MARTIN LUTHER.—Occupied in the work of the Reformation.—Writes several popular pieces.—Edits the _Liber Vagatorum_ xix ENGLISH BOOKS ON VAGABONDS.—Harman’s Caveat for commen Cvrsetors.—The Fraternitye of Vacabondes.—Greene, Decker, and Shakespeare xxiv ANCIENT CUSTOMS OF ENGLISH BEGGARS.—Licences with Seals.—Seals now disused.—Wandering Students or Vagabond Scholars xxviii GERMAN ORIGIN OF TRICKS PRACTISED BY ENGLISH VAGABONDS.—Masters of the Black-Art.—Fawney Riggers.—Card-Sharpers. —Begging-Letter-Writers.—Shabby-Genteels.—Mechanics out of employ.—Shivering Jemmies.—Maimers of Children.—Borrowers of Children.—Simulated Fits.—Quack Doctors.—Treasure-Seekers. —Travelling Tinkers xxxi OLD GERMAN CANT WORDS xxxvi LIBER VAGATORUM 1 LUTHER’S PREFACE 3 PART I.—THE SEVERAL ORDERS OF VAGABONDS 7 PART II.—NOTABILIA RELATING TO BEGGARS 43 PART III.—VOCABULARY OF CANT WORDS 49 [Illustration] INTRODUCTION. Vagabonds and Beggars are ancient blots in the history of the world. Idleness, I suppose, existed before civilization began, but feigned distress must certainly have been practised soon after. In the records of the Middle Ages enactments for the suppression and ordering of vagrancy continually occur. In this country, as we shall see directly, laws for its abolishment were passed at a very early date. The begging system of the Friars, perhaps more than any other cause, contributed to swell the ranks of vagabonds. These religious mendicants, who had long been increasing in number and dissoluteness, gave to beggars sundry lessons in hypocrisy, and taught them, in their tales of fictitious distress, how to blend the troubles of the soul with the infirmities of the body. Numerous systems of religious imposture were soon contrived, and mendicants of a hundred orders swarmed through the land. Things were at their worst, or rather both friars and vagabonds were in their palmiest days, towards the latter part of the fifteenth century, just before the suppression of the Religious Houses commenced, and immediately before the first symptoms of the Reformation showed themselves,—that great movement which was so soon to sweep one of the two pests away for ever.