Scarronides, or Virgil Travestie, being the first and fourth Books of
Virgil’s Æneis, in English burlesque, 8vo, 1672, and other works by
this author, contain numerous vulgar words now known as slang.
DECKER’S (Thomas) The Bellman of London; bringing to light the most
notorious villanies that are now practised in the Kingdome, 4to, black
letter. _London_, 1608
Watt says this is the first book which professes to give an account
of the canting language of thieves and vagabonds. But this is wrong,
as will have been seen from the remarks on Harman, who collected the
words of the vagabond crew half a century before.
DECKER’S (Thomas) Lanthorne and Candle-light, or the Bellman’s Second
Night’s Walke, in which he brings to light a brood of more strange
villanies than ever were to this year discovered, 4to. _London_, 1608–9
This is a continuation of the former work, and contains the _Canter’s
Dictionary_, and has a frontispiece of the London Watchman with his
staff broken.