The groundworke of conny-catching, the manner of their pedlers-French, and the meanes to vnderstand the same with the cunning slights of the counterfeit cranke : therein are h[a]nd[l]ed the practises of the visiter, the fetches of the shifter and rufflar, the deceits of their doxes, the deuises of priggers, the names of the base loytering losels, and the meanes of euery blacke-art-mans shifts, with the reproofe of all the diuellish practises / done by a iustice of peace of great authoritie, who hath had the examining of diuers of them.

The ground-worke A Demaunder for glimmar. Cap. 16.

THese Demanders for glimmar be for the most part women, for glymmar in their language is fier: these go with famed licences and counterfaited writings, hauing the hands and seales of such Gentlemen as dwelleth neare to the place where they faine themselues to haue beene burnt, and their gooddes consumed with fire. They will most lamentably demaund your charitie, and will quickly shedde salte teares they bee so tender hearted. They will neuer begge in that Shire where their losses (as they say) was. Some of these go with states at their backes, which is a sheete to lye in a nights. The vpright men be verie familiar with these kinde of women, and one of them hel∣peth another.

¶A Demaunder for glymmar came vnto a good towne in Kent, to aske the charitie of the people, hauing a fained licence about her▪ that declared her misfortune by fire done in Somer∣setshire, walking with a Wallet on her shoulders, wherein she put the deuotion of such as had no money to giue her, that is to say Maite, wooll, bakon, bread and cheese▪ and alwayes as the same was full, so was it readie money to her when she emptied the same, wheresoeuer she trauelled. This harlot was (as they tearme it) snowt faire, and had an Upright man or two alwais attending on her watch (which is on her person) and yet so cir∣cumspect that they would neuer be seene in her company in a∣ny good towne, except it were in small villages where typlyng houses were, either trauelling together by the high waies: but the truth is, by report she would weekly be woorth six or seauen shillings, with her begging and bitcherie. This glymmering Mort repairing to an Inne in the saide towne, where dwelt a widow of fiftie winter old of good welth, but she had an vnthrif∣tie sonne, whom she vsed as a Chamberlaine to attend guestes when they repaired to her house. This amorous man beholding with ardent eyes this glymmering glauncer was presently pi∣teously pierced to the heart, and sewdly longed to be clothed vn∣der her liuerey, and bestowing a few fond words with her, vn∣derstood straight, that she would bee easily perswaded to liking lecherie, and as a man mased, mused how to attaine to his pur∣pose, for hee had no money. Yet considering with h••mselfe that wares would be welcome where money wanteth, he went with a wanton to his mothers chamber, and there seeking about for adde endes, at length found a litle whistle of siluer that his mo∣ther did vse customably to weare on, and had forgot the same for haste that morning, and offers the same closely to this man∣nerly Marian, that if she would meete him on the backeside of

the towne, and curteously kisse him without constraint, she shuld be mistresse thereof and it were much better, well saith shee you are a wanton, and beholding the whystell, was farther in loue there with, then rauisht with his person, and agreed to meete him presently and to accomplishe his fonde fancy: to be short & not tedious, a quarter of a mile from the towne he merrily took measure of her vnder a bawdy bush (so shee gaue him that shee had not) and he receaued that he could not, and taking leaue of each other with a curteous kisse, shee pleasantly passed forth on her iournay, and this vntoward lycorous Chamberlaine re∣payred homward. But ere these two Turtles tooke their leaue the good wife had missed her whistle, and sent one of her mai∣dens into her Chamber for the same and being long sought for, none coulde bee found, her mistres hearing that dilligent search was made for the same, and that it was taken away, began to suspect her vnblessed babe, and demaunded of her maidens whe∣ther none of them saw her son in her Chamber that morning, and one of them answered that she saw him not there, but com∣ming from thence: then had shee inough for well shee wist that he had the same, and sent for him, but hee coulde not be found. Then shee caused her Hostier, in whom shee had better affiance for his truth, and yet not one amongst twenty of them but haue well left their honesty (as I heare a great sort say) for to come vnto her, which attended to knowe her pleasure, got seeke out saith she my vntoward sonne, and bid him come speak with me: I saw him goe out saith hee halfe an houre sithens on the backeside, I had thought you had sent him of your errand, I sent him not quoth shee goe looke him out.

¶This hollow Hostler took his staffe on his necke and trud∣ged out apace that way hee sawe him before goe, and had some vnderstanding by one of the maidens that his mistres had her whistle stolen, and she suspected her sonne for it: he had not gone farre but he espied him comming homward alone, and meeting him demanded where he had beene. Where haue I beene quod he and began to smile, by the mas thou hast beene at some bau∣dy banquet, thou hast euen told truth quoth this Chamberlain, surely quoth this hostler, thou hadst the same woman that beg∣ged at our house to day with a lycence for the harmes shee had by fier, where is shee quoth he, shee is almost a mile by this time quod this Chamberlaine, where is my mistres whistle quoth this Hostler, for I am well assured that thou hadst it, and I feare me thou hast giuen it to that harlot Why is it missed quod the Chamberlaine, yea quod the Hostler and shewed him all the whole circumstance what was both said and thought on him for

the thing. Well I wil tell thee quoth this chamberlaine, to be plaine with thee I had it in deede, and haue geuen the same to this woman, and I pray thee make the best of it, & helpe now to excuse the matter, and yet surely and thou wouldest take so much paines for me as to ouertake hir for shee goeth but softely and is not yet far of and take the same from hir, & I wilbe euer thy assured freend. Why then goe with me quoth this hosteler, nay in faith quoth this chamberlin what is freer than gift, and I had prety pastime for the same, hadst thou so quoth this host∣ler now by the masse and I wil haue some to, or I will lie in y^e dust ere I come a gaine. Passing with hast to ouertake this pa∣ramour within a mile from that place where he departed he ouertoke hir, hauing an vpright man in hir company a strong & a sturdy vagabond, some what amased was this hosteler to se one familiarly in hir company, for he had wel hoped to haue had some delicate dalliance as his fellow had, but seeing the matter so fall out, and being of good corrage, & thinking to him∣selfe that one true man, was better than two false knaues, and being on the high way, thought vpon helpe if neede had binne, by such as had passed to and fro. Demaunded fersely the whi∣stle that shee had euen now of his fellowe, why husband quoth she, can you suffer this wretch to slaunder your wife, avaunt varlot quoth this vpright man and lets driue withal his force at the hostler, & after halfe a dosen blowes he strikes his staffe out of his hand, and as this hosteler stept backe to haue taken vp his staffe a gayne, this glymmering Morte flinges a great stone at him, & strak him on the head, that downe he falles with the blood about his cares, and while he lay thus amased the vpright man snatches away his purse, wherein he had money of his mistresses, as well as of his owne, and there let him lie & went away with speede, that they were neuer heard of more. When this drie beaten hosteler was come to himselfe, he faint∣ly wandered home, and creepeth into his couche, and rests his idel head, his mistresse hard that he was come in, and laid him down on his bed▪ repaired straight vnto him, & asked him what he ayled, and what the cause was of his sodaine lying on his bed, what is the cause quoth this hosteler, your whistle your whistle, speaking the same pyteouslye thre or foure tymes, why foole quoth his mistrisse take no care for that, for I do not gret∣ly way it, it was worth but three shillings foure pence, I wold it had bin burnt for foure yeares agon: I pray thee why quoth his mystres, I thinke thou art mad, nay not yet quoth this hostler but I haue bin madly handled if you knew al, why what is the matter quoth his mistresse? and was the more des••erous

to know the cause: & you will forgiue my fellow & mee. I will shew you, or els I wil neuer do it, she made him presently faith∣full promise that she would: then saith he, send for your sonne home again which is a shamed to looke you in the face, I agree there to saieth she, well then quoth this hosteler your son hath giuen the same Morte that begged here, for the burning of hir house, a whistle, and you haue giuen hir fiue shillings in money, and I haue geuen hir tenne shillings of my owne: why how so quoth she, then he sadly shewed hir of his mishap, with all the circumstances that you haue heard before, and how his purse, was taken awaye, and xv. shyllings in the same, whereof v. shyllings was hir money, and x. shil••ings his owne money, is this true quoth his mistresse, I by my trouth quoth this hostler and nothing greues me so much▪ neither my beating neither y^e losse of my money, as doth my euil & wretched lucke: why what is the matter quoth his mistres? your sonne sayeth this hostler had some cheare and pastime for that whistle, for he lay with hir, and I haue bin well beaten, and haue had my purse taken from me, and you know your sonne is merry & plesaunt, & can keepe no great counsell & then shall I be mocked & laughed to scorne in al places, when they shal heare how I haue bin ser∣ued. Nowe out vpon you knaues both quoth his mistrisse and laughes out the matter, for shee sawe it would not otherwise preuaile.