The belman of London Bringing to light the most notorious villanies that are now practised in the kingdome. Profitable for gentlemen, lawyers, merchants, citizens, farmers, masters of housholdes, and all sorts of seruants to mark, and delightfull for all men to reade.

Operis Peroratio. A short Discourse of Canting, which is the Lang∣guage spoken by all the Ragged Regiment, that serue vnder the collours of the Belman.

THus ha••h our Belman (like a faithfull & watch∣full Centinell) wall••t his reund: An armye of a moste strange people hath hee mustred together: In their true collours of villany hath hee drawn these Free-booters▪ their habits, their behaui∣ours and their properties, are to the life discouered: yet all this is but a dumb picture. It shall not be amisse therefore it I giue speech vnto it by lending it a tongue. In dooing which you may perceiue how polliticke a Common-wealth these Out-lawes of the Kingdome maintaine among themselues, in deuising not onely strange and subtill Stratagems to vphold them in a base and idle licentious kinde of life, but also in inuēting a language which none vnderstand but those that are Students in their dambd Arte, the better to couer their villanies, when they (in their talke) practise to set them abroach.

My purpose notwithstanding in this is not to bestow vppon you so liberall and full a discourse, as this matter doth require, but only at this time to giue you a taste of that which in a secōd part of this booke shal (God willing) be more amply discouered. In which second part, our Bell man of London shall bring to light a number of more notable enormities (daylye hatched in this Realme) then euer haue yet bin published to the open eye of the world. These are smal spots, the other are the great ble∣mishes, or rather the Vlcerous sores that make the bodye of kingdome appeare vgly and deformed. A larger nette shal then bee spread, and more dangerous serpents shal fal into the snare, to the intent that their stings may be pulled out, and all their poison may be drawne from them, to make those that as yet know not how infectious they are, be afraide to approach or to

be in sight of such deuouring Monsters. But because I wil not haue them borne before theire time (being yet but in the shell) least by that meanes they miscarrie in their brood, and so you should be deceiued in your expectation: let vs in the meane time stand with attentiue eares, and listen to an Vp∣righ••-man, whome I espie ready to encounter with a Wilde-Roague. And this is their Dialogue.

A short Dialogue betweene an Vp-right-man and a Rogue in the Canting-language.

The Vpright Cofe Canteth to the Roague.

1 Vpr.

BEne lightmans to thy quarrones: in what lipken hast thou lipped in this darkmans? whether in a lib∣bege, or in the Strummell?

2 Rog.

I couched a Hogshead in a Skipper this darkmans.

3 Vpr.

I towre the strummell tryne vpon the ••••bchett and tog••an.

4 Rog.

I say by the Salomon I will lage it off with a gage of bene bowse: then cut to my nose watch.

5 Vpr.

Why? hast thou any lowre in thy bung to bowse?

6 Rog.

But a flag, a win, and a make.

7 Vp.

Where is the ken that hath the bene bowse?

8 Rog.

A bene Mort, hereby at the signe of the prauncer.

9 Vp.

I cut, it is quire bowse, I bowsd a flag the last dark∣mans.

10 Rog.

But bowse ther a bord & thou shalt haue benship: towre yee, yonder is the ken▪ dup the Giger, and mawnd that is benship.

11 Vp.

This bowse is as good as Rome bowse▪ now I towre that bene bowse makes nase nabs, mawnd of this Mort, what bene pecke is in her ken?

12 Rog.

She hath a cackling chese, a grunting chefe, ruffe, peck, Cassan; and poplars of yarum.

13 Vpr.

That is beneship to our watch; now wee haue well bowsd, let vs strike some chete: yonder dwelleth a quire cuf∣fen, it were benship to ••ill him.

14 Rog.

Nay, bing we a wast to the hye pad, the ruffmans is by.

15 Vpr.

So may wee happen on the Harmans, and cly the Ia••ke, or to the quire ken, and scowre quire crampinges, and so to trymming on the chetes.

16 Rog.

The Ruffian cly thee, farwell and betrinde.

This is their phrase, this the Rhethoricke of our English Rogues and this (vpon aduice or ocasion) they varrie, putting out some words, & in their stead inuenting others more new. This was none of the language that was spoken at the confu∣sion of tongues, but this is a meere confusion in it selfe. And be∣cause you haue no Dictionaries to giue you the English of these wordes, you shall haue the selfe same companions speake the same Dialogue in their owne naturall language.

The Vpright-man speaketh to the Rogue.

1 Vpr.

GOod morrow to thy body, in what house hast thou lyen all night? in a bed or in the straw?

2 Rog.

I slept in a barne this night?

3 Vpr.

I see the straw hang vpon thy cap and coate.

4 Rog.

I sweare by the Masse I will wash it off with a quart of good drinke, and then talke to me what thou wilt.

5 Vpr.

Why? hast thou any money in thy pursse?

6 Rog.

But a groate, a penny, and a halfe penny.

7 Vpr.

Where is the house that has the good drinke?

8 Rog.

Tis a good wench hereby at the signe of the horse.

9 Vpr.

I say tis small and scuruie drinke, I drunk a groat•• heere last night.

10 Rog.

But drink there a shilling and thou shalt haue ve∣rie good, see, yonder is the house, open the dore and call for the best.

11 Vpr.

This drinke is as good as wine, now I see that good drinke makes a drunken head: aske of this wench what meate she hath in the house?

12 Rog.

She hath a Hen, a Pig, bacon, cheese, and milke-pottage.

13 Vpr.

Thats verie good for vs now we haue drunke, lets steale somewhat? yonder dwels a churlish cormorant, twere a good deede to rob him.

14 Rog.

So we may chance to sit in the stocks, and be either whipped, or had to prison, and there be shackled with bolts and Fetters, and then to be hanged on the gallowes.

15 Vpr.

The deuill take thee, farwell and he hang'd.

More of this Canting, with other matters of more worthy note shall be handled by our Belman at his second walking vp and downe the Cittie.

FINIS