THE ART OF FAINTING, EXETER, 1800.

The Exeter Flying Post of 28th August, 1800, cautioned its readers that there was a vagrant in the city who was not altogether honest:

" A novel Imposter has made his appearance in this city.  He personates a sailor, and practices the Art of Fainting, and falling into a Fit, with great success.   He began his vocation here early on Saturday morning and continued it at proper distances the whole of the day,  The humanity of individuals supplied him with many comfortable refreshments and considerable sums of money.  

"In the evening, however, he was still 'faint for want of a bit of bread,' as he had spent his last two pence two days since.  The craft is so lucrative, that if some magistrate do not apply the proper remedy, it is to be feared the practitioner will go on fainting in every city, town and village in the kingdom.

"....He is a middle-aged man, somewhat marked with the smallpox, and produces a disabled sailor's discharge."

N.B. A rare 'subjunctive after if' for pedants to enjoy!

Centuries may pass but on the streets of Exeter there are still such petty impostures.  There is one  'homeless person' I meet who is forever needing ' just a cup of tea' and another who wants 'a pound for the bus home' with improbable regularity. 

I haven't yet met anyone subject to faints or fits and the petty imposters no longer get a mention in the newspapers but they are surely still with us and so are the individuals whose humanity supplies the imposters with many comfortable refreshments and considerable sums of money.

Plus ça change.... and all that.!