Of Kammesierers, or Learned Beggars.Of Kammesierers, or Learned Beggars.
Of Kammesierers, or Learned Beggars.
HE vjthchapter is about theKammesierers. These beggars are young scholars or young students, who do not obey their fathers and mothers, and do not listen to their masters’ teaching, and so depart, and fall into the bad company of such as are learned in the arts of strolling and tramping, and who quickly help them to lose all they have by gambling (VERJONEN), pawning (VERSENKEN),Pg 18or selling (VERKÜMMERN) it, with drinking (VERSCHÖCHERN) and revelry. And when they have nought more left, they learn begging, andKAMMESIERING, and to cheat the farmers (HANZEN-BESEFLEN); and theyKAMESIERas follows:Item, that they come from Rome (id est, from the brothel [SONNENBOSS]), studying to become priests (on the gallows,i.e.DOLMAN);item, one isacolitus, another isepistolarius, the thirdevangelicus, and a fourthclericus(GALCH);item, they have nought on earth but the alms wherewith people help them, and all their friends and family have long been called away by death’s song.Item, they ask linen cloth for an alb (id est, for a harlot’s shift,i.e.GLIDEN HANFSTAUDEN).Item, money, that they may be consecrated at next Corpus Christi day (id est, in aSONNENBOSS,i.e.brothel), and whatever they get by cheating and begging they lose in gambling (VERJONEN), or with strumpets, or spend it in drink (VERSCHOCHERNSundVERBOLENS).Item, they shave tonsures on their heads, although they are not ordained and have noPg 19church document (FORMAT), though they say they have, and they are altogether a bad lot (LOE VOT).
Conclusio: As to theseKammesierersgive them nought, for the less thou givest them the better it is for them, and the sooner they must leave off. They have also forgedFORMATÆ(literæ).