Of the Dutzers.Of the Dutzers.
Of the Dutzers.
HE ixthchapter is about theDutzers. These are beggars who have been ill for a long time, as they say, and have promised a difficult pilgrimage to this or that Saint (ut supra in precedenti capitulo) for three whole and entire alms every day, that they, thereby, must go each day from door to door until they find three pious men who will give them three entire alms. Thus speaketh a pious man unto them: “What is an entire alms?” Whereat theDutzerreplieth: “A ‘plaphart’ (blaffard), whereof I must have three every day, and take no less, for without that the pilgrimage is no good.” Some go for iij pennies, some for one penny,et in toto nihil. And the alms they “must have from a good and correct man.” Such is the vanity of women, rather than be called impious they give a double “blaffard,” and send theDutzerone to another, who uses many otherPg 25words which I cannot make bold to repeat.Item, they would take a hundred “blaffards” and more a day if they were given them, and what they say is all lies (GEVOPT).Item, this also isDUTZING, viz. when a beggar comes to thine house and speaks: “Good woman, might I ask you for a spoonful of butter; I have many young children, and I want the wherewith to cook soup for them?”Item, for an egg (BETZAM): “I have a child bedridden now these seven days.”Item, for a mouthful of wine, “for I have a sick wife,”et sic de aliis. This is calledDUTZING.
Conclusio: Give nought whatsoever to thoseDutzerswho say that they have taken a vow not to gather moreper diemthan iij or iiij entire alms,ut supra. They are half good (HUNT), and half bad (LÖTSCH); but the greater part bad.