WHEN all the World was but oneKingdome, all the people in that Kingdome spake but one Language. A man could trauell in those dayes neyther by Sea nor Land, but he met his Countreymen, & none others. Two could not then stand gabling with strange tongues, and conspire together (to his owne face) how to cut a third mans throate, but he might vnderstand them. There was no Spaniard (in that age) to braue his enemie in the rich and loftie Castilian: no Romaine Orator to plead in the Rethoricall and Fluent Latine: no Italian to court his Mistressa in the sweet and amorous Tuscane: no French-man to parley in the full and stately phrase of Orleans no Germaine to thunder out the high and ratling Dutch: the vnfruitfull crabbed Irish, and the voluble significant Welch, were not then so much as spoken of: the quicke Scottish Dialect (sister to the English) had not then a tongue, neyther were the strings of the English speech (in those times) vntyed. When she first learned to speake, it was but a broken language: the singlest and the simplest words flowed from her vtterance; for she dealt in nothing but in Monosillables, (as if to haue spoken words of greater length would haue crackt her voyce) by which meanes her Eloquence was ••rest yet hardest to learne, and so (but for necessitie) not regarded amongst Strangers. Yet afterwards those noblest languages lent her words and phrases, and turning those Borrowings into Good husbandry, shée is now as rich in Elocution, and as abundant, as her prowdest and beststored neighbours.
Whilst thus (as I said before) there was but one Alphabet of Letters for all the world to read by: all the people that then liued, might haue wrought vpon one piece of worke in countries farre distant a sunder, without mistaking one another, and not néeding an Interpreter to run betwéene them. Which thing Nymrod (the first Idolater) perceiuing, and not knowing better how to imploy so many thousand millions of Subiects as bowed before him: a fire of Ambition burned within him, to climbe vp so high that he might sée what was done in heauen. And for that purpose, work-men were summoned from all the corners of the Earth, who presently were set to build the tower ofBabell. But the Maister-workman of this great Vniuerse, (to checke the insolence of such a sawcie builder) that durst raise vp pinnacles equall to his owne (aboue) commanded the selfe-same Spirit, that was both bred in the Chaos, and had maintained it in disorder, to be both Surueyor of those workes, and Comptroller of the Labourers. This Messenger was called Confusion. It was a Spirit swift of sight, & faithfull of seruice. Her lookes wilde, serrible and inconstant: her attire carelesly loose, and of a thousand seuerall colours. In one hand shée grip’d an heape of stormes, with which (at her pleasure) she could trouble the waters: in the other she held a whip, to make thrée Spirits that drew her to gallop fast before her: the Spirits names were Treason, Sedition; and Warre, who at euery time when they went abroad; were ready to see Kingdomes in an vproare. She roade vpon a Chariot of clowdes, which was alwayes furnished with Thunder, Lightning, Windes, Raine, Haile-stones, Snow, and all the other Artillerie belonging to the seruice of Diuine Vengeance: and when she spake, her voyce founded like the roaring of many Torrents; voysterously strugling together, for betwéene her iawes did she carry 1000000 tongues.
This strange Linguist stepping to euery artificer that was there at worke, whispered in his eare: whose lookes were there-vpon (presently) with a strange distraction: and on a sodaine, whilst euery man was speaking to his fellow, his language altered, and no man could vnderstand what his fellow spake. They all stared one vpon another, yet none of them all could tell wherefore, so they stared. Their tongues went, and their hands gaue action to their tongues, yet neyther words nor action were vnderstood. It was a noise of a thousand sounds, and yet the sound of the noise was nothing. Hée that spake knew hée spake well: and hée that heard, was madde that the other could speake no better. In the end they grew angry one with another, as thinking they had mocked one another of purpose: so that the Mason was ready to strike the Bricklayer, the Bricklayer to beate out the braines of his Labourer: the Carpenter tooke vp his Are to throw at the Caruer, whilst the Caruer was stabbing at the Smith, because he brought him an Hammer, when hée should haue made him a Chizzell: He that called for Timber had stones laid before him: and when one was sent for Nayles, hée fetcht a Tray of Morter.
Thus Babel should haue béene raized, and by this meanes Babell fell. The Frame could not goe forward, the stuffe was throwne by, the worke-men made holy-day. Euery one packd vp his Tooles to be gone, yet not to goe the same way that he came, but glad was hée, that could méete another whose speech hée vnderstood: for to what place soeuer hee went, others (that ran madding vp and downe) hearing a man speak like themselues, followed onely him: so that they who when the worke began were all Countrey-men, before a quarter of it was finished, fled from one another, s from enemies and strangers. And in this manner did men at the first make vp nations: thus were words coyned into Languages, & out of those Languages haue others béene molded since, onely by the mixture of nations after Kingdomes haue béene subdued. But I am now to speake of a People and a Language, of both which (many thousands of yéeres since that Wonder wrought at Babell) the world till now neuer made mention: yet confusion neuer dwelt more amongst any Creatures. The Bell-man (in his first Voyage which he made for Discoueries) found them to be sauages, yet liuing in an Iland very temperate, fruitfull, full of a noble Nation, rarely gouerned. The Lawes, manners, and habits of these Wild-men are plainly set downe, as it were in a former painted Table. Yet least happily a stranger may looke vpon this second Picture of them, who neuer beheld The first. it shall not be a misse (in this place) to repeate ouer againe, the Names of all the Tribes, into which they Diu•de themselues, both when they Serue abroad in the open fields, and when they lye in garrison within Townes & walled Cities.
AND THESE ARE THEIR RANCKES, AS THEY STAND IN ORDER, VIZ.
RVFFLERS.
Vpright-men.
Hookers, alias Anglers.
Roagues.
Wilde Roagues.
Priggers of Prancers.
Pallyards.
Fraters.
Prigges.
Swadders.
Curtals.
Irish Toyles.
Swigmen.
Iarkmen.
Patri-coes.
Kitchin-Coes.
Abraham-men,
Mad Tom, alias of Bedlam.
Whip-Iackes.
Counterfet Crankes.
Dommerats.
Glymmerers.
Bawdy-Baskets.
Autem Morts.
Doxies.
Dells.
Kinchin-Morts.
Into thus many Regiments are they now deuided: but in former times (aboue foure hundred yeares now past) they did consist of fiue Squadrons onely.
viz.
1 Cursitors, alias Vagabondes.
2 Faytors.
3 Robardsemen.
4 Draw-latches.
5 Sturdy Beggars.
And as these people are strange both in names and in their conditions, so doe they speake a Language (proper only to the¯selues) called canting, which is more strange. By none but the souldiers of These tottred bandes, is it familiarly or vsually spoken, yet within lesse then foure-score yeares (now past) not a word of this language was knowen. The first Inuentor of it, was hang’d, yet left he apt schollers behind him, who haue reduced that into Methode, which he on his death-bed (which was a paire of gallowes) could not so absolutely perfect as he desired.
It was necessary, that a people (so fast increasing, & so daity practising new & strange Villanies, should borrow to themselues a spéech, which (so néere as they could) none but themselues should vnderstand: & for that cause was this Language, (which some call Pedlers French) Inuented, to th’intent that (albeit any Spies should secretly steale into their companies to discouer them) they might fréely vtter their mindes one to another, yet auoide the danger. The language therefore of canting, they study euen from their Infancy, that is to say, from the very first houre, that they take vpón them the names of Kinchin Coes, till they are growne Rufflers, or Vpright-m
en, which are the highest in degrée amongst the¯.
This word canting séemes to be deriued from the latine verbe (canto) which signifies in English, to sing, or to make a sound with words, that is to say, to speake. And very aptly may canting take his deriuation a cantando, from singing, because amongst these beggerly consorts that can play vpon no better instruments, the language of canting is a king of musicke, and hée that in such assemblies can cant best, is counted the best Musitian.
Now as touching the Dialect or phrase it selfe, I sée not that it is grounded vpon any certaine rules; And no meruaile if it haue none, for sithence both the Father of this new kinde of Learning, and the children that study to speake it after him, haue béene from the beginning and stil are the Breeders and Norishers of al base disorder, in their liuing and in their Manners: how is it possible, they should obserue any Method in their spéech, and especialy in such a Language, as serues but onely to vtter discourses of villanies?
And yet (euen out of all that Irregularity, vnhansomnesse, and fountaine of Barbarisme) doe they draw a kinde of forme: and in some wordes, (aswell simple as compounds) retaine a certaine salte, tasting of some wit, and some Learning. As for example, they call a cloake (in the canting tongue) a Togeman, and in Latin, Toga signifies a gowne, or an vpper garment. Pannam is bread: & Panis in Lattin is likewise bread, cassan is chéese, and is a word barbarously coynde out of the substantiue caseus, which also signifies chéese. And so of others.
Then by ioyning of two simples, doe they make almost all their compounds. As for example: Nab (in the canting tongue) is a head, and Nab-cheate, is a hat, or a cap: Which word cheate, being coupled to other wordes, stands in very good stead, and does excellent seruice: For a Smelling cheate, signifies a Nose: a Prat-ling cheate, is a tongue Crashing cheates, are téeth: Hearing. cheates are Eares: Fambles are Hands: and there vpon a ring is called a Fambling chete. A Muffling chete, signifies a Napkin. A Belly chete, an Apron: A Grunting chete, A Pig: A Cackling Chete, a Cocke or a Capon: A Quacking chete, a ducke: A Lowghing chete, a Cow: A Bleating chete, a Calfe, or a Shéepe: and so may that word be marryed to many others besides.
The word Coue, or Cofe, or Cuffin, signifies a Man, a Fellow, &c. But differs something in his propertie, according as it méetes with other wordes: For a Gentleman is called a Gentry Coue, or Cofe: A good fellow is a Bene Cofe: a Churle is called, a Quier Cuffin; Quier signifies naught, and Cuffin (as I said before) a man: and in Canting they terme a Iustice of peace, (because hée punisheth them belike) by no other name then by Quier cuffin, that is to say, a Churle, or a naughty man. And so, Ken signifing a house, they call a prison, a Quire Ken, that is to say, an ill hous.
Many péeces of this strange coyne could I shew you, but by these small stampes, you may iudge of the greater.
Now because, a Language is nothing els, then heapes of wordes, orderly wouen and composed together: and that (within so narrow a circle as I haue drawne to my selfe) it is impossible to imprint a Dictionarie of all the Canting phrases: I will at this time not make you surfet on too much, but as if you were walking in a Garden, you shall openly plurke here a flower, and there another, which (as I take it) will bemore delightfull then if you gathered them by handfulls.
But before I lead you into that walke, stay and heare a Canter in his owne language, making Rithmes, albeit (I thinke) those tharmes of Poesie which (at the first) made the barbarous tame, and brought them ciuillity, can (vpon these sauage Monsters) worke no such wonder. Yet thus hée sing• (vpon demaund whether any of his owne crue did come that way) to which hée answers, yes (quoth he.)
CANTING RITHMES.
ENOUGH with bowsy Coue maund Nace,
Tour the Patring Coue in the Darkeman Case,
Docked the Dell, for a Coper meke,
His watch shall feng a Prounces Nab-chere,
Cya••m, by Salmon, and thou shalt pek my Iere,
In thy Ga•, for my watch it is nace gere.
For the beene bowse my watch hath a win, &c.
This short Lesson I leaue to be constraued by him that is desirous to try his skill in the language, which he may use by helpe of the following Dictionary; into which way that he may more readily come, I will translate into English, this broken French that followes in prose. Two Canters hauing wrangled a while about some idle quarrell at length growing friends, thus one of them speakes to the other. viz.
A CANTER IN PROSE.
STOWE you beene Cofe; and cut benar whiddes and bing wee to Rome vile, to nip a boung: so shall wee haue lowre for the bowsing ken, and when wee beng back to the Dewese a vile, wee will filch some Dudes, off the Ruffmans, or mill the Ken for a lagge of Dudes.
Thus in English.
Stowe you beene cofe: hold your peace good fellow,
And cut bena• whiddes: and speake better words.
And bing we to Romevile: and goe we to London.
To nip a boung: to cut a purse.
So shall we haue lowre: so shall we haue mony.
For the bowsing Ken, for the Ale house.
And when wee bing back: and when we come backe.
To the Dewse-a-vile: into the Country.
Wee will filch some dudes: we will filth some clothes,
Off the Ruffmans: from the hedges,
Or mill the Ken: or rob the house,
For a lagge of Duddes: for a bucke of clothes,
NOW TURNE TO YOUR DICTIONARY.
AND because you shall not haue one dish twice set before you, none of those Canting wordes that are englished before, shal here be found: for our intent is to frast you with varietie.
THE CANTERS DICTIONARIE.
AVTEM, a church.
Autem-mort, a married woman.
Boung, a purse.
Borde, a shilling.
Halfe a Borde, six pence.
Bowse, drinke.
Bowsing Ken, an Ale-house.
Bene, good.
Beneship, very good:
Bufe, a Dogge.
Bing a wast, get you hence.
Caster, a cloake.
A Commission, a shirt.
Chates, the Gallowes.
To cly the Ierke, to be whipped.
To cut, to speake.
To cut bene, to speake gently.
To cut bene whiddes, to speake good wordes,
To cut quier whiddes, to giue euill language.
To Cant, to speake.
To couch a Hogshead, to lye downe a sléepe.
Drawers, Hosen.
Dudes, clothes.
Darke mans, the night.
Dewse-a-vile, the country,
Dup the Giger, open the dore.
Fambles, hands.
Fambling Chete, a King.
Flag, a Goat.
Glasiers, eyes.
Gan, a mouth.
Gage, a Quart pot.
Grannam, Corne.
Gybe, a writing.
Glymmer, fire.
Gigger, a doore.
Gentry Mort, a Gentlewoman.
Gentry cofes Ken, a Noblemans house.
Harman beck, a Constable.
Harmans, the Stockes.
Heaue a bough, rob a Booth.
Iarke, a Seale.
Ken, a House.
Lage of Dudes, a Bucke of Clothes.
Libbege, a Bed.
Lowre, money.
Lap, Butter, Milke, or Whay.
Libkin, a House to lye in.
Lage, Water.
Light-mans, the day.
Mynt, Golde.
A Make, a Halfe-penny.
Margery prater, a Henne.
Mawnding, asking.
To Mill, to steale.
Mill a Ken, rob a house.
Nosegent, a Nunne.
Niggling, companying with a woman.
Pratt, a Buttocke.
Peck, meate.
Poplars, Pottage.
Prancer, a Horse.
Prigging, Riding.
Patrico, a Priest.
Pad, a way.
Quaromes, a body.
Ruff-peck, Bacon.
Roger, or Tib of the Buttry, a Goose.
Rome-vile, London.
Rome-bowse, Wine.
Rome-mort, a Queane.
Ruffmans, the woodes, or bushes.
Ruffian, the Diuell.
Stampes: legges.
Stampers? shooes.
Slate: a shéete.
Skew: a cup.
Salomon: the masse.
Stuling ken: a house to receiue stolne goods.
Skipper: a barne.
Strommel, straw.
Smelling chete, an Orchard or Garden.
To scowre the Cramp-ring: to weare boults.
Stalling: making or ordeyning.
Tryning: hanging.
To twore: to sée.
Wyn: a penny.
Yarum: milke.
And thus haue I builded vp a little Mint, where you may coyne wordes for your pleasure. The payment of this was a debt: for the Belman at his farewell (in his first Round which hée walk’d) promised so much. If hée kéepe not touch, by tendring the due Summe, he desires forbearance, and if any that is more rich in this Canting commodity will lend him any more, or any better, hée will pay his loue double: In the meane time, receiue this, and to giue it a little more weight, you shall haue a Canting song, wherein you may learne, how This cursed Generation pray, or (to speake truth) curse such Officers as punish them.
A Canting song.
THE Ruffin cly the nab of the Harman beck,
If we mawnd Pannam, lap, or Ruff pecke,
Or poplars of yarum: he cuts, bing to the Ruffmans,
Or els he sweares by the light-mans,
To put our stamps in the Harmans.
The ruffian cly the ghost of the Harmanbeck,
If we heaue a booth we cly the Ierke.
If we niggle, or mill a bowsing Ken,
Or nip a boung that has but a win,
Or dup the giger of a Gentry cofes ken,
To the quier cuffing we bing,
And then to the quier Ken, to scowre the Cramp-ring,
And then to the Trin’de on the chutes, in the lightmans
The Bube & Ruffian cly the Harman beck & harmans.
Thus Englished.
THE Diuell take the Constables head,
Complete Dramatic Works of Thomas Dekker Page 244