(_From Thomas Harman’s Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors,
vulgarly called Vagabones_, 1568.)
_Upright Man._ Bene Lightmans[37] to thy quarromes,[38] in
what lipken[39] hast thou lypped[40] in this darkemans,[41]
whether in a lybbege[42] or in the strummel?[43]
_Roge._ I couched a hogshead[44] in a Skypper[45] this
darkemans.
_Man._ I towre[46] the strummel trine[47] upon thy
nachbet[48] and Togman.[49]
_Roge._ I saye by the Salomon[50] I will lage it of[51]
with a gage of bene bouse;[52] then cut to my nose
watch.[53]
_Man._ Why, hast thou any lowre[54] in thy bonge[55] to
bouse?[56]
_Roge._ But a flagge,[57] a wyn,[58] and a make.[59]
_Man._ Why, where is the kene[60] that hath the ben bouse?
_Roge._ A bene mort[61] hereby at the signe of the
prauncer.[62]
_Man._ I cutt it is quyer[63] bouse, I bousd a flagge the
last darkmans.
_Roge._ But bouse there a bord,[64] and thou shalt haue
beneship.[65] Tower ye yander is the kene, dup the
gygger,[66] and maund[67] that is bene shyp.
_Man._ This bouse is as benship as rome bouse.[68] Now I
tower that ben bouse makes nase nabes.[69] Maunde of this
morte what ben pecke[70] is in her ken.
_Roge._ She has a Cacling chete,[71] a grunting chete,[72]
ruff Pecke,[73] Cassan,[74] and poplarr of yarum.[75]
_Man._ That is benship to our watche.[76] Now we haue well
bousd, let vs strike some chete.[77] Yonder dwelleth a
quyer cuffen,[78] it were benship to myll[79] hym.
_Roge._ Now bynge we a waste[80] to the hygh pad,[81] the
ruffmanes[82] is by.
_Man._ So may we happen on the Harmanes,[83] and cly
the Tarke,[84] or to the quyerken[85] and skower quyaer
crampings,[86] and so to tryning on the chates.[87] Gerry
gan,[88] the ruffian[89] clye the.[90]
_Roge._ What, stowe your bene,[91] cofe,[92] and sut
benat wydds,[93] and byng we to rome vyle,[94] to nyp a
bonge;[95] so shall we haue lowre for the bousing ken,[96]
and when we byng back to the deuseauyel,[97] we wyll fylche
some duddes[98] of the Ruffemans,[99] or myll the ken for a
lagge of dudes.[100]
[37] Bene Lightmans, _good day_.
[38] Quarromes, _body_.
[39] Lipken, _house_.
[40] Lypped, _slept_.
[41] Darkemans, _night_.
[42] Lybbege, _bed_.
[43] Strummel, _straw_.
[44] Couched a hogshead, _lay down to sleep_.
[45] Skypper, _barn_.
[46] I towre, _I see_.
[47] Trine, _hang_.
[48] Nachbet, _cap_.
[49] Togman, _coat_.
[50] Salomon, _mass_.
[51] Lage it of, _wipe it off_.
[52] Gage of bene bouse, _quart of good drink_.
[53] Cut to my nose watch, _say what you will to me_.
[54] Lowre, _money_.
[55] Bonge, _purse_.
[56] To bouse, _to drink_.
[57] Flagge, _groat_.
[58] Wyn, _penny_.
[59] Make, _halfpenny_.
[60] Kene, _house_.
[61] Bene mort, _good woman_.
[62] Prauncer, _horse_.
[63] Quyer, _bad_.
[64] Bord, _shilling_.
[65] Beneship, _excellent_.
[66] Dup the gygger, _open the door_.
[67] Maund, _ask_.
[68] Rome bouse, _wine_.
[69] Nase nabes, _drunken head_.
[70] Pecke, _meat_.
[71] Cacling chete, _fowl_.
[72] Grunting chete, _pig_.
[73] Ruff pecke, _bacon_.
[74] Cassan, _cheese_.
[75] Poplarr of yarum, _milk porridge_.
[76] To our watche, _for us_.
[77] Strike some chete, _steal something_.
[78] Quyer cuffen, _magistrate_.
[79] Myll, _rob_.
[80] Bynge we a waste, _let us away_.
[81] Pad, _road_.
[82] Ruffmanes, _wood_.
[83] Harmanes, _stocks_.
[84] Cly the Tarke, _be whipped_.
[85] Quyerken, _prison_.
[86] Skower quyaer crampings, _be shackled with bolts and fetters_.
[87] Chates, _gallows_.
[88] Gerry gan, _hold your tongue_.
[89] Ruffian, _devil_.
[90] Clye the, _take thee_.
[91] Stowe your bene, _hold your peace_.
[92] Cofe, _good fellow_.
[93] Sut benat wydds, _speak better words_.
[94] Rome vyle, _London_.
[95] Nyp a bonge, _cut a purse_.
[96] Bousing ken, _alehouse_.
[97] Deuseauyel, _country_.
[98] Duddes, _linen clothes_.
[99] Ruffemans, _hedges_.
[100] Lagge of dudes, _parcel of clothes_.