Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	think_v	time_n	write_v	3,105	5	5.0991	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02079	The blacke bookes messenger Laying open the life and death of Ned Browne one of the most notable cutpurses, crosbiters, and conny-catchers, that euer liued in England. Heerein hee telleth verie pleasantly in his owne person such strange prancks and monstrous villanies by him and his consorte performed, as the like was yet neuer heard of in any of the former bookes of conny-catching. By R.G.	Greene, Robert, 1558?-1592.	1592 (1592)	STC 12223; ESTC S105894	14,911	30

THE BLACKE BOOKES MESSENGER Laying open the Life and Death of Ned Browne one of the most notable Cutpurses Crosbiters and Conny-catchers that euer liued in England Heerein hee telleth verie pleasantly in his owne person such strange prancks and monstrous villanies by him and his Consorte performed as the like was yet neuer heard of in any of the former bookes of Conny-catching Read and be warnd Laugh as you like Judge as you find Nascimur pro Patria by R. G. Printed at London by Iohn Danter for Thomas Nelson dwelling in Siluer streete neere to the signe of the Red-Crosse 1592. To the Curteous Reader Health GEntlemen I knowe you haue long expected the comming foorth of my Blacke Booke which I long haue promised and which I had many daies since finished had not sickenes hindered my intent Neuerthelesse be assured it is the first thing I meane to publish after I am recouered This Messenger to my Blacke Booke I commit to your curteous censures being written before I fell sick which I thoght good in the meane time to send you as a Fayring discoursing Ned Brownes villanies which are too many to bee described in my Blacke Booke I had thought to haue ioyned with this Treatise a pithy discourse of the Repentance of a Conny-catcher lately executed out of Newgate yet for asmuch as the Methode of the one is so far differing from the other I altered my opinion and the rather for that the one died resolute and desperate the other penitent and passionate For the Conny-catchers repentance which shall shortly be published it containes a passion of great importance First how he was giuen ouer from all grace and Godlines and seemed to haue no sparke of the feare of God in him yet neuerthelesse through the woonderfull working of Gods spirite euen in the dungeon at Newgate the night before he died he so repented him from the bottome of his hart that it may well beseeme Parents to haue it for their Children Masters for their seruants and to bee perused of euery honest person with great regard And for Ned Browne of whome my Messenger makes report hee was a man infamous for his bad course of life and well knowne about London Hee was in outward shew a Gentlemanlike companion attyred very braue and to shadowe his villany the more would nominate himselfe to be a Marshall man who when he had nipt a Bung or cut a good purse he would steale ouer into the Lowe Countries there to tast three or foure Stoapes of Rhenish wine and then come ouer forsooth a braue Souldier But at last hee leapt at a daysie for his loose kind of life and therefore imagine you now see him in his owne person standing in a great bay windowe with a halter about his necke ready to be hanged desperately pronounsing this his whole course of life and confesseth as followeth Yours in all curtesie R. G. A Table of the words of Artlately deuised by Ned Browne and his associates to Crosbite the old Phrases vsed in the manner of Conny-catching HE that drawes the fish to the bait the Beater The Tauerne where they goe the Bush. The foole that is caught the Bird. Connycatching to be called B●tfowling The wine to be called the Shrap The Cards to be called the Li●twigs The fetching in a Conny beating the bush The good Asse if he be woone stooping to the Lure If he keepe aloofe a H●ggard The verser in conny-catching is called the Retriuer And the Barnacle the pot hunter THE LIFE AND death of Ned Browne a notable Cutpurse and Conny-catcher IF you thinke Gentlemen to heare a repentant man speake or to tel a large tale of his penitent sorrowes ye are deceiued for as I haue euer liued lewdly so I meane to end my life as resolutely and not by a cowardly confession to attempt the hope of a pardon ●et in that I was famous in my life for my villainies I will at my death professe my selfe as notable by discoursing to you all merrely the manner and methode of my knaueries which if you hear without laughing then after my death call me base knaue and neuer haue me in remembrance Know therfore Gentlemen that my parents were honest of good reporte and no little estéeme amongst their neighbours and sought if good nurture and education would haue serued to haue made me an honest man but as one selfe same ground brings foorth flowers and thistles so of a sound stocke prooued an vntoward Syen and of a vertuous father a most vicious sonne It bootes little to rehearfe the pettie sinnes of my Non-age as disobedience to my parentes contempt of good counsaile despising of mine elders filching pe●ilashery and such trifling toyes but with these follyes I inurde myselfe till waxing in yeares I grew into greater villanies For when I came to eighteéne yeares olde what sinne was it that I would not commit with greedinesse what attempt so bad that I would not endeuour to execute Cutting of purses stealing of horses lifting picking of lockes and all other notable coossenages Why I helde them excellent qualities and accounted him vnworthy to liue that could not or 〈◊〉 not liue by such damnable practises Yet as sinne too openly manifested to the eye of the Magistrate is eyther sore reuenged or soone cut off So I to preuent that had a nette wherein to daunce and diuers shadowes to colour my knaueries withall as I would title my selfe with the name of a Fencer make Gentlemen beleeue that I pickt a liuing out by that mysterie whereas God wot I had no other fence but with my short knife and a paire of purse stringes and with them in troth many a bowt haue I had in my time In torth O what a simple oth was this to cōfirm a mans credit with all Why I sée the halter will make a man holy for whilest God suffered mee to flourish I scornd to disgrace my mouth with so smal an oath as In faith but I rent God in péeces swearing and forswearing by euery part of his body that such as heard mee rather trembled at mine oathes than feared my braues and yet for courage and resolution I refer my selfe to all them that haue euer heard of my name Thus animated to do wickednes I fell to take delight in the companie of harlots amongst whome as I spent what I gotte so I suffered not them I was acquainted withall to fether their nestes but would at my pleasure strippe them of all that they had What bad woman was there about London whose champion I would not be for a few Crownes to fight sweare and stare in her behalfe to the abuse of any that should doo Iustice vpon her I still had one or two in store to crosbite withall which I vsed as snares to trap simple men in for if I tooke but one suspitiously in her companie straight I verst vpon him and crossebit him for all the money in his purse By the way sith sorrow cannot