The Complete Cony-catching By Robert Greene Published by the Ex-classics Project, 2017 http://www.exclassics.com Public Domain Robert Greene -2- The Complete Cony-catching CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 5 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AND EDITORIAL NOTE ........................................................ 7 A NOTABLE DISCOVERY OF COZENAGE ............................................................ 8 Title Page ....................................................................................................................... 9 Frontispiece .................................................................................................................. 10 To the Reader ............................................................................................................... 11 The Art of Cony-Catching ........................................................................................... 14 A table of the words of art, used in the effecting these base villainies. ....................... 21 The Art of Cross-Biting. .............................................................................................. 23 A Pleasant Discovery of the cozenage of Colliers. ...................................................... 27 THE SECOND PART OF CONY-CATCHING. ........................................................ 31 Title Page ..................................................................................................................... 32 Frontispiece .................................................................................................................. 33 The Epistle Dedicatory ................................................................................................ 34 The Discovery of the Prigging Law or Nature of Horse Stealing................................ 36 The Vincents Law, with the Discovery therof. ............................................................ 39 A Table of the Laws contained in this second part. ..................................................... 41 The Second Part of Cony-Catching. ............................................................................ 43 A discourse, or rather discovery of the Nip and the Foist, laying open the nature of the Cutpurse and Pick-pocket. ........................................................................................... 48 The Discovery of the lifting Law. ................................................................................ 53 The discovery of the Courbing Law. ........................................................................... 55 The Discovery of the Black Art. .................................................................................. 57 THE THIRD AND LAST PART OF CONY-CATCHING. ....................................... 59 Title Page ..................................................................................................................... 60 Frontispiece .................................................................................................................. 61 To The Reader.............................................................................................................. 62 The third and last part of Cony-catching with the new devised knavish art of Fool-taking. 63 A pleasant tale how an honest substantial Citizen was made a cony, and simply entertained a knave that carried away his goods very politicly. ........................................................ 64 Of a notable knave, who for his cunning deceiving a gentleman of his purse, scorned the name of a cony-catcher, and would needs be termed a fool-taker, as master and beginner of that new found art. ....................................................................................................... 68 Another tale of a cozening companion, who would needs try his cunning in this new invented art, and how by his knavery (at one instant) he beguiled half a dozen and more. ....... 70 Of a crafty mate, that brought two young men unto a Tavern, where departing with a cup, he left them to pay both for the wine and cup. ................................................................. 71 Of an honest householder which was cunningly deceived by a subtle companion, that came to hire a chamber for his master. ...................................................................................... 72 Of one that came to buy a knife, and made first proof of his trade on him that sold it.73 Of a young nip that cunningly beguiled an ancient professor of that trade, and his quean with him, at a play. ............................................................................................................... 74 How a gentleman was craftily deceived of a chain of Gold and his purse in Paul's Church in London. ........................................................................................................................ 75 How a cunning knave got a Trunk well stuffed with linen and certain parcels of plate out of a citizen's house, and how the master of the house holp the deceiver to carry away his own goods. ........................................................................................................................... 78 -3- Robert Greene How a broker was cunningly over-reached by as crafty a knave as himself and brought in danger of the Gallows. ................................................................................................. 79 A merry Tale taken not far from Fetter Lane end, of a new-found cony-catcher, that was cony-catched himself. .................................................................................................. 82 THE BLACK BOOK'S MESSENGER. ...................................................................... 83 Title Page ..................................................................................................................... 84 To the Courteous Reader ............................................................................................. 85 A Table of the words of Art lately devised by Ned Browne and his associates, to Cross-bite the old Phrases used in the manner of Cony-catching. ................................................ 86 The life and death of Ned Browne, a notable Cutpurse and Cony-catcher.................. 87 A Pleasant Tale how Ned Browne cross-bit a Maltman. ............................................. 88 A Merry Tale how Ned Browne Used a Priest. ........................................................... 90 A Pleasant Tale how Ned Brown Kissed a Gentlewoman and Cut Her Purse. ........... 91 How Ned Brown Let Fall a Key. ................................................................................. 92 The Species of Cony-Catchers. .................................................................................... 93 A Merry Jest how Ned Browne's Wife Was Cross-Bitten in her Own Art. ................ 96 Ned Browne's Farewell ................................................................................................ 97 THE DEFENCE OF CONY-CATCHING. ................................................................. 99 Title Page ................................................................................................................... 100 Frontispiece ................................................................................................................ 101 To The Readers .......................................................................................................... 102 The Defence of Cony-Catching. ................................................................................ 104 A Pleasant Tale of an Usurer. .................................................................................... 106 Cony-catching Millers, and a Pleasant Tale of a Miller and an Ale-wife's Boy of Edmonton. .................................................................................................................................... 109 A Pleasant Tale Of Will Sommers. ............................................................................ 112 Gentlemen Cony-Catchers ......................................................................................... 113 A Pleasant Tale How A Holy Brother Cony-catched For A Wife. ............................ 116 A Pleasant Tale Of A Man That Was Married To Sixteen Wives, And How Courteously His Last Wife Entreated Him. .......................................................................................... 118 Cony-Catching Tailors, and a Pleasant Tale of a Tailor, how he Cony-catched a Gentlewoman, and Was Made Himself a Cony Afterwards by His Man. ................. 121 Conclusion. ................................................................................................................ 124 A DISPUTATION BETWEEN A HE CONY-CATCHER AND A SHE CONY-CATCHER. .................................................................................................................................... 125 Title Page ................................................................................................................... 126 The Epistle ................................................................................................................. 127 A disputation between Laurence a foist and Fair Nan a traffic, whether a whore or a thief is most prejudicial. ......................................................................................................... 129