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 Phoebus 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.

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.