The London-Bawd: With Her Character and Life: Discovering the Various and Subtle Intrigues of Lewd WomenAnonymous
General
The London-Bawd: With Her Character and Life: Discovering the Various and Subtle Intrigues of Lewd Women
Anonymous
Prostitution -- England -- London
Musick, which makes her such a great Practitioner in _Pick-Song_, but She
is most expert at a _Horn-Pipe_. She understands _Means_ a little, but
_Trebles_ very well, and is her self a perfect _Base_. Tho' she lives after
the Flesh, yet all is Fish that comes to her Net: For she is such a cunning
Angler, that she don't fear getting her Living by Hook or by Crook. She has
Baits ready for all Fish, and seldom fails to catch some: Of a
_Countrey-Gentleman_ she makes a _Cods-head_; and of _a rich Citizens Son_
a _Gudgeon_; _a Swordsman in Scarlet_, she takes for _Lobster_; and a
severe _Justice of Peace_, she looks on as a _Crab_: Her _Poor Customers_,
are like _Sprats_, and _Pilchards_, who are more considerable for their
number than they are for their Value; whilst the _Punk_ is her _Salt Eel_,
and the _Pander_ her _Shark_ and her _Swordfish_. Her Charity is very
great, for she Entertains all Comers, and not only finds 'em _Beds_, but
_Bed-fellows_ too, of that Sex which shall be most agreeable to them; Which
is a Conveniency a man may go to twenty _Honest-Houses_ and not Meet with.
She brings more _Wicked Wretches_ to Repentance than many a good
_Preacher_; for, let 'em be as stubborn as they will, yet she'll leave them
such a _Twinging Remembrance_ in their _Joynts_, that their very _Bones_
shall ake, but she'll make them repent that e'er they had to do with her.
And to some Notorious Wretches, she'll fix such a visible _Mark_ in their
_Faces_, as shall make 'em the Derision and the Loathing of all People; and
so bring 'em to Repentance _with a Pox to 'em_. Yet she has very little
_Conscience_, for she makes nothing of Selling _One Commodity_ to _Twenty
Customers_: And for all she cheats them at that rate, she don't fear
loosing their Custom. She's often _broke_, and as often _sets up again_;
which She does without any great charge; for three strong Water-Bottles,
Two ounces of Tobacco, and a Couple of Countrey Wenches, is as much as will
set her up at any Time. Her Breath stinks worse than a Bear-garden, her
Furniture consists of a Bed, a Plaister-Box and a Looking Glass: and a Pimp
to bring in Customers. She sits continually at a Rack Rent, especially if
her Landlord bears office in the Parish, because he may screen her from the
Cart and _Bridewel_. She hath only this one shew of Temperance, that let
any Gentleman send for Ten Pottles of Wine in her House, he shall have but
Ten Quarts; and if he want it that way, let him pay for't and take it out
in Stew'd flesh. She has an Excellent Art in Transforming Persons, and can
easily turn a Sempstress into a Waiting-Gentlewoman: But there is a kind of
Infection that attends it, for it brings them to the falling Sickness. The
Justices Clerk is her very good Friend, and often makes her Peace with the
Justice of _Quorum_; for which when he makes her a Visit, She always help
him to a fresh Bit, which She lets him have upon her Word; and assures him
she won't put a Bad Commodity into his Hand.
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