The second part of conny-catching Contayning the discouery of certaine wondrous coosenages, either superficiallie past ouer, or vtterlie vntoucht in the first. ... R.G.

The Vincents law, with the discouery therof.

THe Uincents Law is a common deceipt or co∣senage vsed in Bowling-allies amongest the baser sort of people, that commonly haunt such leud and vnlawfull places: for although I will not dis∣commend altogether the nature of bowling, if the time, place, persons, and such necessary circumstaunces be ob∣serued: yet as it is now vsed, practised & suffred, it grow∣eth altogether to the maintenāce of vnthrifts that idlely and disorderly make that recreation a coosenage. Nowe the manner and forme of their deuise is thus effected the Bawkers, for so are the common haunters of the Alley termed, apparelled like very honest and substantial citi∣zens come to bowle, as though rather they did it for sport then gains, & vnder that colour of carelesnes, doe shadow their pretended knauery: well to bowles they goe, and then there resort of all sortes of people to beholde them, some simple men brought in of purpose by som cosening companions to be stript of his crownes, others, Gentle∣men or Marchants, that delighted with the sport, stand there as beholders to passe away the time: amongst these are certaine olde sokers, which are lookers on, and listen for bets either euen or odde, and these are called grypes: and these fellows will refuse no lay if the ods may grow to their aduantage, for the Gripes and the Baukers are confederate, and their fortune at play euer sorts accor∣ding as the Gripes haue placed their bets, for the Baw∣ker

he marketh how the laies goes, and so throes his ca∣sting: so that note this, the bowlers cast euer booty, and doth win or loose as the bet of the Gripe doth lead them, for suppose seauen be vppe for the game, and the one hath three and the other none, then the vincent, for that is the simple man that stands by & is not acquainted with their cosenage, nor doth so much as once imagine that the Bawkers that carry such a countenaunce of honest sub∣stantiall men, would by any meanes, or for any gaines be perswaded to play booty. Well this vincent, for so the Cooseners or Gripes please to terme him seeing thrée to none, beginneth to offer ods on that side that is fairest to win: what ods saies the gripe? thrée to one saies the vin∣cent, no saies the Gripe it is more, and with that they come to foure for none, then the vincent offers to lay four to one, I take six to one saies the Gripe, I lay it saies the vincent, and so they make a bet of some six crownes, shil∣lings, or pence as the vincent is of ability to lay, & thus will sundry take their ods of him: well then, the Baw∣kers' go forward with their bowles, and winne another cast which is fiue, then the vincent grows proud, & thinks both by the ods and goodnes of the play, that it is impos∣sible for his side to loose, and therfore takes and lais bets fréely, then the Bawkers fortune begin to change, and perhaps they come to thrée for fiue, and stil as their luck changes, diuersitie of bets growes on, til at last it comes to fiue and fiue, and then the Gripe comes vpon the vin∣cent and offers him ods, which if the vincent take he loo∣seth al, for vpon what side the Gripe laies, that side euer winnes how great soeuer the ods bee at the first in the contrary part, so that the cosenage grows in playing boo∣tie, for the Gripe and the Bawker méet at night, & there they share what soeuer tearmage they haue gotten, for so they call the money that the poore vincent looseth vnto them: Now to shadow the matter the more, the bawker that winnes and is afore-hand with the game will lay franckely that hee shall win, and will bet hard and lay

great ods, but with whom, either with them which play with him that are as crafty knaues as himselfe, or els with the Gripe, and this makes the poore vincent stoope to the blow, and to loose all the money in his purse: Be∣sides, if any honest men that holdes themselues skilful in bowling, offer to play any set match against these com∣mon bawkers, if they feare to haue the woorse or suspect the others play to be better then theirs, then they haue a tricke in watering of the alley to giue such a moisture to the banke, that hee that offers to strike a bowle with a shoare, shal neuer hit it whilst he liues, because the moi∣sture of the bank hinders the proportion of his aiming. Diuers other practises there are in bowling tēding vnto coosenage, but the greatest is booty, and therefore would I wish al men that are carefull of their coine, to beware of such coseners, and non to come in such places, where a haunt of such hel-rakers are resident, & not in any wise to stoope to their bets, least hee bee made a vincent, for so manifest and palpable is their cosenage, that I haue séen men ston-blind offer to lay bets franckly, although they can sée a bowle come no more then a post, but onely hea∣ring who plaies, and howe the olde Gripes make their laies: séeing then as the game is abused to a deceit, that is made for an honest recreation, let this litle be a caue∣at for men to haue an insight into their knauery.