Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A67516
|
The rambling rakes, or, London libertines by the author of The Step to the bath.
|
Ward, Edward, 1667-1731.
|
1700
(1700)
|
Wing W751; ESTC R8696
|
15,151
|
15
|
black Fellow with a Countenance as terrible as the Prince of the Devils bid us wonderfully Welcome and shew'd us into a back Kitchen where the easiest Seat was a Buffer-Stool and the rest of the Furniture fit for nothing but to be dedicated to the fifth of November or to the Pious Memory of our Gracious Queen Elizabeth By that time we 'd sat down my Mistress tip'd the Wink for some of her belov'd Liquor and presently in came a middle-Ag'd Harradan representing the Hostess charg'd with a diminutive Quartern of infernal Spirits having so many unlucky Signs in her dangerous Physiognomie as if the Devil had travel'd thro' the Features of her Face as the Planets thro' the Houses of the Heavens and had left the mark of his Cloven Foot on every place he trod upon The Brandy or more properly Kill-devil being raw my Mistress complain'd it lay very cold upon her Stomach and desir'd she might have half a Pint burn'd to prevent her falling into a fit of an Ague which I being a very liberal Gentleman very readily consented to or indeed any thing else my Insinuating She-compound of Compound of Devilism was desirous to please her snuffling Pallat with her Dialect was so agreeable to the appearance of her Person and the Pestiferous place in which we had taken Sanctuary that I was mightily pleas'd to see every thing answerable to the Wicked Purpose I was thus far engag'd in To what ever I said she had a piece of Newgate-Cant that she made applicable and Thwarted my Bawdy-Rhetorick with as many May-be-not's as a Bungler makes Why-not's in a whole days Play at Tick-Tack every now and then I heard a Lumbering in the House and observ'd the People every time they came to look with very busie Countenances I was mighty Solicitous with my Mistress to go up to Bed but she still resisted my Importunities by an Interferring request of t'other Quartern which I still submitted to till at last Nature quite tir'd with the Day 's Fatigue and my Brains over-burthen'd with the stupifying Fumes of our Fiery Devils-Piss I fell fast a Sleep and lay expos'd to the mercy of my Mercenary Mistress and her vile Accomplices who hoisted me after what manner I know not up two pair of Stairs took off most of my Cloaths and laid me upon an old Flock-Bed by the side of a Dead Woman who I found afterwards had made her Exit in a Flux and cover'd both up together with an old Lousie red Rug where I slept till near Day-light by the Cold side of my Defunct Mistress in which time they remov'd all their Goods which I suppose needed not many Carts to expedite their Conveyance and amongst the rest both my Money and as much of my Apparrel as was worth their taking locks up the House puts the Key under the Door and there leaves poor Pill-Garlick Snoaring in this hopefull Condition Dreaming nothing of the matter The Watchman coming by past Four a Clock gave an Audible Thump at the Door according to Custom and the House being Empty so encourag'd the Sound that it struck as powerfully upon my Ear as if a Demi-Culverin had been fir'd at my Beds-head or I 'd been hoop'd up in a Drum between a couple of Calves Skins and somebody had been beating on 't insomuch that it wak'd me and put me in a great Quondary to think whither I was got remembring very well I came into an Ale-house with a serviceable Drudge call'd a W re but could not recollect any thing of my coming to Bed Extending my Arm a little from my Body I found I had a Bed-fellow and the heat of the Brandy having very much inflam'd my most Sinful Parts I began Presently to examine what Old Nick had sent me a Male or a Female and finding on 't of the right Sex to tell you the Truth on 't I began to be wonderful kind and hug her as close as a strenuous Lover ought to do a new Mistress but found her very Cold very and very fast asleep as I thought so believing she had been like my self at hard Service the Day before I even like a good careful Bed-fellow cover'd her up as warm as I could and turn'd my self about to take t'other Nap till Day-light by which time I was in good hopes my Mistress would have Feasted Nature with sufficient rest and her frozen Limbs would have recover'd such warmth as would have made her fit for Humane Action having compos'd my self again I slept soundly till the Sun had peep'd above our Horizon and somebody came ratling at the Door with as much Authority as a Church-Warden at an Ale-house knocker in the middle of Sermon-time which awak'd me out of my sweet Sleep and brought me waking into a great many troubles I rub'd my Eyes and began to look about me and seeing a Bed without Curtains Walls without Hangings a Hearth without a Grate and a Room without Chair or Table I began to be a little surpris'd and turning to my Mistress attempted to wake her but found her as stiff as a Marble Statue as Cold as a Snow-Ball as Deaf as a Mute as Blind as a Beetle in short as Dead as a Herring finding nothing in the Room but a Tin Spitting-pot and an Earthen Bed-pan by which I reasonably conceiv'd she Dyed in her Calling and between the Distemper and Medicine Pox and Mercury was carry'd the Lord knows whither to give an Account of her Stewardship All this while somebody ratling at the Door as if either a Constable was come for me or the Devil for the Corps which lamentable fright together with the other grievous Circumstances I lay under had like to have caus'd so great a difference between Soul and Body that 't was as much as ever I could do to keep 'em in one anothers Company still hoping there was somebody in the House tho' as things appeared there was little reason to believe it still every half Minute I had a fresh Alarm and at last venturing down into other Rooms found nothing but a Vacancy having carry'd every thing clear off but the Dead Carcase of a Woman which marry'd men generally account to be their best Houshould stuff At last I ventur'd to peep out at Window to see what furious Assailant attack'd our Castle with such a vehement Pulsation seeing only a single Man who look'd like a Rogue tho' not like a Constable I ask'd him what he wanted He told me To speak with the People of the House for that he was the Landlord I told him they were not within but he being I suppose a Confederate in the design was very preremptory vowing he would come in either by force or consent and that if I would not give him Entrance he would fetch a Constable and break the Door Which upon good consideration I thought better to be opened by fair means accordingly I went down took up the Key which was thrust under the Door and gave him admittance who as soon as he came in look'd round about him with a counterfeit stern look and ask'd What was become of the Goods I told him truly I could not tell but believ'd they were gone with the People How says he Pray what do you do in the House if my Tenant be march'd off with his Effects In answer to which I told him the Truth of the whole Story which I suppose he knew well enough before with which he would by no means be pacify'd crying I was a Confederate in removing the Goods off the Premises and that they ow'd him a Twelve-months Rent and he would make me pay it or he would trounce me for assisting them Besides he did not know but the Woman was Murder'd and would have me before the Lord chief Iustice if I would not comply to give him the Arrears Which I thought it rather Prudence to submit to than to stand the Test of the matter in so Scandalous an Adventure which if it had reach'd my Fathers Ear might have been the cause of my disinheritance so that I sent to a trusty Friend for Cloaths and Money made up the Business and left the poor Woman without further enquiry to be bury'd by the Parish If such a Trick won't cool the Lust of Man Sure nothing but Age Death or Sickness can Reader take Care of Iilts for here you see Living or Dead they have been Plagues to me FINIS