le-bodied landmen they could any
where meet with, which made some fly one way, and some another, putting
the city into a great rout and consternation, he, among the rest, knowing
himself to have a body of rather a dangerous bigness, he was willing to
secure himself as effectually as he possibly could, greatly preferring
his own ease to the interest and honour of his king. He therefore set
his wife and landlady to work, who with all speed, and proper attention
to cleanliness, made a great number of small mutton-pies, plum-puddings,
cheesecakes, and custards, which our hero, in the ordinary attire of a
female vender of these commodities, hawked about the city, crying,
Plum-pudding, plum-pudding, plum-pudding; hot plum-pudding; piping hot,
smoking hot, hot plum-pudding. Plum-pudding echoed in every street and
corner, even in the midst of the eager press-gang, some of whom spent
their penny with this masculine pie-woman, and seldom failed to serenade
her with many a complimentary title, such as bitch and whore.

Arriving at Squire Rhodes's seat, near King's-bridge in Devonshire, and
knowing the squire had married a Dorsetshire lady, he thought proper also
to become a Dorsetshire man, and of Lyme, which was the place of the
lady's nativity, and applied himself to the squire and his lady, whom he
met both together, giving them to understand that he was lost in a vessel
belonging to Lyme. The squire and his lady gave him five shillings each,
for country's sake, and entertained him very well at their own house.
This was early in the forenoon, and he wished to put off his time a
little, before proceeding upon another adventure.

Going from hence, he went to a public-house, called Malston-cross, about
a quarter of a mile from the squire's; he there fell into company with
Squire Reynolds, Squire Ford, Dr. Rhodes, brother to the squire, and
several other gentlemen, who were met there to make happy after a
hunting-match, in which they had been uncommonly successful, and were
much inclined to be jovial. In the afternoon there was a terrific storm
of rain, thunder, and lightning, that continued with great violence for
several hours: in the midst of this tempestuous weather, he (having a
great mind to clear his afternoon's expenses) stripped off all his
apparel, except his nightcap, shoes, and breeches, and went to Squire
Rhodes's. Nothing could possibly look with a more deplorable appearance
than this naked and wretched spectacle