The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part. Richard Head
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part
Bookselling trade, only keeping to the other; in which I sufficiently profited my self; And I defie all the world to charge me with any Knavery in the whole course of my practice; which during the time of great buildings at the East part of London, (where I dwelt) I gained much; but that ceasing, and the tide of employment ebbing at the East part, I thought it would be convenient to remove West-ward, especially, his Majesty being then happily and gloriously returned, and fixed at that end of the Town. And therefore taking a house and shop, that I might have two strings to my Bow, I again professed both Trades, of a Scrivener and Bookseller. I now thought my self wise enough to deal with the Booksellers; but I soon found my self deceived, to my cost, for I was drawn in by some of that profession to be concern’d in printing of Play-books; in which, I having skill, and much affection to the matter, willingly engaged. I, for my part, only printed three, which were my own proper Copies; and they, (though I dissuaded them there-from) made choice of the best Playes then extant; though the Copies were other mens, I thought this criminal, but they made a tush at it.
The owner of the Copies hearing of this wrong done to them, gained a Warrant to seize them: My Partners secured theirs, and one of them had so much cunning Knavery as to come to me, and sell me his share, and within a day or two after delivery, directed the Officers (who had warrant to seize) to my house, where they at once took from me 1400 Play-books; the value whereof is easily computed to be considerable.
This happening in time of much business (for my Mother was then lately dead, and my Father dying) I could not look after the recovery of my books, which I heard were divided, and I never to this day had satisfaction of one or other. My Father soon after dying, and leaving me a plentifull estate, I resolved to quit all Trading in general, retire into the Country, and lead a Contemplative life; (for indeed I never had a love for any Trade, hating the business in general, and only used them for a livelyhood). I having thus given out, had several offers from Book-sellers to buy my books (which were of a considerable value, being valued at some hundreds of pounds;) He who had so lately Cheated me, did amongst others desire to havè them, and did ingeniously confess the trick he had lately put upon me: and this his ingenious confession he made as an argument for me to trust him with the rest of my Books: Though I should have made this use of his confession, not to deal with him further, yet he promising all honesty for the future, I again agreed to trust him with my whole Stock, and thereby did I agree to cheat my self; for though it was his fault to cheat me the first time, yet now it was only mine, to let him do it after so fair a knowledge as he did; for though he lived some years after that, yet I could never get any considerable returns for my Stock of Books, and he in the late great Contagion dying, was considerably indebted to me, and I hoping to get what he owed me, ventured to possess my self of his Estate, and pay several Debts which he owed to others: but they proved so many, and his Estate so small, that I was worse than I was before; and this gave me so sensible a squeeze that I yet am sensible of.
And this is the only occasion that hath again made me engage my self in the Book-selling employment: which although I have now used above twelve years, and in that time laid out several hundreds of pounds in Printing, yet I was never engaged in printing any Book that was another mans Propriety, except when I was drawn in by the three Booksellers, and as I have already told you, and which was so much to my loss: And as for my Trading in the Scriveners employment, where it is usual for most of that Trade to keep the best bargains of Lands and Houses for themselves, and put off the worst to their Customers, I have not done so, but it hath been my unhappiness to have the worst bargains of houses of any, which I still keep: and though they did cost me many hundreds of pounds, yet they are rather a trouble, than any addition to the rest of my estate. And if I was ever guilty of dealing hardly with, or griping any of my Clients when I was a publick practitioner, (as I cannot remember any such action,) I am sure I have been (since I left the publick Profession of a Scrivener) worse served by some of that quality, with whom I have had some particular dealing.
I have given you this account of my transactions, to acquaint you how Roguishly I have been dealt with, and that I am (and must needs be, out of all these experiences) able to give you a considerable account of the greatest Knaveries and Cheats of these two Trades. And what hath cost me so dear, I here (for publick good) present to you for a small price; for I’le assure you, I have oftentimes had a Fee given me for my Advice in one of these many Cases were opened by the Scrivener, and that part of this Book (if well considered and understood) may and will be of very great use and consequence to any person who hath any converse in the world. Besides the Knaveries and Cheats of these two Trades, you have those of several others, as a Barber-chyrurgeon, a Tapster, a Cook, a Lock-smith, Taylor, Baker, Plaisterer, Drugster, and many others; and in pourtraying of them I have not affected words but matter, I have written as I would have spoken, and as much in little as possibly I could. Here is that which (I hope) will please all humours, both the frollick and the serious, nay some of the factious too will buy this Part as well as the first; and to make that out, I’le tell you a late, but true story.
The Author of the first Part being with a Friend at an Ale-house, drinking at a publick fire (there being also at the same time two Crop-ear’d fellows) he accidentally was talking about the Book, and relating to his Friend the trouble he under-went at the first publishing thereof, by reason it was not then licensed. Yes, said his Friend, I remember that some of the Clergy were very much offended, and you as well as the Printers, were like to have suffered Imprisonment. Why, what was the matter; said one of these fellows, what were the Bishops troubled at it? Yes, said the Author, I was forced to absent my self for some dayes, till the heat of the matter was over: having said thus, he left the room at present, and the two men taking the opportunity of his absence, enquired of his Friend what he was, and what was the reason of the Bishops anger? To this his Friend replyed, that the Author was a very honest man, (which they in their terms interpret Fanatick) and that all the reason of the trouble was, because it was not Licensed. Well, said one of them, can he help me to some of them? Yes, said his Friend: and by this time the Author being returned, he was acquainted by his Friend with the request of the two strangers, and they likewise again desiring of it, he furnished them at present with a dozen, for which he had a greater price than usual, and then they desired to have more to give to their friends, thinking to have found some Fanatick Doctrine: so eager are these sort of people to buy any thing that is unlicensed, following the Proverb, that stolen meat is sweetest: But I believe they were not very well pleased when they, or their Fanatick brethren (to whom they presented them) had perused them: but it is possible that (though they were mistaken in the main) yet they might be well enough pleased in the private reading, and that as in a Looking-glass they might see some of those crimes lively represented, whereof they had been guilty.
Thus I say this Book hath been bought up by all sorts of people, and I my self at the first publishing the first Part, presented one of them to an Acquaintance of mine, who (I believe) had been knavish enough, and a Preacher of several perswasions, he read it over, and at my next sight of him I asked him his opinion of it? Truly, said he, there are many various Cheats and Rogueries, but if the Author had my experience and practice, he might write a Book ten times bigger, and more full of brave Cheats, and considerable Rogueries, things worth attempting, whereas these are but foolish and idle, and for the most part unprofitable. I who was partly acquainted with many passages of his life, knew he spake true then, and have here in this second Part had a touch at him, but far short of what I know of him, it not being convenient to tell truth at all times. I have likewise met with several other adventurers and transactions in the world, where I (through the frankness and easiness of my nature) have still come off the abused party; part of which I have here sprinkled up and down, and the rest I reserve till more time and conveniency to publish among other things in a third Part. And this Book though (by reason of the extraordinariness of some passages) it may seem a Romance, yet I’le assure ye there is nothing but the truth, naked as she ought to be, in plain colours; for like the first Draught of a Painter, I have only laid on the dead colours without any flourishes, varnishes, or adornments; and though that be the first, yet it is commonly the greatest piece of Art, and seldom mended or altered, but spoiled: and so in my writing of this, I have not varied in any thing from my first thoughts, which have been swift and full of matter, and therefore need not in so plain a case any embellishments, so that here you shall hardly meet with a piece of Poetry,