The Adventures of Roderick Random

The Arrest

The narrator is arrested by his tailor for a bill of fifty pounds after a player reveals the narrator’s whereabouts by wearing one of the suits he had sold. Refusing to be taken to a sponging-house, he is conveyed to the Marshalsea prison, where he secures a small bed-chamber for a crown a week and dispatches a message to his servant Strap.

Meeting Jackson in Jail

While awaiting Strap’s arrival, the narrator receives a visit from Jackson, an old acquaintance from his earlier memoirs. The two men greet each other warmly, and the narrator repays a loan he had previously received from Jackson while inquiring into the internal economy and regulations of the Marshalsea.

Jackson’s Adventures

Jackson narrates his adventures since their last meeting: deceived into marrying a lady of supposed fortune who proved to be a common woman of the town, he fled to Portsmouth and entered the navy as a surgeon’s mate, subsequently becoming surgeon of a sloop. Upon returning to London, he was arrested within a week for his wife’s debts and has remained in prison since.

Strap’s Arrival

Strap arrives at the prison exhibiting extreme grief at his master’s misfortune. Jackson’s lighthearted unconcern and joviality gradually dissipate Strap’s distress, restoring his composure. The trio shares a meal of boiled beef and greens from a neighbouring cook’s shop, accompanied by a bottle of wine that elevates their spirits.

The Poet Melopoyn

Jackson presents the narrator to Mr. Melopoyn, a destitute but highly educated poet resident in the prison. Melopoyn delivers erudite lectures on genius and taste to the assembled prisoners, receiving voluntary contributions averaging eighteen pence weekly, though his auditors comprehend little of his discourse. He has also composed a tragedy of acknowledged merit and is characterized by infinite learning, impeccable morals, and invincible modesty.