ELIZABETHAN UNDERWORLD
THE ELIZABETHAN UNDERWORLD
Plale I. NEWGATE IN 1650.
[ frontispiece
4
THE
ELIZABETHAN UNDERWORLD A collection of Tudor and early Stuart tracts and ballads telling of the lives and misdoings of vagabonds, thieves, rogues and cozeners, and giving some account of the operation of the criminal law
The Text prepared with Notes and an Introduction by
A. V. JUDGES B.A., Assistant in the 'Department of History at the London School of Economics
With 20 Illustrations
NEW YORK
E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY 1930
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY IIEAPLEY BROTHERS, l 8 , DEVONSHIRE STREET, E.C.2 ; AND ASMFORD, KENT.
CONTENTS (An asterisk denotes that portions of the original have been omitted.) PAGE
Preface
xi
Introduction
xiii
The Highway to the Spital-house (1535-6) ROBERT COPLAND
I
A Manifest Dete<ftion of Dice-play (1552)
GILBERT WALKER
(?)
26
The Fraternity of Vagabonds* (1561)
JOHN AWDELEY
51
A Caveat for Common Cursitors (1566)
THOMAS HARMAN
61
A Notable Discovery of Cozenage (1591)
ROBERT GREENE
119
The Second Part of Cony-catching (1591) ROBERT GREENE
149
The Third Part of Cony-catching (1592)
ROBERT GREENE
179
ROBERT GREENE
206
The Black Book's Messenger (1592)
ROBERT GREENE
248
The Black Dog of Newgate (c. 1596)
LUKE HUTTON
265
A Disputation between a He-cony-catcher and a She-cony catcher (1592)
Luke Hutton's Lamentation (1596) The Testament of Laurence Lucifer (being a part of The Black Book,* 1604)
292
THOMAS MIDDLETON (?)
296
vi
CONTENTS PAGE
The Bellman of London* (1608)
THOMAS DEKKER
303
Lantern and Candlelight* (1608)
THOMAS DEKKER
312
O per se O (1612) THOMAS DEKKER (?) Martin Markall, Beadle of Bridewell (1610) SAMUEL R I D (?)
366 383
The Counter's Commonwealth (1617)
WILLIAM FENNOR
423
The Song of a Constable (1626)
JAMES GYFFON
488
Notes to the Text
491
Glossary
522
Index
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS I NEWGATE IN 1650. Crace Colle<ftion : British Museum
Frontispiece
GYPSIES ON THE MARCH (FIFTEENTH CENTURY).
II
From a tapestry at the Chateau d'Effiat (Paul Lacroix : Moeurs, usages et coftumes, 1873)
p.
xii
Title British Museum. C. 57, b. 30
To face p.
1
p.
25
To face p.
26
To face p.
32
To face p.
61
To face p.
90
T H E HYE WAY TO THE SPYTTELL HOUS.
page.
A MENDICANT. (Josl Amman.) Museum, C. 27, a. 40 III
British
A MANIFEST DETECTION OF THE MOST VYLE AND DETESTABLE USE OF DlCEPLAY.
Title page.
Bodleian Library, 8째 K. 3, Art. B.S. IV
CARD AND DICE BOXES OF THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH
CENTURIES.
(H.
R.
d'Alle-
magne : Les Cartes a jouer, 1906) V
A CAUEAT OR WARENING, FOR COMMEN CURSETORS CALLED VAGABONES.
Title page.
British Museum, Huth 114 VI
NICHOLAS JENNINGS IN TWO ROLES.
(The
Groundwork of cony-catching, 1592.) British Museum, 95, b. 19 VII
(a) AT THE GALLOWS FOOT (Harman's Caveat, 1566.) British Museum, Huth 114 (b) NICHOLAS JENNINGS IN THE PILLORY. (From the same) vii
To face p. 117
viii VIII IX
L I S T OF ILLUSTRATIONS A NOTABLE DISCOUERY OF COOSENAGE. Title page. Bodleian Library, Malone 575 T H E SECOND AND LAST PART OF CONNY-CATCHING.
Title page. X
To face p. 119
Bodleian Library, Malone 575
To face p. 149
THIRDE AND LAST PART OF CONNY-CATCHING.
Title page.
Bodleian Library, Malone 575
To face p. 179
XI A DISPUTATION. Title page. Bodleian Library, Malone 574
To face p. 206
XII XIII XIV
T H E BLACKE DOGGE OF NEWGATE.
Title page.
British Museum, C. 30, d. 15
To face p. 265
HALL, 1647. (W. Hollar.) Crace Collection : British Museum
To face p. 287
WESTMINSTER
THE BELMAN OF LONDON.
Title page. British
Museum, C. 40, c. 20
To face p. 303
XV LANTHORNE AND CANDLE-LIGHT. British Museum, C. 38, d. 24 XVI
Title page.
O PER SE O. Second title page. Museum, C. 27, b. 19 A PEDLAR, f Josl Amman.) C. 27, a. 40
To face p. 312 British To face p. 366
British Museum, p. 490