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 discouery of the Lifting Law.

THe Lift, is he that stealeth or prowleth any Plate, Iuells, boultes of Satten, Ueluet, or such parcels from any place by a slight cōuey∣ance vnder his cloke, or so secretly that it may not be espyed: of Lifts there be diuers kindes as their natures be different, some base roges that lift when they come into Alehouses quart potts, plat∣ters, clokes, swords, or any such paltrie trash which commonly is called pilfering or petulacerie, for vn∣der the cullour of spending two or three pots of ale, they lift awaye any thing that commeth within the compasse of their reache, hauing a fine & nimble agilitie of the hand as the Foist had: these are the common and rascall sortes of Lifts, but the higher degrees and gentlemen Lifts haue to the perfor∣mance of their faculty thrée parties of necescitie the Lift, the Marker and the Santar: the Lift attired in the forme of a ciuell Country gentleman, comes with the Marker into some Mercers shop, Haber∣dashers, Goldsmiths, or any such place where any particular parcels of worth are to be conuaid, and there he calles to sée a boulte of Satten, Ueluet or any such commoditie, and not liking the pyle, culler or bracke, he calles for more, and the whiles he be∣gins

to resolue which of them most fitly may be lif∣ted, and what Garbage (for so he calles the goods stolne) may be most easily couuaid, then he calles to the Mercers man and sayes, sirrha reach me that péece of veluet or satté, or that Iuel, chaine or péece of Plate, and whilst the fellow turnes his backe, he commits his Garbage to the Marker: for note, the Lift is without his cloke, in his dublet & hose to auoide the more suspicion: the Marker which is the receiuer of the Lifts luggage, giues a winke to the Santar that walkes before the windowe and then the Santar going by in great hast, the Marker cals him & saies, sir a worde with you, I haue a message to do vnto you from a very frend of yours, and the errand is of some importaunce, truely sir saies the Santar I haue very vrgent busines in hand and as at this time I cannot staye, but one worde and no more saies the Marker, and then he deliuers him whatsoeuer the Lift hath conuaide vnto him, and then the Santar goes his way, who neuer came within the shop, and is a man vnknone to them all: suppose he is smoakte and his liftinge is lookt into, then are they vpon their pantophles, because there is nothing sound about them: they defie the world for their honestie, because they be as dishonest as a∣ny in the world, and sweare as God shall iudge thē they neuer sawe the parcell lost, but Oathes with them are like winde out of a bellowes, which being coole kindleth fier: so their vowes are without con∣science and so they call for reuenge: Therefore let this be a caucat to all occupacions, sciences and mi∣s•…•…eryes, that they beware of the gentleman Lift, and to haue an eye to such as cheapen their wares and not when they call to see new stuffe to leaue the olde behinde them, for the fingers of Lifts are

fourmed of Adamant, though they touche not yet they haue vertue attractiue to drawe any pelfe to them as the Adamant dooth the Iron. But yet these Lifts haue a subtill shift to blinde the worlde for this close kind of cosonage they haue when they want money, one of them apparelles him selfe like a Country Farmer, & with a Memorandū drawen in some legall forme, comes to the chamber of some Counsayler or Sargeant at Law with his Marker and his Santar, and there telles the Lawyer his case and desires his Counsaile, the whilest the Mar ker and the Santar lay the platforme for any Ra∣pier, dagger, cloake, gowne or any other parcell of worth that is in the withdrawing or vtter chāber, and assoone as they haue they goe their way: then when the Lawyer hath giuen his opiniō of the case the Lift requires, then he puts in some demurre or blinde, and saies he will haue his cause better disco∣uered and then he will come to his worship againe, so taking his leaue without his ten shillings fee, he goes his waies to share what his companyons had gotten: the like method they vse with Scriueners, for comming by the shop and seeing any Garbage worth the lifting on, starteth in to haue an Obliga∣tion or Bill made in haste, and while the Scriuener is busie, the Lift bringeth the Marker to the blow, and so the luggage is carried away. Now, these Lifts haue their speciall receiuers of their stolne goods, which are two sundrye parties, either some notorious Bawdes in whose houses they lye, and they kéep commonly tapping houses and haue yong trugges in their house which are consortes to these Lifts and loue them so déere, that they neuer leaue them till they come to the gallowes, or else they be Brokers, a kind of idle sort of liuers as pernitious

as the Lift, for they receiue at their handes what∣soeuer Garbage is conuayed, be it linnen, wollen, plate, Iuells, and this they do by a bill of saile, ma∣king the bill in the name of Iohn a Nokes or Iohn a Styles, so that they shadow the Lift & yet kéepe them selues without the danger of the law. Thus are these Brokers and Bawdes as it were, effici∣ent causes of the Lifters villany, for were it not their alluring speeches and their secret consealings, the Lift for wante of receiuers should be faine to take a new course of life, or else be continually dri∣uen into great extreames for selling his Garbage, and thus much bréefely for the nature of the Lift.