The Cheaters Speculum; or, the new English Rogue, &c.

WIlliam F—r, the Wonder as well as Shame of Mankind, was born at Milton near Sitingbur [...] in Kent, in the Year 1674. his Father being by Occupation a Butcher; who having th [...] Misfortune to die a Prisoner in the Kings-Bench: His tru [...] begotten Son, after several Wild and Extravagant Rogurie [...] by him committed, was put an Apprentice to one Mr. James Hartley a Coney-Wool Cutter in Shoe-Lane, the 4th of January, 1686; in whose Service he continued (tho with much uneasiness) till some time after the pretende [...] Prince of Wales was born, as his said Master (now in Lug­gate) is ready to attest; therefore a special Evidence you may be sure, for such a dark Iutriegue. Passing by his ungrateful flight from his Master, and his strange, or at least pretended Discoveries of the Lord knows what a [...] White-Hall, in his imaginary Post of the Back-Stairs; and his changing his Religion almost as often as his Cloaths. I shall hasten to relate some, (for 'tis impossible to set down all in this narrow Compass) of his most notorious Cheats and Villanies, as followeth, viz. Having been in France for some time, where 'tis suppos'd he pick'd up his Plot, &c. he came to London, & bluster'd under no less a Dignity than the Major of a Regiment; in which disguise he put several scurvy tricks on Persons of no mean Quality, by pretend­ed Bills of Exchange; particularly 50 l. from a Mercer in Covent-Garden. From a Pastry Cook near St. James's, by pretending to prosecute Roman Catholicks, he hook'd out of him near 80 l. and under pretence of being a Country Gentleman, in the Year 1691, cheated a Collonel in West­minster of Considerable Sums of Money, besides what he run in the Tick for Board, Lodging, &c. but at last the Collonel having danced a great while to the Tune of Pa­tience; he snaps him up and sends him to his Father's Lodg­ing in the King's-Bench Prison, till he had the opportunity of Liberty, under pretence of going out with the Keep­er to buy his Wife a Top-knot and Commode, leaping out of one Boat into another, and so got off: After this, Eng­land being to hot for him, he makes for Ireland; where Lodging at a Barbers House in Dublin, he wheedled a Dutch Officer [...] out of a 100 l. and some other Persons of great [Page 3]Sums, by drawing Counterfeit Bills of Exchange on an E­minent Merchant in Wood-street, and made use of the most Honourable Persons Names in London, to countenance his Cheats; by which means he run in his Landlords Debt near a 100 l. and being asked for it, he prevail'd on a poor Honest Citizen to be bound for it, with plenty of Oaths and large promises of returning it as soon as he came to England.

Soon after his arrival in England, he embarked for Flanders and in his way thither wheedled 10 l. out of the Capt. of Ship, telling him he was such a Collonel, and writes him a Bill to receive the Money at Amsterdam; but when he came to get his Bill accepted, he was surprized to hear the Gen­tleman say he knew no such Collonel, and so was forced to make the best of a bad Market.

Being flush'd with good success, he had the impudence to pretend himself a Person of great Quality, and under that disguise so far insinuated himself into the favour of a cer­tain English Major General, that he suck'd 200 Guineas from him; and had the Honour to Ride every day with him in his Coach; but as soon as he saw an opportunity, he gave the General the Dog to hold.

From hence he marches (with his Pocket well lin'd) to the Hague; where he gave himself the Title of Baron Fuller, and under that Nominal Dignity, he play'd many a villa­nous Cheat, and liv'd at a damnable high Rate, and among o­ther things playing all his Money away one Night at Gaming, threw among them a Bill of Exchange of 30 l. payable to William Baron Fuller or his Order, which pass'd as currant as right Sterling English; but getting near its (supposed) in­trinsick value, he left both the Game and Gamsters to make the best Market they cou'd of his piece of Paper. Soon af­ter meeting with a Dutch Officer lately arrived from England, Fuller gets acquainted with him, and under the Notion of be­ing Sir William Fuller, he without much scruple obtain'd 200 Guilders from him, leaving a Bill of his hand to receive it in London.

Being at Rotterdam, he grew very intimate with a Scotch Merchant, who wonderfully doating on him above the rest, Fuller takes the Advantage, and paums a Bill of 300 l. English Money upon him to receive at Amsterdam, and got him to lend him 150 l. all under the old pretences, that his Money was not arrived according to his appointment, and some days after finding the Scoth Man would suddenly go for Amsterdam, he wheedled him out of 50 l. more, which the Scot, or rather Sot, to make even Money on't paid him without the least scruple, and takes the Paper Mortgage for his Security, leaving Fuller to rejoyce at his Absen [Page 4]But about a Month after coming to Helvetsluys, he had the unhappi­ness to meet with a particular friend of the General he had Cheated of the 200 Guineas, who taking Sir William aside, tells him his Crime, and demands the Money forthwith, otherwise threaten'd to jayl him for a Cheat [...] So that Fuller being astonish'd, was forc'd to pay the 200 Guineas back again, and glad of escaping so, but was forc'd to make up the Sum with his Watch, which mov'd the Gentleman to that degree, that he threw him five Guineas back a­gain, and bid him Cheat all the World, except a Soldier; adding that that little wou'd serve him for working Tools to set up with.

Being brought to the narrow scantling of 5 Guineas, and meeting with some English Merchants who were waiting for a Pas­sage gets to Harwich into their acquaintance, and telling abundance of Lies, he in short went on board with them, and by the way told them that his Coach and Six Horses were order'd by his Letters to meet him at Harwich, in which they should bear him Company to London: and thereupon gets 10 l. from one of them, upon promise of payment at his arrival; but his pro­mised Coach not coming, he with the Merchants were forc'd to accept of a Hir'd Coach to London: where taking leave of his Fellow Travellers, by inviting them to a fat Buck Feast the Tuesday following, at the Queens-head-Tavern. where he promised to pay the Mony borrow'd, but tho' they came at the time appointed, no Fuller appear'd.

Passing by the affront he offer'd to the House of Commons in 91, and his being voted a Cheat, and his Pillory advancement for it. Soon after he wheedl'd 15 l. out of Dr. Oates, for which piece of Ingratitude to a sworn Brother of the Lying Order, the Doctor never gave him a good word since. Being at Chi­chester, he drew a Counterfeit Note for 5 l. on a Banker in Lombard-street, which he impos'd on Mr. Barnes the Carrier, who when he came to Town (tho' too late) found out the Cheat tho' he had lost the Cheater. Coming incognito to London, he took a Lodging at a Cane-Shop just without Tem­ple-Bar. at Capt. Daintries; where pretending himself (as u­sually he did) a Person of Quality, and being disappointed of his Rents, and returns out of the Country, and one day pretended to be wounded by some Ruffins, who hinder'd his Journey into Kent to receive his Rents, under pretence of seeking Revenge of his pretended Assassinators, borrows a Brace of Pi­stols to the value of 6 Guineas, and march't off Bag and Baggage to Gravesend, leaving his name in the Capt's. Book. as a testimony of his acknowledgment: And afterwards being come to Canterbu­ry with his Man at his Heels; where the People of that place, in­stead of putting tricks upon Travellors were sufficiently trick'd by [Page 5]them, which for want of room I can [...]t particularize. A Gentle­woman in that Country having an Extravagant Son, who was sentenc'd to die,; Fuller hearing she was able and willing to lay down a Considerable sum to save his Life, went to her and proffer'd his Service, telling her he could not only get a Reprieve, but her Son's Pardon also; by having such Interest with the Earl of Rom­ney and Albermarle. The Mother who gave him over for lost, upon Fullers Request, she agrees to give him 60 l. in Hand. and 40 l. when the Pardon was seal'd; when having accordingly paid the Money, he marcht off directly into Yorkshire, leaving the mournful Cheated Mother out of her Money, and the Poor Man out of his Life.

Having hammer'd out (some time after) a unsensical Book call'd his plain Proof, and sold it Mr. H.—'s for a considerable Sum, he at last so far imposed upon her, as to wheedle a much greater out of her afterwards, which he will pay when the Devil's blind, unless his new Imployment in Bride well proves more beneficial to him than it has done to his Pre­decessors.

But to proceed, in 1698, he being reduc'd to great Wants, comes to a small Village in Kent, where one Anne Brown a poor Widdow woman being at the Door, he asked for Lodging, and being admitted, he told her that he came of an Honourable Family in that Country, but being bound for other Men, had quite ruin'd himself and his Children, therefore was now forced to work for his Living, and thereupon defired her to get him some Hay-making, which she accordingly did, for which he thank'd her, and he agreed to give her 2 s. 8 d. per week for Dye [...] and Lodging, and after a Weeks work he refus'd his wages, telling his Landlady, he would let it lie in his Master's Hands till it was a good Lump, which she finding true upon enquiry, was well pleased. In fine, he work'd so long till his Wages came to 40 Shillings, which he having receiv'd, comes home one Night and tells her of it, and that he would pay her in the Morning, which the old Wo­man not at all doubting, by reason of his fine Tongue. But the next Morning, instead of performing his promise, after having sent her into the Cellar for a pot of Ale, he bolts the Door on the out side, and gently marched off, leaving his old Landlady to get her enlargement by a more civiller Customer.

Going from thence near Horsham in Sussex, he overtook a Taylor as ragged as both their manners, who after Fuller found him in a necessitous Condition, and fit for any en­terprising [Page 6]project, told him that he had thought of an in­vention that would help them both to Mony enough. (Quoth he) you shall sham the blind Man, and I'll be the guide, and i'm sure we shall make good Wages on't; the Taylor loving Idleness as well as Fuller, consented to the Project, and accordingly the next day, they got some seering Candle, which seered up his Eye-lids so artificially, that he seem'd blind indeed, so they went away, rambling all over Surrey and Hampshire, and in a short time got about 4 l. ond afterwards going into Wiltshire, where Fuller (be­ing Judas, for he kept the bag) was minded to cheat the counterfeit blind of his share, when being to lead him over a Plank that lay cross a Brook, Fuller lead him besides it, where he left the blind Man in a very wet pickle, both comfortless and pennyless, in order to get his Eyes open to find his treacherous Fellow Traveller, but it was to as little purpose, as to look for a Needle in a Bottle of Hay.

At Blandford in Dorsetshire, he made a Counterfeit pass to save his Charges in his way to Newcastle, but was detected at Thornbury; and he corrected at the Whipping Post, by Order of Justice Manning. Being somewhat warm'd with the Beadles lusty Lashes at Thornbury, as he went on the Road, he over took a Cart loaded with Hay, and coming into Abingdon an Inn­keeper seeing Fuller follow the Cart in a Countrey Habit, took him to be the owner, and thereupon asked him the price of it; Fuller told him 28 Shillings, and thereupon had the impudence to fetch him a handful of it, telling him 'twas as good as ever Nose was put to; so that while the Carter was talking with some others, Fuller clapt up a Bargain for 26 Shillings, and gave him a Receipt for the Money, desiring the Innkeeper to bid his Man make haste home, so flinging down his Six-pence, march­ed off with his lucky Booty, leaving the Innkeeper to make the best of a bad Market.

After this, coming to Bramyard in Herefordshire, he so far insinuated on the easie nature of the Curate, by pre­tending himself to be a Cambridge-Schollar, that he lent him his Horse and Gown to ride to Church, which was some half a mile distance, in order to preach a Sermon for him; the Parson and his Wife going the nearest way over the Meads to the Church, he found his Parishioners won­dering to see him without his black Gown, but he told them he had lent his Gown to a young Cambridge-Schollar to preach for him that Morning, who he was sure would make a pretty piece of work on't, and truly so he did, [Page 7]for he rode away with his Horse, Gown and Cassock, and left the Congregation to go home to Dinner without a Ser­mon, and the Parson without his Horse, &c. and at Henly upon Thames, at the Cathern Wheel, having run about 3 l. in the Score in 4 days time, he march'd off on Foot, and left his Horse and his Landlord to dispute the Reckoning.

In his way to London, near Maidenhead Thicket, seeing a Gentleman come riding after him, he laid himself down, pretending he heard something extraordinary, and the Gen­tleman being inquisitive to know what it was, Fuller replyed, that till then, he did not believe there was such things as Faries, but now he was convinced by hearing them not only talk, but making such ravishing Harmonies of all sorts of Musick as never was heard in this World, and [...]hen laid his Ear down close again to the Ground, and [...]hen seem'd to admire it. The Gentleman being desirous [...]o hear this pleasant Melody, desires Fuller to hold his Horse, and while he was attentive in listning with his Ear [...]lose to the Ground, Fuller whips upon his Horse, and [...]ides away with all speed towards Slough, where being [...]ear the Town, he turns the Horse loose, in order to let him find out his usual Inn; and as he thought, it so happened, for he made [...]nto the sign of the Royal-Oak, and the Chamberlain seeing [...]im without his owner, Crys out Master, here's Mr. P.—'s [...]orse, which Fuller hearing, told the Innkeepeper that Mr. P.— [...]ah sent him with his Horse from the White-Hart in Maiden­ [...]ead, desiring him to send him Ten Pound, Yes, says the Inn­ [...]eeper, a 100 l. without any pledge if he desires it, so that he [...]aid the 10 l. immediately, and took Fullers Receipt for it, who [...]ou may be sure did not stay long to dispute, for some hours after [...]e owner of the Horse comes in his Jack-boots, puffing and blow­ing; Sir, says the Inkeeper, what need had you to send your Horse to me for 10 l. when your own Note had been sufficient for ten times as much. Why, is my Horse here, says the Gen­ [...]man? Yes, says the Host, but I let the Man have 10 l. that [...]rought him on your Account: The Gentleman damn'd the Mes­senger, but was glad he had borrow'd no more upon him, for he valu'd his Horse at 40 Guineas.

After his coming to London, he fell to his old Trade of writing Shams and Stories, which were believed by abun­dance of Knaves and Fools about Town, but pushing the j [...]st too far, he was by both Houses of Parliament, order'd to be prosecuted in good Earnest for a Cheat, which was done accordingly, he being found guilty, and Sentenc'd to [Page 8]the Pillory, and afterwards to Bridewel, there to be whip [...] and held to hard Labour, where we now [...]eave him til the 24th of October next, where multitudes of all Ages Sexes, and Qualities pays him daily Visits to see him han­dle the Beetle, and beat that Hemp which all along threatned him with Destruction, which when he has accomplish'd and paid his Fine of a Thousand Marks for his Fees, he will be at liberty to set up his old Trade again, for without all question, he'll not be unfurnish'd with a Stock to begin with.