Who gives anything to Poor Tom?

[wolfinthewood]

Of the Abram, his description.

The Abram Cove, is a lustie strong Roague, who walketh with a Slade about his Quarrons (a sheete about his body) Trining, hanging to his hammes, bandeliere-wise, for all the world as Cut-purses and Thieves weare their sheetes to the Gallowes, in which their Truls are to bury them: oftentimes (because hee scornes to follow any fashions of Hose,) hee goes without breeches, a cut Jerkin with hanging sleeves (in imitation of our Gallants,) but no Sattin or Chamblet elbowes, for both his legges and armes are bare, having no Commission to cover his body, that is to say, no shirt: A face staring like a Sarasin, his hayre long and filthily knotted, for hee keepes no Barber: a good Filch (or Staffe) of growne Ash, or else Hazell, in his Famble (in his Hand) and sometimes a sharpe sticke, on which hee hangeth Ruffe-pecke (Bacon.) These, walking up and downe the Countrey, are more terribly to women and Children, then the name of Raw-head and Bloody-bones, Robbin Good-fellow, or any other Hobgobling. Crackers tyed to a Dogges tayle, make not the poore Curre run faster, then these Abram Ninnies do the silly Villages of the Countrey, so that when they come to any dore a begging, nothing is denyed them.

Their Markes

Some of these Abrams have the Letters E. and R. upon their armes: some have Crosses, and some other marke[s], all of them carrying a blew colour: some weare an iron ring, &c. which markes are printed upon their flesh, by tying their arme hard with two strings three or foure inches asunder, and then with a sharpe Awle pricking or raizing the skinne, to such a figure or print as they best fancy, they rub that place with burnt paper, pisse and Gunpowder, which being hard rubd in, and suffered to dry, stickes in the flesh a long time after, when these markes faile, they renew them at pleasure. If you examine them how these Letters or Figures are printed upon their armes, they will tell you it is the Marke of Bedlam, but the truth is, they are made as I have reported.

And to colour their villanie the better, every one of these Abrams hath a severall gesture in playing his part: some make an horrid noyse, hollowly sounding: some whoope, some hollow, some shew onely a kinde of wilde distracted ugly looke, uttering a simple kinde of Mawnding,* with these addition of words (Well and Wisely.) Some daunce, (but keepe no measure) others leape up and downe, and fetch Gambals, all their actions shew them to be as drunke as Beggers: for not to belye them, what are they but drunken Beggers? All that they begge being eyther Loure or Bouse, (money or drinke.)

Their Mawnd, or Begging.

The first beginnes Good Urship, Maister, or good Urships Rulers of this place, bestow your reward on a poore man that hath lyen in Bedlam without Bishopsgate three yeeres, foure moneths, and nine dayes. And bestow one piece of your small silver towards his fees, which he is indebted there, the summe of three pounds, thirteene shillings, seaven pence, halfe-penny, (or to such effect,) and hath not wherewith to pay the same, but by the good help of Urshipfull and well disposed people, and God to reward them for it.

The second beginnes: Now Dame, well and wisely: what will you give poore Tom now? one pound of your sheepes feathers to make poore Tom a blanket: or one cutting of your Sow side, no bigger then my arme, or one piece of your Salt meate to make poore Tom a sharing horne: or one crosse of your small silver towards the buying a paire of Shooes, (well and wisely:) Ah, God bless my good Dame, (well and wisely) give poore Tom an old sheete to keepe him from the colde, or an old dublet, or Jerkin of my Maisters, God save his life.

Then will he daunce and sing, or use some other Anticke, and ridiculous gesture, shutting up his counterfeite Puppet-play, with this Epilogue or Conclusion, Good Dame give poore Tom one cup of the best drinke, (well and wisely,) God save the King and his Counsell, and the Governour of this place, &c.


*begging


Thomas Dekker (c. 1572–1632)

from O per se O. Or A new cryer of Lanthorne and candle-light (1612)


<link>