The UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE for MAY, 1795. 313 Some Account of BAMPFYLDE MOORE CAREW, commonly called the KING of the BEGGARS: With a Portrait of that eccentric Character. AM MONG the great variety of characters, which a history of human nature would exhibit, there are fome which deferve attention, not for any eminence in virtue, on the one hand, or uncommon depravity of mind, on the other, but for a certain eccentricity of conduct, which, with the fame advantages in life, no other perfon, perhaps, would imitate. Portraits of fuch men, with fome general traits of their character, are gratifying, not fo much for any useful leffons to be derived from their history and adventures, as for their being objects of curiofity; juft as the philofopher, who is fond of contemplating the beauties of creation, can advert, fometimes, to the delineation of any uncommon object, the sportive production of nature, in occafional deviations from her general laws. Yet not wholly without use are these human curiofities. When the reader contemplates fuch characters as that of Edward Wortley Montague and Bampfylde Moore Carew, who neglected all the advantages of birth, and fortune, and education, to affociate with the loweft of mankind, he will perceive inftances of a voluntary felf-degradation, that must excite the moft mortifying reflections on the inconfiftency, and even occafional irrationality of the human character; and he may be led to this awful truth, that as the only way to rife in moral excellence, and, in courfe, to happiness throughout the whole of our being, is to cultivate our talents and advantages, and to form our minds to habits of virtue, in this stage of our existence, fo nothing can be more humiliating, than the fight of a man of family, who, by long affociation with the low, ignorant, and unprincipled, lofes fight of the moral principle, unfits himself for the ennobling duties of his station, and expires, at laft, without having once experienced the honourable diftinc VOL. XCVI. tions, and foothing confolations, which fo happily refult from the confcioufnefs of a useful and well spent life. Bampfylde Moore Carew, one of the most extraordinary and eccentric characters on record, was defcended from an ancient and honourable family in the west of England. He was born in the year 1693, at Bickley, near Tiverton, in Devonshire; of which place, his father, the reverend Theodore Carew, was many years rector. There never was known a more fplendid appearance of perfons of the first diftinction at any baptifm in the county than were prefent at his : Hugh Bampfylde, efq. and major Moore, of families equally ancient and refpectable as that of Carew, were his godfathers; and from them he received his two Christian names. The Rev. Mr. Carew, who was univerfally exeemed in the county, had feveral other children befide Bampfylde Moore; all of whom he educated in a tender and pious manner. At the age of twelve, his fon, the subject of this sketch, was fent to Tiverton fchool, where he contracted an intimate acquaintance with young gentlemen of the firft families in Devonshire, and the adjacent counties. During the first four years of his refidence at Tiverton school, his clofe application and delight in his ftudies gave his friends great hopes that he might one day appear with diftinction in that honourable profeffion, which his father became fo well, and for which he himself was defigned. He actually made a very confiderable progrefs in the Latin and Greek languages. The Tiverton fcholars, however, having at this time the command of a fine pack of hounds, Carew, and three other young gentlemen, his most intimate companions, attached themfelves with fo much ardour to the sport of hunting, that their ftudies were foon neglected. Rr day, unfortunately, the Tiverton fcholars, with Mr. Carew and his three friends at their head, were engaged in the chafe of a deer for many miles, just before the commencement of harveft. The damage that was done to the fields of Itanding corn was fo great, that the neighbouring gentlemen and farmers came with heavy complaints to Mr. Rayner, the matter of the fchool, who threatened young Carew and his companions fo feverely, that, through fear, they abfconded, and joined a fociety of gipfies that happened to be then in the neighbourhood. This fociety confifted of about eighteen perfors of both fexes, who carried with them fuch an air of mirth and gaiety, that our youngsters were quite delighted with their company, and expreffing an inclination to enter into the fociety, the gipties admitted them, after the requifite ceremonials had been first gone through, and the proper oaths adminiftered; for thefe people are fubject to a form of government and laws peculiar to themfelves, and all pay obedience to one chief, who is styled their king. Young Carew was foon initiated into fome of the arts of the wandering tribe, and with fuch fuccefs, that befide feveral exploits in which he was a party, he hiinlelf had the dexterity to defraud a lady near Taunton of twenty guineas, under the pretext of difcovering to her, by his fill in aftrology, a hidden treafure. In the mean time, his parents lamented him as one that was no more; for although they had repeatedly advertifed his name and perfon, they could not obtain the leat intelligence of him. At Jength, however, in about a year and a half, hearing of their grief, and repeated enquiries after him, his heart Jelented, and he returned to his parents at Bickley. Being greatly df guiled both in dress and appearance, he was not known, at firit, by his parents; but when he difcovered himfelf, a fcene followed which no words can defcribe; and there were great rejoicings both in Bickley and the neighbouring parim of Cadley. Every thing was done to render his home agreeable; but Carew had contracted fuch a fondness for the fociety of the gipfies, that after various ineffectual ftruggles with the fuggeftions of filial piety, he once more eloped from his parents, and repaired to his fwarthy connexions. Here again he commenced his career of levying contributions on the unfufpecting and unwary, by a thousand disguises and affumed characters; fuch as that of a hipwrecked feaman, a country farmer ruined by an inundation, &c. So artful were his difguifes of drefs, countenance, and voice, that perfons who knew him intimately did not difcover the deception; and once, in the lame day, he went under three different characters, to the house of a refpect able baronet, and was fuccessful in them all. We are content to intimate the nature of his exploits, without entering into the particulars; beczule a minute account would be difgafting to thofe virtuous and well-cultivated minds, who are fhocked even at the familiarity of a moment with scenes of profligacy and vice; and they have been fufficiently detailed in the circumflantial narrative of his Life and Adventures.' The writer of that narrative, who has affected the style of Fielding's Tom Jones, has not paid any atten tion to dates. We find Carew, fome time after, on a voyage to New foundland, from motives of mere cariolity. He acquired fuch a knowledge of that inland during his ftay, as was highly ufeful to him, whenever he thought proper, afterward, to affume the character of the shipwrecked feaman. He returned in the fame hip to Dart-. mouth, where he had first embarked, bringing with him a furprifing large and ferocious dog, which he had enticed to follow him, and made as gentle as a lamb, by an art peculiar to himself. At Newcalle, Carew affumed the character of mate of a collier, and eloped with a young lady, the daugh ter of an eminent apothecary of that town. They repaired to Dartmouth, and, notwithstanding he undeceived her with respect to the character he had affumed, he was married to him foon after, at Bath. They then visited an uncle of Carew's (a clergyman of diftinguithed abilities) at Dorchefter, who received them with great kindnefs, and endeavoured, but in vain, to perfuade him to leave the comman ty of the gipfies. Again affociating with them, his difguifes were more various, and his ftratagems not leis fuccessful. In fhort, when Clause Patch, king of the Mendicants, died, fuch was the high eftimation in which Carew was held by the whole community, for the ingenuity, boldness, and happy termination of his fratagems, that he had the honour of being unanimoufly elected king, in the room of the deceased monarch. By his elevation to this dignity, he was provided with every thing neceffary by the joint contributions of the community, and, confequently, was no longer under any obligation to go on a cruize! Notwithstanding this, Carew was as active in tratagems as ever; but royalty proved, in the fequel, to be no protection against the myrmidons of the law. He was apprehended and confined as a vagrant, tried at the quarter feffions at Exeter, and tranfported to Maryland. When he arrived there, ke took the opportunity, while the captain of the veffel, and a perfon who feemed difpofed to purchase him, were drinking fome punch in a publichoufe, to flip out, and taking with him a pint of brandy and fome bifcuits, he betook himfelf to the woods. In the fequel, he met with incredible hardfhips; but meeting with fome Indians, he was treated by them in the most friendly and hofpitable manner, and would probably have been adopted by them; but not liking their fociety fo well as that of his fubjects in Eng land, he took the opportunity of feizing a canoe, and croffing the De laware, landed near Newcastle, in Pennsylvania. He foon after found means, by affuming the character of a Quaker, to reach Philadelphia, and afterward New York, whence he failed in a veffel bound to England. When he approached his native shore in King's Road, he prevented his be ing preffed on board a man of war, by pricking his hands and face, and rubbing them with bay falt and gunpowder, to give him the appearance of having the fmallpox. He then landed fafely at Bristol, and foon after rejoined his wife and begging companions.-Here terminates the narrative of the adventures of this extraordinary perfon, who, with uncommon talents, and the greatest advantages, connections, and intereft, might have figured in the highest and most refpectable walks of life. What became of him afterward is unknown. The SULTAN and his VIZIR; or the SULTAN who received a BLOW. [From Mifcellanies, by William Beloe, F. S. A. 3 Vol. 12mo. ] A Certain prince, who, attended by his vizir, was accustomed to take the rounds of this city; met one evening, at the entrance of a bazar, a perfon of refpectable appearance: the prince politely faluted him. The franger, who was near the door of his houfe, returned the falutation, and faid, intreat you, and the perfon who is with you, to enter into my house; be fo kind, fir, to accept of a hearty invitation to my fupper. The prince and his vizir entered without hefitation. The ftranger behaved to them with great politenefs, and fhewed them particular attention. A table was plenteously covered, and fupper was foon ferved up; it confifted of five hundred different dishes: the ftranger requested his guest to fit and partake of his entertainment. The prince was struck with the splendour and profufion of the table, and obferving that there were no perfons to be present but himself, his vizir, and this will not do, how can I poffibly their hoft; fir, faid the fultan, you ftrike a man who expreffes himself to muft doubtless have invited other wifely? But if you do not find out guefts? No, faid the mafter of the fame juft caufe, for my giving him a houfe, I have invited none. Why blow before we part, I certainly will then, faid the prince, this great pro- kill your. My lord, faid the vizir, fufion of victuals? is this confiftent when he rifes from the table to wash with the appearance of a perfon like his hands, you fhall officiously present you? On which the ftranger gave the yourself to pour out the water for him; fultan a violent blow with his fift; a if he fhall fay, by no means, fir; blow bitterer than fire. Sir, faid he God forbid that you fhould thus deto the prince, are you obliged to eat mean yourfelf, indeed this must not it all? eat what you please, and leave be; for fuch an impertinent oppofithe reft. tion, you may certainly give him fuch a blow as you think proper; faying at the fame time, pray fir, am I to be taught by you what I am to do? Do you prefume to contradict me? The fultan promised to do fo, and when the franger rofe to wafh his hands, the prince eagerly preffed forward, laid hold of the veffel, and prepared guest. God bless you, fir, faid the tranger, I am delighted by your kindness, may God profper all your undertakings! After this exclama tion, the prince was obliged to pour the water upon the ftranger's hands, but at the fame time it evidently appeared that he was inwardly chagrined and angry. The fultan whispered his vizir, we are certainly in the wrong; I, by an impertinent queftion, have provoked this man to frike me, but, by Alla, if you do not find fome means by which I may properly give him a blow for the one I have received, I will certainly put you to death. Sir, anfivered the vizir, you shall to-morrow to pour water on the hands of his night invite him to your apartments; you must give him an entertainment in all refpects fuperior to this, in fplendour and magnificence; if he fhall prefume to make any obfervation, you may then return the blow you have now received. The fultan accordingly followed the advice of his minifter, and invited the ftranger. The next night the man entered the Coffee was now introduced, and fultan's apartments with a counte- the prince again addreffing his vizir, 1 nance and manner fomewhat confufed, faid, I fwear by Alla, if you do not and embarrassed; the fultan however fpeedily find a remedy for my dif encouraged him by the politenefs and quietude, I will order you to be put kindness of his behaviour: after a to inftant death; is it not enough that hort interval, fupper was called for, the man has ftruck me, but that I and the table was covered with a thou- fhould alfo be degraded to the fervile fand dishes. The fultan fat down, office of pouring out water for him to and invited his guest to take his place; wafh? Sir, anfwered the vizir, he he did fo, and in a cool and collected will foon be obliged to take his leave, manner faid, God's will be done; this do you be ready with a bamboo in is indeed what it ought to be; may your hand call one of your youngest God for ever profper the plenty of flaves, and as the ftranger paffes, exyour table; here is a profufion of ercife your cane feverely upon the victuals, but profufion is an excellent back of your flave; should he then thing; it delights the eye before it fatishes the ftomach. He feafted heartily, and afterward exclaimed, by way of grace, praise be to the omnipotent god of his people. The fultan whispered his vizir, fay, for God's fake, fir, and for my fake, pardon this poor boy, and do not beat him with fuch severity: you may then return the blow, and fay, is not this my flave, fir? Is not chaf tifement a neceffary part of educa |