The English Rogue: Described in the Life of Meriton Latroon, a Witty Extravagant

Had I not more respect to my Countries good in general, than any private interest of mine own, I should not have introduc’d my Friend upon the common Theatre of the World, to act the part of a Rogue in the Publick view of all. Rogue! did I call him? I should recal that word, since his Actions were attended more with Witty Conceits, then Life-destroying Stratagems. It is confest, the whole bent of his mind tended to little else then Exorbitancy; and Necessity frequently compelled him to perpetrate Villany: And no wonder, since he lived in the infectious Air of the worst of most Licentious Times. But still I blame my self for stigmatizing him with such an Opprobrious Title, since in the declination of his days, the consideration of his former Wicked Courses hath wrought (I have so much charity for him to believe it) in him cordial contrition, and unfeigned repentance: and the truth of it is, Man should be regarded not for what he was, but what he is.

Since his Reformation, I have taken very great delight in his Conversation, and never went from him but with great satisfaction in the Ingenious Relation of the transactions of his youthful days: And frequently revolving them in my mind, Reason suggested to me, the History of his Life could not but be as profitable as pleasant, if made publick. For herein you may see Vice pourtrayed in her own proper shape, the ugliness whereof (her Vizard-Mask being remov’d) cannot but cause in her (quondam) Adorers, a loathing instead of loving. Wherefore, with my Friends free consent, and being instigated thereunto by many persons inferiour to few, either for Birth, Education, or Natural Parts, I attempted this Essay.

If any be so curious to know what the (Actors you have in the Title) Authors name is, let me crave his pardon for his concealment, and answer him with Plutarch to an inquisitive Fellow, Quum vides velatum, quid inquiris in rem absconditam? It was therefore covered, because he should not know what was in it. It is enough that the Actor hath shown himself willing to declare freely, and without mincing the truth of what he hath done, without knowing who writ it; if the Contents shall as well please as admonish, no matter what I’m call’d. But if you are so desirous to know what the Writer is, I shall briefly inform your curiosity: But I doubt I have undertaken what I cannot perform; for if to know a mans self be more then an Herculean Labour, then without doubt it is beyond the limits of my power to tell you what I am; neither can any man truly know another, unless he first knows himself.

For some few years, the World and I have had a great falling out; and though I have used all probable and possible means, we remain yet unreconcil’d.

My only comfort is, I have a small treasure in Minerva’s Tower, by which I subsist; and by the benefit thereof, can walk abroad, not without taking Observation both from what I hear and see; and returning home, Tam Aulæ vanitatem, quam Fori ambitionem ridere mecum soleo. I can with Democritus laugh at the Actions of men, extracting Wisdome from their Follies, and afterwards lash them with a Rod of Experience made of their own fond inconsiderateness.

As for my part, I am onely a Wise-acre, (a Retort once put upon Ben Johnson), for I have no Acres of Land. But therefore don’t be so unadvised, (as too many are of late) to regard not so much the worth of the Work, as the dignity of the Person. Qui similiter in legendos libros atq; in salutandos homines irruunt, non cogitantes quales, sed quibus vestibus induti sint. They mind not so much what, as who writ it; not the Quality of the Thing, but the Quality of the Author, and a Person of Honour (now adays) being set in the place of the Writer, makes the Book received with a general applause. Pardon as well my Satyrical as Cynical Humour. If any dislike what I have writ, let them let it alone, or publish themselves something of a better Composition. I shall not value any ones Censure, for I have already Antidoted my self against it, by my own dis-esteem I have hereof. I am so far from being Opinionative, that you cannot speak worse then what I judge of it.

Nasutus sis usq; licet, sis deniq; Nasus, Non potes in nugas dicere plura meas.

_Bark, foul-mouth’d carping Momus, if thou durst: What I have writ is Bad; Now do thy worst._

Thus you see, as I will not arrogate, so I shall not derogate: for as I am so many Parasanges after such a one, yet I may be an Ace above thee, if thou art too Censorious.

But some may say, That this is but actum agere, a Collection out of Guzman, Buscon, or some others that have writ upon this subject; Crambem bis coctam apponere; and that I have onely squeez’d their Juice, (adding some Ingredients of mine own) and afterwards distill’d it in the Lymbeck of my own Head. Non habes confitentem reum, I ne’er extracted from them one single drop of Spirit. As if we could not produce an English Rogue of our own, without being beholding to other Nations for him. I will not say that he durst vye with either an Italian, Spanish, or French Rogue; but having been steept for some years in an Irish Bogg, that hath added so much to his Rogue-ships perfection, that he out-did them all by out-doing one, and that was a Scot; I need not use the Epithite Roguish, since the very name proves it a Tautologie. If I have borrowed any thing, it was not from what past the Press; but what I have taken upon the score in Discourse, &c. I here repay with Usury, but not in the same Commodity. Etiamsi apparet unde sumptum sit, aliud tamen quam unde sumptum fit, apparet. I have not done as the Romans, who robb’d the whole Universe to enrich their ill-sited City; Rome I mean. I skimm’d not off the Cream of other mens Wits, nor Cropt the flowers in others gardens to garnish my own Plots; neither have I Larded my Lean Fancy with the Fat of others Ingenious Labours; but from the dictation of my own Genius, I have exprest quicquid in buccam venerit, what came next, without much premeditation or study. Gramercy Sack, if happily I have hit the mark.

I am no Aquæ potor, an implacable Enemy to Small Beer; all the Purchases I can boast of, lies in Wine, which is by Moderns highly esteemed for improving good Wits, infusing Elogies and Hyperbolical Exornations, forming such hard Words in the Brain, as shall, like Acesta’s arrows, catch fire as they flie. But I have wandered from that common rode, respecting more the matter then words. For my Stile is plain and familiar, rejecting bombast Expressions, thinking them most happy when most easily to be understood.

As for the Matter it self, if it be faulty, or the Method rude and indigested, consider, Quod nihil perfectum vel singulari consummatum industria, No man can observe all things; neither is it to be imagined that all Rogueries can be perform’d by one man. Not but that when you have read him, you will find him Notorious enough.

Some men are not content to commit Villany themselves, and boast of it too, but they will rob others of that which they should be asham’d to own. In this there is little or no Fiction, I’ll assure you; and there is no Story therein which doth not carry with it more then the bare probability of truth. Should I speak much more, it is to be fear’d some will argue from hence, that I am conscious to my self of its various defects; and therefore I shall desist from Apologizing for it, or my self.

Sensible I am, that if ought be omitted or added, which the Reader likes or dislikes, he will account me Mancipium pancæ lectionis, an Idiot, an insipid Asse; nullus sum, vel Plagiarius, a very Thief, and that I stole other mens Labours. Thus do I know I shall be vilified and undervalued even by such, that are so far from being capable of judging of Ingenuity, that they know not how to write Orthographically six words of sence in their own Mother-tongue. Yet I must confess, what is writ, is neither as I would, nor as it should, it being usher’d into the world as it was first written; whereas I should have done with this, as a Physitian advised should be done with Lapis Lazuli, to be washt fifty times before used: had not immergent Affairs hindred me, I would have licked this Cub into a more comely Form. But since ’tis otherwise, I shall onely complain with Ovid:—

Cum relego scripsisse pudet, quia plurimo cerno, Me quoq; quæ fuerant Judice digna lini.

All the favour that I shall desire, is, That the Reader would not account the Printers literal or verbal Escapes mine; and withal pass a candid interpretation on each Line; and I shall endeavour in a short time to become more satisfactory, and study how I may be always serviceable to my Country.

When I read o’er what I have writ, then shame O’erspreads my face, because it stabs my Name.

ON THE ENGLISH ROGUE.

_What others writ, was ta’en upon the Score; Thou art in Re, what they but feign’d before. They did but lisp, or worse, speak through the Nose: Thou hast pronounc’t, and liv’st in Verse and Prose. Guzman, Lazaro, Buscon, and Francion, Till thou appear’dst did shine as at high Noon. Thy Book’s now extant; those that Judge of Wit, Say, They and Rablais too fall short of it. How could’t be otherwise, since ’twas thy fate, To practise what they did but imitate. We stand amaz’d at thy Ephesian Fire; Such purchas’d Infamy all must admire._

N. D.

ON THE ENSUING SUBJECT.

_What more Rogues still? I thought our happy Times Were freed from such, as from Rebellious Crimes. But such will be: i’ th’ best of Times we find The worst of men; the Law can’t lawless bind. It might be so, since Nature thought it fit To give some nought but Lands, to others Wit But no Estates, bestowing such a mind That can’t within due limits be confin’d. Hence Depredations, Thefts, nay worser facts, Cheating & Whoring, with unheard-of acts: For Swimming for their Lives, these misrules think, ’Tis better catch at any thing, then sink. Such was this Rogue, esteem’d the worst of men; Liv’d by his Sword, his Pregnant Wit, and Pen. In short, Pray pardon if I speak amiss; I never read so arch a Rogue as This._

A. B.

The Preface to the Reader.

When this piece was first published it was ushered into the World with the usual ceremony of a Preface, and that a large one, whereby the Authour intended and endeavoured to possess the Reader with a belief, that what was written was the Life of a Witty Extravagant, the Authours Friend and Acquaintance. This was the intent of the Writer, but the Readers could not be drawn to this belief, but in general concurred in this opinion, that it was the Life of the Authour, and notwithstanding all that hath been said to the contrary many still continue in this opinion. Indeed the whole story is so genuine and naturally described without any forcing or Romancing that all contained in it seems to be naturally true, and so i’le assure you it is, but not acted by any one single person, much less by the Authour, who is well known to be of an inclination much different from the foul debaucheries of the Relations, & if the Readers had read the Spanish Rogue, Gusman; the French Rogue, Francion; and several other by Forraign Wits, and have upon examination found that the Authors were persons of great eminency and honour, and that no part of their own writings were their own lives; they had happily changed their opinion of the Authour of this; but they holding this opinion caused him to desist from prosecuting his story in a Second Part, and he having laid down the Cudgels I took them up, and my design in so doing was out of three considerations, the first and chiefest was to gain ready money, the second I had an itch to gain some Reputation by being in Print, and thereby revenge my self on some who had abused me, and whose actions I recited, and the third was to advantage the Reader and make him a gainer by acquainting him with my experiences. This were the reasons for my engaging in the Second part, and the very same reason induced me to joyn with the Authour in composing and Writing a third and fourth Part, in which we have club’d so equally, and intermixt our stories so joyntly, that it is some difficulty for any at first sight to distinguish what we particularly Writ and now having concluded the Preface, which should never have been begun but that I had a blank page, and was unwilling to be so ill a husband for you, but that you should have all possible content for your money, and withal to tell you that I would not have you as yet to expect any more parts of the book, for although a fifth and last part is design’d, yet i’le assure you there is never a stitch amiss, nor one line Written of it, and if you desire that, you must give me encouragement by your speedy purchasing of what is already Written; and thereby you will ingage