The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 290: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘THE HANGMAN IN HIS GLORY AGAIN) 273 adventures, enterprises, and proceedings chronicled in the diary. We must, however, leave Daniel Coffin for a few minutes to peruse the entries chiefly regarding himself or his com- panions in iniquity, while we proceed to furnish our readers with a few specimens of those parts of Mr. Sampson’s journal which may be termed his comments or experiences. And therefore, without further preface, we quote the following | extracts: ‘Parliament being over, most of the beggars are going out of town to make the round of the country-seats of the nobility and gentry. A great many of them are dressed like old soldiers or sailors; and they are all well provided with lists of those houses and estates where military or naval officers dwell. Be it observed that before the beggars 20 out into the country upon these expeditions, they meet at certain cadgers’-haunts, low lodging-houses, or boozing- kens in London, and exchange information as to what country-seats are good to call at. Because as the same parties cannot call twice at the same place during the season, they lose nothing by giving each other such infor- mation. In fact, it 1s a constant practice with beggars to compare notes in this manner. When once out in the country in autumn, they remain out while the hareskin time is on; because while buying and selling hareskins they are able to pass away a great quantity of bad moncy. ‘Women hire infants for fourpence or sixpence a day each, and make at least five shillings a day by carrying them about, — particularly if a woman hires two children at the same time and represents them as twins. ‘There are some beggars who know every good house in the country. Some who go the highfly, or play the part of broken-down gentlemen, manage to make ten or fifteen pounds a week. Sometimes they take drawings with them, which they present to the ladies whom they see at parlour windows, or walking in gardens, or on lawns, at country-seats, leaving the reward to their generosity. Sometimes they bribe gentlemen’s servants to take in their begging letters, and just throw in any little word of com- miseration that may assist their case. Just the opposite of these are the beggars that go upon the shallow, — that is, half-naked. They obtain from compassionate persons GOniGooo cS (C(O)