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Awdeley's Fraternitye of Vacabondes, Harman's Caveat, Haben's Sermon, Etc. (Early English Text Society
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1907
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July 3, 2017
Young Willy in teenage gang shocker!
What a Shake-scene!
Alas, no. We famously know next to nothing about Shakespeare's early years (nor much about his later years either) but it's unlikely that he was a delinquent tearaway; the title of this enlightening collection of tracts is willfully (oh yes!) misleading on that score.
There is, however, every reason to suppose that Shakespeare had read one or two of these articles, all of which were exposés on the ways and means of the late 16th century rogue. We know this because parts of Harman's 'Caueat' were included in printings of Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, the Bard's bible when it came to writing his historical plays.
Before we get to them the editors provide us with a wonderful glossary of Canting terms, the vagabond's unique and baffling lingo. Some terms are still familiar such, as Fencer (receiver of stolen goods), or Grub, (food). Most are just as incomprehensible now as they would have been to the average Englishman in the 16th century, such as Mauks, for whore, Rumbo Ken, pawn-broker, or my favourite, Mundungus, meaning sad stuff.
THE Fraternitye of Vacabondes As wel of ruflyng Vacabondes, as of beggerly, of women as of men, of Gyrles as of Boyes, with their proper names and qualities is probably the seminal work in the field, the first comprehensive detailing of the various type of rogue and how he operated.
Of these types the Chafe Litter gave me a good laugh, a lazybones who 'wyll plucke vp the Fether-bed or Matrice, and pysse in the bedstraw, and wyl neuer ryse vncalled.'
You certainly don't want to take him into your employment. The Proctour sounded like more fun, described as a real 'stibber gibber Knaue,' whatever that means.
A Caueat or Warening, FOR COMMEN CVRSETORS VVLGARELY CALLED Vagabones, set forth by Thomas Harman was the second such tract, becoming much plagiarised thereafter by those rogues who wield pens instead of sticks.
Harman puts you in the very midst of the rogues through his eyewitness accounts and moral judgements. I loved his indulgence in period alliteration in order to really ramp up the indignation e.g. 'wycked, and detestable behauor of all these rowsey, ragged rabblement of rakehelles' and 'lousey language of these lewtering Luskes and lasy Lorrels.'
Harman's account of a local Counterfet Cranke, a beggar who feigns madness by eating soap to simulate frothing at the mouth etc, was a fascinating little case study. At one point he escaped from a tight spot by pretending he needed to make water, or 'exonerate his paunche' as the author termed it. What a phrase!
Disgusted by roguery as he no doubt was, I couldn't help thinking that some of his accounts have only helped to establish the characteristic which has made these reprobates so popular in fiction ever since, i.e. their cheekiness, such as the pair of rogues who robbed a priest thanks in part to the unwitting assistance of a female publican, then brought the two together to learn how they were both fooled.
Talking of cheekiness, A Sermon in Praise of Thieves and Thievery was given by a priest taken hostage by a a gang of vagrants and persuaded to say something in their favour. He was no Thomas More and duly did as he was asked.
<>THE Groundworke of Conny-catching<> is the last tract, offering little of interest. The preface and the first two tracts are pure gold though.
What a Shake-scene!
Alas, no. We famously know next to nothing about Shakespeare's early years (nor much about his later years either) but it's unlikely that he was a delinquent tearaway; the title of this enlightening collection of tracts is willfully (oh yes!) misleading on that score.
There is, however, every reason to suppose that Shakespeare had read one or two of these articles, all of which were exposés on the ways and means of the late 16th century rogue. We know this because parts of Harman's 'Caueat' were included in printings of Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, the Bard's bible when it came to writing his historical plays.
Before we get to them the editors provide us with a wonderful glossary of Canting terms, the vagabond's unique and baffling lingo. Some terms are still familiar such, as Fencer (receiver of stolen goods), or Grub, (food). Most are just as incomprehensible now as they would have been to the average Englishman in the 16th century, such as Mauks, for whore, Rumbo Ken, pawn-broker, or my favourite, Mundungus, meaning sad stuff.
THE Fraternitye of Vacabondes As wel of ruflyng Vacabondes, as of beggerly, of women as of men, of Gyrles as of Boyes, with their proper names and qualities is probably the seminal work in the field, the first comprehensive detailing of the various type of rogue and how he operated.
Of these types the Chafe Litter gave me a good laugh, a lazybones who 'wyll plucke vp the Fether-bed or Matrice, and pysse in the bedstraw, and wyl neuer ryse vncalled.'
You certainly don't want to take him into your employment. The Proctour sounded like more fun, described as a real 'stibber gibber Knaue,' whatever that means.
A Caueat or Warening, FOR COMMEN CVRSETORS VVLGARELY CALLED Vagabones, set forth by Thomas Harman was the second such tract, becoming much plagiarised thereafter by those rogues who wield pens instead of sticks.
Harman puts you in the very midst of the rogues through his eyewitness accounts and moral judgements. I loved his indulgence in period alliteration in order to really ramp up the indignation e.g. 'wycked, and detestable behauor of all these rowsey, ragged rabblement of rakehelles' and 'lousey language of these lewtering Luskes and lasy Lorrels.'
Harman's account of a local Counterfet Cranke, a beggar who feigns madness by eating soap to simulate frothing at the mouth etc, was a fascinating little case study. At one point he escaped from a tight spot by pretending he needed to make water, or 'exonerate his paunche' as the author termed it. What a phrase!
Disgusted by roguery as he no doubt was, I couldn't help thinking that some of his accounts have only helped to establish the characteristic which has made these reprobates so popular in fiction ever since, i.e. their cheekiness, such as the pair of rogues who robbed a priest thanks in part to the unwitting assistance of a female publican, then brought the two together to learn how they were both fooled.
Talking of cheekiness, A Sermon in Praise of Thieves and Thievery was given by a priest taken hostage by a a gang of vagrants and persuaded to say something in their favour. He was no Thomas More and duly did as he was asked.
<>THE Groundworke of Conny-catching<> is the last tract, offering little of interest. The preface and the first two tracts are pure gold though.
Displaying 1 of 1 review