d at his returne (which he saide should not be longe,) he would
geue him a peny to drinke, and so wente about his busines. Thys peltynge
priggar, proude of his praye, walketh hys horses vp and downe, till he
sawe the gentleman out of sighte, and leapes him into the saddell, and
awaye be goeth a mayne. This gentleman returning, and findyng not his
horses, sente his man to the one ende of the village, & he went himselfe
vnto the other ende, and enquired as he went for hys horses that were
walked, and began somewhat to suspecte, because neither he nor his man
coulde neyther see nor fynde him. Then this gentleman diligently enquired
of three or foure towne dwellers there whether any such person, declaring
his stature, age, apparel, and so manye linamentes of his body as he
coulde call to remembraunce. And _vna voce_, all sayde that no such man
dwelte in their streate, neither in the parish that they knewe of, but
some did wel remember that suche a one they sawe there lyrkinge and
huggeringe[CL] two houres before the gentleman came thether and a
straunger to them. J had thought, quoth this gentleman, he had here
dwelled, and marched home mannerly in his botes: farre from the place he
dwelt not. J suppose at his comming home he sente such wayes as he
suspected or thought mete to search for this prigger, but hetherto he
neuer harde any tidinges againe of his palfreys. J had the best gelding
stolen out of my pasture that J had amogst others, while this boke was
first a printing."

At the end of the several characters, the author gives a list of the names
of the most notorious thieves of his day, a collection of the cant phrases
used by them, with their significations; and a dialogue between an
_uprighte man_ and a _roge_, which I shall transcribe:--

"The vpright Cose canteth to the Roger.
_The vprighte man spaketh to the roge._

_Man._ Bene lyghtmans to thy quarromes in what lipk[=e] hast thou lipped
in this darkemanes; whether in a lybbege or in the strummell?

_God morrowe to thy bodye, in what house hast thou lyne in all
night whether in a bed, or in the strawe?_

_Roge._ J couched a hogeshed in a skypper this darkemans.

_I laye me down to sleepe in a barne this night._

_Man._ J towre ye strummell tryne vpon thy nabcher & togman.

_I see the straw hange upon thy cap and coate._

_Roge._ J saye by the Salomon J wyll lage it of with a gage of bene bouse
then