Monday, March the 1st, 2004

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Quote of the Day

“These palliards be called also clapperdudgeons. These go with patched cloaks, and have their morts with them, which they call wives. And if he go to one house to ask his alms, his wife shall go to another; for what they get, as bread, cheese, malt and wool, they sell the same for ready money; for so they get more [than] if they went together. Although they be thus divided in the day, yet they meet jump at night … Farther understand for truth that the worst and wickedest of all this beastly generation are scarce comparable to these prating palliards. All for the most part of these will either lay to their legs an herb called spearwort, either arsenic, which is called ratsbane. The nature of this spearwort will raise a great blister in a night upon the soundest part of his body. And if the same be taken away, it will dry up again and no harm. But this arsenic will so poison the same leg or sore, that it will ever after be incurable. This they do for gain and to be pitied. The most of these that walk about be Welshmen.” — Thomas Harman, A Caveat or Warening, for Commen Cursetors Vulgarely Called Vagabones (1566)