Sixteenth Century.
DIALOGUE BETWEEN A HEADMAN IN THE CANTING CREW AND A VAGABOND.

(From Thomas Harman’s Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors, vulgarly called Vagabones, 1568.)

Upright Man. Bene Lightmans[37] to thy quarromes,[38] in what lipken[39] hast thou lypped[40] in this darkemans,[41] whether in a lybbege[42] or in the strummel?[43]

Roge. I couched a hogshead[44] in a Skypper[45] this darkemans.

Man. I towre[46] the strummel trine[47] upon thy nachbet[48] and Togman.[49]

Roge. I saye by the Salomon[50] I will lage it of[51] with a gage of bene bouse;[52] then cut to my nose watch.[53]

Man. Why, hast thou any lowre[54] in thy bonge[55] to bouse?[56]

Roge. But a flagge,[57] a wyn,[58] and a make.[59]

Man. Why, where is the kene[60] that hath the ben bouse?

Roge. A bene mort[61] hereby at the signe of the prauncer.[62]

Man. I cutt it is quyer[63] bouse, I bousd a flagge the last darkmans.

Roge. But bouse there a bord,[64] and thou shalt haue beneship.[65] Tower ye yander is the kene, dup the gygger,[66] and maund[67] that is bene shyp.

Man. This bouse is as benship as rome bouse.[68] Now I tower that ben bouse makes nase nabes.[69] Maunde of this morte what ben pecke[70] is in her ken.

Roge. She has a Cacling chete,[71] a grunting chete,[72] ruff Pecke,[73] Cassan,[74] and poplarr of yarum.[75]

Man. That is benship to our watche.[76] Now we haue well bousd, let vs strike some chete.[77] Yonder dwelleth a quyer cuffen,[78] it were benship to myll[79] hym.

Roge. Now bynge we a waste[80] to the hygh pad,[81] the ruffmanes[82] is by.

Man. So may we happen on the Harmanes,[83] and cly the Tarke,[84] or to the quyerken[85] and skower quyaer crampings,[86] and so to tryning on the chates.[87] Gerry gan,[88] the ruffian[89] clye the.[90]

Roge. What, stowe your bene,[91] cofe,[92] and sut benat wydds,[93] and byng we to rome vyle,[94] to nyp a bonge;[95] so shall we haue lowre for the bousing ken,[96] and when we byng back to the deuseauyel,[97] we wyll fylche some duddes[98] of the Ruffemans,[99] or myll the ken for a lagge of dudes.[100]

[37] Bene Lightmans,
good day.
[38] Quarromes,
body.
[39] Lipken,
house.
[40] Lypped,
slept.
[41] Darkemans,
night.
[42] Lybbege,
bed.
[43] Strummel,
straw.
[44] Couched a hogshead,
lay down to sleep.
[45] Skypper,
barn.
[46] I towre,
I see.
[47] Trine,
hang.
[48] Nachbet,
cap.
[49] Togman,
coat.
[50] Salomon,
mass.
[51] Lage it of,
wipe it off.
[52] Gage of bene bouse,
quart of good drink.
[53] Cut to my nose watch,
say what you will to me.
[54] Lowre,
money.
[55] Bonge,
purse.
[56] To bouse,
to drink.
[57] Flagge,
groat.
[58] Wyn,
penny.
[59] Make,
halfpenny.
[60] Kene,
house.
[61] Bene mort,
good woman.
[62] Prauncer,
horse.
[63] Quyer,
bad.
[64] Bord,
shilling.
[65] Beneship,
excellent.
[66] Dup the gygger,
open the door.
[67] Maund,
ask.
[68] Rome bouse,
wine.
[69] Nase nabes,
drunken head.
[70] Pecke,
meat.
[71] Cacling chete,
fowl.
[72] Grunting chete,
pig.
[73] Ruff pecke,
bacon.
[74] Cassan,
cheese.
[75] Poplarr of yarum,
milk porridge.
[76] To our watche,
for us.
[77] Strike some chete,
steal something.
[78] Quyer cuffen,
magistrate.
[79] Myll,
rob.
[80] Bynge we a waste,
let us away.
[81] Pad,
road.
[82] Ruffmanes,
wood.
[83] Harmanes,
stocks.
[84] Cly the Tarke,
be whipped.
[85] Quyerken,
prison.
[86] Skower quyaer crampings,
be shackled with bolts and fetters.
[87] Chates,
gallows.
[88] Gerry gan,
hold your tongue.
[89] Ruffian,
devil.
[90] Clye the,
take thee.
[91] Stowe your bene,
hold your peace.
[92] Cofe,
good fellow.
[93] Sut benat wydds,
speak better words.
[94] Rome vyle,
London.
[95] Nyp a bonge,
cut a purse.
[96] Bousing ken,
alehouse.
[97] Deuseauyel,
country.
[98] Duddes,
linen clothes.
[99] Ruffemans,
hedges.
[100] Lagge of dudes,
parcel of clothes.