THE SECOND part of Coney-catching. Containing the discovery of certain wondrous Cozenages, either superficially passed over, or utterly untouched in the first. As the nature of 

The black Art, Picking of locks.  
The Vincents Law. Cozenage at Bowls.  
The Prigging Law, Horse stealing.  
The Courbing Law, Hooking at windows.  
The Lifting Law, Stealing of parcels  
The Foist, The pickepocket.  
The Nip, The cut purse.   With sundry pithy and pleasant Tales worthy the reading of all estates, that are enemies to such base and dishonest practices.  Mallem non esse quam non prodesse patriae. 
R. G.  
LONDON. Printed by john Wolf for William Wright, and are to be sold at his shop in Paul's Church yard, near to the French school. 1591.   


THE SECOND PART of Coney-catching.    

TO ALL YOUNG GENTLEMEN, merchants, citizens, apprentices, yeomen, and plain country farmers, Health.  
WHen Scevola, Gentlemen, saw his native city besieged by Porsenna, and that Rome the mistress of the world was ready to be mastered by a professed foe to the public estate: he entered boldly into the enemy's camp, and in the Tent of the king (taking him for the king) slew the king's Secretary, whereupon condemned, brought to the fire, he thrust his right hand into the flame burning it off voluntary, because it was so infortunate to miss the fatal stab he had intended to his country's enemies, and then with an honourable resolution, breathed out this. Mallem non esse quam non prodesse patriae. This instance of Scevola greatly hath emboldened me to think no pains nor danger too great that groweth to the benefit of my country, & though I cannot as he mannadge with my courtlax, nor attempt to unleager Porsenna: yet with my pen I will endeavour to display the nature and secrets of divers cozenages more prejudicial to England then the invasion of Porsenna was to Rome. For when that valiant king saw the resolution of Scevola: as one dismayed at the honour of his thoughts, he sorrowed so brave a man had so desperately lost his hand, and thereupon grew friends with the Romans. But gentlemen these coney-catchers, these vultures, these fatal Harpies, that putrefy with their infections, this flourishing estate of England, as if they had their consciences sealed with a hot iron, & that as men delivered up into a reprobate sense, grace WERE utterly exiled from their hearts, so with the deaf Adder they not only stop their ears against the voice of the charmer, but dissolutely without any spark of remorse stand upon their bravadoes, and openly in words & actions maintain their palpable and manifest cozenages, swearing by no less than their enemy's blood, even by God himself, that they will make a massacre of his bones, and cut off my right hand for penning down their abominable practices: but alas for them poor snakes, words are wind, & looks but glances: every thunderclap hath not a bolt, nor every coney-catchers oath an execution. I live still, & I live to display their villainies, which, gentlemen you shall see set down in most ample manner in this small treatise, but here by the way, give me leave to answer an objection, that some inferred against me, which was, that I showed no eloquent phrases, nor fine figurative conveyance in my first book as I had done in other of my works, to which I reply that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain decorum is to be kept in every thing, and not to apply a high style in a base subject beside the faculty is so odious, and the men so servile and slavish minded, that I should dishonour that high mystery of eloquence, and derogate from the dignity of our English tongue, either to employ any figure or bestow one choice English word upon such disdained rakehells as those coney-catchers. Therefore humbly I crave pardon, and desire I may write basely of such base wretches, who live only to live dishonestly. For they seek the spoil and ruin of all, and like drones eat away what others labour for. I have set down divers other laws untouched in the first, as their Vincents law, a notable cozenage at bowls, when certain idle companions stand and make bets, being compacted with the bowlers, who look like honest minded citizens, either to win or lose, as their watchword shall appoint, than the Prigger or Horsestealer, with all his gins belonging to his trade, and their subtle cawtels to amend the statute, next the kerbing law, which some call but too basely hookers, who either dive in at windows, or else with a hook, which they call a curb do fetch out whatsoever, either apparel, linen, or woollen, that be left abroad. Beside I can set down the subtlety of the black Art, which is picking of locks, a cozenage as prejudicial as any of the rest, and the nature of the Lift, which is he that stealeth any parcels, and stily taketh them away. This (Gentlemen) have I searched out for your commodities, that I might lay open to the world, the villainy of these cozening caterpillars, who are not only abhorred of men, but hated of God, living idly to themselves, & odiously to the world, they be those foolish children that Solomon speaks of, that feeds themselves fat with iniquity, those untamed heifers, that will not break the yoke of labour, but get their livings by the painful thrift of other men's hands. I cannot better compare them, then unto Vipers, who while they live are hated & shunned of all men as most prejudicial creatures, they feed upon hemlock and Aconiton, and such fatal & empoisoned herbs, but the learned apothecary's takes them, cuts off their heads, and after they be embowelled of their flesh, they make the most precious Mithridate: so these coney-catchers, Foists, Nips, Priggars, & Lifts, while they live are most improfitable members of the commonwealth: they glut themselves as Vipers upon the most loathsome, and detestable sins, seeking after folly with greediness, never doing any thing that is good, till they be trust up at Tyburn: and then is a most wholesome Mithridate made of them, for by their deaths others are forewarned for falling into the like enormities. And as the Gangrena is a disease incurable by the censure of the Chirurgeons, unless the member where it is fixed be cut off: so this untoward generation of lose Libertines, can by no wholesome counsels, nor advised persuasions be dissuaded from their loathsome kind of life, till by death they be fatally, and finally cut off from the commonwealth, whereof spoke Ovid well in his Metamorphosis. 
Immedicabile vulnus,  
Ense resecandum est ne pars sincera trahatur.   
Sith then this cursed crew, these Machavilians, that neither care for God nor devil, but set with the Epicures gain, and ease, their summum bonum cannot be called to any honest course of living: if the honourable and worshipful of this land look into their lives, and cut off such upstarting suckars that consume the sap from the root of the Tree: they shall neither lose their reward in heaven, nor pass over any day wherein there will not be many faithful prayers of the poor, exhibited for their prosperous success and welfare: so deeply are these monstrous cooseners hated in the commonwealth. Thus Gentlemen I have discovered in brief, what I mean to prosecute at large: though not eloquently, yet so effectually, that if you be not altogether careleffe, it may redound to your commodity: forewarned, forearmed: burned children dread the fire, and such as neither counsel, nor other men's harms may make to beware, are worthy to live long, and still by the loss. But hoping these secrets I have set abroach, and my labours I have taken in searching out those base villainies, shall not be only taken with thanks, but applied with care: I take my leave with this farewell. God either confound, or converr such base minded Cooseners.  
Yours R. G.   

THE SECOND PART of Coney-catching.  
 

The discovery of the Prigging Law or nature of horse stealing.  
TO the effecting of this base villainy of Prigging or horse stealing, there must of necessity be two at the least, and that is the Priggar and the Martar. The Priggar is he that steals the horse, and the Martar is he that receives him, and chaps and changeth him away in any Fair, Mart, or other place where any good vent for horses is: and their method is thus. The Priggar if he be a Lance man, that is, one that is already horsed, than he hath more followers with him, and they ride like Gentlemen, and commonly in the form of Drovers, & so coming into pasture grounds or enclosures, as if they meant to survey for Cattle, do take an especial and perfect view where Prankers or horses be, that are of worth, and whether they be trameld or no that is whether they have horselocks or no, then lie they hovering about till fit opportunity serve, and in the night they take him or them away, and are skilful in the black Art, for picking open the trammels or socks, and so make haste till they be out of those quarters. Now if the Priggars steal a horse in Yorkshire, commonly they have vent for him in Surrey, Kent, or Sussex, and their Martars that receive them at his hand, chaps them away in some blind Fairs after they have kept them a month or two, till the hue and cry be ceased and passed over. Now if their horse be of any great valour and sore sought after, and so branded or ear marked, that they can hardly sell him without extreme danger, either they brand him with a cross brand upon the former, or take away his ear mark, and so keep him at hard meat till he be hole, or else sell him in Cornwall or Wales, if he be in Cumberland, Lincolnshire, Norfolk or Suffolk, but this is if the horse be of great valour and worthy the keeping: Marry if he be only coloured and without brands, they will strait spot him by sundry policies, and in a black horse, mark saddle spots, or star him in the forehead and change his tail, which secrets jomit lest I should give too great a light to other to practise such lewd villainies. But again to our Lance men Priggars, who as before I said, cry with the Lapwing farthest from their nest and from their place of residence, where there most abode is, furthest from thence they steal their horses, and then in another quarter as far of they make sale of them by the Martars means, without it be some base Priggar that steals of mere necessity, and beside is a Trailer. The Trailer is one that goeth on foot, but meanly attired like some plain gran of the Country, walking in a pair of boots without spurs, or else without boots, having a long staff on his neck, and a black buckram bag at his back, like some poor Client that had some writing in it, and there he hath his saddle, bridle and spurs, stirhops and stirhop leathers, so quaintly and artificially made that it may be put in the slop of a man's hose, for his saddle is made without any tree, yet hath both cantle & bolsters, only wrought artificially of cloth and bombast, with folds to wrap up in a short room, his stirhops are made with vices and gins that one may put them in a pair of gloves, and so are his spurs, and then a little white leather headstal and rains with a small Scotish broke or snaffle, all so featly formed, that as I said before they may be put in a buckram bag. Now this Trailer he bestrides the horse which he priggeth, and saddles and bridles him as orderly as if he were his own, and then carries him far from the place of his breed, and there sells him. Oh will some man say, it is easier to steal a horse then to sell him, considering that her Majesty and the honourable privy Counsel, hath in the last Act of Parliament made a strict Statute for horse stealing, and the sale of horses, whose Proviso is this: That no man may buy a horse untold, nor the toll be taken without lawful witnesses, that the party that selleth the horse is the true owner of him, upon their oath and special knowledge, and that who buyeth a horse without this certificate or proof, shall be within the native of Felony, as well as the party that stealeth him. To this I answer that there is no Act, Statute, nor Law so strict conveyed, but there be strait found starting holes to avoid it, as in this. The Priggar when he hath stolen a horse and hath agreed with his Martar, or with any other his confederate, or with any honest person to sell the horse, bringeth to the touler, which they call the rifler two honest men either appareled like citizens, or plain country yeomen, and they not only affirm, but offer to depose, that they know the horse to be his, upon their proper knowledge, although perhaps they never saw man nor horse before, and these perjured knaurs be commonly old knights of the post, that are foisted off from being taken for bale at the king's bench, or other places, and seeing for open perjuries they are refused, there they take that course of life, and are wrongly called Querries, but it were necessary and very much expedient for the commonwealth, that such base rogues should be looked into, and be punished as well with the pillory, as the other with the halter. And thus have I revealed the nature of Priggars, or horse-stealers briefly, which if it may profit, I have my desire, but that I may recreate your minds with a pleasant history, mark the sequel.   

A pleasant story of a horse-stealer.  
NOt far off from Tenro in Cornwall, a certain Priggar, a horse-stealer being a lance-man, surveying the pastures thereabouts, spied a fair black horse without any white spot at all about him, the horse was so fair and lusty, well proportioned, of a high crest, of a lusty countenance, well buttockt, and strongly trust, which set the Priggars' teeth a water to have him: well he knew the hardest hap was but a halter, and therefore he ventured fair, and stoll away the prancer: and seeing his stomach was so good as his limbs, he kept him well, and by his policy seared him in the forehead, and made him spotted in the back, as if he had been saddle bitten, and gave him a mark in both ears, whereas he had but a mark in one. Dealing thus with his horse, after a quarter of a year, that all hurly burly was passed for the horse, he came riding to Tenro to the market, and there offered him to be sold, the Gentleman that lost the horse, was there present, and looking on him with other Gentlemen, liked him passing well, and commended him: insomuch that he bet the prize of him, bargained, & bought him: and so when he was told, and that the horsestealer clap him good luck: Well my friend quoth the gentleman, I promise thee I like the horse the better, in that once I lost one as like him as might be, but that mine wanted these saddle spots, and this star in the forehead. It may be so sir, said the Priggar, and so the Gentleman and he parted: the next day after, he caused a letter to be made, and sent the Gentleman word that he had his horse again that he lost, only he had given him a mark or two, and for that he was well rewarded, having twenty mark for his labour. The gentleman hearing how he was coosened by a horse-stealer, and not only robbed, but mocked, let it pass till he might conveniently meet with him to revenge it. It fortuned not long after, that this lanceman Priggar was brought to Tenro gale for some such matter, and indeed it was about a Mare that he had stolen: but as knaves have friends, especially when they are well moneyed, he found divers that spoke for him, and who said it was the first fault: and the party plaintiff gave but slender evidence against him, so that the judge spoke favourably in his behalf: the gentleman as then sat in the bench, and calling to mind the Priggars' countenance, how he had stolen his horse and mocked him, remembered he had the letter in his pocket that he sent him, and therefore rising up, spoke in his behalf, and highly commended the man, and desired the judges for one fault he might not be cast away, and beside, may it please you (quoth he) I had this morning a certificate of his honesty and good behaviour sent me, and with that he delivered them the letter, and the judge and the rest of the bench smiled at this conceit, and asked the fellow if he never stoll a horse from that Gentleman: no quoth the Priggar, I knew him not: your honours mistakes me, said the gentleman he did but borrow a black horse of me, and marked him with a stare in the forehead, and asked twenty mark of me for his labour, and so discoursed the whole matter: whereupon the quest went upon him, and condemned him: and so the Priggar went to heaven in a string, as many of his faculty had done before.   

The Vincents law, with the discovery thereof.  
THe Uincents' Law is a common deceit or cozenage used in Bowling-allies amongst the base sort of people, that commonly haunt such lewd and unlawful places: for although I will not discommend altogether the nature of bowling, if the time, place, persons, and such necessary circumstances be observed: yet as it is now used, practised & suffered, it groweth altogether to the maintenance of unthrifts that idly and disorderly make that recreation a cozenage. Now the manner and form of their devise is thus effected the Bawkers, for so are the common haunters of the Alley termed, appareled like very honest and substantial citizens come to bowl, as though rather they did it for sport then gains, & under that colour of carelessness, do shadow their pretended knavery: well to bowls they go, and then there resort of all sorts of people to behold them, some simple men brought in of purpose by some cozening companions to be stripped of his crowns, others, Gentlemen or Merchants, that delighted with the sport, stand there as beholders to pass away the time: amongst these are certain old sokers, which are lookers on, and listen for bets either even or odd, and these are called gripes: and these fellows will refuse no lay if the odds may grow to their advantage, for the Gripes and the Baukers are confederate, and their fortune at play ever sorts according as the Gripes have placed their bets, for the Bawker he marketh how the lays goes, and so throes his casting: so that note this, the bowlers cast ever booty, and doth win or lose as the bet of the Gripe doth lead them, for suppose seven be up for the game, and the one hath three and the other none, than the vincent, for that is the simple man that stands by & is not acquainted with their cozenage, nor doth so much as once imagine that the Bawkers that carry such a countenance of honest substantial men, would by any means, or for any gains be persuaded to play booty. Well this vincent, for so the Cooseners or Gripes please to term him seeing three to none, beginneth to offer odds on that side that is fairest to win: what odds says the gripe? three to one says the vincent, no says the Gripe it is more, and with that they come to four for none, than the vincent offers to lay four to one, I take six to one says the Gripe, I lay it says the vincent, and so they make a bet of some six crowns, shillings, or pence as the vincent is of ability to lay, & thus will sundry take their odds of him: well then, the Bawkers ' go forward with their bowls, and win another cast which is five, than the vincent grows proud, & thinks both by the odds and goodness of the play, that it is impossible for his side to lose, and therefore takes and lais bets freely, than the Bawkers fortune begin to change, and perhaps they come to three for five, and still as their luck changes, diversity of bets grows on, till at last it comes to five and five, and then the Gripe comes upon the vincent and offers him odds, which if the vincent take he looseth all, for upon what side the Gripe lays, that side ever wins how great soever the odds be at the first in the contrary part, so that the cozenage grows in playing booty, for the Gripe and the Bawker meet at night, & there they share what soever tearmage they have gotten, for so they call the money that the poor vincent looseth unto them: Now to shadow the matter the more, the bawker that wins and is aforehand with the game will lay frankly that he shall win, and will bet hard and lay great odds, but with whom, either with them which play with him that are as crafty knaves as himself, or else with the Gripe, and this makes the poor vincent stoop to the blow, and to lose all the money in his purse: Besides, if any honest men that holds themselves skilful in bowling, offer to play any set match against these common bawkers, if they fear to have the worse or suspect the others play to be better than theirs, than they have a trick in watering of the alley to give such a moisture to the bank, that he that offers to strike a bowl with a shore, shall never hit it whilst he lives, because the moisture of the bank hinders the proportion of his aiming. divers other practices there are in bowling tending unto cozenage, but the greatest is booty, and therefore would I wish all men that are careful of their coin, to beware of such cozeners, and non to come in such places, where a haunt of such hel-rakers are resident, & not in any wise to stoop to their bets, lest he be made a vincent, for so manifest and palpable is their cozenage, that I have seen men ston-blind offer to lay bets frankly, although they can see a bowl come no more than a post, but only hearing who plays, and how the old Gripes make their lays: seeing then as the game is abused to a deceit, that is made for an honest recreation, let this little be a caveat for men to have an insight into their knavery.   

A Table of the Laws contained in this second part.  
1 Black art. Picking of locks. 2 Courbing Law. Hooking at windows. 3 Vincents Law. Cozenage at Bowls. 4 Prigging Law. Horse stealing. 5 Lifting Law. Stealing of any parcels.   

The discovery of the words of Art used in these Laws.  
In black Art. 


The Picklock, is called a Charm.  
He that watcheth, a stand.  
There engines, Wresters.  
Picking the lock, Farsing.  
The gains gotten, Pelfrey.     
In Courbing Law. 


He that hooks, the Courber.  
He that watcheth, the Warp.  
The hook, the Courbe.  
The good, Snappings.  
The gin to open the window, the Trickar.     
In Lifting Law. 


He that first stealeth, the Lift.  
He that receives it, the Markar.  
He that standeth without and carries it away, the Santar.  
The goods gotten, Garbage.     
In Vincents Law. 


They which play booty, the Bankars.  
He that betteth, the Gripe.  
He that is cozened, the Vincent.  
Gains gotten, Termage.     
In Prigging Law. 


The horse stealer, the Priggar.  
The horse, the Prancar.  
The tolling place, All-hallowes.  
The towler, the Rifler.  
The suerteis, Querris.     
For the Foist and the Nip, as in the first Book.    

THE SECOND PART of Conie-chatching.  
 
THe professors of this Law, being somewhat dashed, and their trade grcatlie impoverished by the late editions of their secret villainies, seek not a new means of life, but a new method how to fetch in their Coneys and to play their pranks: for as grievous is it for them to let slip a Country farmer come to the term that is well appareled, and in a dirty pair of boots (for that is a token of his new coming up, and a full purse) as it was for the boys of Athens to let Diogenes pass by without a hiss. But the country men having had partly a caveat for their cozenage, fear their favourable speeches and their courteous salutations, as deadly as the Greeks did the whistle of Poliphemus. The Conie-catcher now no sooner cometh in company, and calleth for a pair of cards, but strait the poor Conie smokes him, and says: masters, I bought a book of late for a groat that warns me of Card-play, lest I fall amongst coney-catchers: What, dost thou take us for such, says the Uerser? no Gentlemen says the coney, you may be men of honest disposition, but yet pardon me, I have forsworn cards ever since I read it: at this reply God wots, I have many a cozening curse at these Connie-catchers hands, but I solcmpnly stick to the old proverb: the Fox the more he is cursed, the better he fares: but yet I will discover some of their newest devices, for these caterpillars resemble the nature of the Sirens, who sitting with their watching eyes upon the rocks to allure Sea-passengers to their extreme prejudice, sound out most heavenly melody in such pleasing cords, that who so listens to their harmony, lends his ear unto his own bane and ruin: but if any wary Ulysseses pass by and stop his ears against their enchantments, then have they most delightful jewels to show him, as glorious objects to inveigle his eye with such pleasant vanities, that coming more nigh to behold them, they may dash their ship against a rock and so utterly perish. So these coney-catchers, for that I smoked them in my last book, and laid open their plots and policies, where with they drew poor Coneys into their hay, seeking with the Orators Benevolentiam captare, and as they use rhetorical tropes and figures, the better to draw their hearers with the delight of variety: so these moths of the Commonwealth, apply their wits to wrap in wealthy farmers with strange and uncouth conceits. jush, it was so easy for the Setter to take up a coney before I discovered the cozenage that one stigmatical shameless companion amongst the rest, would in a bravery were parsley in his hat, and said he wanted but Aqua vitae to take a coney with but since he hath looked on his feet, and vailed his plumes with the Peacock, and swears by all the shoes in his shop, I shall be the next man be means to kill, for spoiling of his occupation: but I laugh at his bravadoes, and though he speaks with his Enuches' voice, and wears a long sword like a morris pike, were it not I think he would with Batillus hang himself at my invective, his name should be set down with the nature of his follies: but let him call himself home from this course of life and this cozenage, and I shall be content to shadow what he is with pardon, but from this degression again to the double diligence of these Connie-catchers, whose new sleights, because you shall the more easily perceive, I will tell you a story pleasant and worth the noting.  

A pleasant tale of the Connie-chatchers.  
NOt long since, certain Exeter merchants came up to London to traffic such wares as their City commodities affords, & one of them whose name I conceal called master F. having leisure at will, walked about the City to visit his friends, and by chance met with two or three coney-catchers? amongst whom was one of his old and familiar acquaintance. This gentleman at that time taking the Setters office upon him seeing such a fat Connie so fit for his purpose began to pitch his hay with this courteous and clawing gratulation. What master F. (quoth he) welcome to London, and well are you met; I see time may draw friends together, little did I think to have seen you here, but sith opportunity hath granted me such a favour to meet with such an unlookt-for man, we'll at the next Tavern drink a pint of wine together, to your welcome, and the health of our friends. The Merchant hearing the gentleman ply him with such plausible entertainment: stooped as a poor Connie, and granted to take his courtesy, and with them went the Uerser, a lusty fellow, well appareled, and as smooth toonged as if every word came out of an Orator's inkhorn: this jolly squire that played the Uerser, when he came at the Tavern door, would needs drop away, and offered to be gone.: but the Setter said to him, nay I pray you sir stay, and drink with this friend of mine, for I have not a more familiar acquaintance in Exeter: The Merchant simply also entreated him, and with few words he was satisfied, and as three of them went in together, and asked for a rounie, the boy showed them up into a chamber, and assoon as they came to the Uerser, having a pair of Cards in his pocket, for they thought it too suspicious to call for a pair, stepped to the window, and clapped his hand on the ledge, and laughed, Gogs wounds (quoth he) a man can neither come into Tavern, nor Alehouse, but he shall find a pair of Cards in the window: Here hath been some praying, and have left their books behind them. Boy (quoth he) throw me a couple of faggots on the fire, and set a pottle of Sack too, and burn it, and sir he says to the Setter, thou and I will play at Cards who shall pay for it. Content says the Setter, so you will play at a game that I can play at, which is called Mumchance. I know it well, says the Uerser: have with you for a pottle of burnt Sack, and so to it they go, as before in my first part I describe it unto you: the poor Merchant the simple honest coney, calling the Card, well the verser lost, and at last they reveal the policy to the Coney, who wondered at the strange devise, and solemnly swore it was impossible for him either to lose, or the other to win: As thus they sat drinking the Setter showed him divers tricks at Cards, to pass away the time, because their Barnacle stayed over long, who at last, attiered like a serving-man, came and thrust open the door, and said, masters by your leave, I look for a greyhound that hath broken my slip, & is run into this house. In faith friend, quoth the Setter, here is none, nor did we see any: Then by your leave gentlemen (quoth he) and sit you merry, I had rather have given forty shillings then have lost the dog: Nay stay sir (quoth the Uerser) and drink a cup of Sack with us: at that the Barnacle came in, and courteously took it of them, and made sore lament for his dog, saying, he durst scarce look his master in the face: but I hope (quoth he) he is run to the farmer's house, where he was brought up, and therefore I'll seek him no where to day, with that he called for a pint of wine, to requite their courtesies withal, and the verser answered that they would take none of him as a gift, but if he would play for a pint or a quart he should be welcome into their company: at this he sat down, and said he would, than they induced him to play at mumchance, and the Coney called the Card, so the Barnacle lost all, who being in a great chafe, cursed his luck, and the Cards, and offered to play three games, xii. pence: the Setter took him up, and secretly asked the Coney if he would be his half, or play with him himself. In faith says the merchant, I dare play with him, as long as five shillings last, and so much I will venture: with that the Barnacle drew out a purse with some three or four pence in it, and to this game they go, with vie and revie till the Barnacle had lost all his money, than he blasphemed the name of God mightily, and laid his sword and his cloak to pawn to the good man of the house, and borrowed money of it, to the value of some xx. shillings. The Coney smiled at this for he counted all his own, & winked upon the Uerser, and the Setter, again they go to it, and they make five games for ten shillings, and every Card to be vied at the losers pleasure, the Coney won three of them, and the Barnacle never a one: then he exclaimed against Fortune, and swore he would make short work, and of a ring he borrowed thirty shillings more, and vied hard: well that game he won, and got so me twenty shillings of the Coney, who thought it was but a chance, that could not hit in seven years again, and the next game they vied, and laid some five pound by on the belt, so that the vie and call, came to some seven pound, than the Barnacle stroke in his chopped Card, and wipe the Coney's mouth clean for trobling his purse, with any of those crowns, yea he so handled the poor merchant, that of nine pound he had in his purse, these three base coney-catchers left him never a penny, although he was sore nipped on the head, with this hard Fortune, yet he brooked it with patience, and little suspected that his Country man the Setter had sifted him out of his money, and therefore drunk to him friendly, and took his leave without smoking them at all, and went quiet though discontent to his lodging. The coney-catchers they shared the purchase, and went singing home as winners do that have leave and leisure to laugh at the spoil of such wealthy and honest merchants. Not long after this, the coney chanced to come to my chamber to visit me for old acquaintance, where he found a book of Coney-catching new come out of the press which when he had smiled at, for the strangeness of the title: at last he began to read it, and there saw how simply he was made a coney, and stripped of his crowns: with that he fetched a great sigh, and said: sir, if I had seen this book but two days since, it had saved me nine pound in my purse, and then he rehearsed the whole discourse, how kindly he was made a coney. Thus you may see that these base coney-catchers spare not their own acquaintance nor familiar friends: but like Uultures seek to pray upon them, and like the Harpy, infects that house wherein they harbour: so odious is their base and detestable kind of cozenage, that the very Nips, the cutpurses I mean, desire to smoke them, and have them in as great contempt, as they themselves are despised of others: holding the coney-catcher for their inferior: for say the Nips I disdain to use my occupation against any friend, or so draw a purse from him that I am familiarly acquainted with: whereas the coney-catcher prayeth most upon his countrymen and friends, and at the first hand comes with a smiling face to embrace that man, whom presently he means to spoil and cousin. Again, the Nip useth his knife, and if he see a Boung lie fair, strikes the stroke, and venter's his neck for it if he be taken, which is a certain point (say they) of resolution, though in the basest degree: but the coney-catcher, like a coward keeps himself within compass of law, as the picture of a faint hearted cozener: like a fawning cur wags his tail upon him, he means most deadly to bite. then let this be a caveat for all men, and all degrees to take heed of such prejudicial peasants: who like worms in a nut eat the kernel, wherein they are bred, and are so venomous minded, that like the viper they desparage whomsoever they light on: I know I shall have many braves uttered against me for this invective: but so I may profit my countrymen I will hazard myself against their deepest villainies: and therefore sleeping never a whit the worse for their bravado, I commit such enemies of the flourishing Estate of England, to the consideration of the justices who I hope will look into the lose life of bad, base, and dishonest caterpillars.  
  

A pleasant Tale of a Horse, how at Uxbridge, he coosened a Coney-catcher, and had like to brought him to his Neckuerse.  
IT fortuned that not long since certain coney-catchers met by hap a Prancar or horse steal at Uxbridge, who took up his inn where those honest cruel lodged, & as one vice follows another, was as ready to have a cast at cards as he had a hazard at a horse, the coney-catchers who supped with him, feeling him pliant to receive the blow, began to lay the plot how they might make him stoop all the money in his purse, & so for a pint of wine drew him in at cards, by degrees as these rakehells do, Lento gradu, measure all things by minutes, he fell from wine to money, and from pence to pounds, that he was stripped of all that ever he had, as well Crowns, apparel, as jewels, that at last to maintain the main and to check v●…es with revies he laid his horse in the hazard and lost him, when the Priggar had smoked the game, and perceived he was bitten of all the bite in his bung, and turned to walk penylesse in M●…rke lane, as the old proverb is, he began to chase, and to swear, and to rap out gogs Nouns, and his pronouns, while at voluntary he had sworn through the eight parts of speech in the Accidence, avowing they had coosened him both of his money and horse. Whereupon the gross Ass more hardy than wise, understanding the coney-catchers were gone, went to the Constable and made hue & cry after them, saying: They had robbed him of his horse, at this the head Boroughs followed amain, and by chance met with an other hue and cry that came for him that had stolen, which hue and cry was served upon the horse stealer, and at that time as far as I can either conjecture or calculate, the coney-catchers were taken suspicious for the same horse, and the rather for that they were found lose livers & could yield no honest method or means of their maintenance, upon this for the horse they were apprehended, & bound over to the Sessions at Westminster, to answer what might be objected against them in her maiasties behalf. Well the horse stealer broke from his keepers and got away, but the rest of the rascal crew; the coney-catchers I mean, were brought to the place of judgement, and there like valiant youths they thrust twelve men into a corner, who found them guiltless for the fact, but if great favour had not been shown they had been condemned & burnt in the ears for rogues. Thus the horse stealer made hue & cry after the Coney catchers, and the man that had lost the horse he pursued the horse stealer, so that a double hue and cry passed on both sides, but the Coney-catches had the worse, for what they got in the bridle they lost in the saddle, what they coosened at cards had like to cost them their necks at the Sessions, so that when they were free and acquitted, one of the coney-catchers in a merry vain, said, he had catched many Coneys, but now a horse had like to caught him, and so deeply quoth he, that Miserere mei had like to have been my best matins. Thus we may see Fallere fallentem non est fraus, every deceit hath his due, he that maketh a trap falleth into the snare himself, and such as covet to cousin all, are ●…rost themselves often times almost to the cross, and that is the next neighbour to the gallows. Well Gentlemen thus I have bewrayed much and gotten little thanks, I mean of the dishonost sort, but I hope such as measure virtue by her honours, will judge of me as I deserve Marry the good men coney-catchers, those base excrements of dishonesty, they in their huffs report they have got one () I will not bewray his name, but a scholar they say he is, to make an invective against me, in that he is a favourer of those base reprobates, but let them, him, and all know, the proudest peasant of them all, dare not lift his plumes in disparagement of my credit, for if he do, I will for revenge only appoint the jakes farmers of London, who shall caze them in their filthy vessels, and carry them as dung to manure the barren places of Tibourne, and so for coney-catchers an end.   

A discourse, or rather discovery of the Nip and the Foist, laying open the nature of the Cutpurse and Pickpocket.  
 
NOw Gentlemen, Merchants, Farmers, and termers, yea who soever he be, that useth to carry money about him, let him attentively hear what a piece of new fond Philosophy, I will lay open to you whose opinions, principles, Aphorisms, if you carefully note and retain in memory, perhaps save some crowns in your purse ere the year pass, and therefore thus: The Nip & the foist, although their subject is one which they work on, that is, a well lined purse, yet their manner is different, for the Nip useth his knife, and the Foist his hand: the one cutting the purse, the other drawing the pocket: but of these two scurvy trades, the Foist holdeth himself of the highest degree, and therefore, they term themselves Gentlemen foists, and so much disdain to be called cutpurses, as the honest man that lives by his hand or occupation, in so much that the Foist refuseth even to wear a knife about him to cut his meat with all, lest he might be suspected to grow into the nature of the Nip, yet as I said before is their subject and haunt both alike, for their gains lies by all places of resort and assemblies, therefore their chief walks is Paul's, Westminster, the Exchange, Plays, Bear garden, running at Tilt, the Lord majors day, any festival meetings, frays, shootings, or great fairs: to be short, where so ever there is any extraordinary resort of people, there the Nip and the Foist have fittest opportunity to show their juggling agility. Commonly, when they spy a Farmer or Merchant, whom they suspect to be well moneyed, they follow him hard until they see him draw his purse, then spying in what place he puts it up, the stall or the shadows being with the Foist or Nip, meets the man at some strait turn & justles him so hard, that the man marveling, and perhaps quarrelling with him, the whilst the foist hath his purse and bids him farewell. In Paul's (especially in the term time) between ten and eleven, then is their hours, and there they walk, and perhaps, if there be great press, strike a stroke in the middle walk, but that is upon some plain man that stands gazing about, having never seen the Church before but their chiefest time is at divine service, when men devoutly given do go up to hear either a sermon, or else the harmony of the Queer and the Organs: their the Nip and the Foist as devoutly as if he were some zealous parson, standeth soberly with his eyes elevated unto heaven when his hand is either on the purse or in the pocket, surueing every corner of it for coin, then when the service is done and the people press away, he thrusteth amidst the throng, and there worketh his villainy. So like wise in the markets, they note how every one putteth up his purse, and there either in a great press, or while the party is cheayning of meat, the Foist is in their pocket and the Nip hath the purse by the strings, or some times puts out the bottom, for they have still their stalls following them, who thrusteth and iustleth him or her whom the Foist is about to draw▪ So likewise at plays, the Nip standeth there leaning like some mannerly gentleman against the door as men go in, and there finding talk with some of his companions ●…pieth what every man hath in his purse, and where, in what place, and in which sleene or pocket he puts the voung, and according to that so he worketh either where the thrust is great within, or else as they come out at the doors: but suppose that the first is smoked, and the man misseth his purse, & apprehendeth him for it then strait, he either convaieth it to his wall, or else drodroppeth the boong, and w●…h a great brave he defieth his accuser: and though the purse be found at his foot, yet because he hath it not about him, he comes not within compass of life. Thus have they their shifts for the law, and yet at last, so long the pitcher goeth to the brook that it cometh broken home, and so long the Foists put their villainy in practice, that westward they go, and there solemnly make a rehearsal sermon at Tibourne. But again, to their places of resort, Westminster I marry, that is their chiefest place that brings in their profit, the Termtime is their harvest: and therefore, like provident husbandmen they take time while time serves, and make hay while the Sun shines, following their clients, for they are at the Hall very early and there they work like bees, haunting every Court, as the Exchequer chamber, the star-chamber, the king's-bench, the Common-pleas, an●… every place where the poor Client standeth to hear his Lawyer handle his matter, for alas the poor Country Gentleman or Farmer is so busied with his causes, and hath his mind so full of cares to see his counsel and to ply his Atorney, that the least thing in his thought is his purse: but the Eagle-eied Foist or Nip he watcheth, and seeing the Client draw his purse to pay some charges or fees necessary for the Court, marketh where he putteth it, and then when he thrusteth into the throng, either to answer for himself, or to stand by his Counsellor to put him in mind of his cause, the Foist draws his pocket and leaves the poor client penniless. This do they in all courts, and go disguised like Servingmen, wring the simple people by this juggling subtelie, well might therefore the honourable & worshipful of those courts do to take order from such wild and base minded cutpurses, that as the law hath provided death for them if they be taken, so they might be rooted out especially from Westminster where the poor clients are undone by such roguish catchers. It boots not to tell their course at every remove of her Majesty when the people flock together, nor at Bartholomew fair, on the queens day, at the Tiltyard and at all other places of assembly: for let this suffice, at any great press of people or meeting, there the Foist and the Nip is in his kingdom: Therefore let all men take this caveat, that when they walk abroad amid any of the forenamed places or like assemblies, that they take great care for their purse how they place it, and not leave it careless in their pockets or hose, for the Foist is so nimble handed that he exceeds the juggler for agility, and hath his legerdemain as perfectly: therefore an exquisite Foist must have three properties that a good Surgeon should have, and that is an eagle's eye, a Lady's hand, and a lions heart, an eagle's eye to spy a purchase, to have a quick insight where the boong lies, and then a lions heart not to fear what the end will be, and then a Lady's hand to be little and nimble, the better to dive into the pocket. These are the perfect properties of a Foist: but you must note that there be diversities of this kind of people, for there be city Nips & country Nips, which haunt from fair to fair, and never come in London, unless it be at Bartholmewe fair, or some other great and extraordinary assemblies: Now there is a mortal hate between the Country Foist and the City Foist, for if the city Foist spy one of the coneyes in London, strait he seeks by some means to smoke him, and so the Country Nip if he spy a City Nip in any fair, than he smokes him strait, and brings him in danger, if he flee not away the more speedily, beside there be women Foists and women Nips, but the woman Foist is most dangerous, for commonly there is some old hand, or snoutfair strumpet, who inveigleth either some ignorant man or some young youth to folly, she hath strait her hand in his pocket, and so foist him of all that he hath: but let all men take heed of such common harlots, who either sit in the streets in evenings, or else dwell in bawdy houses and are pliant 〈◊〉 every man's lure, such are always Foists and Pickepockets, and seek the spoil of all such as meddle with them, and in cozening of such base minded lechers as give themselves to such lend company, are worthy of what so ever befalls, and sometime they catch such a Spanish●… pip, that they have no more hair on their head then on their nails. But leaving such strumpets to their soul's confusion and body's correction in Bridewell: Again, to our Nips and Foists, who have a kind of fraternity or brotherhood among them, having a hall or place of meeting, where they confer of weighty matters, touching their workmanship, for they are provident in that, every one of them hath some trusty friend whom he calleth his treasurer, and with him he lays up some rateable portion, of every purse he draws, that when need requires, and he is brought in danger, he may have money to make composition with the party: But of late, there hath been a great scourge fallen amongst them, for now if a purse be drawn of any great value, strait the party maketh friends to some one or other of the Counsel or other inferior her majesties justices, and then they send out warraunts if they cannot learn who the Foist is, to the keepers of Newgate that they take up all the Nips and Foists about the city, and let them lie there while the money be reanswered unto the party, so that some pay three pound, nay five pound at a time according as the same loss did amount unto, which doth greatly impoverish their trade, and hinder their figging law. Therefore about such causes grows their meeting, for they have a kind of corporation, as having wardens of their company, and a hall: I remember their hall was once about bishop's gate, near unto fisher's folly, but because it was a noted place, they have removed it to Kent-stréet, and as far as I can learn, it is kept at one Laurence Pickeringes house, one that hath been if he be not still a notable Foist. A man of good calling he is, and well allied brother in law to Bull the hangman, there keep they their feasts and weekly meetings, fit for their company. This have I partly set down the nature of the Foist, and the Nip, with their special haunts, as a caveat to all estates to beware of such wicked persons, who are as prejudicial to the Commonwealth as any other faculty what soever; and although they be by the great discretion of the judges and justices daily trust up, yet still there springeth up young that grow in time to bear fruit fit for the gallows: let then every man be as careful as possibly he may, and by this caveat take heed of his purse, for the prey makes the thief, and there and end   

A merry tale how a Miller had his purse cut in New gate market.  
IT fortuned that a Nip and his staul drinking at the three Tuns in Newgate market, sitting in one of the rooms next to the street, they might perceive where a meal man stood selling of meal, and had a large bag by his side, where by conjecture there was some store of money, the old cool, the old cut purse I mean, spying this, was delighted with the show of so glorious an object, for a full purse is as pleasing to a Cut purse eye, as the curious Phisnomy of Venus was to the amorons God of war, and entering to a merry vain as one that counted that purchase his own, discovered it to the Novice and bade him go & nip it, the young toward scholar although perhaps he had stricken some few strokes before, yet seeing no great press of people, and the meal-man's hand often upon his bag, as if he had in times past smoked some of their faculty, was half afraid and doubted of his own experience and so refused to do it. Away villain saith the old Nip, art thou faint hearted, belongs it to our trade to despair? If thou wilt only do common work, and not make experience of some hard matters to attempt, thou wilt never be master of thine occupation, therefore try thy wits and do it, at this the young stripling stalks me out of the Tavern, and feeling if his Cuttle boung were glib and of a good edge, went to this mealeman to enter combat hand to hand with his purse, but seeing the meal-man's eye was still abroad, and for want of other sport that he played with his purse, he was afraid to trust either to his wit or Fortune, and therefore went back again without any act athieved. How now saith the old Nip what hast thou done, nothing quoth he, the knave is so wary, that it is unpossible to get any purchase there, for be stands playing with his purse for want of other exercise. At this his fellow looks out and smiles, making this reply. And dost thou count it impossible to have the meal-man's boung, lend me thy knife for mine is left at home, & thou shalt see me strike it strait, and I will show thee a Method, how perhaps hereafter to do the like after my example, and to make thee a good scholar, and therefore go with me and do as I shall instruct thee, begin but a feigned quarrel, and when I give thee a watch word, then throw flower in my face, and if I miss his purse let me be hanged for my labour, with that he gave him certain principles to observe, and then paid for the wine and out they went together. As soon as they were come to the meals-man, the old Nip began to jest with the other about the Miller's sack, and the other replied as knavishlye, at last, the elder called the younger Rogue, Rogue thou Swain, quoth he, dost thou or darest thou dishonour me with such a base title? And with that taking a whole hand full of meal out of the sack, threw it full in the old Nips neck and his breast, and then ran away. He being thus dusted with meal, entreated the meal man to wipe it out of his neck, and stoopte down his head, the meal man laughing to see him so rayed and whited, was willing to shake off the meal, and the whilst, while he was busy about that, the Nip had strooken the purse and done his feat, and both courteously thanked the meal man and closely went away with his purchase. The poor man thinking little of this Cheat, began again to play with his purse strings, and suspected nothing till he had sold a peck of meal, and offered to change money, and then he found his purse bottomless, which struck such a cold quandary to his stomach, as if in a frosty morning he had drunk a draft of small beer next his heart, he began then to exclaim against such villains, and called to mind how in shaking the dust out of the Gentleman's neck, he shaked his money out of his purse, and so the poor meal man fetch a great sigh, knit up his sack and went sorrowing home.  
  

A kind conceit of a Foist performed in Paul's.  
WHile I was writing this discovery of foisting, & was desirous of any intelligence that might be given me, a Gentleman a friend of mine, reported unto me this pleasant tale, of a Foist, & as I well remember it grew to this effect. There walked in the middle walk a plain country farmar a man of good wealth, & that had a well lined purse, only barely thrust up in a round slop which a crew of Foists having perceived, their hearts were set on fire to have it, and every one had a fling at him but all in vain, for he kept his hand close in his pocket, and his purse fast in his fist like a subtle churl, that either had been forewarned of Paul's, or else had afore time smoked some of that faculty, well how so ever, it was unpossible to do any good with him he was so wary. The Foists spying this, strained their wits to the highest string how to compass this boung, yet could not all their politic conceits fetch the farmar over, for justle him, that with him, offer to shake him by the hand, all would not serve to get his hand out of his pocket. At last one of the crew that for his skill might have been Doctorat in his mystery, amongst them all chose out a good Foist, one of a nimble hand & great agility, and said to the rest thus: Masters it shall not be said such a base peasant shall slip away from such a crew of Gentlemen Foists as we are, and not have his purse drawn, and therefore this time I'll play the stall myself, and if I hit him not home, count me for a bungler for ever, and so he left them and went to the farmar and walked directly before him & next him three or four turns, at last standing still he cried alas honest man help me, I am not well, and with that sunk down suddenly in a sown, the poor Farmer seeing a proper young gentleman (as he thought) fall dead afore him, stepped to him, held him in his arms, rubbed him and chafed him: at this there gathered a great multitude of people about him, and the whilst the Foiste drew the Farmer's purse and away: by that the other thought the feat was done, he began to come something to himself again, and so half staggering, stumbled out of Paul's, and went after the true where they had appointed to meet, and there boasted of his wit and experience. The Farmer little suspecting this villainy, thrust his hand into his pocket and mist his purse, searched for it, but lining and shells and all was gone, which made the Country man in a great maze, that he stood still in a dump so long, that a gen tleman perceiving it asked what he ayid: what ail I sir quoth he, truly I am thinking how men may long as well as women, why dost thou conjecture that honest man quoth he? marry sir answers the Farmer, the gentleman even now that swooned here I warrant him breeds his wine's child, for the cause of his sudden quaime that he fell down dead grew of longing: the gentleman demanded how he knew that, well enough sir quoth he, and he hath his longing too, for the poor man longed for my purse, and thanks be to God he hath it with him. At this all the hearers laughed, but not so merrily as the Foiste and his fellows, that then were sharing his money.   

A acquaint conceit of a Cutler & a cutpurse.  
A Nip having by fortune lost his Cuttle boung or having not one fit for his purpose, went to a cunning Cutler to have a new made, and prescribed the Cutler such a method and form to make his knife and the fashion to be so strong, giving such a charge of the fineness of the temper and well setting of the edge, that the Cutler wondered what the gentleman would do with it, yet because he offered so largely for the making of it, the Cutler was silent and made few questions only he appointed him the time to come for it, and that was three days after: Well, the time being expired, the Gentleman Nip came, and seeing his knife liked it passing well, and gave him his money with advantage. The Cutler desirous to know to what use he would put it, said to the Cutpurse thus, sir quoth he I have made many knives in my days, and yet I never saw any of this form, fashion, temper or edge, & therefore if without offence I pray you tell me how or to what will you use it? While thus he stood talking with the Nip, he spying the purse in his apron, had cut it passing cunningly, and then having his purchase close in his hand, made answer, in faith my friend to dissemble is a folly, 'tis to cut a purse withal and I hope to have good handsel, you are a merry gentleman quoth the Cutler, I tell true said the Cutpurse and away he goes. No sooner was he gone from the stall, but there came an other and bought a knife and should have single money again, the Cutler thinking to put his hand in his bag, thrust it quite through at the bottom, all his money was gone, & the purse cut, perceiving this and remembering how the man prayed he might have good handsel, he fetched a great sigh and said, now I see he that makes a snare, first falls into it himself: I made a knife to cut other men's purses and mine is the first handsel, well revenge is fallen upon me, but I hope the rope will fall upon him, and so he smoothed up the matter to himself, least men should laugh at his strange fortune.   

The discovery of the Lifting Law.  
THe Lift, is he that stealeth or prowleth any Plate, juells, bolts of Satin, Velvet, or such parcels from any place by a slight conveyance under his cloak, or so secretly that it may not be espied: of Lists there be divers kinds as their natures be different, some base rogues that lift when they come into Alehouses quart pots, platters, cloaks, swords, or any such paltry trash which commonly is called pilfering or petulacerie, for under the colour of spending two or three pots of ale, they lift away any thing that cometh within the compass of their reach, having a fine & nimble agility of the hand as the Foist had: these are the common and rascal sorts of Lists, but the higher degrees and gentlemen Lifts have to the performance of their faculty three parties of necescitie the Lift, the Marker and the Santar: the Lift attired in the form of a civil Country gentleman, comes with the Marker into some Mercer's shop, Haberdashers, Goldsmiths, or any such place where any particular parcels of worth are to be conveyed, and there he calls to see a bolt of Satin, Velvet or any such commodity, and not liking the pile, colour or brack, he calls for more, and the whiles he gins to resolve which of them most fitly may be lifted, and what Garbage (for so he calls the goods stolen) may be most easily cowaid, than he calls to the Mercer's man and says, sirrah reach me that piece of velvet or satté, or that jewel, chain or piece of Plate, and whilst the fellow turns his back, he commits his Garbage to the Marker: for note, the Lift is without his cloak, in his doublet & hose to avoid the more suspicion: the Marker which is the receiver of the Lifts luggage, gives a wink to the Santar that walks before the window and then the Santar going by in great haste, the Marker calls him & says, sir a word with you, I have a message to do unto you from a very friend of yours, and the errand is of some importance, truly sir says the Santar I have very urgent business in hand and as at this time I cannot stay, but one word and no more says the Marker, and then he delivers him whatsoever the Lift hath conveyed unto him, and then the Santar goes his way, who never came within the shop, and is a man unknone to them all: suppose he is smoked and his lifting is looked into, then are they upon their pantofles, because there is nothing sound about them: they defy the world for their honesty, because they be as dishonest as any in the world, and swear as God shall judge them they never saw the parcel lost, but Oaths with them are like wind out of a bellows, which being cool kindleth fire: so their vows are without conscience and so they call for revenge: Therefore let this be a caucat to all occupations, sciences and mis●…eryes, that they beware of the gentleman Lift, and to have an eye to such as cheapen their wares and not when they call to see new stuff to leave the old behind them, for the fingers of Lists are formed of Adamant, though they touch not yet they have virtue attractive to draw any pelf to them as the Adamant doth the Iron. But yet these Lifts have a subtle shift to blind the world for this close kind of cozenage they have when they want money, one of them apparelles himself like a Country Farmer, & with a Memorandun drawn in some legal form, comes to the chamber of some counsellor or Sergeant at Law with his Marker and his Santar, and there tells the Lawyer his case and desires his Counsel, the whilst the Marker and the Santar lay the platform for any Rapier, dagger, cloak, gown or any other parcel of worth that is in the withdrawing or utter chamber, and assoon as they have they go their way: then when the Lawyer hath given his opinion of the case the Lift requires, than he puts in some demur or blind, and says he will have his cause better discovered and then he will come to his worship again, so taking his leave without his ten shillings fee, he goes his ways to share what his companions had gotten: the like method they use with Scriveners, for coming by the shop and seeing any Garbage worth the lifting on, starteth in to have an Obligation or Bill made in haste, and while the Scrivener is busy, the Lift bringeth the Marker to the blow, and so the luggage is carried away. Now, these Lifts have their special receivers of their stolen goods, which are two sundry parties, either some notorious Bawds in whose houses they lie, and they keep commonly tapping houses and have young trugs in their house which are consorts to these Lifts and love them so dear, that they never leave them till they come to the gallows, or else they be Brokers, a kind of idle sort of livers as pernicious as the Lift, for they receive at their hands whatsoever Garbage is conveyed, be it linen, woollen, plate, juells, and this they do by a bill of sail, making the bill in the name of john a Nokes or john a Styles, so that they shadow the Lift & yet keep themselves without the danger of the law. Thus are these Brokers and Bawds as it were, efficient causes of the Lifters villainy, for were it not their alluring speeches and their secret consealing, the Lift for want of receivers should be feign to take a new course of life, or else be continually driven into great extremes for selling his Garbage, and thus much briefly for the nature of the Lift.   

The discovery of the Courbing Law.  
THe Courber, which the common people call the Hooker, is he that with a Curb (as they term it) or hook, do pull out of a window any lose linen cloth, appare●…l or 〈◊〉 other household stuff what soever, wh●… stolen parcels, they in their Art call snappinges: to the performance of this law there be required, only two p●…sons, the Courber and the Warp: the Courber h●… office is to spy in the day time sit places where his trade may be practised at night, and coming to any window if it be open, than he hath his purpose if shut, then growing into the nature of the black Art, hath his trickers, which are engines of Iron so cunningly wrought, that he will cut a bar of Iron in two with then so easily, that scarcely shall the standers by hear him: then when he hath the window open and spies any fat snappings worth the Kerbing, then straight he sets the Warp to watch, who hath a long cloak to cover whatsoever he gets, then doth the other thrust in a long hook some nine foot in length (which he calleth a Curb) that hath at the end a crook with three tynes turned contrary so that 'tis unpossible to miss if there be any snappinges abroad: Now this long hook they call a Curb, and because you shall not wonder how they carry it for being espied, know this that it is made with joints like an angle rod, and can be conveyed into the form of a truncheon & worn in the hand like a walking staff, until they come to their purpose and then they let it out at the length and hook or curb what soever is lose and within the reach, and then he conveys it to the Warp, and from thence (as they list) their snappinges goes to the Broker or to the Bawd, and there they have as ready money for it as Merchants have for their ware in the Exchange: beside, there is a Dyver which is in the very nature of the Courber, for as he puts in a hook, so the other puts in at the window some little figging boy who plays his part notably, and perhaps the youth is so well instructed that he is a scholar in the black Art, and can pick a lock if it be not to cross warded, and deliver to the Dyver what snappinges he finds in the chamber. Thus you hear what the Courber doth and the Dyver, and what inconvenience grows to many by their base villainies: therefore I do wish all men servants and maids, to be careful for their Master's commodities, and to leave no lose ends abroad, especially in chambers where windows open to the street, lest the Courber take them as snappinges, and convey them to the couseninge Broker.  
Let this suffice, and now I will recreate your wits with a merry Tale or two.   

Of a Courber, & how cunningly he was taken.  
IT fortuned of late that a Courber & his Warp went walking in the dead of the night to spy out some window open for their purpose, & by chance same by a Noble man's house about London and saw the window of the porters lodge open, and looking in, spied fat snappings and bad his Warp watch carefully for there would be purchase, & with that took his Courb and thrust it into the chamber, and the Porter lying in his bed was a wake & saw all, and so was his bedfellow that was yeoman of the wine seller, the Porter stole out of his bed to mark what would be done, and the first snapping the Courber light on, was his Liverye coat, as he was drawing it to the window, the Porter easily lifted it off and so the Courber drew his hook in vain, the whilst his bedfellow stole out of the chamber and raised uptwo or three more and went about to take them, but still the rogue he plied his business and lighted on a gown that he used to sit in in the Porter's lodge, and warily drew it, but when it came at the window, the Porter drew it off so lightly that the hooker perceived it not: then when he saw his Courbe would take no hold, he swore and chafed and told the Warp he had hold of two good snaps and yet missed them both and that the fault was in his Courb, than he fell to sharping and hammering of the hook to make it keep better hold, and in again he thrusts it and lights upon a pair of buff hose, but when he had drawn them to the window the Porter took them off again, which made the Courber almost mad, & swore he thought the devil was abroad to night he had such hard fortune: nay says the yeeman of the seller, there is three abroad, and we are come to setche you and your hooks to hell so they apprehended these base rogues & carried them into the Porter's lodge and made that their prison. In the morning a crew of Gentlemen in the house, sat for judges (in that they would not trouble their Lord with such filthy Caterpillars) and by them they were found guilty, and condemned to abide forty blows a piece with a bastinado, which they had sollempnly paid, and so went away without any further damage.   

Of the subtlety of a Curber in coosoning a Maid.  
A Merry jest and a subtle, was reported to me of a cunning Courber, who had apparelled himself marvelous brave, like some good well-favoured young Gentleman, and in stead of a man had his Warp to wait upon him: this smooth faced rogue comes into More F●…lds, and caused his man to carry a portell of hippocras under his cloak, and there had learned out amongst others that was drying of clothes, of a very well favoured maid that was there with her Flaskit of linen, what her Master was, where she dwelled, and what her name: having gotten this intelligéce, to this maid he goes, and courteously salutesher, and after some prittye chat, tells her how he saw her sundry times at her Master's door, and was so besotted with her beauty, that he had made inquiry what her qualities were, which by the neighbours he generally heard to be so virtuous, that his desire was the more inflamed, and thereupon in sign of good will, and in further acquaintance hhad brought her a pottle of hippocras: the maid seeing him a good proper man, took it very kindly, and thanked him, and so they drunk the Wine, and after a little lovers prattle, for that time they parted.  
The Maid's heart was set on fire, that a Gentleman was become a suitor unto her, and she began to think better of her sell then ever she did before, and weared so proud that her other suitors were counted too base for her, and there might be none welcome but this new come gentleman her lover. Well, diverse times they appointed meetings, that they grew very familiar, and he oftentimes would come to her Mai●…ters house, when all but she and her fellow maids were a bed so that he and the Warp his man did almost know every corner of the house: It fortuned that so long he dallied, that at length he meant earnest, but not to marry the Maid whatsoever he had done else, and coming into the Fields to her on a washing day, saw a mighty deal of fine Linen worth twenty pound as he conjectured: whereupon he thought this night to set down his rest, and therefore he was very pleasant with his Lover, and told her that that night after her Master and Mistress were to bed he would come and bring a bottle of Sack with him and drink with her: the maid glad at these news, promised to sit up for him and so they parted: till about ten a clock at night, when he came and brought his man with him, and one other Courber with his tools, who should stand without the doors. To be brief, welcome he came, and so welcome as a man might be to a maid: he that had more mind to spy the clothes, then to look on her favour, at last perceived them in a Par lour that stood to the street ward, and there would the maid have had him sit, no sweeting quoth he, it is too near the street, we can neither laugh nor be merry but every one that passeth by must hear us: upon that they removed into another room, and pleasaut they were, and tippled the Sack round, till all was out, and the Gentleman swore that he would have another pottle, and so sent his man, who told the other Courber that stood without, where the window was he should work at, & away goes he for more Sack and brings it very orderly, and then to their cups they fall again, while the Courber without had not left one rag of Linen behind. Late it grew, and the morning began to war grey, and away goes this Courber and his man, leaving the maid very pleasant with his flattering promises until such time as poor soul she went into the Parlour, and missed all her masters Linen, than what a sorrowful heart she had, I refer to them that have grieved at the like loss.   

The Discovery of the Black Art.  
THe Black Art is picking of Locks, and to this busy trade two persons are required, the Charm and the Stand, the Charm is he that doth the feat, and the Stand is he that watcheth: There be more that belong to the burglary for conveying away the goods, but only two are employed about the lock: the Charm hath many keys and wrists, which they call picklocks, and for every sundry fashion they have a sundry term, but I am ignorant of their words of art, and therefore I omit them, only this, they have such cunning in opening a Lock, that they will undo the hardest Lock though never so weil warded. even while a man may turn his back, some have their instruments from I take made of steel, some are made here by Smiths, that are partakers in their villainous occupations: but howsoever, well may it be called the black Art, for the Devil cannot do better than they in their faculty. I once save the experience of it myself, for being in the Counter upon a commandment, there came in a famous fellow in the black art, as strong in that quality as Samson: The partle now is dead, and by fortune died in his bed, I bearing that he was a charm began to enter familiarity withhim, and to have an insight into his art, alter some acquaintance he told me much, and one day being in my Chamber I showed him my Desk, and asked him if he could pick that little lock that was so well warded, and too little as I thought for any of his gins. Why sir says he, I am so experienced in the black Art, that if I do but blow upon a Lock: shall fly open, and therefore let me come to your Desk, and do but turn five times about, and you shall see my cunning, with that I did as he bade me, and ere I had turned five times, his hand was rifling in my Desk very orderly, I wondered at it, and thought verily that the Devil and his Dam was in his fingers, much discommodity grows by this black Art in shops and noble men's houses for their plate therefore are they most severely to be looked in to by the honourable and worshipful of England, and to end this discourse as pleasantly as the rest, I will rehearse you a true tale done by a most worshipful Knight in Lancashire, against a Tinker that professed the Black Art.   

A true and merry Tale of a Knight, and a Tinker that was a picklock.  
NOt far off from Bolton in the Moors, there dwelled an ancient Knight, who for courtesy and hospitality was famous in those parts: divers of his Tenuantes making repair to his house, offered divers complaints to him how their locks were picked in the night and divers of them utterly undone by that means, and who it should be they could not tell, only they suspected a Tinker that went about the Country and in all places did spend very lavishlye: the Knight willing, heard what they exhibited, and promised both redress and revenge if he or they could learn out the man. It chanced not long after their complaints, but this ioilye Tinker (so expert in the black art) came by the house of this Knight, as the old gentleman was walking afore the gate and cried for work, the Knight ●…raight conjecturing this should be that famous rogue that did so much hurt to his Tennantes', called in and asked if they had any work for the Tinker, the Cook answered there was three or four old Kettles to mend, come in Tinker, so this fellow came in, laid down his budget and fell to his work, a black jacke of beer for this Tinker says the Knight, I know tinkers have dry souls: the Tinker he was pleasant and thanked him humbly, the Knight sat down by him and fell a ransacking his budget, and asked wherefore this tool served and wherefore that, the tinker told him all, at last as he tumbled amongst his old brass the Knight spied three or four bunches of picklocks, he turned them over quickly as though he had not seen them and said, well tinker I warrant thou art a passing cunning fellow & well skilled in thine occupation by the store of tools thou hast in thy budget: In faith if it please your worship quoth he, I am thanks he to God my crafts master: I, so much I perceive that thou art a passing cunning fellow quoth the Knight, therefore let us have a fresh jacke of beer and that of the best and strongest for the ●…inker: thus he passed away the time pleasantly, and when he had done his work he asked what he would have for his pains? but two shillings of your worship quoth the Tinker, two shillings says the Knight, alas Tinker it is too little, for & see by thy tools thou art a passing cunning workman, hold there is two shillings come in sha●…t drink a cup of wine before thou goest but I pra●… to●… tell me which way travailest thou: faith sir quoth the Tinker all is one to me; I am not much out of my way wheresoever I go, but now I am going to Lanca●…er: I pray thee Tinker than quoth the K●…ight carry me a Letter to the jailor, for I sent in a fe●…lon thither the other day and I would send word to t●…e jailor he should take no bale for him, marry that I will in most dutiful manner quoth he and much more for your worship then that: give him a cup of wine quoth the Knight and sirrah (speaking to his Clerk) make a Letter to the jailor, but then he whispered to him and bade him make a mittimus to send the Tinker to prison, the Clerk answered he knew not his name, I'll make him tell it thee himself says the Knight and therefore fall you to your pen: the Clerk began to write his mittimus, and the Knight began to ask what Countryman he was where he dwelled & what was his name, the Tinker told him all, and the Clerk set it in with this proviso to the jailor that he should keep him fast bolted or else he would break away. Assoon as the mittimus was made, sealed and subscribed in form of a Letter, the Knight took it and delivered it to the Tinker and said, give this to the chief jailor of Lancaster & here's two shillings more for thy labour, so the Tinker took the Letter and the money and with many a cap & knee thanked the old Knight and departed: and made haste till he came at Lancaster, and stayed not in the town so much as to taste one cup of nappy ale, before he came at the jailor, and to him very briskly he delivered his letter, the ●…ailor took it and read it and smiled a good, and said tinker thou art wel●…om for such a Knight's sake, he bids me give thee the best entertainment I may, I sir quoth the tinker the Knight loves me well, but I pray you hath the courteous gentleman remembered such a poor man as I? I marry doth he tinker, and therefore sirrah qd. he to one of his men, take the tinker in the lowest w●…rd clap a strong pair of bolts on his heels, and a basil of 28. pound weight, and then sirrah see if your pick locks will serve the turn to bale you hence? at this the tinker was blank, but yet he thought the ●…ailor had but jested, but when he heard the Mittimus, his heart was cold, and had not a word to say his conscience accused, and there he lay while the next sessions, and was hanged at Lancaster, and all his skill in the black art could not serve him.   
FINIS.