Then Dommerars.
Then Clapperdogeons in their true abiliments, and their true beggerly Rhetoricke they vse in begging.
Then will I shew you how they hang together in Fraternities, and what Articles of Brother-hood they are sworne too: with a note (as good as any Roagues marke they carry about them) how to know these Knots of Knaues, or these Brother-hoods, their Names, their Libkins, or Lodgins, their Stawling Kennes, to which all stolne goods are brought. And lastly, to shew you that euen in their mirth they are Diuels, you shall heare their true Canting Songs now vsed among them.
In setting downe all which hidden villanies, (neuer till this day discouered) you shall finde a mixture not onely of all those detestable subtilties, vsed in making those Soares which eate into their flesh, but also the trickes and medicines they haue (without help of Surgeons) to cure them. I will besides (in their descriptions) here and there sticke words and phrases of their gibbrish or beggerly language, giuing them the stampe presently of true English, which labour I take of purpose to procure delight to the Reader.
OF THE ABRAM, HIS DESCRIPTION.
THE Abram Coue, is a lustie strong Roague, who walketh with a Slade about his Quarrous (a shéete about his body) Trining, hanging to his hammes, bandeliere-wise, for all the world as Cut-purses and Théeues weare their shéetes to the Gallowes, in which their Tru•s are to bury them: oftentimes (because hée scornes to follow any fashions of Hose,) hée goes without bréeches, a cut Ierkin with hanging fléeues (in imitation of our Gallants,) but no Sa•tin or Chamblet elbowes, for both his legges and armes are bare, hauing no Commission to couer his body, that is to say, no shirt: A face staring like a Sarasin, his hayre long and filthily knotted, for hée kéepes no Barber: a good Filch (or Staffe) of growne Ash, or else Hazell, in his Famble (in his Hand) and sometimes a sharpe sticke, on which hée hangeth Ruffe-pecke (Bacon.) These, walking vp and downe the Countrey, are more terribly to women and Children, then the name of Raw-head and Blo•dy-bones, Robbin Good-fellow, or any other Hobgobling Crackers tyed to a Dogges tayle, make not the poore Curre runne faster, then these Abram Ninnies doe the silly Villages of the Countrey, so that when they come to any doore a begging, nothing is deuyed them.
THEIR MARKES.
SOME of these Abrams haue the Letters E. and R. vpon their armes: some haue Crosses, and some other marke, all of them carrying a blew colour: some weare an iron ring, &c. which markes are printed vpon their flesh, by tying their arme hard with two strings thrée or feure inches asunder, and then with a sharpe Awle pricking or raizing the skinne, to such a figure or print as they best fancy, they rub that place with burnt paper, pisse and Gunpowder, which being hard rubd in, and suffered to dry, stickes in the flesh a long time after, when these markes faile, they renew them at pleasure. If you examine them how these Letters or Figures are printed vpon their armes, they will tell you it is the Marke of Bedlam, but the truth is, they are made as I haue reported.
And to colour their villanie the better, euery one of these Abrams hath a seuerall gesture in playing his part: some make an horrid noyse, hollowly sounding: some whoope, some hollow, some shew onely a kinde of wilde distracted vgly looke, vttering a simple kinde of Mawnding, with these addition of words (Well and Wisely.) Some daunce, (but kéepe no measure) others leape vp and downe, and fetch Gambals, all their actions shew them to be as drunke as Beggers: for not to belye them, what are they but drunken Beggers? All that they begge being eyther Loure or Bouse, (money or drinke.)
THEIR MAWND, OR BEGGING.
THE first beginnes Good Vrship. Maister, or good Vrships Rulers of this place, bestow your reward on a poore man that hath lyen in Bedlam without Bishops-gate three yeeres, foure moneths, and nine dayes, And bestow one piece of your small siluer towards his fees, which he is indebted there, the summe of three pounds, thirteene shillings, seauen pence, halfe-penny, (or to such effect,) and hath not wherewith to pay the same, but by the good help of Vrshipfull and well disposed people, and God to reward them for it.
The second beginnes: Now Dame, well and wisely: what will you giue poore Tom now? one pound of your sheepes feathers to make poore Tom a blanket: or one cutting of your Sow side, no bigger then my arme, or one piece of your Salt meate to make poore Tom a sharing horne: or one crosse of your small siluer towards the buying a paire of Shooes, (well and wisely:) Ah, God blesse my good Dame (well and wisely) giue poore Tom an old sheete to keepe him from the cold, or an old dublet, or Ierkin of my Maisters, God saue his life.
Then will he daunce and sing, or vse some other Anticke, and ridiculous gesture, shutting vp his counterfeite Puppet-play, with this Epilogue or Conclusion, Good Dame giue poore Tom one cup of the best drinke, (well and wisely,) God saue the King and his Counsell, and the Gouernour of this place, &c.
OF COUNTERFEIT SOULDIERS.
THESE may well be called Counterfeit Souldiers, for not one (scarce) among the whole Armie of them, euer discharged so much as a Caliner: nothing makes them Souldiers but old Mandilions, which they buy at the Broakers. The weapons they carry are short Crabtrée Cudgels: and these, (because they haue the name of Souldiers,) neuer march but in troopes two or thrée in a company: of all sorts of Roagues these are the most impudent and boldest, for they knocke at mens doores, as if they had serious businesse there, whereas the doore being opened to them, they beginne this parle.
THEIR MAWNDING.
GENTLE Rulers of this place, bestow your reward vpon poore Souldiers, that are viterly maymed and spoyled in her Maiesties late warres, as vvell for Gods cause as her Maiesties and yours. And bestow one piece of your smal siluer vpon poore men, or somwhat towards a meales meate, to succour them in the way of truth, &c. for Gods cause.
These Fellowes goe commonly hurt in the left arme, beneath the elbow, hauing a Iybe ierked, (that is to say, a Passeport sealed) with license to depart the colours, (vnder which if you rightly examine them, they neuer fought,) yet wheresoeuer the warres are, and how far off soeuer, thus can they wound themselues at home.
THEIR MAKING OF THEIR SOARES.
TAKE vnslaked lime and Sope, with the rust of olde yron: these mingled together, and spread thicke on two pieces of leather which are clap vpon the arme, one against the other: two small pieces of wood (fitted to the purpose) holding the leathers downe, all which are bound hard to the arme with a Garter: which in a few howers fretting the skin with blisters, and being taken off, the flesh will appeare all raw, then a linnen cloath being applyed to the raw blistered flesh, it stickes so fast, that vpon plucking it off, it bléedes: which bloud (or else some other,) is rubd all ouer the arme, by which meanes (after it is well dryed o•) the arme appeares blacke, and the soare raw and reddish, but white about the edges like an old wound: which if they desire to heale, a browne paper with butter and ware being applyed, they are cured: And thus (without weapon) doe you see how our Mawndering Counterfeite Souldiers come maymed.
OF PLACING THEIR SOARES.
THE Souldier hath his Soare alwayes on his left arme, (vnlesse hée be left-handed, for then because of the better vse of that hand it is vpon the right) betwixt the elbow and the wrest, and is called by the name of Souldiers Mawnd.
When a Soare is placed on the backe of the hand, and that hée saith hée was hurt by an horse, then it is called Foote-mans Mawnd.
When the soare is aboue the elbow, as if it were broken, or hurt by falling from a Scaffold, it is called Masons Mavvnd. And thus the altring the place of the soare altereth the Mawnd.
Of these counterfeit Souldiers, some of them being examined, will say they were lately Seruing-men, but their Maister being dead, and the Houshold dispersed, they are compelled to this basenesse of life for want of meanes. Some of them can play the Abram, (be madde Toms,) or else begge Rum Mawnd (counterfeit to be a Foole) or else that his tongue is tyed, and cannot speake, and such like.
OF BEN-FEAKERS OF IYBES.
THEY who are Counterfeiters of Passeports, are called Ben-feakers, that is to say, Good-Makers: and these makers (like the Diuels Hackney-m
en) lye lurking in euery Countrey, to send his Messengers p•ste to hell. The best Passeports that euer I saw, were made in S.-shire, with the hand of one M. W. subscribed vnto them. There was another excellent Ben-feaker about P. a Towne in G.-shire. In S. dwelt another, who tooke two shillings and sire pence (two Bordes and sire Winnes,) or two Bordes and a Flagge, for euery Passeport that went out of his beggerly Office: hée counterfeited the Seale of L. D.
Of these Ben-feakers I could say much more, if I would be counted a blabbe: but now the very best of them are made in L. to carry men from thence vnto W.
HOW TO KNOW COUNTERFEITE PASSE-PORTS.
THE Seales of Noblemen, Gentlemen, Iustices, or any other who haue authoritie to vse Seales, are grauen in Siluer, Copper, or some hard stuffe: and those things which are so grauen seale the Armes or such like with sharpe edges, and with a round circle enclosing it, as if it were cut with an instrument of Stéele, and it maketh a neate and déepe impression: but these counterfeit Ierkes (or Seales) are grauen with the point of a knife, vpon a stickes end, whose roundnesse may well be perceiued from the circle of a common turnde Seale: these for the most part bearing the ill fauoured shape of a Buhars Nab, or a Prancers Nab (a Dogges head, or a Horses,) and sometimes an Vnicornes, and such like: the Counterfeit Ierke hauing no Circle about the edges. Besides, in the Passeport you shall lightly finde these wordes, viz. For Salomon saith; Who giueth the poore, lendeth the Lord, &c. And that Constables shall help them to lodgings: And that Curates shall perswade their Parishioners, &c.
Another note is, let them be in what part of the Land soeuer they will, yet haue they an hundred miles to goe at least: euery one of them hauing his Doxie at his héeles. And thus much of Ben-feakers.
OF DOMMERARS.
THE Bell-man tooke his markes amisse in saying that a Dommerar is equall to the Cranke, for of these Dommerars I neuer met but one, and that was at the house of one M. L. of L. This Dommerars name was W. hée made a strange noyse, shewing by fingers acrosse, that his tongue was cut out at Cha•ke-hill. In his hand hée carryed a sticke, about a foote in length, and sharpe at both ends, which he would thrust into his mouth, as if hée meant to shew the shew of his tongue. But in doing so, hée did of purpose hit his tongue with the stiche to make it bléede, which filling vp his month, you could not for bloud perceiue any tongue at all, because hée had turned it vpwards, and with his sticke thrust it into his throate. But I caused him to be held fast by the strength of men, vntill such time that opening his téeth with the end of a small cudgell, I pluckt forth his tongue, and made him speake.
OF CLAPPERDOGEONS.
A Clapperdogeon is in English a Begger borne: some call him a Pallyard: of which sorts there are two: first, Naturall: secondly, Artificiall. This fellow (aboue all other that are in the Regiment of Roagues) goeth best armed against the crueltie of Winter: hée should be wise, for hée loues to kéepe himselfe warme, wearing a patched Castor (a Cloake) for his vpper roabe: vnder that a Togmans (a Gowne) with high Stampers (shooes) the soles an inch thicke pegged, or else patches at his Girdle, ready to be clapt on: a great Scue (a browne dish) hanging at his girdle, and a tassell of Thrummes to wipe it. A brace of greasie Night-caps on his head, and ouer them (least hée should catch a knauish colde) a hat, (or Nabcheate,) a good Filch (or Staffe) in his hand, hauing a little yron pegge in the end of it: a Bugher (a little Dogge) following him, with a smugge Dorie, attyred fit for such a Roaguish Companion. At her backe shée carryeth a great packe, couered with a patched Saueguard, vnder which shée conueyeth all such things as shée filcheth: her skill sometimes is to tell Fortunes, to helpe the diseases of Women or Children. As shée walkes, shée makes bals or shirtstrings, (but now commonly they knit) and weares in her hat a néedle with a thread at it. An excellent Angler shée is: for when her Coue mawnds at any doore, if any Poultrie-ware be picking vp their crummes néere them, shée féedeth them with bread, and hath a thread tyed to a hooked pinne, baited for the nonce, which the Chickin swallowing is choaked, and conueyed vnder the Castor: Chickins, linnen or woollen, or any shing that is worth the catching, comes into her net.
Vnder this Banner of the patched Clapperdogeon, doe I leuie all Pallyards, as well those of the great Cleyme, (or Soares,) as others, whom I tearme Artificiall Clapperdogeons, albeit they are not Beggersborue.
OF THEIR MAWND.
THIS Pallyard (or Artifieiall Clapperdogeon, who carryeth about him the great Cleyme) to stirre compassion vp in peoples hearts, thus acteth his part: Hée slides to the earth by his staffe, and lying pittiously on the ground, makes a fearefull horrid strange noyse, through an hoarse throate vttering these lamentable tunes: Ah the vrship of God looke out with your mereifull eyne, one pittifull looke vpon sore, lame, grieued and impudent (for impotent) people, sore troubled with the grieuous disease, and haue no rest day nor night by the Canker and Worme, that continually eateth the flesh from the bone: for the Vrship of God bestow one Crosse of your small siluer; to buy him salue and oyntment, to case the poore wretched body; that neuer taketh rest: and to reward you for it in heauen. These Pallyards walke two or thrée together, and as one giues ouer this note, the second catcheth it at the rebound, vsing the selfe-same howling and grunting, which ended, they say the Lords Prayer, and in many places the Aue, neuer ceasing till something be giuen them.
HOW THEY MAKE THEIR GREAT SOARES, CALLED THE GREAT CLEYME.
THEY take Crow-foote, Sperewort, and Salt, and bruising these together, they lay them vpon the place of the body which they desire to make sore: the skinne by this meanes being fretted, they first clappe a linnen cloath, till it sticke fast, which plucked off, the raw flesh hath Rats-bane throwne vpon it, to make it looke vgly: and then cast ouer that a cloath, which is alwayes bloudy and filthy, which they doe so often, that in the end in this hurt they féele no paine, neyther desire they to haue it healed, but with their Doxies will trauell (for all their great Cleymes) from Fayre to Fayre, and from Market to Market, being able by their Mawnding to get fiue Bordes (that is, fiue shillings) in a wéeke, in money and Corne. Which money they hide vnder blew and gréene patches: so that some-times they haue about them, sixe pound or seauen pound together.
The Clapperdogeons that haue not the great Cleyme, are called Farmarly Beggers.
OF THEIR FRATERNITIES.
THERE is no lustie Roague, but hath many both sworne Brothers, and the Morts his sworne Sisters: who vow themselues body and soule to the Diuell to performe these tenne Articles, following, viz.
ARTICLES OF THEIR FRATERNITIES.
1 THOU shalt my true Brother be, kéeping thy faith to thy other Brothers (as to my selfe) if any such thou haue.
2 Thou shalt kéepe my counsell, and all other my brothers, being knowne to thée.
3 Thou shalt take part with mée, and all other my brothers in all matters.
4 Thou shalt not heare me ill spoken of without reuenge to thy power.
5 Thou shalt sée mée want nothing, to which thou canst help mée.
6 Thou shalt giue mée part of all thy winnings whatsoeuer.
7 Thou shalt not but kéepe true pointments with mée for méetings, be it by day or night, at what place soeuer.
8 Thou shalt teach no Housholder to Cant, neyther confesse any thing to them, be it neuer so true, but deny the same with oathes.
9 Thou shalt doe no hurt to any Mawnder, but with thine owne hands: and thou shalt forbeare none that disclose these secrets.
10 Thou shalt take Cloathes, Hennes, Géese, Pigs, Bacon, and such like, for thy Winnings, where-euer thou canst haue them.
HOW TO KNOW THEIR BROTHERHOODS.
WHEN at the end of a Towne, wherein a Fayre or Market is kept, you sée an assembly of them together chiding & brawling, but not fighting, then those Coues are sworne brothers. If likewise two Doxies fall together by the eares, whilest the Roagues themselues stand by and fight not, that also is a Brother-hood: for it is one branch of their Lawes to take part with their Doxies in any wrong.
OF THEIR NAMES.
As the men haue Nicke-names, so likewise haue the Women: for some of them are called The white Ewe, The Lambe, &c. And (as I haue heard) there was an Abram, who called his Mort, Madam Wap-apace.
OF THEIR LIBKINS OR LODGINGS.
AS these fugitiue Vagabonds haue Nicke names to themselues, so haue they Libkins, or Lodgings, and places of méeting: as one of the méeting places (as I haue heard) bring a Shéepe-cote, is by the Quest of Roagues who nightly assemble there, called by the name of Stophole Abbey: so likewise another of their Lodgings is called by the same name. Then haue they others, as the blew Bull, the Prancer, the Buls belly, the Cowes vdder, the gréene Arbour, the blasing starre, &c. Such like By names giue they also to their Stawling Kennes: and note this, that after a robbery done, they lye not within twelue miles at the least of the place where they doe it, but hauing eaten vp their stolne mutton (baked as afore-said (away they trudge through thicke and thinne, all the hauens of hell into which they put in, being alwayes for the most part of an equall distance one from another: for looke howfarre as the one Stophole Abbey stands from the other, and iust so farre is the Buls belly from the Cowes vdder, and so of the rest: so that what waysoeuer these night Spirits doe take after they haue done their déedes of darknesse, they know what pace to kéepe, because (what stormes soeuer) fall) they are sure of harbour, all their iourneyes being but of one length. Yet dare they not but let their Morts and their Doxies méete them at some of these places, because how cold soeuer the weather be, their female furies come hotly and smoaking from thence, carrying about them Glymmar in the Prat (fire in the touch-bore) by whose flashes oftentimes there is Glymmar in the Iocky, (the flaske is blowne vpto) of which dangerous and deadly skirmishes the fault is laid vpon Seruing-men, dwelling thereabouts, who like Frée-booters are so hungry of flesh, that a Doxie (if shée haue a smug face) cannot péepe out, but shée is taken vp for Hawkes-meate. And it is no wonder, there is such stealing of these wilde Buckes, because there is such store of them: nor is it a meruaile there is such store, sithence hée is not held worthy to walke, or to be counted one of the foure and twenty Orders, but to be banished (as a silly Animall and a stinckard) from all good fellowship, societie, and méetings at Fayres, Markets, and merry Bowsing Kennes, who when the Trumpet sounds, (that is to say, when the Cuckoe sings) thrusts not out his head like a Snayle out of his shell, and walkes not abroad about the Deusuile (the Countrey) with his spirit of Lechery and théeuing, (his Doxie) at his héeles.
Complete Dramatic Works of Thomas Dekker Page 252