The Bel-mans night-walkes,
Canting rithmes.

ENough with bowsy Coue maund Nace,
Tour the Patting Coue in the Darkeman Case,
Docked the Dell, for a Coper meke,
His watch 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 beene bowse my watch hath a win &c.

This short Lesson I leaue to be construed by him that 
is desirous to try his skill in the language, Which he may 
doe by helpe of the following Dictionary; into which way 
that he may more readily come, I will translate into En­
glish, this broken French that followes in prose. Two 
Canters hauing wrangled a while about some idle quar­
rel, at length growing friends, thus one of them speakes
to the other, viz.

A Canter in prose.

STowe you beene Cofe; and cut benar whiddes and
bing wee to Rome vile, to nip a boung: so shall Wee 
haue lowre for the bowsing ken, and when wee beng back 
to the Dewese a vile, we will filch some Dudes, off the 
Ruffmans, or mill the Ken for a lagge Of Dudes.

Thus in English.


Stowe you beene cofe: hold your peace good fellow.

And cut benar whiddes:  and speake better words.

And bing we to Rome vile:  and goe we to London,

To nip a boung: to cut a purse.

So shall we haue lowre: so shall we haue mony.

For the bowsing Ken:  for the Ale house.

And when wee bing back: and when we come backe.

To the Dewse-a-vile:  into the Country.

Wee will filch some dudes: we will filch some clothes,

Off the Ruffmans: from the hedges.

Or mill the Ken:  or rob the house,

For a lagge of Duddes: for a bucke of clothes.




Now turne to your Dictionary.

ANd because you shall not haue one dish twice set be­
fore you, none of those Canting wordes that are en­
glished before, shal here be found: for our intent is to feast 
you with varietie.

The Canters Dictionarie.


Avtem, a church.

Autem-mort, a married woman.

Boung, a purse.

Borde, a shilling

Half a Borde, six pence.

Bowse, drinke.

Bowsing Ken, an Ale-house.

Bene, good.

Beneship, very good:

Bufe, a Dogge.

Bing a wast, get you hence.

Caster, a cloake.

A Commission, a shirt.

Chates, the Gallowes.

To cly the Ierke, to be whipped.

To cut, to speake.

To cut bene, to speake gently.

To cut bene whiddes, to speake good wordes.

To cut quier whiddes, to giue euill language.

To Cant,  to speake.

To couch a Hogshead, to lye downe a sleepe.

Drawers, Hosen.

Dudes,  clothes.

Darke mans, the night.

Dewse-a-vile, the country,

Dup the Giger, open the dore.

Fambles, hands.

Fambling Chete, a King.

Flag, a Goat.

Glasiers, eyes.

Gan, a mouth.



Gage, a Quart pot.

Grannam, Corne.

Gybe, a writing.

Glymmer, fire.

Gigger, a doore.

Gentry Mort, a Gentlewoman.

Gentry cofes Ken, a Noblemans house.

Harman bek, a Constable.

Harmans, the Stockes.

Heaue a bough, rob a Booth.

Iarke,  a Seale.

Ken, a House.

Lage of Dudes, a Bucke of Clothes.

Libbege. a Bed.

Lowre,  money.

Lap, Butter, Milke, or Whay.

Libkin, a House to lye in.

Lage, Water.

Light-mans, the day.

Mynt, Golde.

A Make, a Halfe-penny.

Margery prater, a Henne.

Mawnding, asking.

To Mill, to steale.

Mill a Ken, r rob a house.

Nosegent, a Nunne.

Niggling, companying with a woman.

Pratt, a Buttocke.

Peck,  meate.

Poplars, Pottage.

Prancer, a Horse.

Prigging, Riding.

Patrico, a Priest.

Pad, a Way.

Quaromes, a body.

Ruff-peck, Bacon.

Roger, or Tib of the Buttry, a Goose.




Rome-vile, London.

Rome-bowse, Wine.

Rome-mort, a Queane.

Ruffmans, the woodes, or bushes.

Ruffian, the Diuell.

Stampes: legges.

Stampers? shooes.

Slate: a sheete.

Skew: a cup.

Salomon:  the masse.

Stuling ken: a house to receiue stolne goods.

Skipper: a barne.

Strommel, straw.

Smelling chete, an Orchard or Garden.

To scowre the Cramp-ring: to weare boults.

Stalling:  making or ordeyning.

Tryning: hanging.

To twore: to see.

Wyn:  a penny.

Yarum: milke.


And thus haue I builded vp a little Mint, where you 
may coyne words for your pleasure. The payment 
of this was a debt: for the Belman at his farewell (in his 
first Round which hee walk'd) promised so much.  If hee 
keepe not touch, by tendring the due Summe, he desires
forbearance, and if any that is more rich in this Canting
commodity will lend him any more, or any better, hee 
will pay his loue double: In the meane time, receiue 
this, and to giue it a little more weight, you shall haue a 
Canting song, wherein you may learne, how This cursed 
Generation pray, or (to speake truth) curse such Officers 
as punish them.