1893. T. E. Brown, Old John, p. 205. That specious harlotry from hell’s black bosom spewed. Adj. (old).—Disreputable. 1598. Shakspeare, 1 Henry IV., ii., 4. Oh rare! he doth it as like one of these harlotry players, as ever I see. Harman-beck (or Harman), subs. (old).—An officer of justice. For synonyms, see Beak and Copper. 1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 66. The harman-beck, the constable. 1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-All. With the harman-beake out and alas to Whittington we goe. 1656. Broome, Jovial Crew, ii. Here safe in our skipper let’s cly off our peck, And bowse in defiance o’ th’ harman-beck. 1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Harman-beck, a Beadle. 1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.), p. 12. Harminbeck, a Constable. 1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Harman Beck, a beadle (cant). 1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xvii. From the watchmen who skip On the Harman Beck’s errand. 1828. Lytton, The Disowned. The worst have an awe of the harman’s claw. 1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Harman Beak. The Sheriff. Harmans, subs. (Old Cant).—The stocks. [The suffix ‘mans’ is common; Cf., lightmans, darkmans, roughmans, etc.] 1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 66. The harmans, the stockes. 1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-All, p. 39 (H. Club’s Rept., 1874). Harmons the stockes. 1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. 1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.), p. 12, s.v. 1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v. 1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Harness. In Harness, adj. phr. (colloquial).—In business; at work: as, to die in harness = to die at one’s post; to get back into harness = to resume work after a holiday. [Harness also = armour.] 1872. Fun, 10 Aug. ‘Over.’ Aye! But the sting of it’s here, Just as I’m back into harness, Others are off to sea, mountain, and mere. 1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 2. My father died in harness. Harp, interject. (Irish).—See quot. 1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Harp ... harp is also the Irish expression for ‘woman’ or ‘tail,’ used in tossing up in Ireland, from Hibernia being represented with a harp, on the reverse of the copper coins of that country, for which reason it is in hoisting the copper, i.e., tossing up, sometimes likewise called music. To harp on, verb. phr. (old, now recognised).—To dwell persistently and at any cost upon a subject. 1596. Nashe, Have with you to Saffron Walden. As if I had continually harped upon it in every tenth line of my book. 1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, ii., 2. Still harping on my daughter. 1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Harp-upon a business, to insist on it. 1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. 1886. R. L. Stevenson, Kidnapped, p. 291. He was back harping on my proposal. Harper, subs. (old).—A brass coin current in Ireland, temp. Elizabeth, value one penny. [From the Irish Harp figured upon it.]