The first Adventure.

IT was about the year two thousand eight hundred ninety ten, when Will Summers was Lord Mayor of Gol­ding-Lane, and Tarleton was his Sword-bearer, that I, and half a score Knights more that shal be namelesse, because I think they were never christened▪ march'd forth the five and thirtieth day of December, to a dange­rous, dismal, terrible and frightful desert, known by the name of Black-Heath, where we met with a monstrous Gyant, called by men that knew him Butcherino, with a great Club in's neck, and a long péece of Iron by his side at his girdle, on which he often whets his [...]loody knife, when he commits Lamb slaugh­ter, [Page 2] and it séems he had béen upon some adven­ture; for hée had conquered some nine or ten wilde beasts, which roared and bellowed as if it had béen thunder; their skins were all black, and each of them upon their moustrous heads two mighty horns, only one little wilde beast, with a white face; I think they call'd him Es­sex, he had no horns, and when hée eat, his saws went awry, as if they had béen practizing to sing Prick-song; but he had a very small voice; I did no sooner méet this aforesaid Gyant Butcherino, but I came behinde him, and gave [...] him such a clap on the pate, that I made him shake his héels without musick, which when a terrible wilde beast he had by him, that uses t [...] kéep his house, whose name was Balie, saw mé [...] so confound his Master Butcherino, he flyes upon mée with open mouth, and catches hol [...] of one of my hinde quarters; and had it no [...] béen for the Knights, I think he had torn mé [...] sufficiently; away run all the wilde beasts, an [...] in conclusion, we did not take Butcherino life, but cas'd him of a burthen of some fort [...] pounds he had in his pocket; having thus t [...] ken away his Treasure, wée left him bou [...] hand and foot, and with little losse of bl [...] came off fairly, with this adventure; so w [...] went some ten miles further, and equal [...] shared the Treasure of Butcherino amon [...] [Page 3] us, and this was the end of my brave and first valiant Adventure, and now I shall go for­ward to the next, if your patience will give mée audience.

The second Adventure sheweth how hee and his Comrogues aslaulted the thatched Castle of Farmar-ello, and how they escaped.

THe Treasure being [...]pent, which we by our valour and prowesse purchased from Butcherino, in spight of Balls téeth; ere wée had walked some ten and twenty miles, we lost a fair and well-beloved Damozella, whose name was Pecunia, which we before had stoln from Usurero King of Manypence; the Maid being gone, we were all mightily dismaid; yet méeting at the last with a Squire of low de­grée, whose name was Beggarillo, a servant to the Maunding Knight of the Clappdish, a ve­ry able Knight, and one that never goes with­out a thousand péeces about him (though hée never wore purse or pockets) who had alwaies a Rampant Monster at his command, called Louse-Crackero, and the Palfry he rid upon was Flea-bitten; the aforesaid Squire (belong­ing to this Knight) said, he could tell us ty­dings of our great losse the Lady Pecunia, which when we demanded, he declared to mée, [Page 4] and my Com-Raskal, Rob-in High-way, the relation in this manner.

Thus the Courteous Squire Beggarillo deli­vered to us where we might atchieve again the beauty of the fair Pecunia (which in English is called Madam Mony) ere we got to the foot of the hill it was midnight, and coming néer the house of this massy Gyant Farmarello; we heard the roaring and mooing of his beasts, the fluttering of his Eagles, the mewing of his house-trap, the sworting of his servants, the suéezing of his Maidens; no light appeared in the house, and (a Pox take them) I heard two of Balls kindred grumbling of Logick together; but they were in two little Block-houses, which in English you call Kennels, I am sure every straw appeared unto mée like a péece of Ordnance (I cry you mercy, I have a little forgot my self) I could not sée indéed, 'cause it was midnight, but I am sure I thought I saw the straws; well, for all this, what we could not do by violence, we did by pollicy, so we put [Page 7] our unhappy Squire in at Farmarello's win­dow, where he most softly (as he hath a rare Art that way) crept up to th' Chamber where the Gyant lay snorting by his Gyantess Dou­sabella; and putting his hand into the Gyant's pocket, hee took the keyes outs found out the Prison where Pecunia was lodg'd, opens the window, and throws her with the rest of her kindred Mris. Argent, and Mris. Aurum out into our Arms, for they had béen kept in a great deal of slavery, and put into Canvasse-baggs, instead of Black-baggs: When our Squire had thus released the Ladies, as he was com­ing down softly Farmarello's stairs, hee fell down, and broke his legg (and broke the neck of a Proverb too, which saies, hee that goes foftly, goes safely) off went a Canon (shot by Farmarello) up rose the Kitchen-wench with the Spit, Squire Tom with a Ladle, Hob Car­ter with a Whip, Tim Thrashwell with a Flayl, Dousabella with a Distaff, out flew Ball and his Nephew with [...]loggs at their Arses, away run we with the Ladies at our Arses; they cryed, stop Theeves, wee cryed run Knights; but Rob-in High-way mistaking the Road, run himself into a Mill-pond; one of Farmare [...]lo's servants being betwixt sléeping and waking, in earnestnesse to apprehend him, fell after him, at last all the rest of us escaped, [Page 8] but went all several wayes, onely I kept the Road some twenty miles together, and at the next Town caused my Lady Pecunia to buy mée a horse to follow adventures; the next chapter you shall sée an end of mée.

My last Adventure, wherein is declared the pursuit of the Gyant Farmarello, how hee sent forth his men of War: and how strangely I was taken Prisoner.

AFter this our strange escape from the dismal Gyant Farmarello, which made us all dispersed, I with my Lady Pecunia by my side, continued on the Road until I came unto a Town (which is now out of my remem­brance there at my friend Tapsterino's Castle, my Lady and I had entertainment, where I bought mee an horse of his Squire Ostlero, but when I had sollaced my self all night with my Lady Pecunia, I resolved the next day to ride upon more Adventures, but so soon as ever I was mounted on my Palfry, I had tydings brought mee by Beggarillo, that one of Farmarello's Knights, that was a Dutch-man, whose name was Hue an cry, Van Hang an draw, with another Knight and an English man, whose name was Constabello, with a band of armed men called Officero's, that fol­lowed [Page 9] to surprize us for the Ladies, which the Squire that broke his legg confessed I had car­ried away, and withall gave him notice of all our names; I no sooner heard this news, but the Gyants Knights were in sight of mee, up­on that I set spurres to my Palfry, and fled from them, for I knew there was no contend­ing against so many able Knights; so away rid I, they after mee crying, stop theef: Vpon these words, a Squire that met mee, offered to lay hold on my Bridle, for which cause I knock'd him down, and still continued my speed; after that, two more met mee, and would have stopped mee, had I not rid over one, and knocked down the other: Thus I perceiving how generally envious the Coun­try was against mee (because prevention is the heart of pollicy) I resolv'd to knock down e­very man I met or over-took, before they should have warning to apprehend mee; or af­ter I was past them, to tell the Gyants Knights which way I code; a man would have thought this had been a pretty peece of pollicy, but it happened to be my ruine, for after I had gotten the start of the pursuers some three or four miles, I might have turned which way I would, and never have been discovered; for I did not meet one man in the riding a dozen miles together; at last who should I overtake [Page 10] but a tall fellow in a Canvasse Frock, with a Whip in his hand driving of Palfryes, that drew a Cart or Wagon after them; and for fear this fellow should surprize mee (which I dare swear ne're harboured a thought of me) I came behinde him, and with my French Club, call'd Battoone, I aim'd to strike him full on the head, and afterward to turn out of the Road, but it happened by being too eager, I missed his head, and he received the blow on his shoulder▪ but hee feeling the smart of so sudden and violent a stroak, as suddenly turns about with his Whip that way the blow came, and by strange chance twined his Whip-cord some four or five times about my neck, and snatching hastily his Whip again, to give mee the second lash, hee drew mee off my Palfry, and in the middle of the high-way beat mee, till the Knights that rid in purfuit of mee came and attached mee for the Lady Pecunia, whom I offered to them, but they would not receive her, so I and my Lady was bound hand and foot, and brought to London, the place from whence I first set forth; there was I laid in a Castle called by name Newgate, where I found many more wandring Knights; amongst them, who should I meet with but Rob-in High-way, hee that upon the escape fled into the Mill-pond (I ever thought hee [Page 11] was not born to be drown'd) after some cer­tain daies wee were condemned to be rack'd to death on a thrée legg'd horse, but my Lady Pecunia, because shee suffered her self so easily to be taken away, was in shameful manner pluck'd limb from limb, and divided by the Keeper of the Castle, and his Officers.