The English rogue continued in the life of Meriton Latroon, and other extravangants comprehending the most eminent cheats of most trades professions. The second part. Licensed Feb. 22. 1669

CHAP. IX. (Book 9)

He lighteth on a company of Canting Beggars, and is stalled one of their Society, is married to a Doxy, with the manner of their Wedding; the orders and Degrees of the Canting Beggars, Men and Women with their several quallities and manner of life.

THis company that I thus hapned into vvas a Crew of Canting Beggars, Pilgrims of the vast earth, the off-spring of Cain, vagabonds and wanderers, over the whole World, fit Companions for such who made a trade for Idleness and Roguery, and these were at this time fit companions for me, who seeing the merry life they led, resolved to make one of their company whereupon (after I had a little more ingra∣tiated my self amongst them, and taken two or three cups more of Rum-booz) I imparted my inventions to one of the chief of them, telling him that I was a Prentice who had a curst Master, whose cruelties had caused me to run away from him, and that what ever fortune might betide me, yet should not the most ne∣cessitous condition I could be plunged into, ever make

me to return to him again, and therefore if I might be admitted into their society I should faithfully ob∣serve a••d perform what rules and orders were impo∣sed upon me.

He very much applauded me for my resolutions, telling me that to be a Beggar was to be a brave man, since it was now in fashion for brave men to beg. Do not we (said he) come all into the World like arrant Beggars, without a rag upon us; and do not we all go out of the World like Beggars, without a rag upon us? and do not we all go out of the World like Beggars without any thing saving only an old sheet to cover us? shall we then be ashamed to walk up and down in the World like Beggars, with old Blankets pin'd about us? no, no, that were a shame to us indeed; have we not the whole Kingdom to walk at our pleasure? are we afraid of the approach of Q••arter day? do we walk in fear of Bailiffs, Ser∣jeants and ••atch poles? who ever knew an arrant Beggar arrested for debt? is not our meat drest in e∣very mans Kitchen? does not every mans Cellar af∣ford ••s beer? and the best mens purses keep a penny for us to spend.

Having by these words (as he thought) fully fixed me in love with begging, he then acquainted the Company with my desires, who were all of them very joyful thereof, being as glad to add one to their society, as a Turk is to gain a Proselite to Mahomet. The first question that they asked me was, if I had any Lour•• in my Bung? I stared on them not know∣ing what they meant, till at last one told me it was mony in my pur••e, I told them I had but eighteen pence, which I freely gave them; this by a gene∣ral vote was condemned to be spent in Bouse for my initiation. Then they commanded me to kneel

down, which being done, one of the chief of them took a Gage of Bowse, which is a quart of drink, and poure•• the same on my head, saying, I do by ver∣tue of this Soveraign Liquor stall th••e to the Rogue, and make thee a free Denizon of our ragged Regi∣ment; so that henceforth it shall be lawful for thee to Cant and to carry a Doxy or Mort along with thee only observing these rules. First that thou art not to wander up and down all Countries, but to keep only to that Quarter which is allotted to thee! and secondly, thou art to give way to any of us that have born all the Offices of the Wallet before thee, and upon holding up a finger to avoid any Town or Country Village where thou seest we are forraging to victual our army that march along with us. Observing these two rules▪ we take thee into our protection, and adopt thee a Brother of our nu∣merous society.

He having ended his oration, I rose up, and was congratulated by all the Company, hanging about me like so many dogs about a Bear, and leaping and shouting like so many mad men, making such a confused noise with their gabling, that the melody of a dozen oyster wives at ••illingsgate, the scolding at ten Conduits, and the Gossipings of fifteen Bake∣houses were not comparable unto it. At length he that stalled m•• cryed out for silence, bidding the French and English Pox to light on their throats for making such a yelping; then fixing his eyes upon me, he read a Lecture to me out of the Devils Horn book as followeth.

Now (saith he) that thou art entred into our fra∣ternity thou must not scruple to act any villanies which thou shall be able to perform; whether it be to nip a bung, bite the Peter, Cloy the Lurries, Crash

either a Bleating cheat, Cackling cheat, grunting chtat, quacking cheat, Tib oth buttery, Margery prater, or to Cloy a Mish from t••e Crackmans; that is, to cut a purse, steal a Cloak-bag or Portmantle, convey away all manner of Cl••at••s▪ either a Sheep, Chicken, sucking Pig, Duck, Coose, Hen, or steal a shirt from the hedge; for he that will be a Quier Cove, a profest Rogue, must observe this rule, set down by an anti∣ent Patrico in these words.

Wilt thou a begging go, O per se o, o per se o, Then must thou God forsake And to the Devil thee betake, O per se o, &c.

And because thou art as yet but a Novice in beg∣ging, and understandest not the mysteries of the Canting language, to principle thee the better; thou shalt have a Doxy to be thy Companion, by whom thou maist receive fit inst••uctions for thy purpose. And thereupon he singled me out a young Girl of about fourteen years of age, which tickled my fancy very much that I had gotten a young wanton to dally withal; but this was not all, I must presently be mar∣ried unto her after their fashion by their Patrico (who amongst Beggars is their Priest) which was done af∣ter this manner.

They got a Hen, and having cut off the head of it, laid the dead body upon the ground, placing me on the one side of it, and my Doxy on the other; this being done; the Patrico standing by, with a loud voice bid us live together till death did us part: then one of the Company went into the Yard and fetcht a dry Cow-turd, which was broken over my

Doxy's head in imitation of a Bride-cake; and so shaking hands, and kissing each other, the Cere∣mony of the Wedding was over▪ and for joy of the marriage we fell to drinking afresh, till we were all as drunk as Beggars, but then to hear the gabling noise we made would have made you to have blest your self, to hear such a Babel of confusion among us, some were jabbering in the Canting language▪ others in their own some did nothing but weep and protest love to their Morts, other swore swords and daggers to cut the throats of their Doxy••s if they found them tripping one would drink a health to the Bride till he slavered again, some were for singing Baudy songs, others were divising curses for Justices of Peace, Head∣bor••u••hs and ••onstables; at last night approaching, and all their mony being spent, we betook us to a Barn not far off, where we coucht a Hogshead in the darkmans, and went to sleep.

Though my lodging was homely, my bedfellow pleased me yet though she were so young, I could not boast of the purchase of her Maiden-bead, that being a dainty always bestowed on the Upright-men, (the chief of the Rogues, who must have the first tast of such morsels, and then they are free for any of the Brother-hood The whole night was spent in prig∣ging wapping, and telling of drunken stories; in the morning as soon as Phoe••us began to dart some of his beams through the crannies of the Walls▪ the Patri∣co began to set up his larum, and to ••waken the rest with this song.

This is Bien Bowse, this is Bien Bowse, Too little is my skew. I Bowse no Lage, but a whole Gage Of this ile Bowse to you

This Bowse is better than Rom-Bowse, It sets the Gan a gigling; The Autem Mort finds better sport In Bowsing than in nigling.

Tis better than Peckidge, Plannam, Then Yarum, Loure, or Lage; Then lift the same up to thy Nab And Bowse off a whole Gage.

Being thus roused, and having shaken our ears a little, the Upright-man (who was the ••el-weather of the flock) appointed out the station where every one should go, prefixing a day wherein we were all to meet again. My Doxy and I had a particular walk assigned unto us, wherein we were to travel, and not to intrench upon any of the others limits; whilst I thus rambled about with her; learned of her the several Qualities and Offices of the Brother hood, and how they were distinguished from each other according to their degrees of superiority and inferi∣ority: the Men were divided into these twenty seve∣ral sorts.

• 1 Upright men.
• 2 Rufflers.
• 3 Anglers.
• 4 Rogues.
• 5 Wild Rogues.
• 6 Priggers of Prancers.
• 7 Palliards or, Clapper-dugcons.
• 8 Fraters.
• 9 Quire Birds.
• 10 Abraham-men.
• 11 Whip-jacks.
• 12 Counterfeit Cranks
• 13 Dummerars.
• 14 Iack-men.
• 15 Patrico's.
• 16 Irish Toyls.
• 17 Swigmen.
• 18 Glymm••rars.
• 19 Curtalls.
• 20 Kinchen Co's.

Of the Women kind were only these six.

• 1 Kitchin Morts
• 2 Dells.
• 3 Doxies.
• 4 Walking Morts
• 5 Autem Morts.
• 6 Bawdy Baskets.

And now what these several sorts of people are, you shall hearby their descriptions.

1 An Upright man is the chief of all the Ragged Regiment, he walks like a Commander with a short Truncheon in his hand which he calls his Filch-man; pretends himself to be a decayed Souldier, and claims a share in all the Booties which any other inferiour Rogue do get; he hath all the Morts and Doxies at his beck, and can command them from any other of the Gang at his pleasure. By this de∣scription you see there is a great deal of difference betwixt an Upright-m••n and an honest man.

2 A Ruffler is the same in Conditions as an Up∣right man, like to like quoth the Devil to the Collier; they both of them pretend themselves to be decayed Souldiers, are both of them very imperious over the in••erior Subjects of their Common wealth-re∣ceiving tribute also from Rogues Palliards, Morts, Doxies, &c.

3 The next are Anglers, but they seldom catch Fish till they go up Westward for Flounders. The Rod they angle with is a staff of five or six foot in length, having a hole bored through it within an inch of the top, into which hole do they put an iron hook, and with the same do they angle at window about midnight, drawing therewith apparel sheets, coverlets, or whatsoever they lay hold on, All is Fish that comes to Net.

4 A Rogue who••e very name doth shew his na∣ture, and therefore he shall not need any further de∣scription.

5 A Wild Rogue is of the same nature as a Rogue only this is the difference, that the one falls into this infamous and detestable course of life, either through laziness, death of Parents, cruelty of Masters, or the like, the wild Rogue is bred up to it from his swadling clouts, born a Rogue, lives all his whole life a Rogue, and disdains to take upon him any calling or profession whatsoever, but as he lives, so dies a Rogue.

6 Priggers of Prancers are Horse-stealers, for to Prig, ••ignifies in the Canting language to steal, and Prancer signifies a Horse, the Farmers in the Coun∣try, and Gentlemen that keep Horses, know these sorts of Rogue, too well, by dear experience.

7 Palliards, or otherwise called Clapperdugeons, who go always with their Morts at their heels, and draw people the more to pitty them, with Spere∣wort or Arsnick raise blisters on their legs, which they can cure again at their pleasure. When they come into the streets of a Town or Country village, they divide themselves, and beg one on one side of the street, and the other on the other side; the purchase which they thus get. They sell to poor Tradse-men, or other labouring people, and with the money are merry at the Bowsing-ken.

8 A Frater is one that with a Counterfeit Parent goeth about with a wallet at his back, and a black box at his girdle, to beg for some Hospital or Spit∣tle-house; he hath always a Doxy whom he meets withall at night at some tippling house, where they lewdly spend what was given him in the day by charitable well minded people.

9 Quire Birds are those in whom the Proverb is verified, Birds of a feather, Rogues together, they are such as formerly sung in such Cages as Newgate, the

White-Lyon, or some other Country Goale.

10 Abraham men, or a Tom of Bedam is a man whom by his black and blew arms you may see to be much beaten to the world; he counterfeits madness and by many Phantastick tricks gets from silly Coun∣try people Bacon, and such other victuals as will fetch him ready money; he hath but two names, for all people whatsoever, and that is Tom and Bess. No man shifts his linnen oftner than he does his Wenches.

11 Whipjacks are such as travel about from town to town under the notion of Ship wrackt Sea-m••n, with a counterfeit licence to beg, which licence they call a Gybe, and the seals to it Iarks their talk is all of Sea Voyages, but the end of their Land-voy∣age is for what they can get, and to rob Boo••hs at Fairs, which they call Heaving of the Booth, at which they are very expert.

12 Counterfeit Cranks are such as pretend them∣selves to have the Falling-sickness, and by putting a piece of white soap into the corner of their mouths, will make the froath to come boyling forth to cause pitty in the beholders; they stare wildly with their eyes to appear as if distracted, and go half naked to move the greater compassion. These Cranks have likewise their meetings, and their wenches at com∣mand.

13 The Dummerar is Cousin-German to the Cranks, for as the one counterfeits the falling sickness so this counterfeits dumbness, making a horrid noise instead of speech by doubling his tongue in his mouth, but if you give him nothing, he can then o∣pen his mouth to curse you privately. This Iack hath also his I••ll, upon whom he spends his Loure at the Bowsingken.

14 A Iackman is one that can write and read, ye some of them have a smattering in the Latine tongue; which learning of theirs advances them in office a∣mongst the Beggars, as to be Clark of their Hall, or the like. His employment is to make Gybes with Iarks to them, which are counterfeit licences with seals, by which he gets store of money to make him∣self drunk withal.

15 The Patrico is their Priest, every hedge is his Parish, and every wandring Rogue and Whore is his Parishioner. His service is only marrying of cou∣ples, by bidding them go together and multiply, and fill the World with a generation of vaga∣bonds.

16. Irish Toyls are lusty Rogues who go about with a wallet at their back, in which they carry pins, points, saces, and such like, and under colour of selling such wares commit many villanies.

17 A Swigman is a degree higher than an Irish-toyle, as a Tavern exceeds an Ale-house, for he car∣ries a pack behind him instead of a wallet, and is stored with more sorts of ware than the other, yet differs little from him in honesty; they both pay tribute to the Upright man, as to their chief.

18 Glymmerars are such as travel up and down with licences to beg because their houses have been consumed with fire, for Glymer in the Canting tongue signifies fire. They use a very sad tone in their begging, and tell a lamentable story how the fire destroyed their Baros, Stables, &c. by which lying tales they get store of Loure to buy Bub at the Bowsingken.

19 Curtals are so called because they wear short Cloaks, being of the same nature as the Rogues de∣scribed before

20 The last rank of this Rambling Crew are ter∣med Kinchin Co••s, being little Boys, whose Parents were formerly Beggars, but are now dead, or else such as have run away from their Masters, and instead of a trade to live by, follow this kind of life to be lowsie by. The first thing they do is to learn how to Cant, and the onely thing they practice is to creep in at windows or Cellar doors.

Thus have I given you a brief description of the men, by which you may give a shrewd guess of the women; for you cannot imagine if the one were De∣vils that the other would be Saints, take them there∣fore in their own Character.

1 Of this sort; the first of them are called Ki••ch∣en Morts, their Mothers carry at their backs in their Slates, id••est, she••ts. When the Morts beg, they use to prick their Kinchens with pins, that by their crying they may move people to a speedier distri∣bution of their alms.

2 Dells are young wenches that have not lost their maiden-heads, but being once deflowred, (which commonly is when they are very young) they then change the name of Dell into Doxy, even as maids when they come to be married, loose that appellation, and are called women.

3 Doxys are such as have been deflowred by the Upright men, and are after common to any of the Brother hood. They will if they see convenient for a small piece of money prostitute their bodies to any that will deal with them, and do too often murther those Infants which are so gotten. They have one special badge to be known by, for most of them go working of laces and shirt strings or such

like stuff, only to give colour to their idle wan∣dring.

4. A walking Mo••t is one that hath encreased the World with Lullaby-cheats or young Children, yet was never married, they are very dangerous Queans to meet withal, being cunning in dissembling, and without all fear of God and good Laws; and are kept in awe only by the Upright-men, who oftentimes rifle them of all that they have.

5. An Autem Mort is another sort of these she-de∣vils, and differs only from a walking Mort in that she is married; for Autem in the Canting tongue signi∣fies a Church, although that be a place she seldome comes at. They commonly walk with their Wallets on their shoulders, and Slates or sheets at their backs, and will pilser any thing that lies carelesly about houses, which they call in their language Nilling of the ken. Their Husbands commonly are Rufflers, Up∣right men, Wild Rogues, &c.

6. The last of this Ragged Regiment are called Bawdy Baskets which are Women that walks with Baskets or Cap-cases on their arms, wherein they have pins, points, needles, and such like things to sell▪ going thus from house to house to sell their ware; buy Cunny-skins▪ and steal what they can lay their hands on, driving three trades at once. They are very fair spoken, and will seldom swear whilst they are sel∣ling their wares, but will lye with any man that hath a mind to them. The Upright-men and these are in perfect league and amity one with another.

Thus have I briefly dissected to you this knot of Vipers; who may very fitly be termed the Devils black Guard. Whose whole life con••isteth of a con∣tinued act of all impiety, no sin within their verge

but is frequently committed amongst them, especially that sin of letchery; to which end you shall find some∣times together in a Barn forty of these Upright-men, Rufflers, Clapperdugeons, &c. ingendring Begga••s with their Morts. Adultery they boast of, Incest they laugh at, Sodomy they Jest at, being all of the Family of Love, or Lust rather, rope ripe, Nuts for the Devils cracking, and fit fuel for firing for his Kitchen. But I have dwelt too long upon this filthy subject, I shall only give you a brief Character of a Canting Rogue, and so return to the progress of my own life.

He should seem by his rambling mind to be begot by some Intelligencer under a hedge, for he is wholly addicted to travel, and hath one especial priviledge above most Travellers that he is never out of the way. He is not troubled with making of Joynctures; he can divorce himself without the Fee of a Proctor, nor fears he the cruelty of Overseers of his Will; for there is small danger of his Children being cheated of their Estates, by which means he makes not work for the Lawyers after his decease. He leaves his children all the World to Cant in, and all the people to be their fathers to provide for them. His language is always one and the same; the Northern speech differs from the South, Welsh from the Cornish, but Canting is general, nor never could be altered by Conquest of the Saxon, Dane, or Norman. He will not beg out of the limit prescribed him by the Upright-man, though he starve nor falsifie his oath, if he swear by his So∣lomon (which is the Mass) though you hang him, and to show himself a true subject of their Common-wealth, he pays his custom as truly to his Grand Rogue as tribute is paid to the Great Turk.

The Spring is as welcome to him as a warm Bed

to a weary Traveller, for then begins his progress af∣ter a hard Winter; and the Sun which breeds Agues in others, he adores it like the Indians. Ostlers can∣not endure him, for he is of the Infantry, and serves bes•• on foot; and if through sickness at any time he ride his stage is but to the next Town, and that in a Dung-cart. He offends not the Statute against the excess of Apparel; the fuller of rags the more fashio∣nable for his Calling, and to go naked, he accounts but a voluntary pennance. Forty of them will lye in a Barn together, yet are never sued upon the Statute of In-mates. He shifts Lodgings oftner than men shift their shirts, and hath more change of Morts and Doxies, than he hath of Lodgings. If he were learned, no man could make a better Description of England, for he hath surveyed it more exactly than the best Cosmographer whatsoever, having travell'd it over and over. Lastly, he can brag of this, that repairing of houses will never undo him and that though he eats and drinks every day, yet he shall not die one penny in debt either to the Brewer, or to the Butcher.