to the reader at once an entire copy of the first Canting Dictionary ever compiled. As before mentioned, it was the work of one Thos. Harman, a gentleman who lived in the days of Queen Elizabeth. Some writers have remarked that Decker19 was the first to compile a Dictionary of the vagabonds’ tongue; whilst Borrow,20 and Moore, the poet, stated that Richard Head performed that service in his Life of an English Rogue, published in the year 1680. All these statements are equally incorrect, for the first attempt was made more than a century before the latter work was issued. The quaint spelling and old-fashioned phraseology are preserved, and the reader will quickly detect many vulgar street words, old acquaintances, dressed in antique garb.21
ABRAHAM-MEN, be those that fayn themselves to have beene mad, and have bene kept either in Bethelem, or in some other pryson a good time.
ALYBBEG, a bedde.
ASKEW, a cuppe.
AUTEM, a churche.
AUTEM MORTES, married wemen as chaste as a cowe.
BAUDYE BASKETS, bee women who goe with baskets and capcases on their armes, wherein they have laces, pinnes, nedles, whyte inkel, and round sylke gyrdels of all colours.
BECK [Beek], a constable.
BELLY-CHETE, apron.
BENE, good. Benar, better.
BENSHIP, very good.
BLETING CHETE, a calfe or sheepe.
BOOGET, a travelling tinker’s baskete.
BORDE, a shilling.
BOUNG, a purse [Friesic, pong].
BOWSE, drink.
BOWSING-KEN, a alehouse.
BUFE [buffer, a man], a dogge.
BYNGE A WASTE, go you hence.
CACKLING-CHETE, a coke [cock], or capon.
CASSAN [cassam], cheese.
CASTERS, a cloake.
CATETH, “the vpright Cofe cateth to the Roge” [probably a shortening or misprint of Canteth].
CHATTES, the gallowes.
CHETE [see what has been previously said about this word].
CLY [a pocket], to take, receive, or have.
COFE [cove], a person.
COMMISSION [mish], a shirt.
COUNTERFET CRANKE, these that do counterfet the Cranke be yong knaves and yonge harlots, that deeply dissemble the falling sicknes.
CRANKE [cranky, foolish], falling evil [or wasting sickness].
CRASHING-CHETES, teeth.
CUFFEN, a manne [a cuif in Northumberland and Scotland signifies a lout or awkward fellow].
DARKEMANS, the night.
DELL, a yonge wench.
DEWSE-A-VYLE, the countrey.
DOCK, to deflower.
DOXES, harlots.
DRAWERS, hosen.
DUDES [or dudds], clothes.
FAMBLES, handes.
FAMBLING-CHETE, a ring on one’s hand.
FLAGG, a groat.
FRATER, a beggar wyth a false paper.
FRESHE-WATER-MARINERS, these kind of caterpillers counterfet great losses on the sea: – their shippes were drowned in the playne of Salisbury.
FYLCHE, to robbe: Fylch-man [a robber].
GAGE, a quart pot.
GAN, a mouth.
GENTRY COFE, a noble or gentle man.
GENTRY-COFES-KEN, a noble or gentle man’s house.
GENTRY MORT, a noble or gentle woman.
GERRY, excrement.
GLASYERS, eyes.
GLYMMAR, fyer.
GRANNAM, corne.
GRUNTING-CHETE, a pygge.
GYB, a writing.
GYGER [jigger], a dore.
HEARING-CHETES, eares.
JARKE, a seale.
JARKEMAN, one who make writings and set seales for [counterfeit] licences and pasports.
KEN, a house.
KYNCHEN CO [or cove], a young boye trained up like a “Kynching Morte.” [From the German diminutive Kindschen.]
KYNCHING MORTE, is a little gyrle, carried at their mothers’ backe in a slate, or sheete, who brings them up sauagely.
LAG, water.
LAG OF DUDES, a bucke [or basket] of clothes.
LAGE, to washe.
LAP, butter, mylke, or whey.
LIGHTMANS, the day.
LOWING-CHETE, a cowe.
LOWRE, money.
LUBBARES, – “sturdy Lubbares,” country bumpkins, or men of a low degree.
LYB-BEG, a bed.
LYCKE [lick], to beate.
LYP, to lie down.
LYPKEN, a house to lye in.
MAKE [mag], a halfpenny.
MARGERI PRATER, a hen.
MILLING, to steale [by sending a child in at the window].
MOFLING-CHETE, a napkin.
MORTES [motts], harlots.
MYLL, to robbe.
MYNT,
Who wrote about the year 1610.
The
