These were the inspiring words:
'Bien Darkmans then, Bouse Mort and Ken,
The bien Coves bings awast,
On Chates to trine by Rome Coves dine
For his long lib at last.
Bing'd out bien Morts and toure, and toure,
Bing out of the Rome vile bine,
And toure the Cove that cloy'd your duds,
Upon upon the Chates to trine.'*(15)
Conversation followed; not in the thieves' dialect of the song,
for that was only used in talk when unfriendly ears might be
listening. In the course of it it appeared that 'John Hobbs' was not
altogether a new recruit, but had trained in the gang at some former
time. His later history was called for, and when he said he had
'accidentally' killed a man, considerable satisfaction was
expressed; when he added that the man was a priest, he was roundly
applauded, and had to take a drink with everybody. Old acquaintances
welcomed him joyously, and new ones were proud to shake him by the
hand. He was asked why he had 'tarried away so many months.' He
answered:
'London is better than the country, and safer these late years,
the laws be so bitter and so diligently enforced. An I had not had
that accident, I had stayed there. I had resolved to stay, and
nevermore venture countrywards- but the accident had ended that.'
He inquired how many persons the gang numbered now. The 'Ruffler,'
or chief, answered:
'Five and twenty sturdy budges, bulks, files, clapperdogeons and
maunders, counting the dells and doxies and other morts.
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