The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language — John Shaqi
The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language
History
The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language
Begging -- Germany; German language -- Slang; Wayfaring life -- Germany
The ix^{th} chapter is about the DUTZERS. These are beggars who have
been ill for a long time, as they say, and have promised a difficult
pilgrimage to this or that Saint (_ut supra in precedenti capitulo_)
for three whole and entire alms every day, that they, thereby, must go
each day from door to door until they find three pious men who will
give them three entire alms. Thus speaketh a pious man unto them:
“What is an entire alms?” Whereat the DUTZER replieth: “A ‘plaphart’
(_blaffard_), whereof I must have three every day, and take no less,
for without that the pilgrimage is no good.” Some go for iij pennies,
some for one penny, _et in toto nihil_. And the alms they “must have
from a good and correct man.” Such is the vanity of women, rather than
be called impious they give a double “blaffard,” and send the DUTZER
one to another, who uses many other words which I cannot make bold to
repeat. _Item_, they would take a hundred “blaffards” and more a day if
they were given them, and what they say is all lies (GEVOPT). _Item_,
this also is DUTZING, viz. when a beggar comes to thine house and
speaks: “Good woman, might I ask you for a spoonful of butter; I have
many young children, and I want the wherewith to cook soup for them?”
_Item_, for an egg (BETZAM): “I have a child bedridden now these seven
days.” _Item_, for a mouthful of wine, “for I have a sick wife,” _et
sic de aliis_. This is called DUTZING.
_Conclusio_: Give nought whatsoever to those DUTZERS who say that they
have taken a vow not to gather more _per diem_ than iij or iiij entire
alms, _ut supra_. They are half good (HUNT), and half bad (LÖTSCH); but
the greater part bad.
+Of Schleppers, or False Begging Priests.+
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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