The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language

by Unknown

Of Kammesierers, or Learned Beggars.

HE vj^th chapter is about the Kammesierers. These beggars are young scholars or young students, who do not obey their fathers and mothers, and do not listen to their masters’ teaching, and so depart, and fall into the bad company of such as are learned in the arts of strolling and tramping, and who quickly help them to lose all they have by gambling (VERJONEN), pawning (VERSENKEN),[Pg 18] or selling (VERKÜMMERN) it, with drinking (VERSCHÖCHERN) and revelry. And when they have nought more left, they learn begging, and KAMMESIERING, and to cheat the farmers (HANZEN-BESEFLEN); and they KAMESIER as follows: Item, that they come from Rome (id est, from the brothel [SONNENBOSS]), studying to become priests (on the gallows, i.e. DOLMAN); item, one is acolitus, another is epistolarius, the third evangelicus, and a fourth clericus (GALCH); item, they have nought on earth but the alms wherewith people help them, and all their friends and family have long been called away by death’s song. Item, they ask linen cloth for an alb (id est, for a harlot’s shift, i.e. GLIDEN HANFSTAUDEN). Item, money, that they may be consecrated at next Corpus Christi day (id est, in a SONNENBOSS, i.e. brothel), and whatever they get by cheating and begging they lose in gambling (VERJONEN), or with strumpets, or spend it in drink (VERSCHOCHERNS und VERBOLENS). Item, they shave tonsures on their heads, although they are not ordained and have no[Pg 19] church document (FORMAT), though they say they have, and they are altogether a bad lot (LOE VOT).

Conclusio: As to these Kammesierers give them nought, for the less thou givest them the better it is for them, and the sooner they must leave off. They have also forged FORMATÆ (literæ).

Of Vagrants (Vagierern), or Strollers.

HE vij^th chapter is about Vagrants. These are beggars or adventurers who wear yellow garments, come from Venusberg, know the black art, and are called rambling scholars. These same when they come into a house speak thus:—“Here comes a rambling scholar, a magister of the seven free arts (id est, the various ways of cheating [BESEFLEN] the farmers [HANZEN]), an exorciser of the devil for hail, for storm, and for witchcraft.” Then he utters some magical words and crosses his breast ii or iij times, and speaks thus:—