with the Jew fences (receivers of stolen goods); many of the Cant terms, again, are Sanscrit, got from the Gipsies; many Latin, got by the beggars from the Catholic prayers before the Reformation; and many again, Italian, got from the wandering musicians and others; indeed, the showmen have but lately introduced a number of Italian phrases into their Cant language."* The Hindostanee also contributes several words, and these have been introduced by the Lascar sailors, who come over here in the East Indiamen, ånd often lodge during their stay in the low tramps' houses at the East-end of London. Speaking of the learned tongues, it may be mentioned that, precarious and abandoned as the vagabonds' existence is, many persons of classical or refined education have from time to time joined the nomadic ranks,-occasionally from inclination, as in the popular instance of Bamfylde Moore Carew, but generally through indiscretions, which involve pecuniary difficulty and loss of character. This will in some measure account for numerous classical and learned words figuring as Cant terms in the vulgar dictionary.

In the early part of the last century, when highwaymen and footpads were plentiful, and when the dangerous classes were in larger proportion to the bulk of the population than they are now, a great many new words were added to the canting vocabulary, whilst several old terms fell into disuse. "Cant," for instance, as applied to thieves' talk, was supplanted by the word "flash." In the North of England the Cant employed by tramps and thieves is known as "Gammy." It is mainly

*London Labour and the London Poor.

+ Mayhew (vol. i. p. 217) speaks of a low lodging-house "in which there were at one time five university men, three surgeons, and several sorts of broken-down clerks." But old Harman's saying, that "a wylde Roge is he that is borne a roge," will perhaps explain this seeming anomaly. There is, whatever may be the reason, no disputing the truth of this latter statement, as there is not, we venture to say, a common lodging-house in London without broken-down gentlemen, who have been gentlemen very often far beyond the conventional application of the term to any one with a good coat on his back and money in his pocket.

D

from the old Gipsy corrupted. In the large towns of Ireland and Scotland this secret language is also spoken, with of course additions peculiar to each locality. All those words derived from "gammy" are inserted in the dictionary as from the North country.

A singular feature, however, in vulgar language is the retention and the revival of sterling old English words, long since laid up in ancient manuscripts. Disraeli somewhere says, "The purest source of neology is in the revival of old words"

"Words that wise Bacon or brave Rawleigh spake ;"

and Dr. Latham remarks that "the thieves of London are the conservators of Anglo-Saxonisms." A young gentleman from Belgravia, who had lost his watch or his pocket-handkerchief, would scarcely remark to his mamma that it had been "boned"-yet "bone," in old times, meant, amongst high and low, to steal. And a young lady living in the precincts of dingy but aristocratic Mayfair, although enraptured with a Jenny Lind or a Ristori, would hardly think of turning back in the box to inform papa that she (Ristori or Lind) "made no 'bones' of it"-yet the phrase was most respectable and wellto-do before it met with a change of circumstances. Possibly fashion, in its journey from east to west, left certain phrases and metaphors behind, which being annexed by the newcomers, sank gradually in the social scale until they ultimately passed out of the written language altogether, and became "flash" or Slang. "A crack' article," however first-rate, would have greatly displeased Dr. Johnson and Mr. Walker-yet both crack, in the sense of excellent, and crack up, to boast or praise, were not considered vulgarisms in the time of Henry VIII. The former term is used frequently nowadays, as a kind of polite and modified Slang-as a "crack" regiment, a "crack" shot, &c. "Dodge," a cunning trick, is from the Anglo-Saxon; and ancient nobles used to "get each other's dander' up" before appealing to their swords,-quite "flabbergasting" (also

a respectable old word) the half-score of lookers-on with the thumps and cuts of their heavy weapons. "Gallivanting," waiting upon the ladies, was as polite in expression as in action; whilst a clergyman at Paule's Crosse thought nothing of bidding a noisy hearer "hold his 'gab,'" or "shut up his 'gob.'" But then the essence of preaching was to indulge in idiomatic phrases and colloquialisms-a practice now almost peculiar to itinerant "ranters." "Gadding," roaming about in an idle and vacant manner, was used in an old translation of the Bible; and "to do anything 'gingerly'" was to do it with great care. Persons of modern affected tastes will be shocked to know that the great Lord Bacon spoke of the lower part of a man's face as his "gills," though the expression is not more objectionable than the generality of metaphor, and is considerably more respectable than many words admitted to the genteel we use the word advisedly-vocabulary.

Shakspeare also used many words which are now counted dreadfully vulgar. "Clean' gone," in the sense of out of sight, or entirely away; "you took me all 'a-mort,' or confounded me; "it wont 'fadge,' or suit, are phrases taken at random from the great dramatist's works. These phrases are the natural outcome of the poet's truth to life in the characters he portrayed: A London costermonger, or inhabitant of the streets, instead of saying, "I'll make him yield," or "give in,” in a fight or contest, would say, "I'll make him 'buckle' under." Shakspeare in his Henry the Fourth (part ii. act i. scene 1), has the word; and Mr. Halliwell, one of the greatest and most industrious of living antiquaries, informs us that "the commentators do not supply another example." If Shakspeare was not a pugilist, he certainly anticipated the terms of the prize-ring -or they were respectable words before the prize-ring was thought of-for he has "pay," to beat or thrash, and "pepper," with a similar meaning; also "fancy," in the sense of pets and favourites, pugilists are often termed "the fancy.'" The origin of the term, as applied to them, has, however, never been

satisfactorily decided, though Pierce Egan and others since his time have speculated ingeniously on the subject. The Cant word "prig," from the Saxon priccan, to filch, is also Shakspearian; so, indeed, is "piece," a contemptuous term for a young woman. Shakspeare was not the only vulgar dramatist of his time. Ben Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher, Brome, and other play-writers, occasionally, and very naturally, put Cant words into the mouths of their low characters, or employed old words which have since degenerated into vulgarisms. "Crusty," poor tempered; "two of a kidney," two of a sort; "lark," a piece of fun; "lug," to pull; "bung," to give or pass; "pickle," a sad plight; "frump," to mock, are a few specimens casually picked from the works of the old histrionic writers.

One old English mode of canting, simple enough, but affected only by the most miserable impostors, was the inserting a consonant betwixt each syllable; thus, taking g, "How do you do?" would be "Howg dog youg dog?" The name very properly given to this disagreeable nonsense, we are informed by Grose, was gibberish.

Another slang has been manufactured by transposing the initial letters of words, so that a mutton chop becomes a chutton mop, and a pint of stout a stint of pout; but it is satisfactory to know that it has gained no ground, as it is remarkable for nothing so much as poverty of resource on the part of its inventors. This is called "Marrowskying," or "Medical Greek," from its use by medical students at the hospitals. Albert Smith termed it the "Gower Street Dialect," and referred to it occasionally in his best-known works.

The "Language of Ziph," it may be noted, is another rude mode of disguising English, in use among the students at Winchester College. Some notices of this method of conveying secret information, with an extensive Glossary of the Words, Phrases, Customs, &c., peculiar to the College, may be found in Mr. Mansfield's School Life at Winchester College. It is certainly too puerile a specimen of work to find place here.

ACCOUNT

OF THE

HIEROGLYPHICS USED BY VAGABONDS.

NE of the most singular chapters in a history of vaga

ON bondism would certainly be "An Account of the

Hieroglyphic Signs used by Tramps and Thieves," and it certainly would not be the least interesting. The reader may be startled to know that, in addition to a secret language, the wandering tribes of this country have private marks and symbols with which to score their successes, failures, and advice to succeeding beggars; in fact, there is no doubt that the country is really dotted over with beggars' finger-posts and guide-stones. The subject was not long since brought under the attention of the Government by Mr. Rawlinson.* "There is," he says in his report, "a sort of blackguards' literature, and the initiated understand each other by Slang [Cant] terms, by pantomimic signs, and by hieroglyphics. The vagrant's mark may be seen in Havant, on corners of streets, on doorposts, on house-steps. Simple as these chalk-lines appear, they inform the succeeding vagrants of all they require to know; and a few white scratches may say, 'Be importunate,' or 'Pass on.'

Another very curious account was taken from a provincial newspaper, published in 1849, and forwarded to Notes and

* Mr. Rawlinson's Report to the General Board of Health, Parish of Havant, Hampshire.