Part 5

Thus we rambled up and down the Countrey; and where the people demean’d themselves not civil to us by voluntary contributions, their Geese, Hens, Pigs, or any such mandible thing we met with, made us satisfaction for their hide-bound injuries. Our revenge most commonly was very bloody, and so merciless, that whatever fell into our hands, never escaped alive, and in our murders so cruel, that nothing would satisfie us but the very hearts-blood, of what we killed. The usual sacrifices of our implacable revenge, were innocent Lambs, Sheep, Calves, _&c._ all which we handled more severely than Prisoners are by Serjeants, when they are not paid their unjust Demands; Fees, I should have said, but that by experience I have found, they walk not according to the Rules of ancient Constitutions, but are guided by the dictates of their insatiate wills, which is their Law, which poor Prisoners must indulge, (though they rack their slender credits, or pawn their Clothes) or else they must expect less kindness from them, then a Condemned person about to be tyed up by the Hang-man, who will stay till he is ready to be turned off. A Goose coming among us, we have a trick to make him so wise, as never to be a Goose again: But let the wisest use what tricks they can, they never shall make some Serjeants honest men. We seize the prey, and leave the Tragical part to our _Morts_ or women to act: the _Stage_ on which they perform their parts, is either some large _Heath_, or _Firze-bush-Common_, far from any House. This being done, and night approaching, we repair to our Dormitories, or Houses of rest, which are most usually Out-barns of Farmers and Husbandmen, which we make choice of in some poor stragling Village, who dare not deny us, for fear ere the morning they find their Thatcht Houses too hot to hold them. These Barns serve us instead of Cook Rooms, Supping Parlours, and Bed-Chambers: having Supt, (most commonly in a plentiful manner) we cannot _Couch a Hogshead_, that is to say, sleep, without good store of _Rum-booz_, that is, drink; and having sufficiently warm’d our brains with humming Liquor, which our _Lower_ (Silver) shall procure; if our deceitful _Maunding_ (Begging) cannot, we then sing a catch or two in our own Language, of which we had good store; which for their bawdry I omit: however, give me leave to instance one Canting Song, and I shall wave the rest, being loath to tire you too much with one thing.

_Bing out bien Morts, and toure, and toure, Bing out bien Morts, and toure; For all your Duds are bing’d awast The bien Cove hath the loure. I met a Dell, I view’d her well, She was benship to my watch; So she and I did stall, and cloy, Whatever we could catch. This Doxie Dell can cut bien whids, And wap fell for a win; And prig and cloy so benshiply, All the Deusea-vile within. The boyle was up, we had good luck, In frost for and in Snow: When they did seek, then did we creep, And plant in Ruffe-mans low. To strawling Ken the Mort bings then, To fetch loure for her cheats; Duds & Ruffe-peck, Rombold by Harman beck, And won by Maunders feats. Ye Maunders all, stow what you stall, To Rome Coves what so quire, And wapping Dell, that niggles well, And takes loure for her hire. And Jybe well jerckt, teck rome confect, For back by glymmar to Maund; To mill each ken, let Cove bing then, Through Ruff-mans, jague, or Laund, Till Crampings quire tip Cove his hire; And Quire Ken do them catch, A Canniken, mill quire Cuffin, So quire to ben Coves watch. Bien Darkmans then, Bouse Mort and Ken, The bien Coves bings awast, On Chates to trine by Rome Coves dine, For his long lib at last. Bing’d out bien Morts and toure, and toure, Bing out of the Rome vile bine, And toure the Cove that cloyd your duds, Vpon the Chates to trine._

Having even wearied ourselves with drinking and singing, we tumbled promiscuously together, Male and Female in Straw, not confining our selves to one constant Consort, we made use of the first that came to hand; by which means incests and Adulteries became our pastimes. By this means I grew weary of their practices, and therefore resolved to desert them as soon as the first opportunity should offer it self, which was in a short time; wherefore at the present I shall say no more of them, only give me leave to give some small account of their Language. The first Inventor of Canting, as I am informed, was Hanged about four score years since: such _Gibberish_ was never heard of before; since which time, there hath not been wanting such, who have taken pains in the pollishing, refining, and augmenting that Language of the _Devils Imps_. It is a confused invention of words; for its Dialect I cannot find to be grounded on any certain Rules; and no wonder since the Founders and Practicers thereof, are the chief Fathers and Nourishers of Disorder. Yet even out of that Irregularity a man may observe some kind of form, and some words do retain something of Scholarship, as _Togeman_, a Gown, from _Toga_; _Pannam_, from _Panis_ Bread; _Cosan_, _Caseus_, Cheese. The monosyllable _Cheat_; we use as a Relative, as _Nab_, a Head; _Nab-cheat_, a Hat, _&c._ _Cove_ or _Cuffin_ is in general terms a Man; but by adding _bien_, which signifies good or well, or _Quire_, which is wicked or Knavish; you make the word _Cove_ signifie an _Honest man_, or a _Justice of Peace_. Pardon the expression, for they call a Justice _Quier Cuffin_; that is to say, as before mentioned, a wicked, knavish, or foolish man. To conclude, I shall here insert this little Canting Vocabulary Alphabetically,

_Avtem Mort_ │ A married Woman _Abram_ │ Naked _Abram Cove_ │ A Tatter demallion _Autem_ │ A Church _Bughar_ │ A Cur _Bouse_ │ Drink _Bousing Ken_ │ An Ale-house _Borde_ │ A Shilling _Boung_ │ A Purse _Bien_ │ Good or well _Benshiply_ │ Very well _Benar_ │ Better _Bing_ │ To go _Bing a waste_ │ To go away _Bube_ │ The Pox _Bufe_ │ A Dog _Bleating cheat_ │ A Sheep _Belly cheat_ │ An Apron _Betty_ │ An Instrument to break a door _Bite the Peter or Roger_ │ Steal the Portmantle or Cloak-bag. _Budge_ │ One that steals Cloaks _Bulk and File_ │ The Pick-pocket and his mate _Cokir_ │ A Lyar _Cove_ ⎫│ ⎬│ A Man _Cuffin_ ⎭│ _Cuffin-Quire_ │ A Justice of Peace _Cramprings_ │ Bolt or Shackles _Chats_ │ The Gallows _Canke_ │ Dumb _Crackmans_ │ Hedges _Calle_ ⎫│ _Togeman_ ⎬│ A Cloak _Joseph_ ⎭│ _Couch_ │ To lye or sleep _Couch a Hogshead_ │ To go to sleep _Commission_ ⎫│ ⎬│ A Shirt _Mish_ ⎭│ _Cackling cheat_ │ A Chicken _Cassan_ │ Cheese _Crash_ │ To kill _Crashing cheats_ │ Teeth _Cloy_ │ To steal _Cut_ │ To speak _Cut bien whids_ │ To speak well _Cut quire whids_ │ To speak evilly _Confeck_ │ Counterfeit _Cannakin_ │ The Plague _Cly the Jerk_ │ To be whipt _Clapperdogeon_ │ A Beggar born _Culle_ │ A Sap-headed Fellow _Dimber_ │ Pretty _Damber_ │ Rascal _Drawers_ │ Stockings _Duds_ │ Goods _Deusea-vile_ │ The Country _Dommerar_ │ A Mad-man _Darkmans_ │ Night or evening _Doxie_ ⎫│ ⎬│ A Wench _Dell_ ⎭│ _Dock_ ⎫│ ⎬│ To —— _Wap_ ⎭│ _Deuswins_ │ Two pence _Dup_ │ To enter. _Earnest_ │ A part _As tip me my Earnest_ │ Give me my part or share _Frummagem_ │ Choakt _Filch_ │ A Staff _Ferme_ │ A Hole _Fambles_ │ Hands _Famble chears_ │ Rings or Gloves _Fib_ │ To beat _Flag_ │ A Groat _Fogus_ │ Tobacco or Smoke _Fencing Cully_ │ One that receives stollen goods _Glymmer_ │ Fire _Glaziers_ │ Eyes _Grannam_ │ Corn _Gentry-Mort_ │ A Gallant Wench _Gan_ │ A Lip _Gage_ │ A Pot or Pipe _Grunting cheat_ │ A Sucking Pig _Giger_ │ A Door _Gybe_ │ Any Writing or Pass _Glazyer_ │ One that goes in at the windows _Gilt_ │ A Pick-lock _Harmanbeck_ │ A Constable _Harmans_ │ The Stocks _Heave a Booth_ │ To rob an House _Half bord_ │ Six pence _Hearts ease_ │ A twenty shillings piece _Jocky_ │ A Flayl, or mans Privities _Jague_ │ A Ditch _Jarke_ │ A Seal _Ken_ │ An House _Kinchin_ │ Little _Knapper of Knappers_ │ A Sheep-stealer _Kinchin Cove_ │ A little man _Kate_ │ A Pick-lock _Loure_ │ Money _Lightmans_ │ Morning or Day _Lib_ │ To tumble _Libben_ │ An house to lie in _Lage_ │ Water _Libedge_ │ A Bed _Lullabie-cheat_ │ A Childe _Lap_ │ Pottage _Lurries_ │ All manner of Cloaths _Maunder_ │ To Beg _Maunders_ │ Beggers _Margery Prater_ │ An Hen _Mill_ │ To steal _Make_ │ An half-penny _Mynt_ │ Gold _Muffling cheat_ │ A Napkin _Mumpers_ │ Gentile Beggars _Milken_ │ One that Breaks houses _Munns_ │ The Face _Nab_ │ An head _Nab-cheat_ │ An Hat │⎧ To take _Nab_ │⎨ │⎩ Or cheat _Palliard_ │ One whose Father is a Beggar born _Paplar_ │ Milk-Pottage _Prats_ │ Thighs _Prigg_ │ To Ride _Peckidge_ │ Meat _Pannam_ │ Bread _Plant_ │ To lay or hide _Prigging_ │ Riding _Prancer_ │ An Horse _Prating cheat_ │ A Tongue _Peake_ │ Any Lace _Pike on the Leen_ │ Run as fast as you can _Perry_ │ Fearful _Peter_ │ A Portmantua _Prigger of Prancers_ │ An Horse-stealer _Pad_ │ The Highway-man _Plant your whids_ │ Have a care what you say _Quarron_ │ A Body _Quacking cheat_ │ A Duck _Quier_ │ Wicked or Roguish _Quier-Ken_ │ A Prison _Quier-Mort_ │ A Pocky Jade _Quier-Cove_ │ A Rogue _Romboyle_ │ A Ward or watch _Rome_ │ Gallant _Rome-vile_ │ London _Rome-Mort_ │ A Gallant Girl _Ruffin_ │ The Devil _Roger_ │ A Cloak-bagg _Ridge-cully_ │ A Goldsmith _Ruffler_ │ An over-grown Rogue _Ruffe peck_ │ Bacon _Rod-shanke_ │ A Mallard _Rom-pad_ │ The High-way _Rome-padders_ │ High-way-men _Rome-Culle_ │ A Rich Coxcomb _Swagg_ │ A Shop _Sundge_ │ One that lies under the bed │ to rob the house _Shop-lift_ │ One that steals out of shops _Stampers_ │ The shooes _Stock-drawers_ │ Stockings _Stamps_ │ Legs _Scoure_ │ To wear _Skew_ │ A Dish _Slate_ │ A Sheet _Strommel_ │ Straw or Hair _Skepper_ │ A Barn _Stow your whids_ │ Be wary │⎧ A Brokers House, or an _Stalling-Ken_ │⎨ House to receive stollen │⎩ goods _Smelling cheat_ │ A Garden _Solomon_ │ The Mass _Tour_ │ To look out _Tout his muns_ │ Look in his face _Track up the Dancers_ │ Go up the Stayres _The Cul Snylches_ │ The Man eyes you _Tip the Cole to Adam Tyler_ │ Give what money you pocket-pickt to │ the next party, presently _Tip the Mish_ │ Give the Shirt _Tib o’ th’ Buttery_ │ A Goose _Tip_ │ To give _The Mort tipt me a wink_ │ The Whore gave me a wink _Trine_ │ Tyburn _Trining_ │ Hanging _Tick-Rome_ │ A License _Tres wins_ │ Three pence _Win_ │ A Penny _Wicher Cully_ │ A Silver-smith _Yarum_ │ Milk

This much for a taste: I think it not worth my pains to insert all those Canting words which are used; it is enough that I have here divulged what words are most in use. Having now deserted this _Tawny_ Crew; I resolved to betake my self to a new Trade; which you shall understand in this following Discourse.

CHAP. VI.

_How he went a Begging. What Rules he observ’d therein. What Villanies he committed whilst he profest that mysterious Art._

Necessity is a thing better known by the effects, than its character; and of all things the most insufferable: to prevent which, it puts a man on to venture upon all manner of dishonest and dangerous actions, suggesting strange imaginations, and desperate resolutions, solliciting things infamous, and attempting things impossible; the product of which is only disorder, confusion, shame, and in the end ruine. But when Necessity shall conjoyn with an evil disposition, a deprav’d nature, what horrid and nefarious facts will it not instigate that man to perpetrate? And though he seeth monthly examples of persons condemned and executed for the like crimes he daily practiseth, will not forbear nor desist from such irregular and life-destroying courses, till they have brought him to the like miserable Catastrophe. Necessity had now deeply faln in love with me; and the young Virgin Shame-fac’dness (once my Mistress) had forsaken me: for as soon as I had pull’d but one thread out of her garment, all the rest unravell’d; and she not brooking her nakedness, changed her master, and so totally left me. Having now obtained more than a convenient boldness I travell’d, and begg’d with very good success. But me thought my life was somewhat uncomfortable without a Companion, (all Creatures coveting society, but more especially Man:) at length, according to my desires, I met with one, whose long practice in this Art, besides the Observations of his Predecessors, deriving his pedegree in a direct line from _Prince Prigg_, indu’d him with so much skill as to furnish me with the knowledge of anything that belonged to the liberal Art of Begging. We straight betook our selves to the _Boozing Ken_; and having _bubb’d rumly_, we concluded an everlasting friendship. Than did he recount to me the most material things observable in our Profession. First, he tun’d my voice to that pitch which might most of all raise compassion; next what form of prayer I was to use upon such an occasion, what upon such, varying according to the humour of those persons that I begged of, gathered from their habit or gesture; then he told me when we came to _London_, he would acquaint me what places were most fit for our purpose, and what times. That I ought not to be too importunate to some, always wishing well, and loudly praying for the health and safety of Estate and Limbs of such as deny’d me Alms; but more especially pronounce a _God bless you Master, and let Heaven reward what you have here done on earth_, if any thing is bestowed upon me. If any should pity my nakedness, and cloath me in garments without holes in them, I should wear them no longer than in the Donors sight, reserving my rags to re-invest my self, and sell the other, as unfit and scandalous to our Occupation. That we should never beg far from one another, and at nights faithfully share the gains. Moreover, he inform’d me the way to make all sorts of seeming sores and lameness. That within the tatter’d rags, there be places provided for private conveyance. Some of maturer age, if they have no children, rent them of such as have; but we had no occasion for this fallacy. That if I saw a door open, I should go in boldly; if I met any in the way, I should then in a very submissive manner implore their help in the assistance of my wants, never desiring any thing but what was of small value, one half-penny, farthing, or some broken crust, (if at a door) pretending the not eating of a bit in two days. If the passage was clear, whip away what was nearest to hand. That the time of rising in the morning be very early, shewing my self in the streets: for then will those that pass by, judge I have no other lodging but what a stall affords, that way procuring relief from pitiful-minded persons, and so continue begging till the evening; when it beginneth to be duskish, if any then walks singly, accost him in a begging form; coming up so close, as that you may knock him down with a Truncheon, still carried about for that purpose; which is done securely, and many times with a good booty.

Being full fraught with these, and many more precepts he delivered, we set forth on our progress. We had not gone far, before we were surprized by the Constable, as two sturdy Vagrants, and as _hand-sail_ to my new Trade, we were both soundly whipt out of Town. To avoid this danger for the time to come, we mist all the towns of any considerable note in our way, and only frequented Villages; nay at last we were forc’d not only to avoid them but the High-ways too: for Travellers observing our garb, countenances, and weapon, which was a Battoon, suspecting us, would before they came near us, set spurs to their horses and ride as if the Devil drove them. Many petty rogueries we performed by the way, not worthy the commemoration, and therefore I shall pass them over; only this I shall insert.

Travelling the Field-way, we stumbled on a _Tinker_ and his _Trull_ lying by an Hedge-side, I knew not what to thinke at first they lay so still, with much pulling and stirring then they awakened; I askt them what they lay there for? They answered me, That they were lately bitten by a Serpent near adjacent, a potent creature, mighty in strength, and of a vast proportion, who had lately stung several as well as they. It seem’d very strange to us, especially having heard not the least report hereof. To be short, I desir’d them to shew us the place of his residence, which they readily consented to. In stead of this Venomous Animal, they only brought us to its representation in a sign, where a Cup of double-brew’d Beer was sold, notable huming geer. The people lik’d the Tinker and his Female Comrade well enough, but would not admit of us, till we shew’d them money: For our Vestments look’d like the Gleanings of a Rag-merchants Yard. We drank stifly till we laid the Woman asleep again: still the Tinker bore up stifly, she had not slept long, but up she started, pull’d up her coats, and in our presence piss’d in the middle of the room and so sate her self down, yet awaked not: which action could not but produce much laughter from me and my Comrade. At last the Tinker fell asleep too, having added so much to his former burden that he was no longer able to stand under it. Now had my wits enough to work on: but finding my self very drowsie, for the strength of the drink had almost over-powred me, insomuch that I was forc’d to advise with my friend what course I were best take to make me a little more sober: he was so well known in such matters, (being an old experienced Pitcher-man) that he quickly counselled me what to do, he himself being not in the least disturb’d. This was his advice which he did put in practice, he got a Pail full of water, and so taking me up by the heels, he clapt my head thereinto; holding me in that manner so long, that the _Pail_ had like to have prov’d the _Ferry-boat_ that should waft me over the _Stygian Lake_; this so qualified the heat my head had contracted by my excessive drinking of that strong stupifying liquor, that I found it had wrought its desired effects.