place as a protestant
shipwrecked seaman. He had the good fortune, in this
character, to meet an English physician at Paris, to whom he told
his deplorable tale, who was so much affected by it, that he not
only relieved him very handsomely, but, what was more,
recommended him to that noble pattern of unexhausted benevolence,
Mrs. Horner, who was on her travels, from whom he received ten
guineas, and from some other company with her, five more.</p>
<p>Here, reader, if thou hast a good heart, we cannot entertain
thee better, than by drawing a true though faint picture of this
generous lady; for, were benevolence and generosity real beings,
we are persuaded they would act just like her; with such an
unsparing hand would they bestow their bounties, and with such
magnificence reward desert; with such godlike compassion cheer
the afflicted, and just so make happy all around them: but thou
canst form no adequate idea, unless thou hast been in the
neighbourhood of that noble mansion, the seat of Mrs. Horner, at
Mulberry, Dorsetshire, where benevolence has fixed her
seat. Permit me, therefore, to transport thee thither, to
bless thy sight with the delightful scene. See, already,
the parish church, rebuilt at her expense, strikes the eye; it is
she that has erected it to the honour of her God. Thou art
surprised, I see, to behold an eminent physician, who is allowed
a constant salary by her to visit the poor sick in her
neighbourhood, coming out of his chariot to enter the wretched
huts of poverty; but know, she has <!-- page 182--><SPAN name="page182"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>already
paid his fees: see here another compounding the choicest drugs
and medicines for a whole neighbourhood; it is her bounty that
has supplied them. Cast your eye the other way, and behold
that company of aged and decrepid poor; they are going to receive
their daily bread at her table. But let us enter the poor
cottage; see, here are the holy Scriptures and other books of
pious instruction; and, hark! the lisping child is reading
distinctly in one of them; her munificence has bestowed these
useful gifts, and instilled instruction into that tender
mind. Behold, with how dejected a look and grief-swollen
heart, with what a load of care, yon person enters the mansion:
but see, he returns—how changed his aspect! joy sparkles in
his eye, and thankfulness swells his exulting heart; content sits
cheerful upon his brow, and he no longer bends under his care:
what wonderful magic has wrought this sudden change?—the
opening only of her beneficent hand has done it.</p>
<p>What we are now going to relate will raise an honest
indignation in the breast of every true lover of liberty; for all
such know that the beauteous flower of liberty sickens to the
very root (like the sensitive plant) at the lightest touch of the
iron hand of power upon any one of its most distant branches.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew being in the city of Exeter with his wife, and,
having visited his old friends there, he walked to Topsham, about
three miles distant, leaving his wife in Exeter. Alas!
little did he think this walk would end in a long and cruel
separation from his friends and country; little did he imagine,
that, in the land of freedom and justice, <!-- page 183--><SPAN name="page183"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>he should
be seized upon by the cruel grasp of lawless power: though poor,
he thought himself under the protection of the laws, and, as
such, liable to no punishment till they inflicted it. How
far he thought right in this, let the sequel tell. Going
down to Topsham, and walking upon the quay there, enjoying the
beauties of a fine evening, meditating no harm, and suspecting no
danger, he was accosted by merchant D---y, accompanied with
several captains of vessels, in some such words as these: Ha! Mr.
Carew, you are come in a right time! As you came home for
your own pleasure you shall go over for mine. They then
laid hands on him, who found it in vain to resist, as he was
overpowered by numbers; he therefore desired to be carried before
some magistrate, but this was not hearkened to, for they forced
him on board a boat, without the presence or authority of any
officer of justice, not so much as suffering him to take leave of
his wife, or acquaint her with his misfortune, though he begged
the favour almost with tears. The boat carried him on board
the Phillory, Captain Simmonds, bound for America with convicts,
which then lay at Powderham-castle waiting for a fair wind.
Here, had my pen gall enough, I would put a blot of eternal
infamy on that citizen of liberty, who usurped so much power over
a fellow-citizen, and those who suffered a brother of liberty,
however undeserving, to be dragged to slavery by the lawless hand
of power, without the mandate of sovereign justice. Foolish
wretch! dost thou not know that thou oughtest to be more careful
of keeping all usurping power within its bounds, than thou
wouldst the raging <!-- page 184--><SPAN name="page184"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>sea ready to overflow and overwhelm
them all; for thou who hast consented to see power oppress a
fellow-heir of glorious liberty, how canst thou complain, if its
all-grasping iron hand should seize upon thyself, or whatever
thou holdest most dear? then wouldst thou, too late, bewail that
thou hadst ever suffered power wantonly to set foot on the neck
of liberty.</p>
<p>But to return: Mr. Carew was no sooner put on board, than he
was strictly searched, and then taken between decks, where he was
ironed down with the convicts. There was at the same time a
violent fever raging among them, and Mr. Carew, by being chained
with them night and day, was soon infected, and taken very ill;
however, he had not the liberty of sending to his wife, nor any
of his friends, though they lay three weeks in the roads for a
fair wind. In the mean time, his wife, not hearing any
thing from him, and uncertain what was become of him, or whether
he was alive or dead, abandoned herself to an excess of grief,
for he had always been a kind and affectionate husband to her;
she therefore sought him up and down, at all the houses of his
usual resort, but in vain, for no news could she gain of her
beloved husband.</p>
<p>The wind coming fair, they hoisted sail, and soon bid adieu to
the English coasts. We need not describe what passed in Mr.
Carew’s breast at this time; anger and grief prevailed by
turns, sometimes resentment, for being thus treated, fired his
bosom, and he vowed revenge: at other times the thoughts of his
being thus unexpectedly separated from his country and friends,
and doomed <!-- page 185--><SPAN name="page185"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>to an ignominious slavery, filled
him with sad and melancholy reflections; however, he had the
pleasure, before it was long, of knowing he was not entirely
deserted; for Captain Simmonds, the commander of the Phillory, a
humane compassionate man, came down to him between decks, soon
after they were under sail, and bid him be of good cheer, for he
should want for nothing; and though he had strict orders from
merchant D---y never to let him return, yet he would be a friend
to him, and provide for him in the best manner he could.
Mr. Carew returned thanks to his generous and unexpected
benefactor in as handsome a manner as he was able.</p>
<p>Soon after this, he had liberty allowed him of coming upon
deck, where the captain entered into conversation with him, and
jocosely asked if he thought he could be at home before
him. He generously replied he thought he could, at least he
would endeavour to be so; which the captain took all in good
part.</p>
<p>Thus did Mr. Carew spend his time, in as agreeable a manner as
could be expected under his present circumstances: but, alas! all
our happiness is too fleeting, and we scarcely taste the pleasure
before it is ravished from us: and thus it happened to our hero;
for they had scarcely been under sail five weeks before the good
Captain Simmonds was taken ill, which increased every day with
too many fatal symptoms; till at last death, who regards alike
the good and virtuous, and the bad and vicious, struck the fatal
blow: but the approaches of the grisly tyrant were not so
dreadful to this man, as the distress it would occasion <!-- page
186--><SPAN name="page186"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>to
his wife and family, whom he cried out for during his whole
illness. Mr. Carew bewailed the loss of this generous
benefactor with more than outward sorrow. Every thing in
the vessel was now in confusion by the death of the captain; at
length the mate, one Harrison of Newcastle, took charge of the
vessel and the captain’s effects; but had not enjoyed his
new honours before he was taken dangerously ill, so that the
vessel was obliged to be left to the care of the common sailors,
and was several times in great danger of being lost. At
last, after sixteen weeks passage, in the grey of the morning,
they made Cape Charles, and then bore away to Cape Henry: at
Hampton they took in a pilot. The vessel having several
times run upon the sand, and was not got off again without great
difficulty; the pilot soon after brought them to Kent-island,
where they fired a gun, and Harrison, who was now recovered, went
on shore, near Annapolis, and made a bargain with one Mr. Delany
of that place, for Mr. Carew, as an expert gardener. He was
then sent on shore, and Mr. Delany asked him if he understood
gardening. Being willing to get out of Harrison’s
hands, he replied in the affirmative; but Mr. Delany asking him
if he could mow, he replied in the negative. Then you are
no gardener, replied Mr. Delany, and so refused to buy him.
Then one Hilldrop, who had been transported about three years
before from Exeter, for horse stealing, and had married a
currier’s widow in Annapolis, had a mind to purchase him,
but they could not agree about the price, whereupon he was put on
board again, and they sailed from Miles-river.</p>
<p><!-- page 187--><SPAN name="page187"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
187</span>Here they fired a gun, and the captain went on shore;
in the mean time the men prisoners were ordered to be close
shaved, and the women to have clean caps on: this was scarcely
done, before an overseer belonging to Mr. Bennet, in Way-river,
and several planters, came up to buy. The prisoners were
all ordered upon deck, and Mr. Carew among them: some of the
planters knew him again, and cried out, “Is not this the
man Captain Froade brought over, and put a pot-hook
upon?” Yes, replies Mr. Harrison, the very same: at
which they were much surprised, having an account he had been
either killed by the wild beasts or drowned in some river.
Ay, ay, replied Harrison with a great oath, I’ll take care
he shall not be at home before me. By this time several of
the prisoners were sold, the bowl went merrily round, and many of
the planters gave Mr. Carew a glass, but none of them chose to
buy him.</p>
<p>During this, Mr. Carew, observing a great many canoes and
small boats lying along-side the vessel, thought it not
impossible to make himself master of one them, and by that means
reach the shore, where he supposed he might conceal himself till
he found an opportunity of getting off; though this was a very
hazardous attempt, and, if unsuccessful, would expose him to a
great deal of hard usage, and probably put it out of his power of
ever regaining his liberty, yet he was resolved to venture.
He now recollected the common maxim, that ‘fortune favours
the bold,’ and therefore took an opportunity, just as it
grew dark, of slipping nimbly down the ship’s side into one
of the canoes, which he paddled with as much <!-- page 188--><SPAN name="page188"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>silence and
expedition as possible towards the shore: but he had not gone far
before the noise he made gave the alarm, that one of the
prisoners had escaped. Harrison immediately called out to
inquire which of them, and where Carew was; and, being told that
he was gone off, swore that he would much rather have lost half
of the prisoners than him.</p>
<p>All hands were then called upon to pursue; the captain and
planters left their bowl; the river was soon covered with canoes,
and every thing was in confusion. Mr. Carew was within
hearing of this, but, by plying his canoe well, had the good
fortune to get on shore before any of them; he immediately took
himself to the woods as soon as he landed, and climbed up into a
great tree, where he had not been many minutes before he heard
the captain, sailors, and planters, all in pursuit of him; the
captain fretted and stormed, the sailors d---d their blood, and
the planters endeavoured to pacify every thing, by telling the
captain not to fear his getting off. He heard all this,
though not unmoved, yet without taking notice of it: at last,
finding their search fruitless, the captain, sailors, and
planters returned; the planters still assuring the captain they
would have him in the morning.</p>
<p>As soon as they were gone he began to reflect upon his present
situation, which, indeed, was melancholy enough, for he had no
provisions, was beset on every side, quite incapable of judging
what to undertake, or what course to steer: however, he at last
resolved to steer farther into the woods, which he accordingly
did, and got up into another tree: here he sat all the succeeding
day, <!-- page 189--><SPAN name="page189"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>without a morsel of food; but was
diverted with a great multitude of squirrels he saw skipping from
tree to tree; and had he had a gun, he could have shot hundreds
of pigeons, there was so great a plenty of them. The next
day, towards night, hunger became too powerful, and he was almost
spent for want of food; in this necessity he knew not what to do;
at last, happening to spy a planter’s house at a distance,
he was resolved to venture down in the night, thinking he might
chance to find food of some sort or other, in or about the house:
agreeable to this resolution, he came down the tree in the middle
of the night, and, going into the planter’s yard, to his
great joy he found there a parcel of milk cows penned in, which
he soon milked in the crown of his hat, making a most delicious
feast, and then retired to the woods again, climbing up into a
tree, where he passed the day much more easy than he had the
preceding one.</p>
<p>Having found out this method of subsisting, he proceeded
forwards in the same manner, concealing himself in a tree in the
day-time, and travelling all the night, milking the cows as often
as he had an opportunity; and steering his course as near as he
could guess towards Duck’s Creek.</p>
<p>On the fifth night he heard the voices of several people near
him in the woods, upon which he stepped on one side, and
concealed himself behind a tree, till they had passed by.
When he came near enough to distinguish their words, he heard
them say, we will make the best of our way to Duck’s Creek,
and there we shall certainly have him. He now judged that
these were some men in pursuit <!-- page 190--><SPAN name="page190"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>of him,
therefore thought himself very happy in having so narrowly
escaped them.</p>
<p>On the eighth day, being upon a tree, he discovered a lone
house, near the skirts of the woods, and saw all the family (as
he supposed) going out to hoe tobacco, and the dog following
them; this was a joyful sight to him, for he had not, the two
preceding nights, met with any cows, and consequently had been
without food. As soon, therefore, as the family were out of
sight, he came down from the tree, and ventured in the house,
where he found not only enough to satisfy his hunger, but what
might be deemed luxury in his present condition: for there was a
jolly cake, powell, a sort of Indian corn bread, and good omani,
which is kidney-beans ground with Indian corn, sifted, then put
into a pot to boil, and eat with molasses. Seeing so many
dainties, he did not hesitate long, but, hunger pressing, sat
down and ate the omani with as much composure as if he had been
invited thereto by the owner of it: and knowing that hunger and
necessity are bound by no laws of honour, he took the liberty of
borrowing the jolly cake, powell, and a leg of fine pork, then
hastened back to the tree with his booty. What the people
thought when they returned at night with good appetites, and
found their dainty omani, their jolly cake, and their pork, all
vanished, we know not, but suppose they were not a little
surprised.</p>
<p>Being thus stocked with provisions, he made the best of his
way to Ogle-town that night, and so to Old-town. In the
dawn of the morning of the eleventh day, he came in sight of
Duck’s <!-- page 191--><SPAN name="page191"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>Creek; but being afraid he might
fall into the hands of his pursuers, he struck a great way into
the woods towards Tuck Hoe; where staying all the day in a tree,
he came again in the middle of the night to Duck’s
Creek. As soon as he came here, he ran to the water side to
seek for a canoe, but found them all chained; he immediately set
himself about breaking the chain, but found it too strong, and
all endeavours to break it were in vain. Never was man more
thunder-struck than he was now, just at the time when he expected
to be out of danger, to meet with so unforeseen and
insurmountable an obstacle. He knew there was no way of
escaping, but by passing the river Delaware, and could not think
of a method of effecting it. Several hours did he pass in
this agitation of mind: sometimes he had a mind to try his
strength in swimming, but the river being so wide, he thought he
could not reach the opposite shore; at last, reflecting what one
of his ancestors had done in swimming a horse over Teignmouth
bar, and seeing some horses grazing thereabout, he resolved to
attempt passing the Delaware in that manner; for, let the worst
happen, he thought death preferable to slavery. Being thus
resolved, he soon caught one of the horses, and, making a sort of
bridle with his handkerchief, brought the horse to the water
side; he walked for some time on the banks, looking for a proper
place to enter the horse: at last, espying a little stream, which
ran into the great river Deleware, he stripped himself, and,
tying his frock and trowsers about his shoulders, mounted the
horse, and putting him forward a little, the horse soon lost his
footing, and the water came <!-- page 192--><SPAN name="page192"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>up to Mr.
Carew’s middle, who kept his legs as near as possible to
the horse, and in this manner launched into the great river
Delaware.</p>
<p>The horse snorted and neighed to his companions, but made for
the opposite shore with all the strength he could. Mr.
Carew did not imagine the horse would be able to reach it, but
proposed to save himself by swimming when the horse failed, for
the river was three miles over: however the horse reached the
shore, but finding no place to land, it being a sandy mud, he was
obliged to swim him along the shore, till he came to a little
creek, which the horse swimming into, soon got sure footing, to
the great joy of Mr. Carew, who, dismounting, kissed the horse,
telling him he must now turn quaker as well as himself, and so
let him go into the woods.</p>
<p>His clothes were not very wet; however, he staid on the banks
some time to dry them with the morning sun, then went up into the
country. The first house he came to was a miller’s,
whose wife came out and asked him from whence he came? He
told her he had been a prisoner some time in the Havannah, from
whence he had been released by an exchange of prisoners, and was
now going home.</p>
<p>The good woman pitied him much, and told him he looked very
melancholy; but her husband coming in, said, he believed he was
an Irishman. This he denied, averring he was of the West of
England; so they gave him a piece of that country money, and a
mug of rum, which he drinking greedily, being very thirsty, it
threw him into such a violent fever, that he was obliged to stop
at a <!-- page 193--><SPAN name="page193"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>neighbouring house, where he lay
sick for three or four days. From hence he went to
Newcastle, where he raised contributions from several gentlemen,
as he had done before, but not under the former name, from hence
to Castle, Brandywine Ferry, Chester, and Derby, where he got
relief from the same miller that Mr. Whitfield was with when he
was there before, and lodged at the same house, but took care to
disguise himself so as not to be known: he there got a pass from
the justice as a sick man bound to Boston. From hence he
proceeded to Brunswick, where he got relief from Mr. Matthews,
the miller, who treated him so hospitably the first time he was
there, but did not know him again now.</p>
<p>From hence he proceeded to New London, where he chanced to see
the captain who had taken him home before, but he avoided
him. From New London he proceeded to Groten, where he got a
twenty-shilling bill from one Mr. Goyf, and several half-crown
bills from other people. He then inquired of his landlord
his way to Rhode-island, who accompanied him about two miles of
the way, when they chanced to fall into the company of some
drovers, who were driving a number of bullocks, for the use of
some privateers that lay at Rhode-island; he therefore joined
them, and, after about nine or ten miles travelling, they came to
a ferry, where they stopped at a public-house for some time, till
the bullocks were taken over; but neither the tavern-man nor
drovers would suffer him to pay any thing, they pitying his
unfortunate condition: and passing over this ferry, they came to
Rhode-island.</p>
<p><!-- page 194--><SPAN name="page194"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
194</span>Rhode-island, by the natives called Aquetnet, near the
Narraganset Bay, is fourteen or fifteen miles long, and four or
five miles abroad. It was first inhabited by the English in
the year 1639. Those that withdrew to this island were such
as espoused the covenant of grace, and were under great
persecution from them that sided with the covenant of
works. There is a very considerable trade from Rhode-island
to the sugar colonies for butter and cheese, a sure sign of the
fruitfulness and beauty of the place, for horses, sheep, beef,
pork, tallow, and timber, from which the traders have been
enriched. It is deservedly called the Paradise of New
England, for the great fruitfulness of the soil, and the
temperature of the climate, which, though it be not above
fifty-five miles from Boston, is a coat warmer in winter, and,
being surrounded by the ocean, is not so much affected in summer
with the hot land-breezes as the towns on the continent.
They live in great amity with their neighbours, and, though every
man does what he thinks right in his own eyes, it is rare that
any notorious crimes are committed by them, which may be
attributed in some measure to their great veneration for the Holy
Scriptures, which they all read, from the least to the greatest,
though they have neither ministers nor magistrates to recommend
it to them.</p>
<p>Here Mr. Carew found many of his old acquaintance,
particularly one Mr. Perkins, a stay-maker, and Mr. Gidley and
his mother, who kept several negroes for distilling rum, and Mr.
Southeon Lingworthy, a pewterer, all natives of Exeter, and one
Mr. Martin, of Honiton, in Devon, they were all <!-- page
195--><SPAN name="page195"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
195</span>very glad to see him; he telling them, that he was
taken by the Spaniards, and had escaped from prison, they treated
him with very great kindness, and gave him letters to carry to
their friends in England.</p>
<p>From hence he went through Piscataqua and Marblehead to
Boston, the capital of New England, and the largest city in
America, except two or three on the Spanish continent. It
is pleasantly situated on a peninsula, about four miles in
compass, at the bottom of a fine bay, (the Massachusets,) guarded
from the roughness of the ocean by several rocks appearing above
water, and by above a dozen islands, many of which are
inhabited. One of these, called Nettle’s island,
within these few years, was esteemed worth two or three hundred
pounds a year to the owner, Colonel Shrimpton. There is but
one common and safe passage into the bay, and that not very
broad, there being hardly room for three ships to come in
abreast; but, being once in, there is room for the anchorage of
five hundred sail.</p>
<p>The most remarkable of these islands is called Castle-island,
from the castle there built. It stands about a league from
the town, upon the main channel leading to it, and is so
conveniently situated, that no ship of burden can approach the
town, without the hazard of being torn in pieces by its
cannon. It was now called Fort William, being mounted with
one hundred pieces of ordnance: two hundred more which were given
to the province of Queen Anne, are placed on a platform near high
water mark, so as to rake a ship fore and aft, before she can
bring her broadsides <!-- page 196--><SPAN name="page196"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>to bear against the castle.
Some of these cannon are forty-two pounders. Five hundred
able men are exempt from all military duty in time of war, to be
ready to attend the service of the castle at an hour’s
warning, upon any signal of the approach of an enemy, of which
there seems to be no great danger at Boston; where in twenty-four
hours’ time, ten thousand effective men, well armed, might
be ready for their defence. To prevent all possible
surprise, there is a light-house built on the rock appearing
above water, about a long league from the town, which in time of
war makes a signal to the castle, and the castle to the town, by
hoisting and lowering the union flag, so many times as there are
ships approaching, which, if they exceed a certain number, the
castle fires three guns, to alarm the town of Boston; and the
governor, if need be, orders a beacon to be fired, which alarms
all the adjacent country; so that unless an enemy can be supposed
to sail by so many islands and rocks in a fog, the town of Boston
must have six or more hours to prepare for their reception; but,
supposing they might pass the castle, there are two batteries at
the north and south end of the town that command the whole bay,
and make it impossible for an enemy’s ship of any burden to
ride there in safety, while the merchant-men and small craft may
retire up into Charles-river, out of the reach of cannon.</p>
<p>It is equally impossible for any ship to be run away with out
of this harbour by a pirate; for the castle suffers no ships
outward-bound to pass, without a permit from the governor, which
is never granted without a clearing from the custom-house, <!--
page 197--><SPAN name="page197"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
197</span>and the usual notice of sailing, by loosening the
fore-top sail.</p>
<p>The bay of Boston is spacious enough to contain, in a manner,
the whole navy of England. The masts of ships here, at the
proper season of the year, make a kind of a wood of trees, like
that which we see upon the river Thames about Wapping and
Limehouse, which may be easily imagined, when we consider, that,
by the computation given in by the collectors of his
majesty’s light-house, it appeared that there were
twenty-four thousand tons of shipping cleared annually.</p>
<p>There is a larger pier at the bottom of the bay, one thousand
eight hundred, or two thousand feet in length, with a row of
warehouses on the north side. The pier runs so far into the
bay, that ships of the greatest burden may unload without the
help of boats and lighters. The chief streets of the town
come down to the head of the pier. At the upper end of it
is the town-house, or exchange, a fine building, containing,
besides the walk for merchants, the council-chambers, the house
of commons, and a spacious room for the courts of justice.
The exchange is surrounded with booksellers’ shops, who
have a good trade. There are several printing-houses, where
the presses are generally full of work, which is in a great
measure, owing to the colleges and schools for useful learning in
New England.</p>
<p>The town of Boston lies in the form of a half-moon round the
harbour, consisting of between three and four thousand houses,
and makes an agreeable prospect; the surrounding shore being
high, the streets long, and the buildings beautiful. <!--
page 198--><SPAN name="page198"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
198</span>The goodness of the pavement may compare with most in
London; to gallop a horse on it is three shillings and fourpence
forfeit.</p>
<p>It is computed the number of inhabitants is not less than
twenty-four thousand, which is one-third more than the
computation of the city of Exeter, and consequently Boston is
one-third bigger than that city, which is pretty near the
matter.</p>
<p>There are ten churches in Boston, viz. Old Church, North
Church, South Church, New Church, New North Church, New South
Church, the Church of England Church, the Baptist Meeting, and
the Quakers’ Meeting.</p>
<p>The conversation in this town is as polite as in most of the
cities and towns in England; many of their merchants having
traded in Europe, and those that stay at home having the
advantage of society with travellers; so that a gentleman from
London would think himself at home in Boston, when he observes
the number of people, their furniture, their tables, their dress,
and conversation, which perhaps is as splendid and showy as that
of the most considerable tradesmen in London. Upon the
whole, Boston is the most flourishing town for trade and commerce
in all America. Near six hundred sail of ships have been
laden here in a year for Europe and the British
plantations. Here the governor commonly resides, the
general court and assembly meet, the courts of judicature sit,
and the affairs of the whole province are transacted.</p>
<p>The streets are broad and regular; some of the richest
merchants have very stately, well built, convenient houses.
The ground on which the town stands is wonderfully high; and very
good <!-- page 199--><SPAN name="page199"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>water is found all over it.
There are several wharfs built, which jet into the harbour, one
of which is eight hundred feet in length, where large ships with
great ease may load and unload. On one side are warehouses
almost the whole length of the wharf, where the merchants stow
their goods; and more than fifty ships may load and unload there
at the same time.</p>
<p>Coming into the city, Mr. Carew was surprised at the grandeur
of it; and seeing a green hill at the end of the great street,
much like Glastonbury Tower, he went up to it, and had a most
beautiful prospect of the city from the top of it, where was
placed the mast of a ship, with pullies to draw up a lighted
barrel of tar to alarm the country in case of an invasion.
Going down the hill again he met two drummers, a sergeant, and
several soldiers and marines, who were, by the beat of drum,
proclaiming, that the taverns and shopkeepers might safely credit
the soldiers and marines to a certain value. Some of the
soldiers presently knew him, and, accosting him, persuaded him to
go along them to one Mother Passmore’s, a house of
rendezvous, where they were very merry together. While they
were drinking, in came Captain Sharp, who commanded them, and who
was an old acquaintance of our hero’s. What, Mr.
Carew! cried the captain in a surprise, who could think of seeing
you here? When did you see my brother? I saw him,
replied he, about six months ago, but his lady is dead. Is
she so? said the captain, I have heard nothing of it. The
captain having asked him several other questions, treated him
very handsomely, and kept him some time at his own <!-- page
200--><SPAN name="page200"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
200</span>charge: but his heart glowing to see his native
country, he once more resolved to ship himself for old
England. He accordingly agreed to take the run with Captain
Ball, of the Mary, for fifteen pounds, fifteen gallons of rum,
ten pounds of sugar and tobacco, and ten pipes. They were
two months on their voyage before they made Lundy, nothing
material happening on their passage worthy of being recorded in
this true history. The captain would not stop at Lundy for
a pilot, but made for Combe, and there took one in, who brought
the ship safe to King Road, and the next tide up to the quay at
Bristol; and having moored the vessel, the crew spent the night
on shore with their jolly landladies.</p>
<p>The next morning early they all got on board, and soon after
the captain came with some Bristol merchants. The captain
gave Mr. Carew a bill on his brother who lived at Topsham, and
having received payment thereof, he soon turned his back on
Bristol.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew, having left Bristol, made the best of his way to
Bridgewater, and from thence unto Taunton, and so to Exeter,
supporting his travelling expenses by his ingenuity as a
mendicant. As soon as he arrived at Exeter, he made the
best of his way to the house of an old acquaintance, where he
expected to hear some news of his beloved wife; but going through
East-gate, he was met by two gentlemen, who immediately cried
out, Here’s our old friend Carew! They then laid hold
of him, and took him back to the Oxford Inn, where they inquired
where he had been this long time. He acquainted them in
what manner he had been <!-- page 201--><SPAN name="page201"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>seized, on
Topsham quay, and carried to Maryland; he likewise informed of
Captain Simmonds’s death, (which they were sorry to hear
of,) and that the vessel had been carried into port by Harrison,
the mate, who was afterwards drowned, in company with some
planters, in Talbot river.</p>
<p>Fame having soon sounded the arrival of our hero through every
street in Exeter, several gentlemen flocked to the Oxford Inn to
visit him, and amongst the rest merchant Davy. What! have
you found your way home again? said the merchant. Yes, yes,
replied he; as you sent me over for your pleasure, I am come back
for my own; which made the gentlemen laugh very heartily.
The merchant then asked him several questions about Captain
Simmonds and Harrison, where he left the vessel, and if he had
been sold. No, no, replied he, I took care to be out of the
way before they had struck a bargain for me; and, as to the
vessel, I left her in Miles river. The gentlemen could not
help being surprised at his ingenuity and expedition, in thus
getting home twice before the vessel which carried him out.
Merchant Davy then proposed making a collection for him, and
began it himself with half-a-crown; having therefore received a
handsome contribution, he returned the gentlemen thanks, and took
his leave, being impatient to hear some news about his
wife. He went directly to his usual quarters, at Kitty
Finnimore’s, Castle-lane, where he occasioned no little
terror to his landlady, she believing it to be his ghost, as she
heard he was certainly dead; however, our hero soon convinced her
he was real flesh and blood. He then inquired when she
heard from <!-- page 202--><SPAN name="page202"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>his wife, who informed him, to his
great joy, that both his wife and daughter were there a few days
before, and were going towards Newton-Bushel; but they had given
over all thoughts of seeing him any more, as they thought him
dead.</p>
<p>He now set forward immediately for Newton-Bushel.
Calling at Lord Clifford’s in his way, he was told by Mrs.
Ratcliffe, the housekeeper, and Mr. Kilshaw, the steward, (who
were quite surprised to see him,) that his wife had been there
just before, supposing him to be dead; and that he would find her
at Newton-Bushel. Though it was then night, our hero,
impatient of seeing his wife and daughter, set forward for
Newton-Bushel, where he arrived late in the night. Going
directly to his usual quarters, he found them all in bed, and
calling out to the woman of the house, his wife, hearing his
voice, immediately leaped out of bed, crying, it was her poor
Bampfylde. A light was then struck with as much expedition
as possible, and his wife, daughter, and landlady, all came down
to open the door to him.</p>
<p>Here, how shall I find words to express the transports of our
hero, the tender embraces of his wife, the endearing words of his
daughter, and hearty congratulations of the landlady!
Unable for the task, most gentle reader, I must imitate that
celebrated painter who painted Agamemnon with a covering over his
face, at the sacrifice of his daughter, and draw a veil over this
scene of tenderness; let it suffice to say, that their joy was
too full to be contained, and, not finding any other passage,
gushed out in tears.</p>
<p>The next morning, accompanied by his wife and <!-- page
203--><SPAN name="page203"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
203</span>daughter, he went and paid his respects to Sir Thomas
Carew, at Hackum, where they were received with great kindness;
and Sir Thomas told him, if he would forsake the mendicant order,
he would take care to provide for him and his family. He
returned Sir Thomas a great many thanks, but declared, that, as
he had entered himself into the mendicant order, he was resolved
to continue therein as long as he lived; but hoped if any
accident happened to him, he would extend his goodness to his
dear wife and daughter.</p>
<p>It was about this time, that one of the greatest personages in
the kingdom being at Bath, Mr. Carew was drawn thither with the
rest of the world to see her, but to more advantage indeed to
himself than most others reaped from it; for making himself as
much an Hanoverian as he could in his dress, &c., he
presented a petition to her as an unfortunate person of that
country; and as every one is inclined to be kind to their own
countryfolks, he had from her a very princely benefaction.</p>
<p>Some time after this, Squire Morrice, who succeeded to the
fine seat and estate of Sir William Morrice, near Launceston, in
Cornwall, coming to reside there, and hearing much talk of Mr.
Carew, was very desirous of seeing him; and he happening to come
soon after into that neighbourhood, some of the servants, who
knew their master’s inclinations, chancing to see him, soon
conducted him to the house, and showed him immediately into the
parlour, where Mr. Morrice was with a good deal of company.
Mr. Carew was made very welcome, and the company had a great deal
of conversation with him, during which Mr. Morrice very nicely
<!-- page 204--><SPAN name="page204"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
204</span>examined every feature in his countenance, and at last
declared, that he would lay any wager that he should know him
again, come in what shape he would, so as not to be imposed upon
by him. One of the company took Mr. Morrice up, and a wager
was laid that Mr. Carew should do it within such a limited time;
this being agreed upon, Mr. Carew took his leave. He soon
began to meditate in what shape he should be able to deceive the
circumspection of Mr. Morrice; and in a few days came to the
house, and endeavoured in two or three different shapes, and with
as many different tales, to obtain charity from Mr. Morrice, but
he, remembering his wager, would hearken to none. At last,
understanding that Mr. Morrice was to go out a hunting one
morning with several of the company who were present when the
wager was laid, he dressed himself like a neat old woman, and
walking in the road where they were riding along, all of a sudden
he fell down, and so well counterfeited all the distortion of the
most violent fits in such a terrible manner, that Mr. Morrice was
greatly affected with the poor creature’s condition,
ordering his servants to get down and assist her, staying himself
till she was brought a little to herself, then gave her a piece
of money, and ordered one of his servants to show her his house,
that she might have some refreshment there; but Mr. Carew, having
obtained what he desired, flung off the old woman, and discovered
himself to Mr. Morrice and the rest of the company, wishing them
all a good-morrow: upon which he owned that he had fairly lost
the wager.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew, some time after this, steered his <!-- page
205--><SPAN name="page205"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
205</span>course for Oxford, where he visited Messrs. Treby,
Stanford, Cooke, and other collegians, his particular friends, of
whom he got a trencher-cap.—Having staid at Oxford as long
as was agreeable to his inclinations, he set out for Abington,
and from thence to Marlborough, having put on a pair of white
stockings, a grey waistcoat, and the trencher-cap. Thus
equipped, he pretended to be disordered in his mind; and, as his
knowledge of the Latin tongue enabled him to intermix a few Latin
phrases in his discourse, which he made very incoherent, he was
in no fear of being discovered. Under this character he,
therefore, went to the minister of Marlborough, who, seeing his
dress, and finding he could talk Latin, made no doubt but he was
an Oxford scholar, whose brain was turned, either by too much
study or some misfortune; he therefore talked to him a good deal,
endeavouring to find out the cause; telling him, that, though he
was unfortunate now, things might go better with him hereafter;
but he could get nothing but incoherent answers from him:
however, he gave him half-a-crown. From hence he went to
Market-Lavington, where he likewise deceived the minister; and
going forward to Warminster, he met with Dr. Squire, and his
brother, the Archdeacon of Bath, who both took him for an Oxford
scholar whose brain was turned, and relieved him as such.</p>
<p>The next morning he went in the same dress to Mrs. Groves, at
Wincanton, and from thence to the Rev. Mr. Birt’s, at
Sutton, at both of which places he was much pitied, and
handsomely relieved. He then steered for Somerton, and
visited <!-- page 206--><SPAN name="page206"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the Rev. Mr. Dickenson; but this
mask would not avail him here, for the parson discovered him
through it; but he desired him to keep it secret till he was gone
out of town, which he accordingly did: he therefore went boldly
to the Rev. Mr. Keat, and pretended to be a scholar of Baliol
College, which Mr. Keat believing, and pitying his condition, he
gave him a crown.</p>
<p>Next day he went to Bridgewater in the same habit, and from
thence to Sir Charles Tynte’s, at Haswell: going into the
court, he was met by the Rev. Mr. Standford, who immediately knew
him, and accosted him with, How do you do, friend Carew!
Soon after that came Sir Charles, who accosted him also in the
same manner. Mr. Standford and he made themselves very
merry at the character he had assumed. Well, said Sir
Charles, we will make you drink, but unless you can deceive my
Bess, (so he was pleased to call his lady,) you shall have
nothing of me; but whatever she gives, I’ll double.
He was then ordered into the hall, and exchanged his cap for a
hat with one of the servants; after waiting some time lady Tynte
came down. It will here be proper to observe, that this
lady, though of a very charitable disposition to her poor
neighbours, having been often deceived by mendicants, and finding
few of them deserving of her charity, had resolved to relieve no
unknown objects, however plausible their tale; but our hero,
depending upon his art, was not afraid to accept of Sir
Charles’s challenge. From the servants’ hall he
watched a proper opportunity of accosting the lady, and she
passed and repassed several times before he could speak to
her. At last, seeing her <!-- page 207--><SPAN name="page207"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>standing in
the hall talking with Sir Charles, he came behind her, and
accosted her with—God bless you, most gracious lady.
The lady turned about and asked him pretty hastily from whence he
came? I am a poor unfortunate man, replied he, who was
taken by two French privateers coming from Boston, and carried
into Boulogne, where we were teased day and night to enter into
the French service, but refused to do it. And how got you
from thence? asked the lady. We took an opportunity of
breaking out of the prison, and seized upon a fishing-boat in the
harbour, with which we got safe to Lymington, being in all
twenty-five of us, where we sold our boat. What do you beg
for then? if you sold your boat, you must have money.
Several of us were sick, replied he, which was very
expensive. But what countryman are you? I am an Old
England man, please you, my lady, but I have my wife in
Wales. From what part? says the lady, who was a native of
Wales herself. I married, replied he, one Betty Larkey, who
lived with Sir John Morgan, and afterwards with parson Griffy, at
Swansea. Ay, did you marry Betty Larkey?—how many
children have you by her? Only one daughter, replied
he. In the mean time Sir Charles and the parson were ready
to burst with containing their laughter, to see how he managed my
lady to bring her to; for his assertion of having married Betty
Larkey, who was a country-woman of my lady’s, and formerly
known to her, was a loadstone which presently drew my
lady’s hand to her purse; then turning to Sir Charles, she
asked him if he had any small money about him? I have none,
replied Sir <!-- page 208--><SPAN name="page208"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>Charles, pretty bluntly, being
scarce able to contain himself from bursting out into laughter;
so she went up stairs, and soon returning, gave him five
shillings, and asked him to eat and drink, going out herself to
call the butler. In the mean time Sir Charles stepped
nimbly into the servant’s hall, and fetched the Oxford cap,
which he put on Mr. Carew’s head. The lady and butler
came in immediately after, and she, seeing the cap upon his head,
cried out, God bless me! what, did you bring that from
France? It is just like one of our Oxford scholar’s
caps. Ay, so it is indeed, my lady, replied Sir Charles;
why don’t you know who it is? It is Bampfylde Moore
Carew. Ay, ay, this is your doings, Sir Charles, said the
lady; and went away somewhat disgusted at the trick that had been
put upon her. Sir Charles, however, was as good as his
word, in doubling the money his lady gave, and parson Standford
gave him half-a-crown.</p>
<p>Some time after this, he called upon the Miss Hawkers, of
Thorn, near Yeovil, who treated him very hospitably, and inquired
what news he had heard, it being in the late rebellion.
Whilst he was talking with them, he observed a new house almost
opposite, and inquired who lived there. They told him one
parson Marks, a dissenting clergyman; upon which, taking leave of
the ladies, he stept over the way, and knocked boldly at the
door, which was opened by the parson himself. Sir, said Mr.
Carew, pulling off his hat, and accosting him with a demure
countenance, I have come three miles out of my road on purpose to
call upon you. I believe, Sir, you are acquainted with my
brother, Mr. John Pike, of Tiverton, teacher <!-- page 209--><SPAN name="page209"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>of a
dissenting congregation of that place; and you have undoubtedly
heard something of his brother Roger Pike, which unfortunate man
I am, having been taken prisoner coming from Boston in New
England, by two French privateers, and carried into Boulogne,
where we were cruelly treated. Alack, alack! said the
parson; pray come in, good Mr. Roger. I am indeed very well
acquainted with that worthy servant of God, your brother, Mr.
John Pike, and a gracious man he is; I have likewise heard him
mention his brother Roger. He then ordered some victuals
and drink to be instantly brought out for good Roger Pike.
While he was eating, he inquired how he got away from
Boulogne. He replied, that twenty-five of them had broken
out of prison, and seized upon a vessel, in the harbour, by which
they had got safe to the English coast. Well, said the
parson, what news did you hear in France? It is reported
there, replied he, that the rebels are very powerful in Scotland,
and that great numbers are gone over to them safe from
France. Stop a little, Roger, cried the parson; and running
up stairs, soon after came down with a letter in his hand, which
he read to him, wherein it was said that the rebels were very
powerful; then shaking his head very sorrowfully, cried, indeed,
Mr. Pike, I cannot be at ease, for they say they will make us
examples, on account of the 30th of January. Never fear
them, Sir, said Mr. Carew; we shall be a match for them in
Devonshire and Cornwall. I am afraid not, cries the parson,
shaking his head again; I have had no rest for thinking of them
these several nights past. <!-- page 210--><SPAN name="page210"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>After some
farther discourse, he fetched Mr. Pike a good Holland shirt, and
clapped a half-guinea into his hand, entreating him to take a bed
with him that night, for that he should be heartily welcome; but
he desired to be excused, and took his leave with many thanks,
and returned to Miss Hawker’s again. Well, Mr. Carew,
cried the ladies, you have had a very long conference with the
parson. Ay, ay, replied he, and to good purpose too, for
this shirt and a half-guinea are the fruits of it; and then told
them in what manner he had deceived the parson, which made them
laugh very heartily; they then gave him five shillings, and
promised to keep Mr. Pike’s secret for a day or two.</p>
<p>A few days after, the parson going over to see the ladies,
they asked him if a poor seaman had been at his house. Yes,
replied the parson, it was one Roger Pike, whose brother had a
congregation in Tiverton, and whom I am very well acquainted
with. And did you give him any assistance? Yes, I
gave him a shirt and a half-guinea: and we gave him five
shillings, said the ladies, not as being Roger Pike, but as Mr.
Bampfylde Moore Carew; at which the parson was in a very great
hurry, and would scarce be convinced but that it was old Roger
Pike. Thus had Mr. Carew the happy art of suiting his
eloquence to every temper and every circumstance; for his being
the brother of good Mr. Pike, of Tiverton, was as powerful a
loadstone to attract the parson, as his marrying of Betty Larkey
had been to Lady Tynte.</p>
<p>From hence he went to parson White’s, at Cocker, where
he found Justice Proctor: here he <!-- page 211--><SPAN name="page211"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>passed for
an unfortunate sailor, who had been cast away coming from the
Baltic, and was now travelling to his native place, Tintagel, in
Cornwall. Parson White asked who was minister there, he
replied, that one Atkins was curate, and that there was no other
there at that time. The justice asked but few questions,
and told him he ought to have a pass, and asked where he
landed. He replied, at Dover. Had you a pass, then,
from the mayor there? We had one, said he, very readily;
but some of our company being sick, and myself in good health, I
left them the pass, and came forward by myself, they not being
able to travel so fast. Why then, says the justice, you are
liable to be taken up as a vagrant, for begging without a pass:
however, we will relieve you; and if you call upon gentlemen
only, they will scarcely molest you. He returned them a
great many thanks for this civility, and then went to a
tanner’s hard by, where he changed his story, and passed
for a bankrupt tanner. Here he was likewise relieved, as he
touched upon the right string; for had he passed here for an
unfortunate sailor, probably his eloquence would have had no
effect.</p>
<p>From hence he went to the parson of East Chinock, and told him
that he belonged to a man-of-war, in which his brother was
lieutenant. Being then about dinner time, the parson asked
if he could eat sea provisions, such as pork and peas, which he
readily accepting of, they sat down together, and had a great
deal of discourse about the lieutenant. Next he went to
Madam Philips, of Montacute, where happened to be Parson Bower,
of Martock, who asked him if he knew Bampfylde <!-- page 212--><SPAN name="page212"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>Moore
Carew? Sir, replied he, I am of Tintagel, in Cornwall, and
know the Carews there very well, and have heard of the wanderer
you speak of, who, I’m told, is a great dog stealer, but
know not what has become of him; for some say he is hanged.
God forbid he is hanged, cried the parson, upon account of his
family; and after some other questions, he was relieved with
sixpence. Leaving Montacute, he went forward to Yeovil,
having appointed to meet his wife and daughter at the sign of the
Boot, Sherborne, and from Yeovil to Squire Hellier’s, at
Leweston, who treated him very handsomely, and would have had him
stay there all night, but he excused himself, being impatient to
see his wife and daughter.</p>
<p>As soon as he came to Sherborne, he went to his usual
quarters, the sign of the Boot, where he inquired for his wife
and daughter; but how was he thunder-struck, when he was told
they were in hold, at Webb’s the bailiff! He inquired
for what reason, and was informed, that four officers had been
walking all through the town to take up all strangers, such as
chimney-sweepers, tinkers, pedlars, and the like. What
could our hero do? he revolved it over and over in his mind, and
at last determined to go to Webb’s, resolving either to
free his wife and daughter, or else to share their fate.
When he came there, he asked to see the prisoners, and demanded
upon what account they had apprehended his wife, as she had
neither stolen nor begged in the town: this occasioned high
words, and at last ended in blows. Long did our hero
maintain an unequal fight with great valour. At length,
being overpowered with numbers, he <!-- page 213--><SPAN name="page213"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>fell, but
not till his assailants had felt the force of his arms. He
was kept in safe custody that night, and the next morning taken,
with the rest of the prisoners, before Thomas Medlycott, Esq., at
Milbourn Port, where they were all examined, and all maintained
their professions to be extremely useful. The
chimney-sweeper alleged, he preserved houses from taking fire,
whereby he saved whole towns, and consequently was a useful
member to his country. The tinker harangued on the
usefulness of kettles, brass pans, frying-pans, &c., and of
consequence, what use he was of to the public: and our hero
declared he was the famous Bampfylde Moore Carew, and had served
his king and country both by sea and land.</p>
<p>The justice thought proper to send these useful men to their
respective parishes, at the public expense: accordingly Mr.
Carew, with his wife and daughter, were ordered to Bickley, in
Devonshire. The Sherborne people waited upon them to
Yeovil, where they were delivered to the care of the chief
magistrate. The next day, horses being provided, they set
out for Thomas Proctor’s, Esq., at Cocker: but, he refusing
to sign the pass, they proceeded to Axminster, where the
magistrate refused to receive them, on account of the pass not
being signed; upon which they would have left Mr. Carew, but he
insisted upon being accomodated to the end of his journey, they
therefore adjourned to Mr. Tucker’s, about two miles from
Axminster, who asked him if he had a mind to have his attendants
dismissed, or chose to have their company to Bickley; and he
replying that he did not choose to have them dismissed, Mr.
Tucker signed the warrant, <!-- page 214--><SPAN name="page214"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>and our
hero, with his wife and daughter, rode all the way very
triumphantly into Bickley, where, as soon as they arrived, the
bells were set a ringing, and the greatest joy spread through all
the place.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew remained some time at Bickley, but fresh news
arriving every day of the progress of the rebels, that insatiable
curiosity which had always actuated his breast, prompted him to
go and see the army of the rebels: he therefore, taking his leave
of his wife and daughter, though they entreated him with tears
not to go to the North, made the best of his way towards
Edinburgh.</p>
<p>After some days travel, Mr. Carew arrived at the city of
Edinburgh, which lies in a sort of a valley, between two hills,
one of which is called Salisbury Crags, the other marks the
foundation of the castle. It was strongly walled, and is
adorned with public and private buildings. At the extremity
of the east end of the city stands the palace of Holyrood house;
leaving which, a little to the left, you come through a populous
suburb to the entrance, called the Water-port. From hence,
turning west, the street goes on in a straight line through the
whole city to the castle, which is above a mile in length, and is
said by the Scots to be the largest and finest street for
buildings and number of inhabitants in Europe. From the
palace door, which stands on a level with the lowest of the plain
country, this street begins to ascend very gradually, being no
where steep; but this ascent being continued for so long a way,
it is easy to understand that the furthest part must be
necessarily very high; for the castle, which stands as it were at
the <!-- page 215--><SPAN name="page215"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>extremity, west, as the palace does
east, makes on all sides (that only excepted which joins it to
the city) a frightful and inaccessible precipice. The
castle is situated on a high rock, and strongly fortified with a
great number of towers, so that it is looked upon as
impregnable. In the great church they have a set of bells,
which are not rung out as in England, (for that way of ringing is
not now known in this country,) but are played on by the hand
with keys, like a harpsichord, the person playing having great
leather covers for his fists, which enables him to strike with
the more force; and for the larger bells there are treddles,
which he strikes with his feet.</p>
<p>They play all manner of tunes very musically; and the town
gives a man a yearly salary for playing upon them, from
half-an-hour after eleven till half-an-hour after twelve every
day, Sundays and holidays excepted. On the south side of
this church is a square of very fine buildings, called the
Parliament Close, the west and south side of which are mostly
taken up with the Parliament house, the several courts of
justice, the council chamber, the exchequer, the public
registers, the lawyers’ library, the post-office,
&c. The great church makes up the north side of the
square, and the east, and part of the south side, is built into
private dwellings, very stately, lofty, and strong, being seven
stories high to the front of the square, and the hill that they
stand on having a very deep descent; some of them are no less
than fourteen stories high backwards. Holyrood house is a
very handsome building, rather convenient than large; it was
formerly a royal palace and an abbey, founded <!-- page 216--><SPAN name="page216"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>by King
David I. for the canons regular of St. Austin, who named it
Holyrood-house, or the house of the Holy Cross, which was
destroyed by Oliver Cromwell, but nobly re-edificed by King
Charles the second, and of which his grace the Duke of Hamilton
is hereditary keeper; it is now almost entirely neglected.</p>
<p>The entrance from the great outer court is adorned with
pillars of hewn stone, under a cupola, in form of an imperial
crown, balustrated on each side at the top. The fore part
has two wings, on each side of which are two turrets; that
towards the north was built by King James V. whose name it bears
in letters of gold; and that towards the south (as well as the
rest) by Charles II, whereof Sir William Bruce was the
architect. The inner court is very stately, all of
free-stone, well hewn, with a colonade round it, from whence are
entries into the several apartments; but above all, the long
gallery is very remarkable, being adorned with the pictures of
all the Scotch kings, from Fergus the first, done by masterly
hands. Here Mr. Carew met the rebels, but having no mind to
join them, he pretended to be very sick and lame; however, he
accosted them with, God bless you, noble gentlemen! and the
rebels moving on to Carlisle, he hopped after them, and from
thence to Manchester, and there had a sight of the
Pretender’s son, and other commanders. He afterwards
accompanied them to Derby, where a report was spread, that the
Duke of Cumberland was coming to fight them; upon which, their
courage failing, though the Pretender’s son was for
fighting, they retreated back to Carlisle; upon which <!-- page
217--><SPAN name="page217"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>he
thought it time to leave them, and hopped homewards on his
crutches, taking care to change his note to “God bless King
George, and the brave Duke William!” Coming into
Bristol, he met with one Mr. P---, an apothecary, who had
formerly known him at St. Mary Ottery, in Devon. Mr. P---
was very glad to see him, and took him to a tavern, where he
treated him very handsomely, and then sent for his wife, sister,
and other friends, to come and see him. They were all
highly pleased to see a man they had heard so much talk of, and,
after spending some hours very merrily with him, they would have
him to try his fortune in that city, but to take care of the
mint. Accordingly he went to a place of rendezvous of the
brothers of the mendicant order in Temple-street, equipped
himself in a very good suit of clothes, and then went upon the
Exchange, as the supercargo of a ship called the Dragon, which
had been burnt by lightning off the Lizard point. By this
story he raised a very handsome contribution on the merchants and
captains of vessels, it being well known that such a ship had
been burnt in the manner he described. He then returned to
his friend Mr. P---, the apothecary, and, knocking at the door,
asked if he was at home; upon which Mr. P---, came forth, and,
not knowing him again in his supercargo’s dress, made him a
very low bow, and desired him to walk in. Mr. Carew asked
him if he had any fine salve, as he had met with an accident, and
burnt his elbow; upon which Mr. P--- ran behind his counter, and
reached down a pot of salve, desiring, with a great deal of
complaisance, <!-- page 218--><SPAN name="page218"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the favour of looking at his elbow;
he then discovered himself, which occasioned no little diversion
to Mr. P--- and his family, who made him very welcome.</p>
<p>Going back to his quarters, he laid aside his finery, and
dressed himself more meanly, like to a labouring mechanic; he
then went into the street, and acted like a madman, talking in a
raving manner about Messrs. Whitfield and Wesley, as though he
was disordered in his mind by their preaching; calling in a
furious manner at every step upon the Virgin Mary, Pontius
Pilate, and Mary Magdalen, and acting the part of a man
religiously mad. Sometimes he walked with his eyes fixed
upon the ground, and then, of a sudden, he would break out into
some passionate expressions about religion. This behaviour
greatly excited the curiosity and compassion of the people, some
of whom talked to him, but he answered every thing they said in a
wild and incoherent manner; and, as compassion is generally the
forerunner of charity, he was relieved by the most of them.</p>
<p>The next morning he appeared in a morning-gown, still acting
the madman, and carried it so far now, as to address himself to
all the posts in the streets, as if they were saints, lifting up
his hands and eyes in a fervent though distracted manner to
heaven, and making use of so many extravagant gestures, that he
astonished the whole city. Going through Castle-street, he
met the Rev. Mr. B---c, a minister of that place, whom he
accosted with his arms thrown round him; and insisted, in a
raving manner, he should tell him who was the father of the
morning star; which frightened <!-- page 219--><SPAN name="page219"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the parson
so much, that he took to his heels and ran for it, he running
after him, till he took shelter in a house.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><!-- page 220--><SPAN name="page220"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
220</span>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.</p>
<p>Steering from thence to Dungeness, he found a vessel ready to
sail for Boulogne, on board of which he embarked, and landed safe
there; and found it so thronged with English soldiers, (it being
soon after the reducing of the army,) that had he not known the
contrary, he should have <!-- page 221--><SPAN name="page221"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>thought
himself in some town in England. Some of the soldiers
knowing him, cried out, Here’s Bampfylde Moore Carew! upon
which they took him along with them to their quarters, and they
passed the day very merrily: the soldiers expressed great
discontent at their being discharged, swearing they would never
come over to England any more, saying, if they had not come over
then, they should have been either starved or hanged. He
then inquired how they lived in France? They replied, never
better in their lives. From Boulogne he set off for Calais;
where he likewise found a great multitude of English soldiers,
and more were daily coming in. Whilst he was here, the Duke
of Richmond arrived, in his way to Paris; who, seeing many
English soldiers, asked some of them why they came there? to
which they replied, they should have been either starved or
hanged if they had staid in England. Mr. Carew intended to
have paid his respects to his grace, but had not an opportunity;
and soon after, being taken very ill, was obliged to desist from
his intended design of making a tour through France, Germany,
&c.</p>
<p>He therefore took a passage in the packet-boat from Calais,
and landed at Dover; from hence he went to Folkstone, where he
got a pass and relief from the mayor, under the name of John
Moore, a native of St. Ives, in Cornwall, who had been cast away
on the coast of France, in a vessel coming from Ireland.
Having borne this character as long as suited his inclination, he
metamorphosed himself again, and appeared in quite a different
shape. He now wore a full handsome tie-wig, but a little
<!-- page 222--><SPAN name="page222"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
222</span>changed by age; a good beaver hat, somewhat duffy; a
fine broad-cloth coat, but not of the newest fashion, and not a
little faded in its colour. He was now a gentleman of an
ancient family and good estate, but reduced by a train of
uncommon misfortunes. His venerable looks, his dejected
countenance, the visible struggles between the shame of asking
and the necessity which forced him to it, all operated to move
the pity of those he applied to, which was generally shown by
handsome contributions, for few could think of offering mites to
a gentleman of so ancient a family, and who had formerly lived so
well; and indeed how much soever we may envy the great in their
prosperity, we are as ready to relieve them in their
misfortunes.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew happening to be in the city of Wells, in
Somersetshire, on a Sunday, was told that the bishop was to
preach that morning: upon which he slips on a black waistcoat and
morning-gown, and went out to meet the bishop as he was walking
in procession, and addressed himself to his lordship as a poor
unhappy man, whose misfortunes had turned his brain; which the
bishop hearing, gave him five shillings. From Wells he
steered to Bridgewater, but did not appear in the day-time, and
went only in the evenings upon his crutches, as a poor lame man,
not being known by any one till he discovered himself.</p>
<p>Having heard that young Lord Clifford, his first cousin, (who
had just returned from his travels abroad,) was at his seat at
Callington, about four miles from Bridgewater, he resolved to pay
him a visit. In his way thither resided Parson <!-- page
223--><SPAN name="page223"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
223</span>C---, who being one whom nature had made up in a hurry
without a heart, Mr. Carew had never been able to obtain any
thing of him, even under the most moving appearance of distress,
but a cup of small drink. Stopping now in his way, he found
the parson was gone to Lord Clifford’s, but being saluted
at the door by a fine black spaniel, with almost as much
crustiness as he would have been, had his master been at home, he
thought himself under no stronger obligation of observing the
strict laws of honour, than the parson did of hospitality; and
therefore soon charmed the crossness of the spaniel, and made him
follow him to Bridgewater; for it is very remarkable “that
the art has been found of taming the most savage and ill-natured
brutes, which is generally attended with success; but it requires
a much higher skill, and is but seldom successful, to soften the
ill-nature and inhumanity of man: whether it is that the brutes
are more capable of receiving instruction, or whether the
ill-nature of man exceeds that of the brutes, we cannot well
determine.”</p>
<p>Having secured the spaniel, and passed the night merrily in
Bridgewater, he set out the next morning for Lord
Clifford’s, and in his way called upon the parson again,
who very crustily told him he had lost his dog, and supposed some
of his gang had stolen him: to which Mr. Carew very calmly
replied, What was he to his dog, or what was his dog to him? if
he would make him drink it was well, for he was very dry: at
last, with the use of much rhetoric, he got a cup of small drink;
then, taking leave of him, he went to the Red Lion, in the same
parish, where he staid some time. In <!-- page 224--><SPAN name="page224"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the mean
time down ran the parson to my Lord Clifford’s, to acquaint
him that Mr. Carew was in the parish, and to advise him to take
care of his dogs; so that Mr. Carew, coming down immediately
after, found a servant with one dog in his arms, and another with
another: here one stood whistling and another calling, and both
my lord and his brother were running about to seek after their
favourites.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew asked my lord what was the meaning of this hurry,
and if his dogs were cripples, because he saw several carried in
the servants’ arms: adding, he hoped his lordship did not
imagine he was come to steal any of them. Upon which his
lordship told him, that parson C--- had advised him to be
careful, as he had lost his spaniel but the day before. It
may be so, replied he: the parson knows but little of me, or the
laws of our community, if he is ignorant that with us ingratitude
is unknown, and the property of our friends always sacred.
His lordship, hearing this, entertained him very handsomely, and
both himself and his brother made him a present.</p>
<p>There being about this time a great fair at Bridgewater, in
the county of Somerset, our hero appeared there upon crutches as
a poor miserable cripple, in company with many of his subjects
that were full as unfortunate as himself, some blind, some deaf,
some dumb, &c., among whom were his old friends and
school-fellows Martin, Escott, and Coleman. The mayor of
that corporation, a bitter enemy to their community, jocosely
said, that he would make the blind see, the deaf hear, and the
lame walk; and by way of preparation or <!-- page 225--><SPAN name="page225"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>beginning
to this intended cure, he had them all apprehended and confined
in a dark hole, which greatly terrified them with the
apprehension of severe punishment. After one night’s
repose in limbo, he sent a physician or surgeon of most profound
skill and judgment to them, who brought the keys of their
melancholy apartments, and pretending greatly to befriend them,
advised them, if there were any of them counterfeits, to make
haste out of the town, or otherwise they must expect no mercy
from the mayor, unknown to whom he had privately stolen the keys;
then, unlocking the door, forth issued the disabled and infirm
prisoners; the lame threw aside their crutches and artificial
legs, and made an exceeding good use of their natural ones: the
blind made shift to see the way out of town; and the deaf
themselves, with great attention, hearkened to this their friend,
and followed his advice with all possible speed. The mayor,
with the aldermen and several gentlemen, planted themselves
opposite to the prison, and were spectators to this diverting
scene, calling out to stop them, not with an intention to do them
any prejudice, but only of adding a spur to their speed: however
there were some who were ready enough to lay hold on them, and
our hero, in a struggle of this nature, left a skirt of his
garment behind him, which might be done without much violence, as
we may reasonably conclude it to have been none of the soundest;
and Coleman was so closely pursued, that he plunged into the
river, and swam to the opposite shore: in short, so well did
these cripples ply their limbs, that none of them <!-- page
226--><SPAN name="page226"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
226</span>could be taken, excepting a real object, a lame man,
who, in spite of the fear and consternation he was in, could not
mend his decrepid pace: he therefore was brought before the
mayor, who, after slightly rebuking him for his vagrant course of
life, ordered him to be relieved in a very plentiful and generous
manner, and the whole corporation was exceeding kind to him.</p>
<p>One method of gaining his ends our hero had peculiar to
himself. He used with great intent to read the inscriptions
on tombs and monuments in church-yards, and when the deceased
person had a character for piety and charity, he would with the
greatest importunity apply to his or her surviving relations:
and, if they refused an alms, he would, in the most moving terms
imaginable, implore their charity for the sake of their deceased
relation, praying they would follow the laudable and virtuous
example of their dead husband, wife, father, mother, or the like;
hoping there was the same God, the same spirit of piety,
religion, and charity, still dwelling in the house as before the
death of the person deceased. These and the like
expressions, uttered in a most suppliant and pathetic voice, used
to extort not only very handsome contributions, but tears from
the person to whom he applied.</p>
<p>Some time after this, he engaged, at Burton, in Somersetshire,
in the habit and character of a seaman, cast away in coming from
Newfoundland, with a captain, who, by his great severity, had
rendered himself the terror of all the mendicant order; but he,
relying upon his perfect acquaintance with the country, ventured
up to him, <!-- page 227--><SPAN name="page227"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>had the best entertainment his house
afforded, and was honourably dismissed with a considerable piece
of money. Captains H---h and N---n, with both of whom our
hero had sailed, were intimate acquaintances of this captain, of
whom he asked many questions, and also about Newfoundland, which
country trade he had used the most part of the time; to all which
questions he gave very satisfactory answers. This captain
had detected so many impostors, that he concluded they were all
so; but, not being able to find Mr. Carew in any one error, he
was very proud of it, pitied and relieved him in an extraordinary
manner, went with him himself to the principal people of the
town, wrote him letters of recommendation to his distant
relations and friends, that lay in his road, and acted with such
extraordinary kindness, as if he thought he could never do
enough; it is to be remarked, that he passed rather for a
passenger than a seaman.</p>
<p>In the same town lived Lord B---y, who had a son, who was
captain of the Antelope man-of-war, stationed in the West Indies,
and who died on the passage; Mr. Carew informed himself of every
circumstance relating thereto, and made it his business to meet
his lordship as he came out of church. After his first
application, he gave his lordship to understand, that he was a
spectator of the burial of his son on board the Antelope; at the
same time came up this critical captain, who gave him the
character of a man of great veracity, so that his lordship gave
him a guinea, his eldest son five shillings, and also good
entertainment from the house. This happened to be a fair
day; he <!-- page 228--><SPAN name="page228"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>thereupon, going into the town, was
accosted by an apothecary, who whispered him in the ear, saying,
that he knew him to be the famous Bampfylde Moore Carew, and had
most grossly imposed upon the captain and the town, but at the
same time assured him that he would not injure him, but
faithfully keep the secret. In the mean time there was an
Irish quack-doctor in view, who had gathered the whole market
around him, and who, with more strength of lungs than sense of
argument, most loudly harangued, entertaining them in a very
florid manner with the sovereign virtues of his pills, plasters,
and self; and so far did he impose upon them, as to vend his
packets pretty plentifully, which the apothecary could not
forbear beholding with an envious eye, and jocularly asked Mr.
Carew if he could not help him to some revenge upon this
dangerous rival and antagonist of his; which he promised him to
do effectually.</p>
<p>Accordingly he got a little phial, and filled it up with
spirits of turpentine; he then mixed in with the gaping auditory
of this Irish itinerant physician, who was in the midst of them,
mounted on his steed adorned with a pompous curb-bridle, with a
large parcel of all-curing medicines in his bags behind him, and
was with a great deal of confidence and success, Æsculapius
like, distributing health around him: we must observe, that our
physician had taken his stand among the stalls of orange and
gingerbread merchants, shoemakers, glovers, and other such
retailers.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew therefore approached him, and planted himself close
by the horse, and, wetting <!-- page 229--><SPAN name="page229"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>his fingers
with the spirits, rested his hand upon the steed, as an
unconcerned person might have done; at the same time putting
aside the hair, he rubbed the turpentine upon the bare flesh,
which immediately beginning to burn and smart, the afflicted
quadruped began to express his sense of pain, by flinging his
hinder legs, gently shaking himself, and other restless motions,
which made the poor mountebank wonder what had befallen his
horse; but the pain increasing, the disorderly behaviour of the
steed increased proportionably, who now began to kick, prance,
stand on end, neigh, immoderately shake himself, utterly
disregarding both his bridle and rider, and running a tilt
against the stalls of oranges, gingerbread, gloves, breeches,
shoes, &c., which he overthrew and trampled under foot; this
occasioned a scramble among the boys for the eatables, and there
were some who were but too unmerciful to the scattered goods of
the poor shoemakers and glovers, who, enraged by their several
losses, began to curse the doctor and his Rosinante, who was all
this while capering, roaring, and dancing among their oranges,
panniers of eggs, &c., to the entire ruin of the hucksters,
who now began to deal very heavy blows, both on the unfortunate
horse and his distressed master. This odd spectacle and
adventure attracted the eyes and attention of the whole fair,
which was all in an uproar, some laughing, some crying,
(particularly the poor suffering pedlars,) some fighting, and
others most unmercifully cursing and swearing; to make short of
the story, the doctor rode about the fair, without either hat or
wig, at the pleasure and discretion of his <!-- page 230--><SPAN name="page230"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>horse,
among the ruined and overturned stalls and the dissipated mob,
who concluded both the quack and the steed to be either mad or
bewitched, and enjoyed their frolicsome situation.</p>
<p>The doctor, being no longer able to keep his seat, fell
headlong into the miry street; the horse ran into a river, and
rolled himself over several times, to the entire confusion and
ruin of the inestimable pills and plasters; the doctor employed a
good farrier, and after some time the horse came to himself
again. The reader may very easily judge what glorious
diversion this was for the apothecary and Mr. Carew, who were
spectators of the whole scene. He was treated handsomely
upon this account, not only by the apothecary, but all others of
the same profession in the town, and several other gentlemen.</p>
<p>Upon Mr. Carew’s departure from Burton, the generous
captain befriended him with many recommendatory letters to
friends and acquaintance, that lay in his road, as he pretended:
nay, indeed, he was never out of it; thence he proceeded to
Bristol, and other places where the letters were directed to, and
received considerable sums of money from many, on account of
these letters, which were mostly to captains of vessels, and
gentlemen that had been at sea, with whom he several times passed
muster very well; it being by desire of the captain, as was
mentioned in the letters, that they examined him.</p>
<p>Sometimes he and his wife, in conjunction with Coleman and his
wife, being all dressed genteelly, passed for gipseys of
extraordinary knowledge and reputation: many a poor credulous
unsuspecting <!-- page 231--><SPAN name="page231"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>person became their prey, and many a
good booty they got in almost every town of the counties of
Cornwall and Devon. Once in particular, himself and
Coleman, with both their spouses, being in Buckford-sleigh, near
Exeter, one Mr. Collard, a wealthy but simple shoemaker, came to
their quarters, to consult them on a very intricate and important
affair; he told them, “that it was the opinion of every
body in the country, that his grandmother had somewhere concealed
very large sums of money before her death, and that himself, by
several dreams, was confirmed in the same opinion, and that he
thought proper to advise with them upon the affair; not doubting
but they, by the help of their profound learning and knowledge,
for which they were so famous through the west, were capable of
informing him in what particular place he might find this
particular treasure, which if they would discover to him, he
would give them thirty guineas.”</p>
<p>Our magicians, after long deliberation and consultation with
their books, told him, “that if he would that night take a
walk with one of them, he would see the spirit of his
grandmother; that he must not be afraid of the apparition, but
follow it till it vanished away, and in that individual spot of
ground from which the ghost vanished, there he would find the
hidden treasure.”</p>
<p>In order for the execution of this scheme, Coleman put a
woman’s cap on his head, washed his face, and sprinkled
meal on it while wet, stuck the broken pieces of a tobacco-pipe
between his teeth, and wrapping his body in a white sheet,
planted himself in the road that Collard and Mr. Carew <!-- page
232--><SPAN name="page232"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
232</span>were to come; the moon at this time shone very bright,
which gave an additional horror to the pretended spectre.
Our hero, by virtue of his supposed profound learning and most
mysterious science, spoke to it in an unknown language, to the
following effect:—“High, wort, bush rumley to the
toggy cull, and ogle him in the muns;” at which command the
terrific hobgoblin fiercely advanced up to poor Collard, and with
a most ghastly look stared him in the face; the shoemaker was
greatly terrified thereat, and shook and trembled as if a fit of
the ague had been upon him, and, creeping close to Mr. Carew,
laid fast hold of his clothes, imagining he had sufficient power
to protect him from the threatening appearance of this insolent
apparition; whereupon he bid the ghost, “hike to the
vile;” and would have persuaded the frightened Collard to
have followed his departing grandmother, in order to observe the
particular place from which she vanished; but no persuasions of
his could induce him to move from his side.</p>
<p>They then returned to the alehouse they had left, and Mr.
Carew (this method of conjuration miscarrying through the
shoemaker’s fear,) cast a figure, and informed Crispin,
that, if he took up two or three planks of the floor of his
little parlour, he would there find the concealed treasure, at
the depth of about three or four feet: upon his hearing this
joyful news, the shoemaker instantly disbursed the thirty
guineas, highly extolling them as people of the profoundest skill
that he had ever heard of or conversed with: but whether he was
of the same opinion when he came to dig for the <!-- page
233--><SPAN name="page233"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
233</span>treasure, we will not take upon us to say—but we
may suppose the contrary.</p>
<p>Happening, a short time after this, to be in Brakeness, near
Lymington, in the character of a cast-away seaman, he went to the
house of Mr. Joseph Haze, an eminent and wealthy presbyterian
parson, of whom he begged relief, in the most earnest manner he
was able, for God’s sake, with uplifted eyes and hands, and
upon his bended knee; but could not with all his importunity and
eloquence obtain a crust of bread, or a draught of small
beer. Mr. Carew, not accustomed to be unsuccessful in his
applications, could by no means brook this churlishness of the
parson, and thought it highly necessary, for the benefit of his
community, that it should not go unpunished. He was a great
sportsman, and had two fine greyhounds, the one named Hector, the
other Fly; and two excellent spaniels, Cupid and Dido, and an
admirable setting dog, called Sancho. Our hero, therefore,
about twelve o’clock on the same night, paid a second visit
to the parson’s house, and brought away all these fine dogs
with him. And afterwards he sent a letter to the parson, to
this purpose:—</p>
<blockquote><p>“<span class="smcap">Rev. Sir</span>,</p>
<p>“You err, if you suspect yourself to have been wronged
of your dogs by any of your neighbours; the cast-away seaman, who
begged so earnestly, for the love of God, to whom you would not
vouchsafe a crust of bread, or a draught of small beer, took them
away, to teach you another time to behave to unfortunate
strangers more <!-- page 234--><SPAN name="page234"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>as becomes your profession, and your
plentiful circumstances.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The mayor of Weymouth, in Dorsetshire, fared little better at
his hands. This gentleman was an implacable enemy to all
Mr. Carew’s subjects. He therefore, happening to be
in that town, and overhearing the mayor talking to a gentleman in
the street, and saying that he was going to dine with Captain
Colloway, of Upton, he thought this a proper opportunity for
taking some revenge of the mayor, for the many indignities he had
put on his subjects. Having soon got intelligence what
suits of clothes the mayor had, and understanding he had a good
snuff-coloured suit, he went to his house, and informed the lady
mayoress that he was a seaman under misfortunes, had met with the
mayor, as he was going to dinner at Captain Colloway’s, of
Upton, and his honour had sent him to her, giving him orders to
receive his snuff-coloured suit of clothes from her; which the
good natured gentlewoman hearing, without the least scruple,
quickly brought him the coat, waistcoat, and breeches. Thus
our hero, by turning his natural ingenuity to account, procured a
handsome suit of clothes, while, at the same time, he was
revenging himself upon his enemy; fulfilling the old proverb of
killing two dogs with one stone. It is unnecessary to say,
that our hero departed from Weymouth forthwith.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew being in Bristol, at a time when there was a hot
press, wherein they not only impressed seamen, but able-bodied
landmen they could any where meet with, which made some fly <!--
page 235--><SPAN name="page235"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
235</span>one way, and some another, putting the city into a
great rout and consternation, he, among the rest, knowing himself
to have a body of rather a dangerous bigness, he was willing to
secure himself as effectually as he possibly could, greatly
preferring his own ease to the interest and honour of his
king. He therefore set his wife and landlady to work, who
with all speed, and proper attention to cleanliness, made a great
number of small mutton-pies, plum-puddings, cheesecakes, and
custards, which our hero, in the ordinary attire of a female
vender of these commodities, hawked about the city, crying,
Plum-pudding, plum-pudding, plum-pudding; hot plum-pudding;
piping hot, smoking hot, hot plum-pudding. Plum-pudding
echoed in every street and corner, even in the midst of the eager
press-gang, some of whom spent their penny with this masculine
pie-woman, and seldom failed to serenade her with many a
complimentary title, such as bitch and whore.</p>
<p>Arriving at Squire Rhodes’s seat, near
King’s-bridge in Devonshire, and knowing the squire had
married a Dorsetshire lady, he thought proper also to become a
Dorsetshire man, and of Lyme, which was the place of the
lady’s nativity, and applied himself to the squire and his
lady, whom he met both together, giving them to understand that
he was lost in a vessel belonging to Lyme. The squire and
his lady gave him five shillings each, for country’s sake,
and entertained him very well at their own house. This was
early in the forenoon, and he wished to put off his time a
little, before proceeding upon another adventure.</p>
<p>Going from hence, he went to a public-house, <!-- page
236--><SPAN name="page236"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
236</span>called Malston-cross, about a quarter of a mile from
the squire’s; he there fell into company with Squire
Reynolds, Squire Ford, Dr. Rhodes, brother to the squire, and
several other gentlemen, who were met there to make happy after a
hunting-match, in which they had been uncommonly successful, and
were much inclined to be jovial. In the afternoon there was
a terrific storm of rain, thunder, and lightning, that continued
with great violence for several hours: in the midst of this
tempestuous weather, he (having a great mind to clear his
afternoon’s expenses) stripped off all his apparel, except
his nightcap, shoes, and breeches, and went to Squire
Rhodes’s. Nothing could possibly look with a more
deplorable appearance than this naked and wretched spectacle, in
such dreadful weather: the landlord with pity regarding his
destitute appearance, fetched him a shirt, as he thought, to
cover his nakedness; but upon his endeavouring to put it on, it
proved to be a smock belonging to the good woman of the house,
which afforded a great deal of diversion to the good squire and
his benevolent lady, who happened to be looking from their window
enjoying the mistake; when, calling to him, and inquiring from
whence he came, he pretended to have been cast away at
Bigbury-bay, during the late violent tempest, in a vessel
belonging to Poole, and he was the only person on board that had
escaped. Squire Rhodes ordered a fine Holland shirt, and a
suit of good clothes to be given to him, as also a hearty
refreshing dram; and then, kindly giving him five shillings,
dismissed him with every mark of commiseration for his
unfortunate condition, not <!-- page 237--><SPAN name="page237"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>in the
least suspecting him to be the poor Lyme man, whom both his lady
and himself had been so generous in relieving his wants in the
morning. Having succeeded so much to his satisfaction in
levying two contributions, in one day, on the benevolent Squire
Rhodes and his lady, he quickly determined on making another
trial upon their good-nature: for which purpose he retired to the
nearest house which was frequented by the members of his
community, where he dressed himself as a farmer, and speedily
returned to the squire’s, to whose presence he was
admitted. He stated that he had been a tenant on the estate
of Squire H---, (a gentleman between whom and Squire Rhodes he
knew there was a disagreement of long standing,) for many years,
where he had reared a numerous and happy family in
respectability: that about three years ago the squire had seduced
his eldest daughter, a handsome girl of eighteen years, who died
in giving birth to a still-born son: that his wife had died
shortly after of a broken heart, and he was left to struggle
through the world with a helpless family of young children: that,
through bad crops and bad debts, he had fallen in arrears of his
rent; and his cruel landlord had seized upon his whole stock, and
turned him out of his favourite home, to become a destitute
wanderer—destitute of food, shelter or clothing for himself
and family. The benevolent Squire Rhodes whose ear was ever
open to the tale of pity—whose heart was ever ready to
relieve the unfortunate, after venting many imprecations on the
hard-hearted squire, bestowed a guinea on the poor farmer.</p>
<p><!-- page 238--><SPAN name="page238"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
238</span>Having obtained this third contribution from the
unsuspecting squire, he returned to the public-house, where the
gentlemen waited for him (for they were the principal occasion of
this last adventure); and being informed how he had fared,
diverted themselves exceedingly with the stratagem; and shortly
after, meeting with Squire Rhodes, they discovered the various
impositions that had been practised upon him, and very heartily
bantered him thereupon.</p>
<p>Some time after this, Mr. Carew, exercising his profession at
Modbury (where squire Rhodes’s father lived), among other
houses made his application to Legassick’s, where he by
chance was visiting. Mr. Carew knocked at the kitchen door,
which being opened, he saw his old friend the squire, who was
then alone, and in a careless manner swinging his cane
about. As soon as he began to tell his lamentable tale, Mr.
Rhodes said, “I was three times in one day imposed on by
that rogue, Bampfylde Moore Carew, to whose gang you may very
likely belong; furthermore, I do not live here, but am a
stranger.” Mean time in comes Mr. Legassick, with a
bottle of wine in his hand, giving Mr. Carew a private wink, to
let him understand that he knew him, and then very gravely
inquired into the circumstances of his misfortune, as also of the
affairs and inhabitants of Dartmouth, from whence he pretended to
have sailed several times; of all which he gave a full and
particular account; upon which Mr. Legassick gave him five
shillings, and recommended him as a real object to Mr. Rhodes,
who also made the same present; upon which Mr. Legassick burst
<!-- page 239--><SPAN name="page239"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
239</span>out laughing; and, being asked the reason thereof, he
could not forbear telling him, even in Mr. Carew’s
presence; when Mr. Rhodes, finding himself a fourth time imposed
upon by the same person, with a great deal of good nature made
himself very merry therewith.</p>
<p>Mr. Carew being now advanced in years, and his strength
beginning to fail, he was seized with a violent fever, which
confined him to his bed for several weeks; on recovering he
reflected how idly he had spent his life, and came to the
resolution of resigning the Egyptian sceptre. The assembly
finding him determined, reluctantly complied, and he departed
amidst the applause, as well as the regrets of his subjects, who
despaired of ever again having such a king.</p>
<p>Our hero returned home to the place of his nativity, but
finding the air of the town not rightly to agree with him, and
the death of some of his relations rendering his circumstances
quite easy, he retired to the west country, where he purchased a
neat cottage, which he embellished in a handsome style, and lived
in a manner becoming a good old English gentleman, respected by
his neighbours, and beloved by the poor, to whom his doors were
ever open. Here he died, full of years and honours,
regretted by all.</p>
<p>Having left his daughter a handsome fortune, she was married
to a neighbouring gentleman of good family, by whom she had a
numerous family of promising children.</p>
<p>We shall now conclude our true history, by observing, that we
consider Mr. Carew to have as good a claim to fame and
immortality as any of <!-- page 240--><SPAN name="page240"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the heroes of the present age.
We acknowledge he had his faults, but every body knows a perfect
character is quite out of fashion, and that the authors of the
present age hold it as an absurdity to draw even a fictitious
hero without an abundance of faults.</p>
<h2><!-- page 241--><SPAN name="page241"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>A DICTIONARY OF THE CANT LANGUAGE.</h2>
<p>As the Language of the Community of Gipseys is very
expressive, and different from all others, we think we shall
gratify the curious by publishing a specimen of it.</p>
<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p>
<p><i>ABRAM</i>, naked, without clothes, or scarce enough to
cover the nakedness.</p>
<p><i>Ambi-dexter</i>, one that goes snacks in gaming with both
parties; also a lawyer that takes fees of a plaintiff and
defendant at once.</p>
<p><i>Alel-Wackets</i>, blows given on the palm of the hand with
a twisted handkerchief, instead of a ferula; a jocular punishment
among seamen, who sometimes play at cards for wackets, the loser
suffering as many strokes as he has lost games.</p>
<p><i>Abram Cove</i>, among thieves signifies a naked or poor
man; also a lusty strong rogue.</p>
<p><i>Adam</i>, <i>Tiler</i>, a pickpocket’s associate, who
receives the stolen goods.</p>
<p><i>Air</i> and <i>Exercise</i>. He has had air and
exercise, i.e., has been whipped at the cart’s tail; or, as
it is generally expressed, at the cart’s arse.</p>
<p><i>Alls</i>, the Five Alls is a country sign, representing
five human figures, each having a motto under him. The
first is a king in his regalia; his motto, I govern all: the
second a bishop in his pontificals; motto, I pray <!-- page
242--><SPAN name="page242"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
242</span>for all: third, a lawyer in his gown; motto, I plead
for all: fourth, a soldier in his regimentals, fully accoutred;
with the motto, I fight for all: and the fifth, a poor countryman
with his scythe and rake; motto, I pay for all.</p>
<p><i>Amen Curler</i>, a parish clerk.</p>
<p><i>Anodyne Necklace</i>, a halter.</p>
<p><i>Arch Rogue</i>, or <i>Dimber Damber Upright Man</i>, the
chief of a gang of gipseys.</p>
<p><i>Arch Doxy</i>, signifies the same in rank among the female
canters or gipseys.</p>
<p><i>Ard</i>, hot.</p>
<p><i>Autumn Mort</i>, a married woman; also a female beggar with
several children, hired to excite charity.</p>
<p><i>Autumn</i>, a church; also married.</p>
<p><i>Autumn bawler</i>, a preacher.</p>
<p><i>Autumn cacklers</i> or <i>prick-ears</i>, dissenters of
whatever denomination.</p>
<p><i>Autumn divers</i>, church pickpockets; but often used for
churchwardens, overseers of the poor, sidesmen, and others, who
manage the poor’s money.</p>
<p><i>Autumn jet</i>, a parson.</p>
<p><i>Babes in the Wood</i>, criminals in the stocks.</p>
<p><i>Back’d</i>, dead.</p>
<p><i>Badge Coves</i>, parish pensioners.</p>
<p><i>Balsam</i>, money.</p>
<p><i>Bam</i>, a jocular imposition, the same as humbug.</p>
<p><i>Bandog</i>, a bailiff, or his followers; a sergeant, or his
yeomen; also a fierce mastiff.</p>
<p><i>Bandero</i>, a widow’s mourning peak; also a musical
instrument.</p>
<p><i>Baptised</i>, rum, brandy, or any other spirits that have
been lowered with water.</p>
<p><i>Barker</i>, a salesman’s servant that walks before
the shop, and cries, coats, gowns, &c., what d’ye
buy?</p>
<p><i>Barking irons</i>, pistols, from their explosion resembling
the barking of a dog.</p>
<p><i>Barnacles</i>, a good job, or a snack easily got; also, the
irons worn by felons in gaols.</p>
<p><i>Barrel Fever</i>, he died of the barrel fever; he killed
himself by drinking.</p>
<p><i>Battner</i>, an ox.</p>
<p><i>Bawbee</i>, a halfpenny.</p>
<p><!-- page 243--><SPAN name="page243"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
243</span><i>Baudrons</i>, a cat.</p>
<p><i>Beak</i>, a justice of peace, or magistrate.</p>
<p><i>Beard splitter</i>, a whoremaster, or a beadle.</p>
<p><i>Beater cases</i>, boots.</p>
<p><i>Bellows</i>, the lungs.</p>
<p><i>Belly cheat</i>, an apron.</p>
<p><i>Bill of sale</i>, a widow’s weeds.</p>
<p><i>Bing</i>, to go, bing avast; get you gone. Binged
avast in a darkmans; stole away in the night. Bing we to
Rumvilck; shall we go to London.</p>
<p><i>Bingo</i>, brandy, or other spirituous liquor.</p>
<p><i>Bingo boy</i>, a dram drinker.</p>
<p><i>Bingo mort</i>, a female dram drinker.</p>
<p><i>Bingowaste</i>, get you hence.</p>
<p><i>Black fly</i>, the greatest drawback on the farmer is the
black fly, i.e. the parson.</p>
<p><i>Bleating rig</i>, sheep-stealing.</p>
<p><i>Blind harpers</i>, beggars counterfeiting blindness,
playing on fiddles, &c.</p>
<p><i>Black box</i>, a lawyer.</p>
<p><i>Black Indies</i>, Newcastle, from whence the coals are
brought.</p>
<p><i>Black spy</i>, the devil.</p>
<p><i>Blind cheek</i>, the breech.</p>
<p><i>Blowen</i>, a whore.</p>
<p><i>Bluffer</i>, an innkeeper, or victualler.</p>
<p><i>Boarding school</i>, Bridewell, Newgate, or any other
prison, or house of correction.</p>
<p><i>Bob</i>, a shoplifter’s assistant, or one that
receives and carries off stolen goods.</p>
<p><i>Bob ken</i>, or <i>a Brownmanken</i>, a well furnished
house.</p>
<p><i>Bone</i>, to apprehend, seize, or arrest.</p>
<p><i>Bone box</i>, the mouth.</p>
<p><i>Bone Darkmans</i>, a good night.</p>
<p><i>Bone setter</i>, a hard-trotting horse.</p>
<p><i>Booby hutch</i>, a one-horse chaise, noddy, buggy, or
leathern bottle.</p>
<p><i>Borde</i>, a shilling.</p>
<p><i>Bouncing cheat</i>, a bottle.</p>
<p><i>Bracket face</i>, ugly, ill-favoured.</p>
<p><i>Brown George</i>, an ammunition loaf.</p>
<p><i>Buck’s face</i>, a cuckold.</p>
<p><i>Bufe</i>, a dog.</p>
<p><i>Butt’s eye</i>, a crown, or five shilling piece.</p>
<p><!-- page 244--><SPAN name="page244"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
244</span><i>Bung</i>, a purse, pocket, or fob.</p>
<p><i>Bur</i>, a hanger-on, a dependant.</p>
<p><i>Bum bailiff</i>, a sheriff’s officer who arrests
debtors; so called perhaps from following his prey, and being at
their bums, or as the vulgar phrase is, hard at their
a---s. Blackstone says it is a corruption of bound bailiff,
from their being obliged to give bond for their good
behaviour.</p>
<p><i>Bum brusher</i>, a schoolmaster.</p>
<p><i>Bus-napper</i>, a constable.</p>
<p><i>Bus-napper’s kenchin</i>, a watchman.</p>
<p><i>Bye-blow</i>, a bastard.</p>
<p><i>Calle</i>, a cloak or gown.</p>
<p><i>Cank</i>, dumb.</p>
<p><i>Canniken</i>, the plague.</p>
<p><i>Cap</i>, to swear.</p>
<p><i>Captain Queernabs</i>, a fellow in poor clothes.</p>
<p><i>Caravan</i>, a good round sum of money about a man.</p>
<p><i>Case</i>, a house, shop, or warehouse.</p>
<p><i>Cassun</i>, cheese.</p>
<p><i>Caster</i>, a cloak.</p>
<p><i>Calfskin fiddle</i>, a drum. To smack calfskin; to
kiss the book in taking the oath. It is held by the St.
Giles’s casuists, that by kissing one’s own thumb
instead of smacking calfskin, the guilt of taking a false oath is
avoided.</p>
<p><i>Canticle</i>, a parish clerk.</p>
<p><i>Canting</i>, preaching with a whining affected tone,
perhaps a corruption of chaunting; some derive it from Andrew
Cant, a famous Scotch preacher, who used that whining manner of
expression. Also, a kind of gibberish used by thieves and
gipseys, called, likewise, pedlar’s French.</p>
<p><i>Catamaran</i>, an old scraggy woman; from a kind of float,
made of spars and yards lashed together, for saving shipwrecked
persons.</p>
<p><i>Catch Club</i>, a member of the catch club; a bum
bailiff.</p>
<p><i>Chanticleer</i>, a cock.</p>
<p><i>Charactered</i>, or <i>Lettered</i>, burnt in the
hand. They have palmed the character upon him, they have
burned him in the hand.</p>
<p><i>Charm</i>, a picklock.</p>
<p><i>Chates</i>, the gallows.</p>
<p><!-- page 245--><SPAN name="page245"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
245</span><i>Chats</i>, lice.</p>
<p><i>Chanter culls</i>, grub-street writers, who compose songs
and carrols for ballad singers.</p>
<p><i>Cherubims</i>, peevish children, because cherubim and
seraphim continually do cry.</p>
<p><i>Cheat-the-devil</i>, a dicky.</p>
<p><i>Chife</i>, a knife, file, or saw.</p>
<p><i>Chosen Pells</i>, highwaymen who rob in pairs, in the
streets and squares of London; to prevent being followed by the
sound of their horses’ shoes on the stones, they shoe them
with leather.</p>
<p><i>Chuck farthing</i>, a parish clerk.</p>
<p><i>Clank napper</i>, a silver tankard.</p>
<p><i>Clickman Toad</i>, a watch; also, an appellation for a
west-countryman, said to have arisen from the following—a
westcountryman, who had never seen a watch, found one on a heath
near Pool, which, by the motion of the hand, and the noise of the
wheels, he concluded to be a living creature of the toad kind;
and, from its clicking, he named it a clickman toad.</p>
<p><i>Clowes</i>, rogues.</p>
<p><i>Cloy</i>, thief, robber, &c.</p>
<p><i>Cloyes</i>, thieves, robbers, &c.</p>
<p><i>Cly</i>, money; also, a pocket. He has filed a cly;
he has picked a pocket.</p>
<p><i>Cold burning</i>, a punishment inflicted by private
soldiers, on their comrades, for any trifling offences of their
mess laws; it is administered in the following manner—the
prisoner is set against the wall, with the arm which is to be
burned tied as high above his head as possible; the executioner
then ascends a stool, and having a bottle of cold water, pours it
slowly down the sleeve of the delinquent, patting him, and
leading the water gently down his body, till it runs out at the
bottom of his trowsers—this is repeated to the other arm,
if he is sentenced to be burned in both.</p>
<p><i>Cloak</i>, a silver tankard.</p>
<p><i>Coach wheel</i>, or <i>a fore coach wheel</i>,
half-a-crown; <i>a hind coach wheel</i>, a crown.</p>
<p><i>Cobblecotter</i>, a turnkey.</p>
<p><i>Collar day</i>, execution day.</p>
<p><i>Colquarron</i>, a man’s neck.</p>
<p><i>Comefa</i>, a shirt, or shift.</p>
<p><!-- page 246--><SPAN name="page246"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
246</span><i>Commission</i>, a shirt.</p>
<p><i>Comfortable impudence</i>, a wife.</p>
<p><i>Cooler</i>, a woman.</p>
<p><i>Costard</i>, the head.</p>
<p><i>Court card</i>, a gay fluttering coxcomb.</p>
<p><i>Cow’s baby</i>, a calf.</p>
<p><i>Cow-handed</i>, awkward, not dextrous.</p>
<p><i>Crab shells</i>, shoes.</p>
<p><i>Cramp word</i>, sentence of death passed on a criminal by a
judge:—he has just undergone the cramp word; sentence has
just been passed upon him.</p>
<p><i>Crew</i>, a knot or gang: the canting crew are thus divided
into twenty-three orders:—</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Men</span>.</p>
<p>1. Rufflers.</p>
<p>2. Upright Men.</p>
<p>3. Hookers, or Anglers.</p>
<p>4. Rogues.</p>
<p>5. Wild Rogues.</p>
<p>6. Priggers, or Prancers.</p>
<p>7. Pailliards.</p>
<p>8. Fraters.</p>
<p>9. Jarkmen, or Patricoes.</p>
<p>10. Fresh Water Mariner’s or Whip Jackets.</p>
<p>11. Drummerers.</p>
<p>12. Drunken Tinkers.</p>
<p>13. Swaddlers, or Pedlars.</p>
<p>14. Abrams.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Women</span>.</p>
<p>1. Demanders for Glimmer or Fire.</p>
<p>2. Bawdy Baskets.</p>
<p>3. Morts.</p>
<p>4. Autumn Morts.</p>
<p>5. Walking Morts.</p>
<p>6. Doxies.</p>
<p>7. Delles.</p>
<p>8. Kinchin Morts.</p>
<p>9. Kinchin Coves.</p>
<p><i>Crookmans</i>, hedges.</p>
<p><!-- page 247--><SPAN name="page247"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
247</span><i>Coxy</i>, a stupid fellow.</p>
<p><i>Crook</i>, sixpence.</p>
<p><i>Croker</i>, a groat, or fourpence.</p>
<p><i>Croppen</i>, the tail of any thing.</p>
<p><i>Cucumbers</i>, tailors.</p>
<p><i>Cuffin cove</i>, a drunken fellow.</p>
<p><i>Cull</i>, a fellow.</p>
<p><i>Cut his stick</i>, run away.</p>
<p><i>Culp</i>, a kick, or blow.</p>
<p><i>Cup hot</i>, drunk.</p>
<p><i>Cursitors</i>, pettyfogging attornies.</p>
<p><i>Cussin</i>, a man.</p>
<p><i>Darby</i>, ready money.</p>
<p><i>Dace</i>, twopence;—tip me a dace; lend me
twopence.</p>
<p><i>Dag</i>, a gun.</p>
<p><i>Damber</i>, or <i>Dimber</i>, a rascal.</p>
<p><i>Dancers</i>, stairs.</p>
<p><i>Darkmans</i>, night.</p>
<p><i>Dash</i>, a tavern drawer.</p>
<p><i>Dawbe</i>, a bribe or reward for secret service.</p>
<p><i>Decus</i>, a crown.</p>
<p><i>Degen</i>, a sword.</p>
<p><i>Diddle</i>, gin.</p>
<p><i>Diggers</i>, spurs.</p>
<p><i>Dimber Damber</i>, a top-man among the canting crew; also
the chief rogue of the gang, or the greatest cheat.</p>
<p><i>Dimbermort</i>, a pretty wench.</p>
<p><i>Doash</i>, a cloak.</p>
<p><i>Dobin rig</i>, stealing ribbons from haberdashers early in
the morning, or late at night, generally practised by women in
the disguise of maid-servants,</p>
<p><i>Doctor</i>, milk and water, with a little rum and some
nutmeg; also the name of a composition used by distillers, to
make spirits appear stronger than they really are.</p>
<p><i>Doctors</i>, loaded dice that will run but two or three
chances—they put the doctors upon him; they cheated him
with loaded dice.</p>
<p><i>Dodsey</i>, a woman; perhaps a corruption of Doxey.</p>
<p><i>Downy cove</i>, a smart fellow.</p>
<p><i>Drumbelow</i>, a dull fellow.</p>
<p><i>Dunnikin</i>, a necessary, or little-house.</p>
<p><i>Dunaker</i>, a stealer of cows and calves.</p>
<p><i>Eriffs</i>, rogues just initiated, and beginning to
practise.</p>
<p><!-- page 248--><SPAN name="page248"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
248</span><i>Eternity box</i>, a coffin.</p>
<p><i>Facer</i>, a bumper without lip room.</p>
<p><i>Families</i>, rings.</p>
<p><i>Famms</i>, hands.</p>
<p><i>Fastener</i>, a warrant.</p>
<p><i>Fawney</i>, a ring.</p>
<p><i>Feeder</i>, a spoon:—to nab the feeder; to steal a
spoon.</p>
<p><i>Fermerdy beggars</i>, all those who have not the sham sores
or clymes.</p>
<p><i>Ferret</i>, a pawnbroker or tradesman, that sells goods to
young spendthrifts upon trust, at excessive rates, and then hunts
them without mercy, and often throws them into jail, where they
perish for their debt.</p>
<p><i>Fidlam Ben</i>, general thieves; called also St.
Peter’s sons, having every finger a fish-hook.</p>
<p><i>Flag</i>, a groat.</p>
<p><i>Flash</i>, a periwig.</p>
<p><i>Flaybottomist</i>, a bum-thrasher, or schoolmaster.</p>
<p><i>Flick</i>, old-fashioned, or sly.</p>
<p><i>Flicker</i>, a drinking-glass.</p>
<p><i>Flicking</i>, to cut, cutting; as flick me some panea and
cassan, cut me some bread and cheese.</p>
<p><i>Flute</i>, the recorder of London, or any other town.</p>
<p><i>Flyers</i>, shoes or boots.</p>
<p><i>Fogus</i>, tobacco: tip me a gage of fogus; give me a pipe
of tobacco.</p>
<p><i>Froglanders</i>, Dutchmen.</p>
<p><i>Frummagemmed</i>, choked, strangled, or hanged.</p>
<p><i>Furmen</i>, aldermen.</p>
<p><i>Gaberlunzie</i>, a beggar.</p>
<p><i>Gan</i>, a mouth.</p>
<p><i>Gans</i>, the lips.</p>
<p><i>Gage</i>, a liquor pot, or a tobacco pipe.</p>
<p><i>George</i>, a half-crown piece.</p>
<p><i>Gem</i>, a fire.</p>
<p><i>Gentry cove</i>, a gentleman.</p>
<p><i>Gibberish</i>, the cant language of thieves and gipseys,
called pedlars’s French, St. Giles’s Greek, and the
Flash tongue: also the mystic language of Geber, used by
chemists. Gibberish likewise means a sort of disguised
language, formed by inserting any consonant between each syllable
of an English word; in which case it is called the gibberish of
the letter inserted; if <i>f</i>, it is <!-- page 249--><SPAN name="page249"></SPAN><span class="pagenum"></span>the
<i>f</i> gibberish; if <i>g</i>, the <i>g</i> gibberish; as in
the sentence, How do you do? Howg dog youg dog?</p>
<p><i>Gigg</i>, a nose: snitchell his gigg; fillip his nose:
grunter’s gigg; a hog’s snout. Gigg is also a
high one-horse chaise.</p>
<p><i>Gipseys</i>, a set of wandering vagrants found in the
country. When a fresh recruit is admitted into this
fraternity, he is to take the following oath, administered by the
principal maunder, after going through the annexed
forms:—</p>
<p>First, a new name is given him, by which he is ever after to
be called; then standing up in the middle of the assembly, and
directing his face to the dimber damber, or principal man of the
gang, he repeats the following oath, which is dictated to him by
some experienced member of the fraternity:</p>
<p>I, Crank Cuffin, do swear to be a true brother, and that I
will in all things obey the commands of the great tawney prince,
and keep his council, and not divulge the secrets of my
brethren.</p>
<p>I will never leave nor forsake the company, but observe and
keep all the times of appointment, either by day or night in
every place whatever.</p>
<p>I will not teach any one to cant, nor will I disclose any of
our mysteries to them.</p>
<p>I will take my prince’s part against all that shall
oppose him, or any of us, according to the utmost of my ability:
nor will I suffer him, or any one belonging to us, to be abused
by any strange abrams, rufflers, hookers, pailliards, swaddlers,
Irish toyles, swigmen, whip jacks, jarkmen, bawdy baskets,
domerars, clapper dogeons, patricoes, or curtails; but will
defend him or them, as much as I can, against all other outliers
whatever. I will not conceal aught I win out of libkins, or
from the ruffmans, but I will preserve it for the use of the
company. Lastly, I will cleave to my doxy-wap stiffly, and
will bring her duds, margery praters, goblers, grunting cheats,
or tibs of the buttery, or any thing else I can come at, as
winnings for her wappings.</p>
<p><i>Gigger</i>, a door.</p>
<p><i>Globe</i>, pewter.</p>
<p><!-- page 250--><SPAN name="page250"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
250</span><i>Glue-pot</i>, a parson; from joining men and women
together in matrimony.</p>
<p><i>Glaziers</i>, eyes.</p>
<p><i>Glim</i>, a dark lantern.</p>
<p><i>Glimfenders</i>, hand-irons.</p>
<p><i>Glim</i>, a candle.</p>
<p><i>Glimstick</i>, a candlestick.</p>
<p><i>Gaoler’s coach</i>, a hurdle.</p>
<p><i>Goose Riding</i>: a goose, whose neck is greased, being
suspended by the legs to a cord tied to two trees or high posts,
a number of men on horseback, riding full speed, attempt to pull
off the head; which if they effect, the goose is their
prize. This has been practised in Derbyshire within the
memory of persons now living.</p>
<p><i>Grannan gold</i>, old hoarded coin.</p>
<p><i>Green bag</i>, a lawyer.</p>
<p><i>Grig</i>, a farthing.</p>
<p><i>Gropers</i>, blind men.</p>
<p><i>Gutter-lane</i>, the throat.</p>
<p><i>Hammer</i>, a great lie, a rapper.</p>
<p><i>Halberhead</i>, a silly foolish fellow.</p>
<p><i>Half nab</i>, at a venture, unsight, unseen, hit or
miss.</p>
<p><i>Half-borde</i> sixpence.</p>
<p><i>Hams</i>, breeches.</p>
<p><i>Hamlet</i>, a high constable.</p>
<p><i>Hand-me-downs</i>, second-hand clothes.</p>
<p><i>Hanktel</i>, a silly fellow, a mere cod’s-head.</p>
<p><i>Hansan kelder</i>, a jack in the box, the child in the
womb, or a health to it.</p>
<p><i>Harman</i>, a constable.</p>
<p><i>Harmanbeck</i>, a beadle.</p>
<p><i>Hawk</i>, a sharper.</p>
<p><i>Hazel gold</i>, to beat any one with a stick.</p>
<p><i>Hearingcheats</i>, ears.</p>
<p><i>Heaver</i>, the breast.</p>
<p><i>Hell</i>, the place where the tailors lay up their cabbage
or remnants, which are sometimes very large.</p>
<p><i>Hempen widow</i>, one whose husband was hanged.</p>
<p><i>Henfright</i>, those commanders and officers who are
absolutely swayed by their wives.</p>
<p><i>High tide</i>, when the pocket is full of money.</p>
<p><i>Hocus</i>, disguised in liquor, drunk.</p>
<p><!-- page 251--><SPAN name="page251"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
251</span><i>Hodmendods</i>, snails in their shells.</p>
<p><i>Hoggrubber</i>, a close-fisted, narrow-minded, sneaking
fellow.</p>
<p><i>Hop-merchant</i>, a dancing-master.</p>
<p><i>Hum-box</i>, a pulpit.</p>
<p><i>Humpty-dumpty</i>, ale boiled with brandy.</p>
<p><i>Hums</i>, persons at church.</p>
<p><i>Huskylour</i>, a job, a guinea.</p>
<p><i>Iron doublet</i>, a parson.</p>
<p><i>Itchland</i>, Ireland.</p>
<p><i>Jackrum</i>, a licence.</p>
<p><i>Jack Adams</i>, a fool.</p>
<p><i>Jack-a-dandy</i>, a little insignificant fellow.</p>
<p><i>Jack-in-a-box</i>, a sharper or cheat.</p>
<p><i>Jack-at-a-pinch</i>, a poor hackney parson.</p>
<p><i>Jacobites</i>, sham or collar shirts.</p>
<p><i>Jack</i>, a seal.</p>
<p><i>Jet</i>, a lawyer</p>
<p><i>Ken</i>, a house.</p>
<p><i>Kicks</i>, breeches.</p>
<p><i>Kill devil</i>, row.</p>
<p><i>Kinchin</i>, a little child.</p>
<p><i>King’s pictures</i>, money of any description.</p>
<p><i>Laced mutton</i>, a woman.</p>
<p><i>Lag</i>, last; lagging behind, to be hindmost.</p>
<p><i>Lage</i>, water.</p>
<p><i>Lage duds</i>, a buck of clothes.</p>
<p><i>Lambskin men</i>, the judges of several courts.</p>
<p><i>Lansprisado</i>, he that comes into company with only
two-pence in his pocket.</p>
<p><i>Lantern</i>. <i>A dark lantern</i>, the servant or
agent that receives the bribe at court.</p>
<p><i>Libben</i>, a private dwelling-house.</p>
<p><i>Libbege</i>, a bed.</p>
<p><i>Lifter</i>, a crutch.</p>
<p><i>Lightmans</i>, the day, or day-break.</p>
<p><i>Line of the old author</i>, a dram of brandy.</p>
<p><i>Little Barbary</i>, Wapping.</p>
<p><i>Lop’d</i>, run away; he lop’d up the dancers,
he whipped up the dancers.</p>
<p><i>Loge</i>, a watch.</p>
<p><i>Louse-trap</i>, a comb.</p>
<p><i>Low tide</i>, when there’s no money in a man’s
pocket.</p>
<p><i>Lushy cove</i>, a drunken man.</p>
<p><!-- page 252--><SPAN name="page252"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
252</span><i>Maik</i>, a halfpenny.</p>
<p><i>Mannikin</i>, a dwarf or diminutive fellow.</p>
<p><i>Maunders</i>, beggars.</p>
<p><i>Maundering breath</i>, scolding.</p>
<p><i>Meggs</i>, guineas.</p>
<p><i>Meet</i>, to spend money.</p>
<p><i>Millclapper</i>, a woman’s tongue.</p>
<p><i>Mist</i>, a contraction of commission, signifying a shirt,
smock or sheet.</p>
<p><i>Mishtopper</i>, a coat or petticoat.</p>
<p><i>Moabites</i>, sergeants, bailiffs, and their crew.</p>
<p><i>Moon-curser</i>, a link-boy.</p>
<p><i>Mower</i>, a cow.</p>
<p><i>Muck</i>, money, wealth.</p>
<p><i>Muttonmonger</i>, a lover of women.</p>
<p><i>Mutton in long coats</i>, women; a leg of mutton in a silk
stocking, a woman’s leg.</p>
<p><i>Nab</i>, a hat, cap, or head; also a coxcomb.</p>
<p><i>Ne’er a face but his own</i>, not a penny in his
pocket.</p>
<p><i>Nim gimmer</i>, a doctor, a surgeon, an apothecary.</p>
<p><i>Nubbing cheat</i>, the gallows.</p>
<p><i>Nut-crackers</i>, a pillory.</p>
<p><i>Oak</i>, a rich man of good substance and credit.</p>
<p><i>Ogles</i>, eyes.</p>
<p><i>Old flick</i> a knowing fellow.</p>
<p><i>One in ten</i>, a parson.</p>
<p><i>Pad-the-hoof</i>, journeying on foot.</p>
<p><i>Panum</i>, bread.</p>
<p><i>Panter</i>, a heart.</p>
<p><i>Pantler</i>, a butler.</p>
<p><i>Peaches</i>, discovers, informs.</p>
<p><i>Peeper</i>, a looking-glass.</p>
<p><i>Peter</i>, a portmanteau, or cloak-bag.</p>
<p><i>Peg tandrums</i>, as, gone to peg tandrums, dead.</p>
<p><i>Penance boards</i>, a pillory.</p>
<p><i>Penthouse nab</i>, a very broad-brimmed hat.</p>
<p><i>Periwinkle</i>, a peruke or wig.</p>
<p><i>Philistines</i>, sergeants, bailiffs, and their crew.</p>
<p><i>Porker</i>, a sword.</p>
<p><i>Property</i>, a mere tool or implement to serve a turn; a
cat’s foot.</p>
<p><i>Prig</i>, a thief.</p>
<p><i>Quail pipe</i>, a woman’s tongue.</p>
<p><!-- page 253--><SPAN name="page253"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
253</span><i>Queer cuffin</i>, a justice of peace, also, a
churl.</p>
<p><i>Rabbit suckers</i>, young spendthrifts, taking goods on
tick of pawnbrokers or tallymen, at excessive rates.</p>
<p><i>Rattling</i> cove, a coachman.</p>
<p><i>Red rag</i>, a tongue; <i>your red rag will never lie
still</i>, your tongue will never be quiet.</p>
<p><i>Regraters</i>, forestallers in markets.</p>
<p><i>Ribben</i>, money.</p>
<p><i>Rotan</i>, a coach, or wagon, or any thing that runs upon
wheels, but principally a cart.</p>
<p><i>Royster</i>, a rude roaring fellow.</p>
<p><i>Ruffin</i>, the devil.</p>
<p><i>Ruffmans</i>, the woods or bushes.</p>
<p><i>Rumbeck</i>, a justice of peace.</p>
<p><i>Rumbo</i>, a prison.</p>
<p><i>Rumboozling welts</i>, bunches of grapes.</p>
<p><i>Rumboyled</i>, sought after with a warrant.</p>
<p><i>Rum clank</i>, a large silver tankard.</p>
<p><i>Rum degen</i>, a silver-hilted or inlaid sword.</p>
<p><i>Rumdropper</i>, a vintner.</p>
<p><i>Rum ogle’s</i>, fine, bright, clear, piercing
eyes.</p>
<p><i>Rum-strum</i>, a long wig.</p>
<p><i>Rum-swag</i>, full of riches.</p>
<p><i>Scab</i>, a sixpence.</p>
<p><i>School butter</i>, a whipping.</p>
<p><i>Sconce</i>, to run in debt, to cheat.</p>
<p><i>Seeds</i>, poor, moneyless, exhausted.</p>
<p><i>Setters</i>, or <i>setting-dogs</i>, they that draw in
bubbles for old gamesters to rook; also a sergeant’s
yeoman, or bailiff’s follower; also an excise-officer.</p>
<p><i>Sharper</i>, a swindler, a cheat.</p>
<p><i>Sharper’s tools</i>, false dice.</p>
<p><i>Shot</i>, clapped or poxed.</p>
<p><i>Shove the tumbler</i>, whipped at the cart’s
tail.</p>
<p><i>Skin-flint</i>, a griping, sharping, close clown; also, the
same as flat.</p>
<p><i>Smearer</i>, a painter, or plasterer.</p>
<p><i>Smeller</i>, a nose.</p>
<p><i>Smelling cheat</i>, a nosegay; also an orchard, a
garden.</p>
<p><i>Smiter</i>, an arm.</p>
<p><i>Smug</i>, a blacksmith, also neat and spruce.</p>
<p><i>Smite</i>, to wipe or slap.</p>
<p><!-- page 254--><SPAN name="page254"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
254</span><i>Snitch</i>, to eye or see any body; the cub
snitches, the man eyes or sees you.</p>
<p><i>Snout</i>, a hogshead.</p>
<p><i>Sack</i>, a pocket.</p>
<p><i>Shanks’s naigs</i>, the feet.</p>
<p><i>Snacks</i>, full share.</p>
<p><i>Son of prattlement</i>, a lawyer.</p>
<p><i>Soul driver</i>, a parson.</p>
<p><i>South-sea mountain</i>, Geneva.</p>
<p><i>Sow’s baby</i>, a pig.</p>
<p><i>Spanish money</i>, fair words and compliments.</p>
<p><i>Spanks</i>, money, gold or silver.</p>
<p><i>Specked wiper</i>, a coloured handkerchief.</p>
<p><i>Spiritual flesh-broker</i>, a parson.</p>
<p><i>Split fig</i>, a grocer.</p>
<p><i>Splitter of causes</i>, a lawyer.</p>
<p><i>Spoil pudding</i>, a parson who makes his morning sermon
too long.</p>
<p><i>Squeel</i>, an informer.</p>
<p><i>Squirrish</i>, foolish.</p>
<p><i>Stamps</i>, legs.</p>
<p><i>Stampers</i>, shoes, or carriers.</p>
<p><i>Stick flams</i>, a pair of gloves.</p>
<p><i>Stoter</i>, a heavy blow.</p>
<p><i>Strapper</i>, a handsome woman.</p>
<p><i>Strommel</i>, straw.</p>
<p><i>Strum</i>, a periwig.</p>
<p><i>Stubble it</i>, hold your tongue.</p>
<p><i>Suit and cloak</i>, good store of brandy, or agreeable
liquor.</p>
<p><i>Supouch</i>, a hostess or landlady.</p>
<p><i>Swag</i>, a shop.</p>
<p><i>Swell cove</i>, a man with plenty of money.</p>
<p><i>Tagmans</i>, a gown or cloak.</p>
<p><i>Tanner</i>, a sixpence.</p>
<p><i>Tears of the tankard</i>, drops of good liquor that falls
aside.</p>
<p><i>Thrums</i>, threepence.</p>
<p><i>Tickler</i>, a knowing fellow.</p>
<p><i>Tile</i>, a hat.</p>
<p><i>Tip of the buttery</i>, a goose.</p>
<p><i>Tip</i>, to give or lend.</p>
<p><i>Tip’s your flipper</i>, give us a shake of your
hand.</p>
<p><i>Toggery</i>, clothes.</p>
<p><!-- page 255--><SPAN name="page255"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
255</span><i>Top diver</i>, a lover of women.</p>
<p><i>Topping cheat</i>, the gallows.</p>
<p><i>Topping cove</i>, the hangman.</p>
<p><i>Topt</i>, to go out sharp, to be upon one’s
guard.</p>
<p><i>To twig</i>, to disengage, to sunder, to break off.</p>
<p><i>To twig the darbies</i>, to knock of the irons.</p>
<p><i>Track</i>, to go.</p>
<p><i>Trees</i>, wins threepence.</p>
<p><i>Trib</i>, a prison.</p>
<p><i>Trine</i>, to hang, also Tyburn.</p>
<p><i>Troch</i>, a drunkard.</p>
<p><i>Trooper</i>, a half-crown.</p>
<p><i>Trundles</i>, pease.</p>
<p><i>Tumbler</i>, a cart.</p>
<p><i>Turkey merchant</i>, driver of turkeys.</p>
<p><i>Vampers</i>, stockings.</p>
<p><i>Velvet</i>, a tongue.</p>
<p><i>To tip the velvet</i>, to tongue a woman.</p>
<p><i>Vinegar</i>, a cloak.</p>
<p><i>Wattles</i>, ears.</p>
<p><i>Whack</i>, a share.</p>
<p><i>Whids</i>, words.</p>
<p><i>Whipshire</i>, Yorkshire.</p>
<p><i>Whoball</i>, a milkmaid.</p>
<p><i>Whisker</i>, a great lie.</p>
<p><i>White wool</i>, silver money.</p>
<p><i>Whibble</i>, sad drink.</p>
<p><i>Whiddle</i>, to tell or discover: he whiddles, he peaches:
he whiddles the whole scrap, he discovers all he knows: the cull
whiddled because they would not tip him a snack, the fellow
peached because they would not give him a share: they whiddle
beef and we must brush, they cry out thieves and we must make
off.</p>
<p><i>Whinyard</i>, a sword.</p>
<p><i>Whip off</i>, to run away, to drink off greedily, to
snatch: he whipped away from home, went to the alehouse, where he
whipped off a full tankard, and coming back whipped off a
fellow’s hat from his head.</p>
<p><i>White swelling</i>, a woman big with child is said to have
a white swelling.</p>
<p><i>Witcher</i>, a silver bowl.</p>
<p><i>Wing</i>, a penny.</p>
<p><!-- page 256--><SPAN name="page256"></SPAN><span class="pagenum">p.
256</span><i>Womblety cropt</i>, the indisposition of a drunkard
after a debauch in wine or other liquors.</p>
<p><i>Wooden Ruff</i>, a pillory; he wore the wooden ruff, he
stood in the pillory.</p>
<p><i>Word-pecker</i>, one that plays with words, a punster.</p>
<p><i>Yam</i>, to eat heartily, to stuff lustily.</p>
<p><i>Yarmouth-capon</i>, a red herring.</p>
<p><i>Yarum</i>, milk, or food made of milk.</p>
<p><i>Yellow George</i>, a guinea.</p>
<p><i>Yelper</i>, a town-crier; also one subject to complain or
make a pitiful lamentation.</p>
<p><i>Znees</i>, frost, or frozen.</p>
<p><i>Zneesy weather</i>, frosty weather.</p>
<SPAN name="endofbook"></SPAN>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />