_He lighteth on a company of_ Canting Beggars, _and is stalled one of
their society, is married to a_ Doxy, _with the manner of their
wedding._
This company that I thus happened into was a _Crew_ of _Canting
Beggars_, Pilgrims of the vast earth, the offspring of _Cain_, vagabonds
and wanderers over the whole world, fit Companions for such who make a
trade for Idleness and Roguery, and these were at this time fit
companions for me, who seeing the merry life they led, resolved to make
one of their company, whereupon (after I had a little more ingratiated
my self amongst them, and taken two or three cups more of _Rum-booz_) I
imparted my inventions to one of the chief of them, telling him that I
was a Prentice who had a curst Master, whose cruelties had caused me to
run away from him, and that what ever fortune might betide me, yet
should not the most necessitous condition I could be plunged into, ever
make me to return to him again, and therefore if I might be admitted
into their society, I should faithfully observe and perform what rules
and orders were imposed upon me.
He very much applauded me for my resolutions, telling me that to be a
_Beggar_ was to be a _brave man_ since it was now in fashion for brave
men to beg. Do not we (said he) come all into the world like arrant
_Beggars_, without a rag upon us; and do not we all go out of the world
like _Beggars_, without any thing saving only an old sheet to cover us?
shall we then be ashamed to walk up and down in the world like
_Beggars_, with old Blankets pinn’d about us? no, no, that were a shame
to us indeed; have we not the whole kingdom to walk at our pleasure? are
we afraid of the approach of Quarter-day? do we walk in fear of
Bailiffs, Serjeants and Catch-poles? whoever knew an arrant _Beggar_
arrested for debt? is not our meat drest in every mans Kitchen? does not
every mans cellar afford us beer? and the best mens purses keep a penny
for us to spend?
Having by these words (as he thought) fully fixed me in love with
begging, he then acquainted the Company with my desires, who were all of
them very joyful thereof, being as glad to add one to their society, as
a _Turk_ is to gain a Proselite to _Mahomet_. The first question that
they asked me was, if I had any _Loure_ in my _Bung_? I stared on them
not knowing what they meant, till at last one told me it was mony in my
purse; I told them I had but eighteen pence, which I freely gave them;
this by a general vote was condemned to be spent in _Bouse_ for my
initiation. Then they commanded me to kneel down, which being done, one
of the chief of them took a Gage of _Bowse_, which is a quart of drink,
and poured the same on my head, saying, I do by vertue of this Soveraign
liquor, _stall thee to the Rogue_, and make thee a free Denizen of our
ragged Regiment; so that henceforth it shall be lawful for thee to
_Cant_ and to carry a _Doxy_ or _Mort_ along with thee, only observing
these rules. First that thou art not to wander up and down all
Countries, but to keep only to that Quarter which is allotted to thee!
and secondly, thou art to give way to any of us that have born all the
Offices of the _Wallet_ before thee, and upon holding up a finger to
avoid any Town or Country village where thou seest we are forraging to
victual our army that march along with us. Observing these two rules, we
take thee into our protection, and adopt thee a Brother of our numerous
society.
He having ended his oration, I rose up, and was congratulated by all the
Company, hanging about me like so many dogs about a Beare, and leaping
and shouting like so many mad men, making such a confused noyse with
their gabling, that the melody of a dozen oyster-wives at
_Billingsgate_, the scolding at ten Conduits, and the Gossipings of
fifteen Bake-houses were not comparable unto it. At length he that
_stalled me_ cryed out for silence, bidding the French and English Pox
to light on their throats for making such a yelping; then fixing his
eyes upon me, he read a Lecture to me out of the Devils Hornbook as
followeth.
Now (saith he) that thou art enter’d into our fraternity, thou must not
scruple to act any villanies which thou shall be able to perform;
whether it be to _nip_ a _bung_, _bite_ the _Peter_, _Cloy_ the
_Lurries_, _Crash_ either a _Bleating cheat_, _Cackling cheat_,
_grunting cheat_, _quacking cheat_, _Tib oth buttery_, _Margery prater_,
or to _Cloy a Mish_ from the _Crackmans_: that is, to _cut_ a _purse_,
_steal a Cloak-bag_ or _portmantle_, _convey_ away all manner of
_Cloaths_, either a _Sheep_, _Chicken_, _sucking Pig_, _Duck_, _Goose_,
_Hen_, or _steal_ a _shirt_ from the hedg; for he that will be a _Quier
Cove_, a profest Rogue, must observe this rule, set down by an ancient
_Patrico_ in these words.
_Wilt thou a begging go,
O perse o, o perse o,
Then must thou God forsake
And to the Devil thee betake
O perse o, &c._
And because thou art as yet but a Novice in begging, and understandest
not the mysteries of the _Canting_ language, to principle thee the
better, thou shalt have a _Doxy_ to be thy Companion, by whom thou maist
receive fit instructions for thy purpose. And thereupon he singled me
out a young Girl of about fourteen years of age, which tickled my fancy
very much that I had gotten a young wanton to dally withal; but this was
not all, I must presently be married unto her after their fashion by
their _Patrico_, (who amongst _Beggars_ is their Priest) which was done
after this manner.
They got a Hen, and having cut off the head of it, laid the dead body
upon the ground, placing me on the one side of it, and my _Doxy_ on the
other; this being done, the _Patrico_ standing by, with a loud voice
_bid us live together till death did us part_; then one of the Company
went into the yard and fetcht a dry Cow-turd, which was broken over my
_Dox’s_ head in imitation of a Bride-cake; and so shaking hands, and
kissing each other, the Ceremony of the wedding was over, and for joy of
the marriage we fell to drinking afresh, till we were all _as drunk as
Beggars_; but then to hear the gabling noyse we made, would have made
you to have blest your self, to hear such a _Babel_ of confusion amongst
us, some were jabbering in the _Canting Language_, others in their own,
some did nothing but weep and protest love to their _Morts_, others
swore swords and daggers to cut the throats of their _Doxy’s_ if they
found them tripping; one would drink a health to the Bride till he
slavered again, some were for singing Bawdy songs, others were divising
Curses for Justices of Peace, Head-boroughs, and Constables; at last
night approaching, and all their mony being spent, we betook us to a
Barn not far off, where we _coucht a Hogshead in the darkmans_, and went
to sleep.
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