Transcribed from the 1850’s Thomas Allman and Sonedition ,
the surprising
ADVENTURES
of
BAMPFYLDE MOORE CAREW,
king of the beggars;
containing
HIS LIFE,
A Dictionary of the Cant Language,
and many
ENTERTAINING PARTICULARS
of
THAT EXTRAORDINARY MAN.
LONDON:
THOMAS ALLMAN AND SON.
W. WALKER AND SON, OTLEY.
p.5THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF BAMPFYLDE MOORE CAREW.
Mr. Bampfylde Moore Carew was descended from the ancientfamily of the Carews, son of the Reverend Mr. Theodore Carew, ofthe parish of Brickley, near Tiverton, in the county of Devon; ofwhich parish he was many years a rector, very much esteemed whileliving, and at his death universally lamented. Mr. Carewwas born in the month of July 1693; and never was there known amore splendid attendance of ladies and gentlemen of the firstrank and quality at any baptism in the west of England, than athis: the Hon. Hugh Bampfylde, Esq., who afterwards died of anunfortunate fall from his horse, and the Hon. Major Moore, wereboth his illustrious godfathers, both of whose names he bears;who sometime contending who should be the president, doubtlesspresaging the honour that should redound to them from the futureactions of our hero, the affair was determined by throwing up apiece of money, p. 6which was won by Mr. Bampfylde; whoupon this account presented a large piece of plate, whereon wasengraved, in large letters,
BAMPFYLDE MOORE CAREW.
The reverend Mr. Carew had several other children, both sonsand daughters, besides Mr. Carew, all of whom he educated in atender and pious manner; and Mr. Carew was at the age of twelvesent to Tiverton school, where he contracted an intimateacquaintance with some young gentlemen of the first rank inSomersetshire, Devonshire, Cornwall, and Dorsetshire.
The desire of the reader to be informed of the person of thehero of whom they are reading is so natural, we should be guiltyof a great neglect, were we to omit satisfying our readers inthis respect, more particularly as we can, without making use ofa figure in rhetoric, (which is of very great service to manyauthors,) called amplification; or, in plain English, enlarging,present our readers with a very amiable picture.
The stature of our hero was tall and majestic, his limbsstrong and well-proportioned, his features regular, hiscountenance open and ingenuous, bearing all thosecharacteristical marks which physiognomists assert denote anhonest and good-natured mind.
During the first four years of his continuance at Tivertonschool, his close application to, and delight in his studies,gave his friends great hopes that he might one day make a goodfigure in that honourable profession which his father became sop.7well, for many years, and for which he was designed.