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
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._
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