Richard Head, English Rogue (1665)

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Excerpt

Chap. XXIV

The protagonist arrives in Ireland, near Dublin, having a new name. He’s got no possessions for the ship bringing those sunk. Difficulties to understand the Irish and their habits occur.

He takes a “coach” to Dublin which he describes as a place filled with mischief.

He finds a place to stay, has his hair cut off and gets a wig to be able to stay incognito. He’s got problems to got used to his new self.

When his Landlady demands payment, which he can’t give her, he tries to flatter her. This doesn’t help much and, partly by good luck, he finds her in bed with another man one day. In order to stay silent about this incidence he receives ten pounds.

Chap. XXV

He loses this money as soon as he received it, by gaming, and soon has to live from water and little food only. At the same time he tries hard to pretend to be living and eating as good as he used to. His stomach begins to act up, he can’t sleep, loses weight and looks like a “walking skeleton”.

Chap. XXVI

He happens to end up at a house where he meets “Mr.Doctor” who has a look at him and where an old lady takes care of him and offers him food which his body can’t hold onto for too long. Eventually though, he begins to get better for the lady feels sorry for his misery and makes sure he gets back to his former state. As payment though, he has to sleep with her.

Chap. XXVII

Being weary of the city he travels to the country. At a small river he meets a young woman who speaks Irish and whom he can’t understand yet she seems to want to lie with him. But at the last moment she cries out and he can hardly escape as he has to fight / is being chased by a couple of “fellows”. That night he sleepy in an Inn where he’s being treated badly as well. He gets horrible food and drinks which he only pretends to consume and he has to sleep near the animals. Tired of the bad treatment of the English by Irish country people he travels back to Dublin.

Chap. XXVIII p.2-94

Chapter XXVIII The rogue wants to rob a farmer’s house but falls in love with the farmer’s daughter. He meets her outside the farmer’s house. She tells her parents that he is a gentleman who doesn’t know the way and that he wants to stay for the night. With this excuse he gets into the farmer’s house. The next morning he seems to be ill and due to this illness he has an excuse to stay. During his stay of at least two weeks the rogue is visited by a few doctors. However, they cannot cure his disease. Meanwhile, the farmer’s daughter spends every evening at the visitor’s bedside. Being recovered, the rogue wants to compensate the farmer’s expenses by marrying his daughter. Still, he wants to know where the farmer keeps his money. The daughter tells him that her father doesn’t have any money in the house. Consequently, the rogue doesn’t want to stay any longer. He leaves and sends the daughter money and an accompanying letter which he explains his departure. He declares that he has taught her everything a woman should know - that he has enriched her mind. (Anke Herbers)

Chap. XXIX p.2-102

Chapter XXIX page 79-83 summary:

The same night the man hears that his Landlady is very sick and that she wants to see him. But when he reaches her place she has already died. He takes her hand and finds ten pieces of gold in it and puts them secretly into his pocket. He stayes another two or three days in her house and returns to his new friend who tries to persuade him to commit another crime with him. The man refuses and they part in anger.His friend is caught and is sentenced to death. He visits him in prison and they have a discussion about God. A couple of days later he watches his friends execution. (Manuela Leidel)

Chapter XXIX page 102-105 Summary:

After leaving the country girl he stops an an Inn.In the evening he continues his trip and meets an armed gentleman along the way.They get into a fight and kill eachothers horses. He manages to get on top of the other man an wants to steal his money. He finds no gold underneath the clothes but breasts. The gentleman is a woman. A robber woman. She takes him to her place and they become friends. (Manuela Leidel)

Chapter XXIX:

After leaving the farmer’s house he meets a man whom he wants to rob. In the course of the undertaking, the rogue gets shot in the leg and the victim’s horse gets killed. While searching the man, the rogue discovers him to be a woman. In the end she takes him to her place and they become friends. (Anke Herbers)

Chap. XXX, page 105-110

The man stays at the robber women`s house for a while and she tells him about her life. How she was raised, that her father was a sword cutler and that she was taught how to fight with a sword. She tells him that she got married to an Innkeeper at the age of fifteen and how her husband treated her badly. She descided to become a robber and took revenge by stealing her husbands money and leaving him. The man gets to know some of her robber friends and leaves after some days.

Chaper XXX:

The woman he has met tells him about her life. She is the daughter of a sword-cutler and has spent a lot of time in her father’s shop where she learnt how to handle a sword. At the age of 15 she married an inn-keeper, an insolent, imperious man who beat her. Since she didn’t have money she began to steal. She disguised herself by wearing men’s clothes. Finally, in order to take revenge, the woman robbed her husband and left. She gives the rogue the advice to treat women well because otherwise they will take revenge on him. (Anke Herbers)

Chap. XXXI, 111-117

The man riding on his own again thinks a lot about the woman robber. He is impressed of the way she deceives her victims-she would put a cushion underneath her clothes, pretending to be pregnant. Men riding along would offer her a ride and when they reached a good place she would overwhelm them and take their possessions. The man reaches an Inn and gets the information that a wealthy unarmed gentleman left the Inn an hour ago. The man stays for one drink only and rides after the gentleman.He finally reaches him and tells him to hand him his money. The gentleman, to the robbers surprise, is well armed and fires a pistol at him and attacks him with a sword. The robber is injured and the gentleman, a robber himself, takes away his money and his horse.He had tricked the robber through the unsuspecting Innkeeper. The man takes the old horse from the gentleman-robber and rides to a town nearby.The people are very friendly and take care of him.The gentleman-robber is not found.

Chap. XXXVIII

page 75 - 78 summary :

He walks down the street and notices a man with an interesting and very used wardrobe. He describes the man´s hat, doublet, cloak, breechea and skirts. He invites the man into an Ale-house an questions him about his stange outfit. He brings the man new clothes and walks with him in the streets.They see an easy to steal hogshead of wine. The man "hires" two or three more Rouges and they steal the hogshead at night.

page 94-102 summary:

He meets a young country girl while riding down a road and is amazed by her beauty. He stays the night at her family´s house and pretends that he is very sick the next day so that he can stay longer. After beeing sick for about two weeks he asks the girls parents to let him marry her. They accept. Her father catches them naked and wants them to marry quickly.The man leaves unknown and sends the girl twenty pieces of gold and a poem.

Links

• [Richard Head] The English rogue described in the life of Meriton Latroon, a witty extravagant. London: Francis Kirkman, 1666. EEBO Anglistik Server Oldenburg
• [A shortened cheap book version:] The life and death of the English rogue, or, His last legacy to the world. London, 1679. EEBO