sooner, if the messenger that brought it had returned. I
must confess I was a little surprized with the beginning
of it, as I was with your name; but when I read further
I ceased to be so. Sir, I should be heartily sorry and
ashamed to be guilty of any thing like malignity or
uncharitableness, especially to one of your condition,
with whom, though I concur not perhaps in point of
judgment in some particulars, yet I cannot but esteem
for your personal worth and abilities; and, indeed, your
expressions in your letter are so civil and ingenuous,
that I am obliged thereby the more to give you all the
satisfaction I can.
[Sidenote: These words I heard not, being in the passage
from him.--_Note by Mr. Baxter._]
As I remember, then, when you came to me to the closet,
and I told you I would furnish you with a tippet, you
answered me something to that purpose as you write, but
whether the same numerical words, or but once, I cannot
possibly say from my own memory, and therefore I believe
yours. Only this I am sure of, that I said to you at my
second speaking, that some others of your persuasion had
not scrupled at it, which might suppose (if you had not
affirmed the contrary), that you had made me a formal
refusal; of which giving me then no other reason than
that "it belonged not to you," I concluded that you were
more scrupulous than others were. And, perhaps, the
manner of your refusing it (as it appeared to me) might
make me think you were not very well pleased with the
motion. And this it is likely I might say, either to my
lord chancellor or others; though seriously I do not
remember that I spake to my lord chancellor at all
concerning it. But, sir, since you give me now that
modest reason for it, (which, by the way, is no just
reason in itself, for a tippet may be worn without a
degree, though a hood cannot; and it is no shame at all
to want these formalities for him that wanteth not the
substance,) but, sir, I say, since you give that reason
for your refusal, I believe you, and shall correct that
mistake in myself, and endeavour to rectify it in
others, if any, upon this occasion, have misunderstood
you. In the mean time I shall desire your charitable
opinion of myself, which I shall be willing to deserve
upon any opportunity that is offered me to do you
service, being, sir,
Your very humble servant,
JO. EARLES."
"To my honoured friend, Mr. Richard Baxter, These."
No. X.
MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTION
IN STREGLETHORP CHURCH, NEAR NEWARK-UPON-TRENT, IN LINCOLNSHIRE.
[From Le Neve's _Monumenta Anglicana_[BT]. 8vo. Lond. 1718. vol. iii. p.
182.]
Stay, reader, and observe Death's partial doom,
A spreading virtue in a narrow tombe;
A generous mind, mingled with common dust,
Like burnish'd steel, cover'd, and left to rust.
Dark in the earth he lyes, in whom did shine
All the divided merits of his line.
The lustre of his name seems faded here,
No fairer star in all that fruitful sphere.
In piety and parts extreamly bright,
Clear was his youth, and fill'd with growing light,
A morn that promis'd much, yet saw no noon;
None ever rose so fast, and set so soon.
All lines of worth were centered here in one,
Yet see, he lies in shades whose life had none.
But while the mother this sad structure rears,}
A double dissolution there appears--}
He into dust dissolves, she into tears.}
RICHARDUS EARLE[BU], Barn^{tus}.
Obijt decimo tertio die
Aug^{ti} Anno Dom. 1697.
AEtatis suae 24.
FOOTNOTES:
[BT] Two other epitaphs appear in this collection, on the Earles of
Norfolk, with whom I cannot find our author to have had the least
connection. A full account of this family may be seen in Blomefield's
_History of Norfolk_, vol. iii. p. 531.
[BU] The title was created by Charles the First, July 2, 1629, and, I
believe, became extinct at the decease of this person.
No. XI.
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF BOOKS OF
CHARACTERS.
No. i.
_A Caueat
for commen Cvr
setors vulgarely called
Uagabones, set forth by Thomas Harman.
Esquier. for the vtiliteand proffyt of hys
naturall Countrey. Newly agmented
and Jmprinted Anno Domini._
M.D.LXUjj.
[P] _Vewed, examined, and allowed, according vnto the
Queenes Maiestyes Iniunctions_
[Roughly-executed wood-cut, of two persons receiving punishment
at the cart's tail from the hands of a beadle.]
_Imprinted
at London in Fletestret at the signe of the
Faulcon by Wylliam Gryffith, and are to be
solde at his shoppe in Saynt Dunstones
Churche yarde in the West._
[4to. black letter, containing thirty folios, very incorrectly numbered.]
I commence my list of _Characters_, with a volume, which, although earlier
than the period I originally intended to begin from, is of sufficient
curiosity and interest to warrant introduction, and, I trust, to obtain
pardon from the reader for the additional trouble I am thus preparing for
him.
Mr. Warton, in his _History of English Poetry_, (iv. 74.) has given, with
some trifling errors, a transcript of the title, and says he has a faint
remembrance of a Collection of Epigrams, by the author, printed about
1599: these I have never been fortunate enough to meet with, nor do they
appear in the collections of Ames or Herbert, neither of whom had seen a
copy of the present work, although they mention Griffith's licence to
print it as dated in 1566[BV].
It is dedicated to Elizabeth, countess of Shrewsbury; Mr. Warton thinks
"with singular impropriety," although the motive appears at least to
justify the measure, if it does not entitle the author to commendation. He
addresses this noble lady as a person of extreme benevolence, and "as also
aboundantly powrynge out dayly [her] ardent and bountifull charytie vppon
all such as commeth for reliefe."--"I thought it good," he continues,
"necessary, and my bounden dutye, to acquaynte your goodnes with the
abhominable, wycked, and detestable behauor of all these rowsey, ragged
rabblement of rake helles, that vnder the pretence of great misery,
dyseases, and other innumerable calamites whiche they fayne through great
hipocrisye, do wyn and gayne great almes in all places where they wyly
wander."--On this account, therefore, and to preserve the kindness and
liberality of the countess from imposition, Harman dedicates his book to
that lady.
The notorious characters mentioned, are a "ruffler[BW]; a upright man[BX];
a hoker or angglear[BY]; a roge[BZ]; a wylde roge[CA]; a prygger of
prauncers; a pallyarde[CB]; a frater[CC]; a Abraham man[CD]; a fresh water
mariner, or whipiacke; a counterfet cranke[CE]; a dommerar[CF]; a dronken
tinckar[CG]; a swadder or pedler; a jarke man, and a patrico[CH]; a
demaunder for glymmar[CI]; a bawdy basket[CJ]; a antem morte[CK]; a
walking morte; a doxe; a dell; a kynchin morte; and a kynchen co."
From such a list, several instances of the tricks, as well as specimens of
the language of the thieves of the day, might with ease be extracted, did
not the limits of my little volume compel me to refrain from entering at
large into this history of rogues; a restriction I the more regret, from
its containing several passages illustrating the manners of that period,
and which would be found of material use towards explaining many of the
allusions met with in our early English dramas and now but imperfectly
understood.
"[P] Prygger of Prauncers. (Sign. C. iii. b.)
"A prigger of Prauncers be horse stealers, for to prigge signifieth in
their language to steale, and a prauncer is a horse, so beinge put
together, the matter is plaine. These go commonly in jerkins of leather or
of white frese, & carry little wandes in their hands, and will walke
through grounds and pasturs, to search and se horses mete for their
purpose. And if thei chaunce to be met and asked by the owners of the
grounde what they make there, they fayne straighte that they have loste
theyr waye, and desyre to be enstructed the beste way to suche a place.
These will also repayre to gentlemens houses, and aske theyr charitye, and
will offer theyr seruice. And if you aske them what they can doe, they wil
saye that they can kepe two or three geldinges, and waite vppon a
gentleman. These haue also theyr women that, walkinge from them in other
places, marke where and what they see abrode, and sheweth these priggars
therof, when they meete, whych is wythin a weeke or two. And loke, where
they steale any thynge, they conuey the same at the leaste three score
miles of, or more. There was a gentleman, a verye friende of myne, rydynge
from London homewarde into Kente, hauinge within three myles of his house
busynesse, alyghted of his horse, and hys man also, in a pretye village,
where diuers houses were, and looked about hym where he myghte haue a
conuenyent person to walke his horse, because he would speak we a farmer
that dwelte on the backe side of the sayde village, little aboue a quarter
of a myle from the place where he lighted, and had his man to waight vpon
hym, as it was mete for his callynge: espieng a priggar there standing,
thinkinge the same to dwel there, charging this prity prigginge person to
walke his horse well, and that they might not stande still for takynge of
colde, and at his returne (which he saide should not be longe,) he would
geue him a peny to drinke, and so wente about his busines. Thys peltynge
priggar, proude of his praye, walketh hys horses vp and downe, till he
sawe the gentleman out of sighte, and leapes him into the saddell, and
awaye be goeth a mayne. This gentleman returning, and findyng not his
horses, sente his man to the one ende of the village, & he went himselfe
vnto the other ende, and enquired as he went for hys horses that were
walked, and began somewhat to suspecte, because neither he nor his man
coulde neyther see nor fynde him. Then this gentleman diligently enquired
of three or foure towne dwellers there whether any such person, declaring
his stature, age, apparel, and so manye linamentes of his body as he
coulde call to remembraunce. And _vna voce_, all sayde that no such man
dwelte in their streate, neither in the parish that they knewe of, but
some did wel remember that suche a one they sawe there lyrkinge and
huggeringe[CL] two houres before the gentleman came thether and a
straunger to them. J had thought, quoth this gentleman, he had here
dwelled, and marched home mannerly in his botes: farre from the place he
dwelt not. J suppose at his comming home he sente such wayes as he
suspected or thought mete to search for this prigger, but hetherto he
neuer harde any tidinges againe of his palfreys. J had the best gelding
stolen out of my pasture that J had amogst others, while this boke was
first a printing."
At the end of the several characters, the author gives a list of the names
of the most notorious thieves of his day, a collection of the cant phrases
used by them, with their significations; and a dialogue between an
_uprighte man_ and a _roge_, which I shall transcribe:--
"The vpright Cose canteth to the Roger.
_The vprighte man spaketh to the roge._
_Man._ Bene lyghtmans to thy quarromes in what lipk[=e] hast thou lipped
in this darkemanes; whether in a lybbege or in the strummell?
_God morrowe to thy bodye, in what house hast thou lyne in all
night whether in a bed, or in the strawe?_
_Roge._ J couched a hogeshed in a skypper this darkemans.
_I laye me down to sleepe in a barne this night._
_Man._ J towre ye strummell tryne vpon thy nabcher & togman.
_I see the straw hange upon thy cap and coate._
_Roge._ J saye by the Salomon J wyll lage it of with a gage of bene bouse
then cut to my nose watch.
_J sweare by the masse J wyll wash it of with a quart of drinke,
then saye to me what thou wilt._
_Man._ Why, hast thou any lowre in thy bouge to bouse?
_Why, hast thou any money in thy purse to drinke?_
_Roge._ But a flagge, a wyn, and a make.
_But a grot, a penny, and a halfe-penny._
_Man._ Why where is the kene that hath the bene bouse?
_Where is the house that hath the good drinke?_
_Roge._ A bene mort hereby at the signe of the prauncer.
_A good wyfe here by at the signe of the hors._
_Man._ J cutt it is quyer bouse J bousd a flagge the laste darkemans.
_J saye it is small and naughtye drynke, J dranke a groate there
the last night._
_Roge._ But bouse there a bord, and thou shalt haue beneship.
_But drinke there a shyllinge, and thou shalt haue very good._
Tower ye, yander is the kene, dup the gygger, and maund that is
beneshype.
_Se you, yonder is the house, open the doore, and aske for the
best._
_Man._ This bouse is as benshyp as rome bouse.
_This drinke is as good as wyne._
Now J tower that bene bouse makes nase nabes.
_Now J se that good drynke makes a dronken heade._
Maunde of this morte what bene pecke is in her ken.
_Aske of this wyfe what good meate shee hath in her house._
_Roge._ She hath a cacling chete, a grunting chete, ruff pecke, cassan,
and popplarr of yarum.
_She hath a hen, a pyg, baken, chese and mylke porrage._
_Man._ That is beneshyp to oure watche.
_That is very good for vs._
Now we haue well bousd, let vs strike some chete.
_Nowe we haue well dronke, let vs steale some thinge._
Yonder dwelleth a quyere cuffen it were beneshype to myll hym.
_Yonder dwelleth a hoggeshe and choyrlyshe man it weare very well
donne to robbe him._
_Roge._ Nowe, bynge we a waste to the hygh pad, the ruff-manes is by.
_Naye, let vs go hence to the hygh waye, the wodes is at hande._
_Man._ So may we happen on the harmanes and cly the jarke, or to the
quyer ken and skower quyaer cramprings and so to tryning on the
chates.
_So we maye chaunce to set in the stockes, eyther be whypped,
eyther had to prison-house, and there be shackeled with bolttes and
fetters, and then to hange on the gallowes._
[_Rogue._] Gerry gan the ruffian clye thee.
_A corde in thy mouth, the deuyll take thee._
_Man._ What! stowe you bene cofe and cut benar whydds; and byng we to some
vyle to nyp a bong, so shall we haue lowre for the bousing ken and
when we byng back to the deuseauye, we wyll fylche some duddes of
the ruffemans, or myll the ken for a lagge of dudes.
_What! holde your peace, good fellowe, and speake better wordes;
and go we to London to cut a purse, then shal we haue money for the
ale-house, and when we come backe agayne into the countrey, we wyll
steale some lynnen clothes of one hedges, or robbe some house for a
bucke of clothes._"
I have been induced, from the curiosity and rarity of this tract, to
extend my account of it farther, perhaps, than many of my readers may
think reasonable, and shall, therefore, only add a specimen of Harman's
poetry, with which the original terminates.
"--> Thus J conclude my bolde beggar's booke,
That all estates most playnely maye see;
As in a glasse well pollyshed to looke,
Their double demeaner in eche degree;
Their lyues, their language, their names as they be;
That with this warning their myndes may be warmed
To amende their mysdeedes, and so lyue vnharmed."
Another tract of the same description is noticed in Herbert's Ames (p.
885.) as printed so early as in 1565. A copy of the second edition in the
Bodleian Library, possesses the following title:--"_The Fraternitye of
Uacabondes. As wel of ruflyng Vacabondes, as of beggerly, of women as of
men, of gyrles as of boyes, with their proper names and qualities. With a
description of the crafty company of Cousoners and Shifters. Whereunto
also is adioyned the xxv orders of Knaues, otherwyse called a Quartern of
Knaues. Confirmed for euer by Cocke Lorell[CM], &c. Imprinted at London by
Iohn Awdeley, dwellyng in little Britayne streete without Aldersgate.
1575._" This, although much shorter than Harman's, contains nearly the
same characters, and is therefore thus briefly dismissed. An account of
it, drawn up by the editor of the present volume, may be found in Brydges'
_British Bibliographer_, vol. ii. p. 12.
It may not be amiss to notice in this place, that a considerable part of
_The Belman of London, bringing to light the most notorious villanies that
are now practised in the kingdom, &c._ 4to. 1608, is derived from Harman's
_Caveat_. Among the books bequeathed to the Bodleian, by Burton, (4to.
G.8. Art. BS.) is a copy of the _Belman_, with the several passages so
borrowed, marked in the hand-writing of the author of the _Anatomy of
Melancholy_, who has also copied the _canting dialogue_ just given, and
added several notes of his own on the margin.
FOOTNOTES:
[BV] In the epistle to the reader, the author terms it "this _second_
impression."
[BW] A _ruffler_ seems to have been a bully as well as a beggar, he is
thus described in the _Fraternitye of Vacabondes_; (see p. 228.) "A
ruffeler goeth wyth a weapon to seeke seruice, saying he hath bene a
seruitor in the wars, and beggeth for his reliefe. But his chiefest trade
is to robbe poore way-faring men and market-women." In _New Custome_ a
morality, 1573, Creweltie, one of the characters, is termed a _ruffler_.
See also Decker's _Belman of London_. Sign. C. iv.
[BX] "An _upright man_ is one that goeth wyth the trunchion of a staffe,
which staffe they cal a Flitchm[=a]. This man is of so much authority,
that meeting with any of his profession, he may cal them to accompt, and
comaund a share or snap vnto himselfe of al that they have gained by their
trade in one moneth." _Fraternitye of Vacabondes._
[BY] This worthy character approaches somewhat near to a shop-lifter.
Decker tells us that "their apparele in which they walke is commonly
freize jerkins and gallye slops." _Belman._ Sign. C. iv.
[BZ] A rogue, says Burton, in his MS. notes to Decker's _Belman of
London_, "is not so stoute and [hardy] as the vpright man."
[CA] A person whose parents were rogues.
[CB] "These be called also _clapperdogens_" and "go with patched clokes."
Sign. C. iv.
[CC] A _Frater_ and a _Whipiacke_, are persons who travel with a
counterfeite license, the latter in the dress of a sailor. See
_Fraternitye, Belman_, &c.
[CD] "An _Abraham-man_ is he that walketh bare-armed, and bare-legged, and
fayneth hymselfe mad, and caryeth a packe of wool, or a stycke with baken
on it, or such lyke toy, and nameth himselfe Poore Tom." _Fraternitye of
Vacabondes._
[CE] A person who asks charity, and feigns sickness and disease.
[CF] One who pretends to be dumb. In Harman's time they were chiefly
Welsh-men.
[CG] An artificer who mends one hole, and makes twenty.
[CH] A _jarke man_ can read and write, and sometimes understands a little
Latin. A _patrico_ solemnizes their marriages.
[CI] These are commonly women who ask assistance, feigning that they have
lost their property by fire.
[CJ] A woman who cohabits with an _upright man_, and professes to sell
thread, &c.
[CK] "These _antem mortes_ be maried wemen, as there be but a fewe: for
_antem_, in their language is a churche--" &c. _Harman_. Sign. E. iv. A
_walking morte_ is one unmarried: a _doxe_, a _dell_, and a _kynchin
morte_, are all females; and a _kynchen co_ is a young boy not thoroughly
instructed in the art of _canting_ and _prigging_.
[CL] In Florio's _Italian Dictionary_, the word _dinascoso_ is explained
"secretly, hiddenly, in _hugger-mugger_." See also Reed's _Shakspeare_,
xviii. 284. _Old Plays_, 1780. viii. 48.
[CM] Herbert notices _Cock Lorelles Bote_, which he describes to be a
satire in verse, in which the author enumerates all the most common trades
and callings then in being. It was printed, in black letter, Wynken de
Worde, 4to. without date. _History of Printing_ ii. 224, and Percy's
_Reliques_, i. 137, edit. 1794.
ii. _Picture of a Puritane, 8vo._ 1605. [Dr. Farmer's _Sale Catalogue_,
page 153, No. 3709.]
iii. _"A Wife novv the Widdow of Sir Thomas Overbvrye. Being a most
exquisite and singular Poem of the Choice of a Wife. Wherevnto are added
many witty Characters, and conceited Newes, written by himselfe and other
learned Gentlemen his friends.
Dignum laude virum musa vetat mori,
Caelo musa beat. Hor. Car. lib. 3.
London Printed for Lawrence Lisle, and are to bee sold at his shop in
Paule's Church-yard, at the signe of the Tiger's head. 1614."_[CN]
[4to. pp. 64, not numbered.]
Of Sir Thomas Overbury's life, and unhappy end, we have so full an account
in the _Biographia_, and the various historical productions, treating of
the period in which he lived, that nothing further will be expected in
this place. His _Wife_ and _Characters_ were printed, says Wood, several
times during his life, and the edition above noticed, was supposed, by the
Oxford biographer, to be the fourth or fifth[CO]. Having never seen a
copy of the early editions, I am unable to fix on any character
undoubtedly the production of Overbury, and the printer confesses some of
them were written by "other learned gentlemen." These were greatly
encreased in subsequent impressions, that of 1614 having only twenty-one
characters, and that in 1622 containing no less than eighty.
A COURTIER,--(_Sign. C. 4. b._)
To all men's thinking is a man, and to most men the finest: all things
else are defined by the understanding, but this by the sences; but his
surest marke is, that hee is to bee found onely about princes. Hee smells;
and putteth away much of his judgement about the scituation of his
clothes. Hee knowes no man that is not generally knowne. His wit, like the
marigold, openeth with the sunne, and therefore he riseth not before ten
of the clocke. Hee puts more confidence in his words than meaning, and
more in his pronuntiation than his words. Occasion is his Cupid, and hee
hath but one receipt of making loue. Hee followes nothing but
inconstancie, admires nothing but beauty, honours nothing but fortune.
Loues nothing. The sustenance of his discourse his newes, and his censure
like a shot depends vpon the charging. Hee is not, if he be out of court,
but, fish-like, breathes destruction, if out of his owne element. Neither
his motion, or aspect are regular, but he mooues by the vpper spheres, and
is the reflexion of higher substances. If you finde him not heere, you
shall in Paules with a pick-tooth in his hat, a cape cloke, and a long
stocking.
FOOTNOTES:
[CN] In 1614 appeared _The Husband_, a _Poeme_, expressed in a compleat
man. See _Censura Literaria_, v. 365. John Davies, of Hereford, wrote _A
Select Second Hvsband for Sir Thomas Overbvries Wife, now a matchlesse
widow_. 8vo. Lond. 1616. And in 1673 was published, _The Illustrious Wife,
viz. That excellent Poem, Sir Thomas Overbvrie's Wife, illustrated by
Giles Oldisworth, Nephew to the same Sir T. O._
[CO] It was most probably the fifth, as Mr. Capel, who has printed the
_Wife_, in his very curious volume, entitled _Prolusions_, 8vo. Lond.
1760, notices two copies in 1614, one in 8vo. which I suppose to be the
third, and one in 4to. stated in the title to be the fourth edition: the
sixth was in the following year, 1615; the seventh, eighth, and ninth were
in 1616, the eleventh in 1622, twelfth in 1627, thirteenth 1628,
fourteenth, 1630, fifteenth, 1632, sixteenth, 1638, and Mr. Brand
possessed a copy, the specific edition of which I am unable to state,
printed in 1655. _Catalogue_, No. 4927.
iv. "_Satyrical Essayes, Characters, and others, or accurate and quick
Descriptions, fitted to the life of their Subiects._ [Greek: ton ethon de
phylattesthai mallon dei he tous hecheis]. Theophras.
Aspice et haec, si forte aliquid decoctius audis,
Jude vaporata Lector mihi ferucat aure. IUUEN.
_Plagosus minime Plagiarius._
_John Stephens. London, Printed by Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by
Roger Barnes, at his Shop in St. Dunstane's Church-yard. 1615._"
[8vo. pp. 321. title, preface, &c. 14 more.]
In a subsequent impression of this volume, 8vo. in the same year, and with
a fresh title page, dated 1631[CP], we find the author to be "John
Stephens the younger, of Lincoln's Inn:" no other particulars of him
appear to exist at present, excepting that he was the author of a play
entitled, _Cinthia's Revenge; or, Maenander's Extasie_. Lond. for Barnes,
1613, 4to. "which," says Langbaine, "is one of the longest plays I ever
read, and withal the most tedious." Ben Jonson addressed some lines[CQ]
to the author, whom he calls "his much and worthily esteemed friend," as
did F. C. G. Rogers, and Thomas Danet.
Stephens dedicates his book to Thomas Turner, Esq. For the sake of a
little variety I give one of his "three satyricall Essayes on
Cowardlinesse," which are written in verse.
ESSAY I.