¶ The vpright Cofe cateth to the Roge,
The vpright man speaketh to the roge.
Vpright man.
Bene Lightmans to thy quarromes in what lipken hast thou
lipped in this darkemans, whether in a lybbege or
in the strummell.
Good morrowe to thy bodye, in what house hast thou lyne in all
night, whether in a bedde or in the strawe?
Roge.
I couched a hogshead in a Skypper this darkemans.
I layd me downe to sléepe in a barne this night.
Vpright man.
I towre the strummel trine vpon the nabchet & Togman
I sée the straw hange vpon thy cap and coate.
Roge.
I say by the Salomon I will lage it of with a gage of
bene bouse then cut to my nose watch.
I sweare by the masse I will washe it off wyth a quarte of good
drinke, then say to me what thou wilt.
Vpright man.
Why hast thou any lowre in thy bonge to bouse.
Why, hast thou any money in thy pursse to drink?
Roge.
But a flagge, a wyn and a make.
But a groate, a penny and a half penny.
Vpright man.
Why, where is the ken that hath the bene bouse.
Roge.
A bene morte here by at the signe of the prauncer.
A good wyfe here by at the signe of the horse.
Vpright man.
I cutte it is quyer bowse, I bowld a flagge the last dark∣mans.
I say it is small and naughty drinke, I dranke a groat there the
last night.
Roge.
But bowse there abord, and thou shalt haue benship.
But drinke there a shilling, and thou shalt haue very good.
Towre ye, yander is the ken, dup the gyger and maunde
that is beneship.
See you, yonder is the house, open the doore, and aske for the best.
Vpright man.
This bowse is as good as Rome bowse.
This drinke is as good as wyne.
Now I tower that bene bowse makes nase nabes.
Now I see that good drinke makes a dronken head.
Maund of this morte what bene pecke is in herken.
• Aske of this wyfe what good meate shee hath in her house.
Roge.
Shee hath a Cacling chete, a gruntinge chete ruff pecke,
cassan, and poppelars of yarum.
Shee hath a hen, a pygge, baken, cheese, and mylke porrage.
Vpright man.
That is benship to our watch.
That is very good for vs.
Now we haue well bould, let vs strike some chete.
Now we haue well dronke, let vs steale some thing.
Yonder dwelleth a quier cuffen, it were beneship to myll
him.
Yonder dwelleth a hoggish and chorlishe man, it were very well
donne to robbe him.
Roge.
Now byng we a wast to the high pad the ruffmans is by
Nay let vs goe hence to the high way, the wood is at hand.
Vpright man.
So may we happen on the harmans and clye the Iarke
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or to the quierken and skower quiare cramprings and so
to trining on the chates.
So we may chaunce to syt in the stockes, eyther be whypped ey∣ther
had to prison house, and their be shackeled with boltes and set∣ters,
and then to hange on the gallowes.
Roge.
Gerry gan the Ruffian clye thee.
A torde in thy mouth, the deuill take thée.
The vpright man.
What stowe you bene cofe and cut benar whyddes and
byng we to Rome vyle to nyp a bounge, so shall we haue
lower for the bowsing ken, and when we byng back to the
deuseuyle, we will fylche some duddes of the Ruffmans
or myll the ken for a lage of duddes.
What holde your peace good fellowe and speake better wordes,
and go we to London to cut a purse, then shal wee haue money for
the ale house, and when we come backe againe into the countrey,
we will steale some lynuen clothes of some hedge, or robbe some
house for a bucke of clothes.
¶ By this little ye may holy and fully vnderstande their vntoward
talk and pelting spéech mingled without measure, and as they haue
begon of la•e to deuyse some new termes for certayn things: so will
they in time alter this and deuise as euill or worse. This language
now being knowne and spreade abroade, yet one thing more I wil
ad vnto, not meaning to English the same, because I learned that
of a shameles Doxe, but for the phrase of specehe I set it forth only.
There was a proud patrico and a nosegent, he toke his
Iockam in his famble, and a wapping he went, he dockt
the Dell he prygge to praunce, he byngd a wast into the
darkemans, he fylche the Cofe without any fylch man.
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A Stockes to staye sure and safely detayne,
Lasy lew• Leuterers that lawes do oftend:
Impudent persons, thus punished with payne,
Hardle for all this, do •cane to amende.
Page [unnumbered]Fetters or shackels serue to make fast,
Male malefactors, that on mischief do muse
Untill the learned lawes do quite or do cast
Such subtill searchers as all euill do vse.
A whyp is a whysker that will wrest out blood,
Of backe and of body, beaten right well:
Of all the other it doth the most good.
Experienee teacheth, and they can well tell.
Odolefull day, now death draweth nere,
His bitter styng doth pearce me to the harte:
I take my leaue of all that be here,
Now piteously playing this tragicall parte.
Nether strypes nor teachings in time could conuert,
Wherefore and ensample let me to you be,
And all that be present, now pray you for me.
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¶ Thus I conclude my bold Beggars booke.
That all estates most playnely may sée,
As in a Glasse well pollished to looke,
Their double demeaner in eche degrée.
Their Liues, their language, their names as they be,
That with this warning their myndes may be warmed
To amende their misdéedes and so liue vnharmed.
FINIS.
