_The Orders and Degrees of the Canting Beggars, Men and Women, with
their several qualities and manner of life._
Though my lodging was homely, my bedfellow pleased, yet though she were
so young, I could not boast of the purchase of her Maidenhead, that
being a dainty bestowed always on the _Upright-men_ (the chief of the
Rogues) who must have the first taste of such morsels, and then are they
free for any of the Brother-hood. The whole night was spent in prigging,
wapping; and telling of drunken stories; in the morning as soon as
_Ph[oe]bus_ began to dart some of his beams through the Crannies of the
walls, the _Patrico_ began to set up his _larum_, and to waken the rest
with this song.
_This is_ Bien Bowse, _this is_ Bien Bowse,
_Too little is my skew._
_I_ Bowse _no_ Lage, _but a whole_ Gage
_Of this ile_ Bowse _to you._
_This_ Bowse _is better than_ Rom-Bowse,
_It sets the_ Gan _a gigling;_
_The_ Autem Mort _finds better sport_
_In_ Bowsing _than in_ nigling.
_Tis better than_ Peckidge, Plannam,
_Than_ Yarum, Loure, _or_ Lage;
_Then lift the same up to thy_ Nab,
_And_ Bowse _off a whole_ Gage.
Being thus rowsed, and having shaken our eares a little, the _Upright
man_ (who was the Bel-weather of the flock) appointed out the station
wherein every one should go, prefixing a day wherein we were all to meet
again. My _Doxy_ and I had a particular walk assigned unto us, wherein
we were to travel, and not to intrench upon any of the others limits;
whilst I thus rambled about with her, I learned of her the several
qualities and offices of the Brother-hood, and how they were
distinguished from each other according to their degrees of
_superiority_ and _inferiority_: the men were divided into these twenty
several sorts.
1 _Upright men._
2 _Rufflers._
3 _Anglers._
4 _Rogues._
5 _Wilde Rogues._
6 _Priggers of Prancers._
7 _Palliards, or Clapperdugeons._
8 _Fraters._
9 _Quire Birds._
10 _Abraham-men._
11 _Whip-jacks._
12 _Counterfeit Crancks._
13 _Dummerars._
14 _Jack-men._
15 _Patrico’s._
16 _Irish Toyles._
17 _Swigmen._
18 _Glymmerars._
19 _Curtalls._
20 _Kinchen Co’s._
Of the Women kinde were only these six.
1 _Kitchen Morts._
2 _Dells._
3 _Doxies._
4 _Walking Morts._
5 _Autem Morts._
6 _Bawdy Baskets._
And now what these several sorts of people are, you shall hear by their
descriptions.
1. An _Upright-man_ is the chief of all the Ragged Regiment, he walks
like a Commander with a short Truncheon in his hand which he calls his
_Filch-man_; pretends himself to be a decayed Souldier, and claimes a
share in all the Booties which any other inferior _Rogues_ do get; he
hath all the _Morts_ and _Doxies_ at his beck, and can command them from
any other of the _Gang_ at his pleasure. By this description you see
there is a great deal of difference betwixt an _Upright man_ and an
_honest man_.
2 A _Ruffler_ is the same in Conditions as an _Upright man, like to like
quoth the_ Devil _to the_ Collier; they both of them pretend themselves
to be decayed Souldiers, are both of them very imperious over the
inferior Subjects of their _Common-wealth_: receiving tribute also from
_Rogues_, _Palliards_, _Morts_, _Doxies_, _&c._
3 The next are _Anglers_, but they seldome catch Fish till they go up
_Westward_ for _Flounders._ The Rod they angle with is a staff of five
or six foot in length, having a hole bored through it within an inch of
the top, into which hole do they put an iron hook, and with the same do
they angle at windows about midnight, drawing therewith apparrel,
sheets, coverlets, or whatsoever they lay hold on, _All is Fish that
comes to Net_.
4 A _Rogue_, whose very name doth show his nature, and therefore he
shall not need any further description.
5 A _Wild Rogue_ is of the same nature as a _Rogue_, only this is the
difference, that the one falls into this infamous and detestable course
of life, either thorough laziness, death of Parents, cruelty of Masters,
or the like, the wild _Rogue_ is bred up to it from his swadling clouts,
born a _Rogue_, lives all his whole life a _Rogue_, and disdaines to
take upon him any calling or profession whatsoever, but as he lives, so
dies a _Rogue_.
6 _Priggers of Prancers_ are Horse-stealers, for to _Prig_, signifies in
the _Canting language_ to steal, and _Prancer_ signifies a Horse, the
Farmers in the Country, and Gentlemen that keep Horses, know these sorts
of _Rogues_ too well, by dear experience.
7 _Palliards_, otherwise called _Clapperdugeons_, who go alwayes with
their _Morts_ at their heels, and to draw people the more to pitty them,
with _Sperewort_ or _Arsnick_ raise blisters on their legs, which they
can cure again at their pleasure. When they come into the streets of a
Town or Country village, they divide themselves, and beg one on one side
of the street, and the other on the other side; the purchase which they
thus get, they sell to poor Tradesmen, or other labouring people, and
with the money are merry at the Bowsing-ken.
8 A _Frater_ is one that with a Counterfeit Patent goeth about with a
wallet at his back, and a black box at his girdle, to beg for some
Hospital or Spittle-house; he hath always a _Doxy_ whom he meets withall
at night at some tippling-house, where they lewdly spend what was given
him in the day by charitable well-minded people.
9 _Quire Birds_ are those in whom the Proverb is verified, _Birds of a
feather, Rogues together_, they are such as formerly sung in such Cages
as _Newgate_, the _White Lyon_, or some other Country _Goale_.
10 _Abraham-men_, or a _Tom of Bedlam_ is a man whom by his black and
blew arms you may see to be much beaten to the world; he counterfeits
madness, and by many Phantastick tricks gets from silly Country people
Bacon, and such other victuals as will fetch him ready money; he hath
but two names for all people whatsoever, and that is _Tom_ and _Bess_.
No man shifts his linnen oftner than he does his wenches.
11 _Whipjacks_ are such as travel about from town to town under the
notion of Shipwrackt _Seamen_, with a counterfeit licence to beg, which
licence they call a _Gybe_, and the seals to it _Jarks_; their talk is
all of Sea-voyages, but the end of their Land-voyage is for what they
can get, and to rob Booths at Fairs, which they call _Heaving of the
Booth_, at which they are very expert.
12 _Counterfeit Cranks_ are such as pretend themselves to have the
_Falling-sickness_, and by putting a piece of white soap into the corner
of their mouths, will make the froath to come boyling forth to cause
pitty in the beholders; they stare wildly with their eyes to appear as
if distracted, and go half naked to move the greater compassion. These
_Cranks_ have likewise their meetings, and their wenches at command.
13 The _Dummerar_ is Cousin-German to the _Cranks_, for as the one
counterfeits the _falling-sickness_, so this counterfeits dumbness,
making a horrid noise instead of speech by doubling his tongue in his
mouth, but if you give him nothing, he can then open his mouth to curse
you privately. This _Jack_ hath also his _Jill_, upon whom he spends his
_Loure_ at the _Bowsingken_.
14 A _Jackman_ is one that can write and reade, yea some of them have a
smattering in the _Latine_ tongue; which learning of theirs advances
them in office amongst the _Beggars_, as to be _Clark of their Hall_, or
the like. His employment is to make _Gybes_ with _Jarkes_ to them, which
are counterfeit licences with seals, by which he gets store of money to
make himself drunk withal.
15 The _Patrico_ is their Priest, every hedge is his Parish, and every
wandring Rogue and Whore is his Parishioner. His service is onely
marrying of couples, by bidding them go together and multiply, and fill
the world with a generation of vagabonds.
16 _Irish Toyls_ are lusty Rogues who go about with a wallet at their
back, in which they carry pinns, poynts, laces, and such like, and under
colour of selling such wares commit many villanies.
17 A _Swigman_ is a degree higher than an _Irish toyle_, as a Tavern
exceeds an Ale-house, for he carries a pack behind him in stead of a
wallet, and is stored with more sorts of ware than the other, yet
differs little from him in honesty; they both pay tribute to the
_Upright man_, as to their chief.
18 _Glymmerars_ are such as travel up and down with licences to beg,
because their houses have been consumed with fire, for _Glymmer_ in the
_Canting tongue_ signifies fire. They use a very sad tone in their
begging, and tell a lamentable story how the fire destroyed their Barns,
Stables, &c. by which lying tales they get store of _Loure_ to buy _Bub_
at the _Bowsingken_.
19 _Curtals_ are so called because they wear short Cloases, being of the
same nature as the Rogues described before.
20 The last _ranck_ of this _Rambling Crew_ are termed _Kinchin Co’s_,
being little Boys, whose Parents were formerly _Beggars_, but are now
dead, or else such as have run away from their Masters, and instead of a
trade to live by, follow this kinde of life to be lowsie by. The first
thing they` do is to learn how to _Cant_, and the onely thing they
practice is to creep in at windows or Cellar doors.
Thus have I given you a brief description of the men, by which you may
give a shrewd guess of the women; for you cannot imagine if the one were
_Devils_, that the other would be _Saints_, take them therefore in their
own Character.
* * * * *
1. Of this sort the first of them are called _Kinchen Morts_, their
Mothers carry at their backs in their _Slates_, id est, _sheets_. When
the _Morts_ beg, they use to prick these _Kinchens_ with pins, that by
their crying they may move people to a speedier distribution of their
alms.
2. _Dells_ are young wenches that have not lost their maiden-heads, but
being once deflowred, (which commonly is when they are very young) they
then change the name of _Dell_ into _Doxy_, even as maids when they come
to be married, loose that appellation, and are called women.
3. _Doxeys_ are such as have been deflowred by the _Upright-men_, and
are after common to any of the Brotherhood. They will if they see
convenient for a small piece of money prostitute their bodies to any
that will deal with them, and do too often murther those Infants which
are so gotten. They have one special badge to be known by, for most of
them go working of laces and shirt-strings, or such like stuff, onely to
give colour to their idle wandring.
4. A _walking Mort_ is one that hath increased the world with
Lullaby-cheats or young Children, yet was never married; they are very
dangerous Queans to meet withal, being cunning in dissembling, and
without all fear of God and good laws; and are kept in awe onely by the
_Upright-men_, who oftentimes rifle them of all that they have.
5. An _Autem Mort_ is another sort of these _she-devils_, and differs
onely from a _walking Mort_ in that she is married; for _Autem_ in the
Canting tongue signifies a _Church_, although that be a place she seldom
comes at. They commonly walk with their Wallets on their shoulders, and
_Slates_ or sheets at their backs, and will pilfer any thing that lies
carelesly about houses, which they call in their language _Nilling of
the ken_. Their Husbands commonly are _Rufflers_, _Upright-men_, _Wilde
Rogues_, _&c._
6. The last of this _Ragged Regiment_ are called _Bawdy Baskets_, which
are women that walk with Baskets or Cap-cases on their arms, wherein
they have pinns, points, needles, and such like things to sell, going
thus from house to house, to sell their ware; buy _Cunny-skins_, and
steal what they can lay their hands on, driving three trades at once.
They are very fair spoken, and will seldome swear whilest they are
selling their wares, but will lie with any man that hath a minde to
them. The _Upright-men_ and these are in perfect league and amity one
with another.
* * * * *
Thus have I briefly dissected to you this knot of _Vipers_, who may very
fitly be termed the _Devils black Guard_. Whose whole life consisteth of
a continued act of all impiety, no sin within their verge but is
frequently committed amongst them, especially that sin of leachery; to
which end you shall find sometimes together in a Barn forty of these
_Uprightmen_, _Rufflers_, _Clapperdugeons_, _&c._ ingendring _Beggars_
with their _Morts_. Adultery they boast of, Incest they laugh at, Sodomy
they Jest at, being all of the Family of _Love_ or Lust rather, rope
ripe, Nuts for the Devils cracking, and fit fuel for firing for his
Kitchen. But I have dwelt too long upon this filthy subject, I shall
only give you a brief Character of a _Canting Rogue_, and so return to
the progress of my own life.
He should seem by his rambling minde to be begot by some Intelligencer
under a hedge, for he is wholly addicted to travel, and hath one
especial priviledge above most Travellers, that he is never out of the
way. He is not troubled with making of Joyntures; he can divorce himself
without the Fee of a _Proctor_, nor fears he the cruelty of Overseers of
his Will; for there is small danger of his Children being cheated of
their Estates, by which means he makes not work for the Lawyers after
his decease. He leaves his Children all the world to _Cant_ in, and all
the people to be their fathers to provide for them. His language is
always one and the same; the Northern speech differs from the South,
Welsh from the Cornish, but _Canting_ is general, nor ever could be
altered by Conquest of the _Saxon_, _Dane_, or _Norman_. He will not beg
out of the limit prescribed him by the _Upright-man_, though he starve;
nor falsifie his oath, if he swear by his _Solomon_ (which is the
_Mass_) though you hang him; and to show himself a true subject of their
Common-wealth, he pays his custom as truly to his Grand Rogue, as
tribute is paid to the Great Turk.
The Spring is as welcome to him, as a warm Bed to a weary Traveller, for
then begins his progress after a hard Winter; and the Sun which breeds
Agues in others, he adores it like the _Indian_. _Ostlers_ cannot endure
him, for he is of the _Infantry_, and serves best on foot; and if
through sickness at any time he ride, his stage is but to the next Town,
and that in a Dung-cart. He offends not the Statute against the excess
of Apparel; the fuller of Rags, the more fashionable for his Calling;
and to go naked, he accounts but a voluntary pennance. Forty of them
will lye in a Barn together, yet are never sued upon the Statute of
In-mates. He shifts Lodgings oftner than men shift their shirts, and
hath more change of _Morts_ and _Doxies_, than he hath of Lodgings. If
he were learned, no man could make a better Description of _England_,
for he hath surveyed it more exactly than the best Cosmographer
whatsoever, having travell’d it over and over. Lastly, he can brag of
this, that repairing of houses will never undo him; and that though he
eats and drinks every day, yet he shall not die one penny in debt either
to the Brewer, or to the Butcher.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------