asking what scabby sheep had infected the whole flock? was told,
Parson Bryant was the man who had discovered him, none of the other
gentlemen knowing him under his disguise: upon which, turning to the
parson, he asked him if he had forgotten good king Charles's rules? Mr.
Pleydell, of St. Andrew's, Milbourn, expressed a pleasure at seeing the
famous Mr. Bampfylde Moore Carew, saying he had never seen him before.
Yes, but you have, replied he, and gave me a suit of clothes. Mr.
Pleydell testified some surprise at this, and desired to know when it
was. Mr. Carew asked him if he did not remember a poor wretch met him
one day at his stable-door with an old stocking round his head instead of
a cap, and a woman's old ragged mantle on his shoulders, no shirt on his
back, nor stockings to his legs, and scarce any shoes on his feet; and
that he asked him if he was mad? to which he replied No; but a poor
unfortunate man, cast away on the coast, and taken up, with eight others,
by a Frenchman, the rest of the crew, sixteen in number, being all
drowned; and that Mr. Pleydell having asked what countryman he was, gave
him a guinea and a suit of clothes. Mr. Pleydell said he well remembered
such a poor object. Well, replied our hero, that object was no other
than the rat-catcher now before you: at which all the company laughed
very heartily. Well, said Mr. Pleydell, I will bet a guinea I shall know
you again, come in what shape you will: the same said Mr. Seymour, of
Handford. Some of the company asserting to the contrary of this, they
desired our hero to try his ingenuity upon them, and then to discover
himself, to convince them of it.

This being agreed upon, and having received a handsome contribution of
this company, he took his leave; but Parson Bryant followed him out, and
acquainted him that the same company, and many more, would be at Mr.
Pleydell's on such a day, and advised him to make use of that opportunity
to deceive them all together; which our hero soon resolved to do. He
therefore revolved in his mind what stratagem was most likely to succeed:
at length he fixed upon one, which he thought could not fail answering
his purpose.

When the day was come, the barber was called in to make his face as
smooth as his art could do, and a woman's gown and other female
accoutrements of the largest size were provided for him. Having jumped
into his petticoats, pinned a large dowde under his chin, and put a
high-crowned ha