1612.—Lanthorn and Candlelight, or the Belman's second Night's Walk, and a new canting Song; with portrait; 4to. 1612.-London triumphing; or the solemn and magnificent Reception of Sir John Swinerton into London, after his taking the Oath of Mayoralty at Westminster; a pageant; 4to. 1612.-A strange Horserace, with the Catchpoll's Masque, and the Bankrupt's Banquet; this is very scarce indeed; 4to. 1613.-Villanies discovered by Lantern and Candlelight, and the Help of a new Crier called O per se O. Being an Addition to the Belman's second Night Walk, with canting Songs never before printed; portrait of belman, lantern, and dog; 4to. 1616. Dodsley mentions an edition of this, 1620; and says there was also an edition of the Belman of London so early as 1608: neither of these I have met with: perhaps, respecting the latter, he may allude to one of the publications of 1612.-Artillery Garden, a Poem; 4to. 1616.-Decker his Dream; 1620.-Grievous Groans

for

for the Poor. Done by a Wellwisher, who wisheth that the Poor of England might be so provided for, as none should need to go a begging within this Realm; 1622.-Rod for Runaways, with the Runaway's Answer; 4to. 1625.-Thomas of Reading, or the six worthy Yeomen of the West, now six Times corrected, and enlarged; 12mo. 1632.-Belman's Night-Walker, whereunto is added O per se O, and canting Dictionary; 4to. 1657.-English Villanies seven several Times prest to Death by the Printers, but still reviving again are now the eighth Time (as at the first) discovered by Lanthorn and Candlelight, and the Help of a new Crier called O per se O, &c. 4to. 1638.-It was reprinted 1648, and seven in the titlepage altered to eight. This of course would seem to form a ninth edition of the work.-Belman of London, bringing to Light the most notorious Villanies that are now practised in the Kingdom; scarce as it is, it went through five impressions, the last 1640. Besides

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Besides these, there are, I know, some other works of a like kind attributed to Decker, but perhaps improperly. The tract however, of which I here give a reprint, may be considered that which best depicts the prevailing follies of his day. The transcript made for such reprint was most accurate; and it varies from the original in nothing but the orthography, which I have thought it right to modernise, after the example of such judicious editors as have revived some of our early English poets. The ancient orthography can claim no merit from uniformity, or consistency; it is arbitrary, and indefinite: modern orthography is systematical; it pleases every one, because it is familiar to every one, and does not prejudice or perplex by seeming obscurity.

In one or two instances, I have ventured to interpolate a word, where it seemed very evident, that something similar to the word inserted was

intended,

xi

intended, as absolutely requisite to complete the sense: but, lest I may have been mistaken, or lest the learned critick should chance to differ with me in opinion, I always notice such interpolation. Sometimes too, on the same ground of perfecting sense, I have been induced to give one word instead of another; but I constantly warn my reader of the liberty taken, exhibiting the original text, that he might ultimately exercise his own judgment thereon.

Of the notes, that occasionally occur, many are what necessarily arose out of the subject, while transcribing for the press; some are the communications of literary friends; and others the result of such researches as I could make into antique books having a reference to the customs, fashions, and peculiarities of the era in question; but these books are few, and the copies of them From old plays

for the most part extremely rare.

chiefly

chiefly are to be collected the manners of private life, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Passages, that had a coincidence with any similar in my favourite Shakspeare, readily struck me; and the labours of his erudite annotators afforded me further assistance. Whatever my comments may be, I trust they will sometimes amuse, but more often inform the inquisitive reader; and I have only to add a wish, that, for such reader's sake, I could have interpreted our author better,