Microcosmography Part 22

"The vpright Cose canteth to the Roger.

_The vprighte man spaketh to the roge._

_Man._ Bene lyghtmans to thy quarromes in what lipk[=e] hast thou lipped in this darkemanes; whether in a lybbege or in the strummell?

_G.o.d morrowe to thy bodye, in what house hast thou lyne in all night whether in a bed, or in the strawe?_

_Roge._ J couched a hogeshed in a skypper this darkemans.

_I laye me down to sleepe in a barne this night._

_Man._ J towre ye strummell tryne vpon thy nabcher & togman.

_I see the straw hange upon thy cap and coate._

_Roge._ J saye by the Salomon J wyll lage it of with a gage of bene bouse then cut to my nose watch.

_J sweare by the ma.s.se J wyll wash it of with a quart of drinke, then saye to me what thou wilt._

_Man._ Why, hast thou any lowre in thy bouge to bouse?

_Why, hast thou any money in thy purse to drinke?_

_Roge._ But a flagge, a wyn, and a make.

_But a grot, a penny, and a halfe-penny._

_Man._ Why where is the kene that hath the bene bouse?

_Where is the house that hath the good drinke?_

_Roge._ A bene mort hereby at the signe of the prauncer.

_A good wyfe here by at the signe of the hors._

_Man._ J cutt it is quyer bouse J bousd a flagge the laste darkemans.

_J saye it is small and naughtye drynke, J dranke a groate there the last night._

_Roge._ But bouse there a bord, and thou shalt haue benes.h.i.+p.

_But drinke there a shyllinge, and thou shalt haue very good._

Tower ye, yander is the kene, dup the gygger, and maund that is beneshype.

_Se you, yonder is the house, open the doore, and aske for the best._

_Man._ This bouse is as benshyp as rome bouse.

_This drinke is as good as wyne._

Now J tower that bene bouse makes nase nabes.

_Now J se that good drynke makes a dronken heade._

Maunde of this morte what bene pecke is in her ken.

_Aske of this wyfe what good meate shee hath in her house._

_Roge._ She hath a cacling chete, a grunting chete, ruff pecke, ca.s.san, and popplarr of yarum.

_She hath a hen, a pyg, baken, chese and mylke porrage._

_Man._ That is beneshyp to oure watche.

_That is very good for vs._

Now we haue well bousd, let vs strike some chete.

_Nowe we haue well dronke, let vs steale some thinge._

Yonder dwelleth a quyere cuffen it were beneshype to myll hym.

_Yonder dwelleth a hoggeshe and choyrlyshe man it weare very well donne to robbe him._

_Roge._ Nowe, bynge we a waste to the hygh pad, the ruff-manes is by.

_Naye, let vs go hence to the hygh waye, the wodes is at hande._

_Man._ So may we happen on the harmanes and cly the jarke, or to the quyer ken and skower quyaer cramprings and so to tryning on the chates.

_So we maye chaunce to set in the stockes, eyther be whypped, eyther had to prison-house, and there be shackeled with bolttes and fetters, and then to hange on the gallowes._

[_Rogue._] Gerry gan the ruffian clye thee.

_A corde in thy mouth, the deuyll take thee._

_Man._ What! stowe you bene cofe and cut benar whydds; and byng we to some vyle to nyp a bong, so shall we haue lowre for the bousing ken and when we byng back to the deuseauye, we wyll fylche some duddes of the ruffemans, or myll the ken for a lagge of dudes.

_What! holde your peace, good fellowe, and speake better wordes; and go we to London to cut a purse, then shal we haue money for the ale-house, and when we come backe agayne into the countrey, we wyll steale some lynnen clothes of one hedges, or robbe some house for a bucke of clothes._"

I have been induced, from the curiosity and rarity of this tract, to extend my account of it farther, perhaps, than many of my readers may think reasonable, and shall, therefore, only add a specimen of Harman's poetry, with which the original terminates.

"--> Thus J conclude my bolde beggar's booke, That all estates most playnely maye see; As in a gla.s.se well pollyshed to looke, Their double demeaner in eche degree; Their lyues, their language, their names as they be; That with this warning their myndes may be warmed To amende their mysdeedes, and so lyue vnharmed."

Another tract of the same description is noticed in Herbert's Ames (p.

885.) as printed so early as in 1565. A copy of the second edition in the Bodleian Library, possesses the following t.i.tle:--"_The Fraternitye of Uacabondes. As wel of ruflyng Vacabondes, as of beggerly, of women as of men, of gyrles as of boyes, with their proper names and qualities. With a description of the crafty company of Cousoners and s.h.i.+fters. Whereunto also is adioyned the xxv orders of Knaues, otherwyse called a Quartern of Knaues. Confirmed for euer by c.o.c.ke Lorell[CM], &c. Imprinted at London by Iohn Awdeley, dwellyng in little Britayne streete without Aldersgate.

1575._" This, although much shorter than Harman's, contains nearly the same characters, and is therefore thus briefly dismissed. An account of it, drawn up by the editor of the present volume, may be found in Brydges'

_British Bibliographer_, vol. ii. p. 12.