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.

A Rogue. Cap. 4.

A Rogue is neither so stout or hardy as the vpright man: Many of them vvill goe faintly, and looke piteously, vvhen they see, either meete any person, hauing a cloth as vvhite as my shooes tied about their heade, vvith a short staffe in their hand, halting although they neede not, requiring almes of such as they meete, or to vvhat house they shall come. But you may easily perceiue by their colour, that they carry both health and hypocrisie about them, vvhereby they get gaine, vvhen others vvant that cannot fame and dissemble. Others there bee that goe sturdely about the Countrey, and fameth to find out 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••∣ther of h••••, dvvelling vvithin some part of the shire, either 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he hath a letter to deliuer to some honest housholder, do ••g out of another Shire, and vvill shevv you the same 〈…〉〈…〉, vvith the superscription to the party he speaketh 〈…〉〈…〉 shall not suspect him to runne idelly about the Country, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 haue they this shift, they vvill carry a certificate 〈…〉〈…〉

about them from some Iusticer of the peace, with his hand and seale vnto the same, how he hath beene whipped and punished for a vacabond according to the lawes of this Realme, and that he must returne to C. where he was borne or last dwelt, by a certaine day limited in the same, which shall be a good long day. And all this famed, because without feare they would wickedly wander, and will renew the same, where or when it pleaseth them: for they haue of their affinitie that can write and reade: These also will picke and steale as the vpright men, and hath their women and meetings at places appointed, and nothing to them inferiour in all kind of knauery. There be of these Roges Curtais wearing short Cloakes, that will change their appar∣rell, as occasion serueth. And their end is either hanging▪ which they call trining in their language, or die miserably of the pocks.

There was not long Athens two Roges that alwaies did as∣sociate themselues together and woulde neuer seperate them∣selues vnlesse it were for some especiall causes, for they were sworne brothers, and were both of one age and much like of fa∣uour, these two trauelling into East-kent resorted vnto an Ale house there being wearied with trauelling, saluting with short curtes••e when they came into the house such as they saw sitting there, in which company was the parson of the parish and cal∣ling for a pot of the best ale, sate downe at the tables end, the li∣quor pleased them so well, that they had not vpon pot▪ and som∣time for a little good manner would drinke and offer the cup to such as they best fancied, and to be short, they sate out all the company, for each man departed home about their busines. When they had well refreshed themselues, then these rowsie rogues requested the goodman of the house with his wife to fit down and drinke with them, of whom they inquired what priest the same was and where he dweit, then they faming that they had an vncle a priest, and that he should dwell in these partes, which by all presumptions it should be he, and that they came of purpose to speake with him, but because they had not seene him sithens they were sixe yeares old, they durst not be bolde to take acquaintance of him vntill they were farther instructed of the truth, and began to inquire of his name and how long hee had dwelt there, and how far his house was off from the place they were in: the good wife of the house, thinking them honest men without disceit because they so farre inquired of their kinsman was but of a good zealous naturall intent, shewed them cheere∣fully that hee was an honest men and welbeloued in the parish, and of good wealth, and had beene there resident fifteene yeares

at the least: but saith she, are you both brothers: yea surely said they, we haue beene both in one belly, and were twinnes mer∣cie God quoth this foolish woman it may well be, for ye are not much vnlike & went vnto her hall window, calling these yong men vnto her, and look••ng out thereat, pointed with her ••••ngar, and shewed them the house standing a••o••e, no house neare the same by a quarter of a ••••le, that said she is your vnckles house: nay saith one of them he is not onely mine vnckle, but my God∣father also: it may well bee quoth shee, nature will bind him to be the better to you: well quoth they, we be weary, and meane not to trouble our vnckle to night, but to morrow God willing we w••ll see him and do our dutie. But I pray you doth our vn∣cle occupie husbandrie, what company hath he in his house? A∣las saith she, but one old woman and a boy, hee hath no occupy∣ing at all: tush quoth she, you be mad men, go to him this night for he hath better lodging for you than I haue, and yet I speak foolishly against my owne profite, for by your tarrying heere I should ga••e the more. Now by my troth quoth on•• of them, we thanke you good hostesse for your wholesome counsaile, and wee meane to do as you will vs, we will pause a while, and by that time it will be almost night, & I pray you giue vs a reckoning: so mannerly paying for that they tooke, they bad their host and hostesse farewell with taking leaue of the cup marching merely towards this Parsons house, which they viewed wel round a∣bout and passed by two bowshots off into a yoong wood, where closely they lay consulting what they should do vntill midnight: quoth one of them of sharper wit and subtiller then his fellowe to the other, thou seest that this house is stone walled about, and that we cannot well breake into any part thereof, thou seest al∣so that the windowes bee thicke of mullions, that there is no creeping in betweene, wherefore we must of necessitie vse some pollicie when strength will not serue. I haue a horselocke heere about me saith he▪ and this I hope shal serue our turne: so when it was about twelue of the clocke they came to the house, and lurked neare vnto his chamber window, the dogge of the house barked a good, that with their noise this Priest waketh out of his sleepe, and began to cough and hem, then one of these roges steps forth nearer the window, and maketh a rufull and pitti∣ful noyse requiring for Christs sake some reliefe for the hungry and thirsty, and was like to lie without the d••••res all night and starue for colde, vnlesse he were releeued by him with some smal peece of money. ••here dwellest thou quoth the Parson? •• las sir saith this roge, I haue small dwelling, and haue come out of my way, and if I should go to any towne at this time of night,

they would set me in the stocks and punish me Well quoth this pittifull Parson, away from my house, or lye in some of my out-houses vntill morning, and holde heere is a couple of pence for thee. A God reward you said this roge, and in heauen may you find it. The Parson openeth his window, and thrusteth out his arme to giue his almes to this roge that came whi••ing to re∣ceiue it, and quickly taketh hold of his hand, and calleth his fel∣low to him who was readie at hand with the horselocke, and clappeth the same about the wrest of his arme, where the mul∣lions stoode so close togeather for strength, that for his life hee could not plucke in his arme againe, and made him beleeue vn∣lesse he would at the least giue them three pounds, they would smite off his arme from the body: so that this poore Parson, in feare to loose his hand, called vp the olde woman that lay in the loft ouer him, and willed her to take out all the money hee had, which was foure markes, saying it was all the money hee had in his house, for he had lent six pounds to one of his neighbors not foure daies before. Well quoth they, M. Parson if you haue no more, vpon this condition we will take of the locke, that you wil drink twelue pence to morow for our sakes at the alehouse where we found you, and thank the good wife for the good chear she made vs, he promised faithfully so to doe, so they tooke of the locke, and went their waies so farre ere it was day, that the Parson could neuer haue any vnderstanding more of them. Now this Parson sorrowfully slumbering that night betwene feare and hope, thought it was but folly to make two sorrowes of one, hee vsed contentation for his remedie, not forgetting in the morning to performe his promise, but went betimes to his neighbor that kept ••ipling, and asked angerly where the same two men were that drank with her yesterday. Which two men quoth this good wife? the strangers that came in when I was at your house with my neighbors yesterday: what your neuews quoth shee. My neuewes quoth the Parson, I trow thou art mad, nay by God quoth this good wife, as sober as you, for they told me faithfully that you were their vncle, but in faith are ye not so indeed, for by my troth they are strangers to me, I neuer saw them before. O out vpon them, quoth the Parson, they bee false theeues, and this might they compelled me to giue them all the money in my house. Benedicite quoth this good wife, and haue they so indeed? as I shal answer before God, one of them told mee besides that you were Godfather to him, and that hee trusted to haue your blessing before he departed. What did hee quoth this Parson? a halter blesse him for mee: mee thought by your countenance, you looked so wildly when you came in quoth

this good wife, that something was amisse. I vse not to iest said the Parson in so earnest a matter. Why all your sorrowes got with it said the good wife, sit downe, and I will fill a fresh potte of Ale shall make you merry againe. Yea said the Parson, fill in, and giue me some meat, for they made me sweare and promise them faithfully that I should drinke twelue pence with you to day. What did they quoth she, now by the masse they be merrie knaues, I warrant you they mean to buy no land with the mo∣ney: but how could they come into you in the night, your doores being shut fast your house is very strong. Then he shewed her all the whole circumstance, how he gaue them his almes out at the window, they made such lamentable crie that it pittied him at the hart: for he saw but one when he put his hand out at the window. Be ruled by me said the wife: wherin quoth the Par∣son? by my troth neuer speake more of it, when they shal vnder∣stand of it in the parish, they will but laugh you to scorne. Why then quoth this Parson, the deuill go with it, and there an end,