The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second PartHead, Richard
General
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part
Head, Richard
Rogues and vagabonds -- England -- Fiction
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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