A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew, in its several Tribes, of Gypsies, Beggers, Thieves, Cheats, &c. with an addition of some Proverbs, Phrases, Figurative Speeches, &c. Useful for all sorts of People, (especially Foreigners) to secure their Money and preserve their Lives; besides very Diverting and Entertaining, being wholly new.

London, Ludgate-street; & The Corner of Chancery-lane in Fleet-street; & The Black Bull in Cornhill: W. HAWES; P. Gilbourne; W. Davis. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Very Good. 16mo - over 5¾ - 6¾" tall. a time capsule of English slang & underworld language! First edition [1699] of the first comprehensive dictionary of slang. In 18th-century calf, morocco title label to spine, joints and board edges rubbed, blind edge tooling, worn at head & foot of spine. Internally, title within double-ruled border, text in double column, close-trimmed at head and foot with some slight shaving, browning & spotting throughout, marbled endpapers with signature (John England) to verso of fep, without ffep, not paginated [184], signatures: A?, B-M?, (without the two advertisement leaves at the back, found in some copies), small tear to r.e.p., (158*100 mm). (ESTC R4112; Wing E5). First edition of the first comprehensive dictionary of slang, and a rich source for the colourful language of England's low life and underworld. Another edition appeared in the same year (without priority), issued with the date 1699 included in the imprint (see ESTC R171889). According to Partridge's History of Slang, it is "[t]he most complete glossary of cant to have appeared by the end of the 17th century" (p. 62). "This dictionary is perhaps the most important dictionary of slang ever printed, since it had such an influence on later compilations . Nothing is known of B.E., gent. From his dictionary one gathers that he was an antiquary. Some of his words bear no relation to slang or cant, but merely gratify his whim for curiosa . The New Canting Dictionary, Bacchus and Venus, The Scoundrel's Dictionary, the canting dictionary appended to Nathan Bailey's Dictionary, Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue - all are based on B.E. gent." (Burke, The Literature of Slang, p. 65). Also see A History of Cant and Slang Dictionaries V1 1567-1784 by Julie Coleman p76-180).