'Because the Bel-man entreateth any that is more rich in canting, to lend him better or more with variety, he will repay his loue double, I haue thought good, not only to shew his errour in some places in setting downe olde wordes vsed fortie yeeres agoe, before he was borne, for wordes that are vsed in these dayes (although he is bold to call me an vsurper (for so he doth in his last round), and not able to maintayne the title, but haue enlarged his Dictionary (or Master Harmon's) with such wordes as I thinke hee neuer heard of (and yet in vse too); but not out of vaine glorie, as his ambition is, but, indeede, as an experienced souldier that hath deerely paid for it: and therefore it shall be honour good enough for him (if not too good) to come vp with the Reare (I doe but shoote your owne arrow back againe), and not to haue the leading of the Van as he meanes to doe, although small credite in the end will redound to eyther. You shall know the wordes not set in eyther his Dictionaries by this marke §: and for shewing the errour in his words, and true englishing of the same and other, this marke ¶ shall serue
- § Abram, madde.
- § He maunds Abram, he begs as a madde man.
- ¶ Bung, is now vsed for a pocket, heretofore for a purse.
- § Budge a beake, runne away.
- § A Bite, secreta mulierum.
- § Crackmans, the hedge.
- § To Castell, to see or looke.
- § A Roome Cuttle, a sword.
- § A Cuttle bung, a knife to cut a purse.
- § Chepemans, Cheape-side market.
- ¶ Chates, the Gallowes: here he mistakes both the simple word, because he so found it printed, not knowing the true originall thereof, and also in the compound; as for Chates, it should be Cheates, which word is vsed generally for things, as Tip me that Cheate, Giue me that thing: so that if you will make a word for the Gallous, you must put thereto this word treyning, which signifies hanging; and so treyning cheate is as much to say, hanging things, or the Gallous, and not Chates.
- MARTIN MARK-ALL. LANTHORNE AND CANDLE-LIGHT.
- § A fflicke, a Theefe.
- § Famblers, a paire of Gloues.
- § Greenemans, the field.s
- § Gilkes for the gigger, false keyes for the doore or picklockes.
- § Gracemans, Gratious streete market.
- § Iockam, a man's yard.
- § Ian, a purse.
- § Iere, a turd.
- § Lugges, eares.
- § Loges, a passe or warrant.
- § A Feager of Loges, one that beggeth with false passes or counterfeit writings.
- § Numans, Newgate Market.
- ¶ Nigling, company keeping with a woman: this word is not vsed now, but wapping, and thereof comes the name wapping morts, whoores.
- § To plant, to hide.
- ¶ Smellar, a garden; not smelling cheate, for that's a Nosegay.
- § Spreader, butter.
- § Whittington, Newgate.
"And thus haue I runne ouer the Canter's Dictionary; to speake more at large would aske more time then I haue allotted me; yet in this short time that I haue, I meane to sing song for song with the Belman, ere I wholly leaue him." [Here follow three Canting Songs.] Sign. E 1, back—E 4.
"And thus hath the Belman, through his pitifull ambition, caused me to write that I would not: And whereas he disclaims the name of Brotherhood, I here vtterly renounce him & his fellowship, as not desirous to be rosolued of anything he professeth on this subiect, knowing my selfe to be as fully instructed herein as euer he was."—Sign. F.
In the second Part of his Belman of London, namely, his Lanthorne and Candle-light, 1609, Dekker printed a Dictionary of Canting, which is only a reprint of Harman's (p. [82]-[4], below). A few extracts from this Lanthorne are subjoined:
Canting.
"This word canting seemes to bee deriued from the latine verbe canto, which signifies in English, to sing, or to make a sound with words,—that is to say, to speake. And very aptly may canting take his deriuation, a cantando, from singing, because, amongst these beggerly consorts that can play vpon no better instruments, the language of canting is a kind of musicke; and he that in such assemblies can cant best, is DEKKER'S LANTHORNE AND CANDLE-LIGHT.counted the best Musitian."—Dekker's Lanthorne and Candle-light, B. 4. back.
Specimen of "Canting rithmes."
"Enough—with bowsy Coue maund Nace,
Tour the Patring Coue in the Darkeman Case,
Docked the Dell, for a Coper meke
His wach shall feng a Prounces Nab-chete,
Cyarum, by Salmon, and thou shalt pek my Iere
In thy Gan, for my watch it is nace gere,
For the bene bowse my watch hath a win, &c."
Dekker's Lanthorne, &c., C. 1. back.