The life and adventures of Bampfylde-Moore Carew, commonly call the king of the beggars: being an impartial account of his life, from his leaving Tiverton School at the age of fifteen, and entering into a society of Gipsies … with his travels twice through a great part of America: giving a particular account of the origin, government, laws and customs of the Gipsies; with the method of electing their King; and a dictionary of the cant language, used by the mendicants.
London: Thomas Martin, 1788. 12mo, pp. [2], 203; engraved portrait frontispiece of Carew; full contemporary sheep, red morocco label; small, scallop-size chip from the fore-margine of the title page, prelims a little foxed, else a very good, sound copy. An interesting piece of Americana, first published in 1745. "For misdemeanors in his native England this inveterate rogue was transported to Maryland, escaped and operated confidence games among colonial suckers from Virginia to Connecticut, - the memorable first of a long line of such artists who have continued to flourish in this climate" (Howes C132). Sabin 27615, quoting Stephens: "Banished to Maryland, he gives an amusing account of the country, and his adventures in Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, till he embarked at New London for England. His accounts of how he bamboozled and bled Whitfield, Thos. Penn, Gov. Thomas and many others of good repute, are amazing, true or not." Black, Gypsy Bibliography 739. Item #34025
Price: $500.00
