The Rogues and Vagabonds of Shakespeare's Youth

The Rogues and Vagabonds of Shakespeare's Youth - Awdeley's 'Fraternitye of vacabondes' and Harman's 'Caveat'

If the ways and slang of Vagabonds and Beggars interested Martin Luther enough to make him write a preface to the Liber Vagatorum[1] in 1528, two of the ungodly may be excused for caring, in 1869, for the old Rogues of their English land, and for putting together three of the earliest tracts about them. Moreover, these tracts are part of the illustrative matter that we want round our great book on Elizabethan England, Harrison's Description of Britain, and the chief of them is quoted by the excellent parson who wrote that book. The first of these three tracts, Awdeley's Fraternitye of Vacabondes, has been treated by many hasty bibliographers, who can never have taken the trouble to read the first three leaves of Harman's book, as later than, and a mere pilfering from, Harman's Caueat. No such accusation, however, did Harman himself bring against the worthy printer-author (herein like printer-author Crowley, though he was preacher too,) who preceded him. In his Epistle dedicatory to the Countes of Shrewsbury, p. 20, below, Harman, after speaking of 'these wyly wanderers,' vagabonds, says in 1566 or 1567, This description of the 'small brefe,' and the 'lytle shewe' ofii the 'names and vsage,' exactly suits Awdeley's tract; and the 'fewe yeares since' also suits the date of what may be safely assumed to be the first edition of the Fraternitye, by John Awdeley or John Sampson, or Sampson Awdeley,for by all these names, says Mr Payne Collier, was our one man known: ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 38850
Author: Awdelay, John
Release Date: Feb 12, 2012
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Contributor (Author): Harman, Thomas, active 1567
Editor: Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910 , Viles, Edward, 1841-1891