Memoirs of James Hardy Vaux, Volumes 1-2W. Clowes, 1819 - Cant |
Common terms and phrases
acquaintance afterwards amusement answered appearance arrival assured attend Bilger Bromley called cant language Captain King clerk coach companion conceived conduct constable convicted course court Dalton declared depredation door Edwards entered favour flash fraud frequently friends genteel gentleman give Gosport Governor King guineas handkerchief hope hour hulk immediately informed inquired JAMES HARDY knew lady late latter leave length lodgings London magistrate Majesty's ship manner means morning never night o'clock observed obtained occasion Old Bailey Parramatta party pawnbroker person pickpocket pleasure pocket pocket-book Port Jackson portmanteau Portsmouth Poultry Compter pounds prisoners proceeded quitted reader received requested respectable ring robbery SCREEVE sent shew shillings ship signifies situation soon South Wales suffered swag Sydney taken termed thief thing tion took town turn Vaux watch weeks wife woman young
Popular passages
Page 192 - To be nuts (or dead nuts) on, (1) to be very much pleased or gratified with any object, adventure, or overture ; so a person who conceives a strong inclination for another of the opposite sex, is said to be quite nutty, or nuts upon him or her ( Vaux) ; (2) to be very skilful or dexterous ; (3) to be particular, to detest.
Page 31 - ... was introduced to this house (from which hundreds of young persons may date their ruin) by a fellow-clerk, who appeared to have a personal intimacy with most of these obnoxious persons ; however, though I listened eagerly to their conversation (part of which was then unintelligible to me), and fancied them people of uncommon spirit, I was not yet sufficiently depraved to cultivate their acquaintance, but sat with a pipe in my mouth, enveloped in smoke, ruminating like a philosopher on the various...
Page 20 - PM (which are the fashionable hours for shopping) in visiting the shops of jewellers, watchmakers, pawnbrokers, &c. Having conceived hopes that this species of robbery would turn to a good account, and depending upon my own address and appearance, I determined to make a circuit of the town, and not to omit a single shop in either of those branches; and this scheme I actually executed so fully, that I believe I did not leave ten untried in all London, for I made a point of commencing every day in...
Page 184 - This is a curious species of robbery, or, rather, borrowing without leave, for the purpose of robbery; it signifies taking away the short ladder from a nightman's cart, while the men are gone into a house, the privy of which they are employed in emptying, in order to effect an ascent to a one-pair-of-stairs window, to scale a garden-wall, &c.
Page 21 - ... had selected. I had a degree of false shame about me, which rendered me incapable of confessing the truth and promising amendment, or all might still have been well. In the evening I had recourse to the bottle to drown my chagrin ; and I determined to purloin a certain sum every day, in the course of my attendance on retail customers, until I had liquidated my debt of honour ! Then, I vowed to stop and reform. Delusive idea ! how little did I then know my own weakness, or the futility of such...
Page 58 - ... irregularly placed round about them, the candles not throwing much light upon that particular spot, and Mr. Bilger's attention being divided between myself and the lady, to whom he frequently addressed himself, I suddenly took the three rings from the card, and committed them to my sleeve to join the brooch and lady's clasp ; but had them so situated that I could in a moment have released and replaced them on the counter, had an inquiry been made for them. I then looked at my watch, and, observing...
Page 110 - I have described, would hold the situation, their wages being not more than a day-labourer would earn in London. They invariably carry a large and ponderous stick, with which, without the smallest provocation, they will fell an unfortunate convict to the ground, and frequently repeat their blows long after the poor sufferer is insensible.
Page 62 - Parr, I hope you will excuse what I am going to say, but I cannot permit smoking in my Drawing-room. DOCTOR . And why not, madam? I have smoked a Pipe with my King, and it surely can be no offence or disgrace to a subject to permit me the like indulgence.
Page 24 - ... booty of fifty, one hundred, and sometimes three or four hundred pounds. However, I never failed to pay the expenses of the night ; and if I gained nothing, I enjoyed at least a fund of amusement, which was to me the highest gratification. It sometimes happened that the articles I got (particularly pocketbooks) were advertised by the 'losers, within a few days, as "Lost...
Page 20 - I only made use of him occasionally in the course of my practice, keeping him in the back-ground to receive and carry any articles which I purloined, and never suffering him to converse with or approach me except in private. I generally spent the mornings, that is, from about one o'clock to five PM (which are the fashionable hours for shopping) in visiting the shops of jewellers, watchmakers, pawnbrokers, &c. Having conceived hopes that this species of robbery would turn to a good account, and depending...