Chappell in Popular English Music of the Olden Time says that this song appears in The Canting Academy (2nd ed. 1674) but the writer has been unable to find a copy of the book in question. The song was very popular, and many versions (all varying) are extant. The two given have been carefully collated. The portions in brackets [ ],- -for example stanza II, line 6, stanza III, lines 1—7, stanza IV, lines 5—8 etc.—only appear in the New Canting Dict. (1725). It was sung to the tune now known as There was a jolly miller once lived on the river Dee.
Title. Budge = "one that slips into a house in the dark, and taketh cloaks, coats, or what comes next to hand, marching off with them" (B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, 1690). Snudge = "one that lurks under a bed, to watch an opportunity to rob the house"—(B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, 1690).
Stanza I, line 7. Whitt= Newgate (see Note p. 204).
Stanza V, line 3. Jack Ketch, the public hangman 1663-1686.
The Maunder's Praise Of His Strowling Mort
The Triumph of Wit by J. Shirley is a curious piece of bookmaking—scissors and paste in the main—which ran through many editions. Divided into three parts, the first two are chiefly concerned with "the whole art and mystery of love in all its nicest intrigues", "choice letters with their answers" and such like matters. Part III contains "the mystery and art of Canting, with the original and present management thereof, and the ends to which it serves, and is employed: Illustrated with poems, songs and various intrigues in the Canting language with the explanation, etc." The songs were afterwards included in The New Canting Dict. (1725), and later on in Bacchus and Venus (1731).
Title. Strowling Mort = a beggar's trull:—"pretending to be widows, sometimes travel the countries … are light-fingered, subtle, hypocritical, cruel, and often dangerous to meet, especially when the ruffler is with them" (B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, 1690).
Stanza I, line 1. Doxy—"These Doxes be broken and spoyled of their maydenhead by the upright men, and then they have their name of Doxes, and not afore. And afterwards she is commen and indifferent for any that wyll use her".—Harman, Caveat, p. 73. Line 3. prats = buttocks or thighs. Line 4. wap = to copulate (also stanza IV, line i).
Stanza II, line 4. clip and kiss = to copulate.
The Rum-Mort's Praise Of Her Faithless Maunder