(_Extract from Bampfylde-Moore Carew, King of the Mendicants._)
When a fresh recruit is admitted into this fraternity,
he is to take the following oath, administered by the
principal maunder,[154] after going through the annexed
form:--
First a new name is given him, by which he is ever after
to be called; then, standing up in the middle of the
assembly, and directing his face to the dimber damber, or
principal man of the gang, he repeats the following oath,
which is dictated to him by some experienced member of the
fraternity:--
“I, Crank Cuffin, do swear to be a true brother, and that
I will in all things obey the commands of the great tawny
prince,[155] keep his counsel, and not divulge the secrets
of my brethren.
“I will never leave or forsake the company, but observe
and keep all the times of appointment, either by day or by
night, in every place whatever.
“I will not teach anyone to cant; nor will I disclose any
of our mysteries to them.
“I will take my prince’s part against all that shall
oppose him, or any of us, according to the utmost of my
ability; nor will I suffer him, or anyone belonging to us,
to be abased by any strange abrams,[156] ruffies,[157]
hookers,[158] palliardes,[159] swaddlers,[160] Irish
toyles,[161] swigmen,[162] whip Jacks,[163] Jarkmen,[164]
bawdy baskets,[165] dommerars,[166] clapper dogeons,[167]
patricoes,[168] or curtails;[169] but I will defend
him, or them, as much as I can, against all other
outliers whatever. I will not conceal aught I win out of
libkins,[170] or from the ruffmans,[171] but will preserve
it for the use of the company. Lastly, I will cleave to my
doxy,[172] wap[173] stiffly, and will bring her duds,[174]
margery praters,[175] gobblers,[176] grunting cheats,[177]
or tibs of the buttery,[178] or anything else I can come
at, as winnings for her wappings.”[179]
[154] Maunder, _beggar_.
[155] Tawny prince, _Prince Prig, the head of the gipsies_.
[156] Abrams, _half-naked beggars_.
[157] Ruffies, _beggars who sham the old soldier_.
[158] Hookers, _thieves who beg in the daytime and steal at night from
shops with a hook_.
[159] Palliardes, _ragged beggars_.
[160] Swaddlers, _Irish Roman Catholics who pretend conversion_.
[161] Toyles, _beggars with pedlar’s pack_.
[162] Swigmen, _beggars_.
[163] Whip Jacks, _beggars who sham the shipwrecked sailor_.
[164] Jarkmen, _learned beggars_, _begging-letter impostors_.
[165] Bawdy baskets, _prostitutes_.
[166] Dommerars, _dumb beggars_.
[167] Clapper dogeons, _beggars by birth_.
[168] Patricoes, _those who perform the marriage ceremony_.
[169] Curtails, _second in command, with short cloak_.
[170] Libkins, _lodgings_.
[171] Ruffmans, _bushes or woods_.
[172] Doxy, _mistress_.
[173] Wap, _to lie with a woman_.
[174] Duds, _clothes_.
[175] Margery praters, _hens_.
[176] Gobblers, _ducks_.
[177] Grunting cheats, _pigs_.
[178] Tibs of the buttery, _geese_.
[179] Wappings, _coition_.