Part 1

Transcriber’s Note

This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_.

Given the publication date (late 17th century), the capitalization, spelling and punctuation of the original, is variable, There are a number of instances where it is very likely a printer’s error has been made, These have been corrected, and are summarized in the transcriber’s note at the end of the text.

There are several full page panelled illustrations, which were not included in the pagination, and have been moved slightly in the text in order to avoid falling within a paragraph. Each panel serves as illustration of a numbered chapter.

Several concessions to modernity are made. The text employed the long ‘s’ (‘ſ’), which has been rendered here as a modern ‘s’. Likewise the ligature of ‘ct’ is given as the two separate characters.

THE ~English Rogue~:

Continued in the Life of MERITON LATROON, AND OTHER _EXTRAVAGANTS_.

Comprehending the most Eminent CHEATS OF BOTH SEXES.

Read, _but do’nt_ Practice: _for the Author findes, They which live_ Honest _have most quiet mindes_.

Dixero si quid forte jocosius hoc mihi juris Cum & enia dabis.

The _Fourth_ Part.

With the Illustration of Pictures to every Chapter.

_LONDON_,

Printed for _Francis Kirkman_, and are to be Sold by _William Rands_ at the _Crown_ in _Duck-lane_. 1680.

THE PREFACE.

Gentlemen

W_e see there is a necessity for our travailing in the common road or_ High-way _of_ Prefacing; _as if the Reader could neither receive nor digest the_ Pabulum mentis, _or fatten by the mental nourishment, without a preparatory. And yet we think it savours neither of civility, nor good manners to fall on without saying something of a grace; but we do not love that it should be so tedious, as to take away your stomack from the meat, and therefore that we may not be condemned for that prolixity we mislike in others, we shall briefly tell you how little we value the favour of such_ Readers, _who take a pride to blast the_ Wits _of others, imagining thereby to augment the reputation of their own: What unexpected success we have obtained in the publication of the former parts, will keep us from despairing, that in this we shall be less fortunate than in the other. But although our_ Books _have been generally received with great applause, and read with much delight and satisfaction, at home and abroad, (having travailed many thousand miles) yet we do not imagine them to be without their_ Errata’s, _for which they have suffered very hard Correction; this is a younger brother to the former, lawfully begotten, and if you will compare their faces, you will find they resemble one another very much: Or else match this pattern with the former cloth, you will find it of the same colour, wool, and spinning, only it having passed the curious hands of an excellent_ Artist, _he hath by shearing and dressing it made it somewhat thinner, and withall finer, than was intended; however we hope it will prove a good_ lasting piece, _and serviceable. You cannot imagin the charge and trouble we have been at, in raising this building, which we must acknowledg was erected upon an old foundation. From the actions of others we gather’d matter, which materials we methodized, and so formed this structure. We challenge nothing but the order; it may be called ours, as the_ Bucentauro _may be now called the same it was some hundred of years since, when the Pope therein first married the_ Duke _of_ Venice _to the_ Seas, _having been from that time so often mended and repaired, as that it is thought, there is not left a chip of her primitive building. So what remarkable stories, and strange relations we have taken up on trust, by hear-say, or otherwise, we have so altered by augmentation, or deminution, (as occasion served) that this may be more properly called a new Composition, rather than an old Collection, of what witty_ Extravagancies _are therein contained. As to the verity of those ingenious Exploits, Subtle Contrivances, crafty projects, horrid villanies_, &c. _we have little to say, but though we shall not assert the truth of them all, yet there are none, which carry not circumstances enough to make apparent their probability. And you may confidently believe, that most of them have been lately acted, though not by one, two, three, a score, nay many more. To conclude, (least we tire your patience with tedious preambles) it is our desire that you will have a charitable opinion of us, and censure not our writings according to their desert; we are ready to condemn them, before you examine their faults, what would ye more? We are not insensible, that_ ours _are many, and are forc’t to bear the burden of the_ Printers _too; we know the stile is mean and vulgar, so are the Interlocutors, and therefore most requisite and allowable; the Subject is Evil, (you say) and may vitiate the Reader; the_ Bee _gathers honey from the worst of weeds; and the_ Toad _poison, from the best of Herbs. An ignorant young_ Plowman _learn’d from a Sermon how to steal an Ox, by the Parsons introducing a Simile; even as_ the stubborn Horn is made soft, pliable, and to be shaped as you please, by laying a Hot loaf thereon; _so is &c. which he trying so effectually chang’d the form of the_ Ox-head, _that the right Owner knew not his own Beast. There is no matter so good, but may be perverted, which is worst of all, for_, Corruptio optimi est pessima; _and there is no Subject so bad, out of which some good may not be collected; this drolling discourse, will, I question not, in the reading, prove not only facetious, but profitable, which if you find, we have obtain’d our desired end._

(_Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci._)

_And subscribe our selves_

Your Friends and Servants

_Richard Head_. _Fra. Kirkman_.

THE ENGLISH ROGUE

Continued in the Life of

MERITON LATROON,

AND OTHER

EXTRAVAGANTS.

_PART, IV._

CHAP. I.

_Sayling from St._ Helena, &c. _Landing at_ Messina, _the Captain_, Latroon, &c. _sell Ship and Goods; the Seamen falling out and killing one another, they leave them and go for_ Palermo; _Thence they travel into the Country, and describe it with its Rarities and Wonders. A comical Adventure in a house supposedly haunted, as they travelled through_ Gergento _with their Mulletteer_.

Whilst we anchored at the Island of St. _Helena_ there happened a sad Accident; whilst we were recreating and refreshing our selves in the Island, one of our men (that brought us ashore in the Skiff) being an excellent Swimmer, stript himself, and over the side of the Boat he went, he had not been long in the water before such as stood on the shore to see him swim, perceived a _Shark_ to make towards him; who cryed out, A _Shark_, a _Shark_, hasten to the Boat; which he did with incredible speed, and had laid his hands on her side as the _Shark_ snapt at his Leg, and having it in his mouth turned on his back, and twisted it off from his knee. The fellow protested to me that when this was done, he felt no pain any where but under his Arm-pits; the fellow was drest and perfectly cur’d; afterwards this very _Shark_ was taken by one of our men, fishing for him with a great piece of Raw-Beef, and when his belly was ripp’d open, the Leg was found whole therein. From St. _Helena_, having taken in fresh water, and gotten in some other refreshment that the Island afforded, we set sail with a fresh breeze and good weather.

Our Captain getting himself into the great Cabbin, gave the word for me, I coming to him, now, said he, let you and I have a little private discourse together, to the intent that we may perfect with safety what we have enterpriz’d with hazard. You know my full intent as to the disposing of the Ship and Goods to my own use and benefit, excepting only what is yours, and the rest of our Comrades: What your old friend in Breeches hath with great hazard ventur’d for, let her enjoy it freely since she hath deserved it, and that you may see the frankness of my Spirit, go, get our friends together that I may inform them, that though I play the Rogue with others, yet I will be just to them; your _Newgate_ Birds will have such as wrong their own fraternity to be stigmatiz’d, and branded with a name of Infamy indelible.

I quickly got them together, and having provided for us what Meat and Liquors (the best) he had aboard, he then told us that we were all heartily welcome, and that he was now, more than ever our friend, and having taken a good lusty draught of what he had before him, seeing it go round; friends and fellow-Travellers, said he, from my Childhood I have had wondrous and various vicissitudes of Fortune, in so much that though the relation of several of your lives which I have had, seems very strange and eminently remarkable to me, yet when you shall hear me giving you an account of the transactions of my life, which I shall trouble you with very speedily, you will look upon them as incredible as _Mounsieur_ St. _Serfs_ Voyage into the Moon, or the Travels of Sir _John Mandivle_; In all the various windings and turnings of my life, I never was settled long in one Condition. It is true, from very low and mean beginnings I have got to the height of considerable employments, from a Parish Child, I was for my Rogueries condemned to be transported, by subtle deportment and insinuating behaviour I changed my Doom, and was made Cabbin-boy, from thence I did gradually rise passing through every Office that doth belong to a Ship till I was constituted a Captain, several Voyages I have made to most parts of the known World, and have gotten great sums of money, but no sooner did I call it my own, but it vanished by shipwrack, or I was taken Prisoner and lost it that way. I am now in my declension, and having a fairer opportunity than ever I yet had, or ever thought to have to enrich my self, and sit down quietly in some remote Corner of the World, I am resolved to lay hold on it. And now coming near the Coast of _Europe_ I shall tell you my resolution, that I intend to make my self a voluntary Exile to my own Countrey. In order thereunto I shall shape my course for the _Streights_, which will harbor my design in disposing of my goods, neither will it be prejudicial to you to accompany me thither, since from thence you may dispose your selves to the best and most flourishing Countries of the World.

Here he paused a while to hear our opinion, which we acquainted him with unanimously, that we were very joyful to continue longer in his company, and that we would see him anchored in his designed Port, or run what ever fortune should befal him; having assured him this, he continued his discourse: Since I know your minds, and am, and shall be obliged to you for your societies, I shall endeavour to requite your kindnesses: and that my words may not seem airy pretences without performances, I shall make this Proposition which if granted, you shall know how I have studied a way to gratifie you. It is this, Master _Latroon_, the Scrivener there, and Drugster, shall give each of them one hundred pounds a piece to Mistress _Dorothy_, and that I may not exempt my self from helping her forward into the World, I will give the like sum with this Box of rough Diamonds, which I know is worth as much more; we all consented: next, said he, every man according to his stock of money expended in the procuration of what Commodities we have aboard upon the Sale thereof shall receive it again, and his profit thereof according to proportion, with an equal dividend of what Goods was taken upon credit. You shall see me so just to you, that I will somewhat injure my self by taking no fraught from you, but instead thereof the principal Officers shall share with us, and the private Seamen shall have double pay out of the same Goods which we took upon trust.

Upon this we all agreed, and the noise of this Agreement running through the Ship, the nicest of them all from the highest to the lowest liked so well the Knavish-generosity of our Captain, that they all caper’d for joy, and having brought out what Brandy they had on the Decks, drinking the Captains Health, protesting to serve him with their lives, they received Commands to stand away for _Sicilia_, where in a little time we safely came to an Anchor.

Arriving at _Sicilia_ an Island of the Mediterranean-Sea, seated between _Italy_ and _Africk_, we made choice of _Messina_, a City as it is the most illustrious one, in that all-fruitful and ever-flourishing Island, so it is for all manner of forreign Commerce as much crowded with the great Conflux of strangers as most places in _Europe_; here we landed, and soon found it the onely place of the world that would best fit our purpose: The Joy that possess’d such especially that had never been there before, undoubtedly would have over-swell’d its Banks and become boundless, had not the prudent foresight of some of us hindred its increase by informing there were some black threatning Clouds of danger still hung over our heads, and that we could not be safe till we had settled our affairs by the sale of our Ship and Goods, then if they would ride post to their pleasures none should stop them in their Carreer; this something qualified their exultation and rejoycing, and every one officiated in his proper function.

Our Commodities were not only excellently good in their kind, but extraordinary rich and valuable, the knowledge whereof soon reaching the ears of the Inhabitants and Merchants of _Messina_, they came in Droves to us, because it was troublesome to deal with so many, we resolv’d to make a quick market of the Continent and things contained, Ship and _Cargo_ altogether. This Proposition better pleas’d those wealthy Citizens, than if we had plaid the Hucksters with our Commodities, wherefore two of the most wealthy and greatest account amongst them bought all, paying us ready money without a penny Credit. After that every man had received his share or dividend proportionably, and according to a general Agreement; we divided our selves into parties as Interest or Inclination lead us. The Captain, Scrivener, Drugster, _Jane, Doll_, and my self were of one company, the Sea-men with the Under-officers of the ship divided themselves into several Gangs or Squadrons, who having more money now than their Great grand-fathers ever told in their lives, fell into such an excess of Debauchery, that the Citizens thought that Hell had plotted a Conspiracy to disturb their quiet, and these were the Emissaries who should put it in execution.

Getting drunk they frequently quarrell’d about their _Sicilian_ wenches, and indeed to give them their due they seem by the out-side to be worth the going to Logger-heads for, sometimes they fell together by the ears, in that one that deserved not to have a quarter so much as himself, yet had full as much; and now having store of money they regarded their gentility, in that manner that they stood upon every punctilio to defend it from the calumnies and aspersions of such who had but a little before been _hail fellow, well met_: so that now the least seeming affront would not go down with them, unless it were steept in the blood that dropt from the Nose of the Affronter, when there was a cessation of Arms among themselves, then would they ramble about the streets like mad men, abusing whomever they met, and were well chasten’d for their pains, several of them coming short home.

The City began now to mutter, and verily believed them to be a parcel of Rogues that had sold what was none of their own, and probably to the ruin of many an honest man; and was therefore resolved to endure this outrage no longer.

We hearing this, thought our selves very unsafe whilst in _Messina_, and therefore concluded to remove thence to _Palermo_, a City in the same Island of _Sicilia_. By enquiry I found the most convenient and customary way of travelling thither was by _Mules_, which are plentiful for Hire; I bargained for as many as would conveniently carry our company which were six, and our money; and so with as much privacy as we could we departed _Messina_; these _Mules_ travelled very commodiously with us, and carried us over the mountains both with speed and security; and although it was an hundred and eighty miles from the City we left behind us, to _Palermo_, yet we got thither in less then four days.

In this famous City of _Palermo_ (the fairest of all others of _Sicily_, and at present the Metropolis and Regal Seat) we stayed some considerable time, and laying aside for a while our shifting and cheating, _&c._ having enough, that we might employ our wits and inventions in nothing but contriving variety of Recreations, and Pleasures, which were the novel, we cared not at what excessive rate we purchas’d them.

The Captain and my self being more than half glutted with City delights resolved, for some few days to travel into the Countrey, and since it was so famously noted, we would not leave it till we had seen those Excellencies and Rarities wherewith it injoyes Fames Trumpet through the whole Universe. In order thereunto taking our leave of our Friends, and promising to return within five or six days, we proceeded in our progress. In our short Itinerary we saw many brave Towns, and wonderful Places, which told, would exceed belief, as Mount _Ætna_, and _Mongibello_, _Strombellow_, _&c._ which though it belcheth inexpressible and continual fire out of its bowels, yet hath its head notwithstanding (on that part where the fire issues) covered with deep Snow till the midst of Summer. In _Meunenino_ is the lake _Nastia_, where in three Eddies you may perfectly perceive boyling water, which gurgles up with an intolerable stink, and sometimes you may see it spew up flames of fire. It hath likewise in sundry other places divers other fountains of admirable nature and quality.

In some Caves and Grots we were shown by the people, we saw the vastly big and immense bodies of men in former time, which were accounted Monsters of Men or Gyants, or to verifie the matter, they believe themselves that a long time since, the _Cyclops_ inhabited their Island. We found the People generally acute, and quick-witted, very facetious, and of a jolly temper, which suited well with the Nature of the Countrey. For to be brief, this Island is not inferiour to any other, either for its fatness or abundance; exceeding _Italy_ in the excellency of their Grain, Saffron, Honey, Beasts-skins, and other things either for Profit or pleasure, in so much that as it was call’d by _Tully_ the Granary of the world, so _Homer_ call’d it the Island of the Sun, and would have us believe all things grew there spontaneously of their own accord; the salubrity of the air is very excellent, as well as the abundance of terrene sustenance, and plenty of all things necessary for mans use, and indeed may be counted the best, which it either affords naturally, or produceth by man’s ingenuity.

Wild-oats grow there, without sowing, and the Vines without planting; their Wines are most delicate, their fruit of all sorts grow with great plenty and goodness; to be short, there is nothing wanting which may not only delight the eye, but please the most critical Palat with whatever may be accounted gustful.

Being almost tired with variety of objects abroad, and being not willing to trust our Comrads at home too much, fearing the temptation of a too long absence, we concluded to return, which I perceived was no small trouble to our _Mulletteer_, whom we hired to shew us the Countrey, and the rather, because he could indifferently speak good _English_, intelligible at least, for this Rogue had not been accustomed to fare as we made him do, and therefore he had been well content to have travelled through the whole Universe at that Rate. Being homewards bound, and the day being far spent, we came to a place called _Gergento_, near which is the Territory of _Matharuca_, a small Town, in which there were but few houses; however we rode up to the best of them, and commanded our Guide to ask whether we might have entertainment there that night: The Master of the house took it as a great affront that his house should be accounted an Inn, and answered him snappishly that he might look his masters lodging where it was made a profession to accommodate Passengers on the road: he asked him, where such accommodation might be had? to which the other replyed, he knew none nearer than three Leagues.

Our Guide told us what he said, which nettel’d me to some purpose; insomuch that I could not but express some passion, and a great deal of trouble that we should be exposed to the travelling so far, and so late; which the Gentleman taking notice of, seeing by my Garb I must be a Gentleman, though a stranger, and therefore could not be ignorant of the _Latine_ tongue so ornamental and universally useful, addrest himself very civilly to me, and desired me (in _Latine_) that I would take no exception at whatever had pass’d, that though his house was no Inn, yet he should be very glad to accommodate any Gentleman with a Lodging, especially in such an extremity, had he not been that very day deprived of the means by the arrival of some friends of his from _Syracusa_, which had filled his house excepting only one Room, which if I would not think with my friend too mean and unworthy for our reception, he should gladly spare it, and with it, what the house afforded. I tendered him in the behalf of my self and the Captain a thousand thanks, in the same tongue, though not in so quaint a dialect, being somewhat deficient in the propriety and Ideom of that noble Language, assuring him we should not be so forgetful as to prove ingrateful for this favour he was pleased to confer upon us; upon this we dismounted, and giving our Mules to our Guide we were conducted into a very handsome Rome by this _Seignior de Domo_, and caressed by him and his newly arrived friends as if we had been of their antient acquaintance. I could hardly forbear laughing outright to see what a confusion the Captain was in, when they spake to him, for they spake to him in their own tongue, which is a rough _Italian_ without any sweetness, which they perceiving he understood not, they spake _Latine_, and then _Spanish_, of all which he understood not so much as to make sense, and therefore answered them in _French_, which none of them understood, so that when he saw the distorting of his eyes and mouth, which was shaped in a hundred forms (partly for confusion, and partly for vexation) would not interpret his meaning; he applied himself to his fingers, telling his story after such an antick manner, that as I laught, the Company had much ado to forbear bearing me company: Seeing him grow almost angry, I thought it high time to make an Apology for him, pretending that what I said, was what he would have said, but that his language was _non-intelligent_ in the Company.