A compleat history of the lives and robberies of the most notorious highway-men, foot-pads, shop-lifts, and cheats, of both sexes : in and about London and Westminster, and all parts of Great Britain, for above an hundred years past, continu'd to the present time / wherein their most secret and barbarous murders, unparalell'd robberies, notorious thefts, and unheard of cheats, are set in a true light, and expos'd to publick view, for the common benefit of mankind ; to which is prefix'd The thieves new canting-dictionary, explaining the most mysterious words, new terms, significant phrases, and proper idioms, used at this present time by our modern thieves by Capt. Alex. Smith.

Author/creator Smith, Alexander
Format Microform
EditionThe fifth ed. / (adorn'd with cuts) with the addition of near two hundred robberies lately committed ....
Publication InfoLondon : Printed for Sam. Briscoe, and sold by A. Dodd, 1719-20.
Description3 volumes : plates.
Subjects

SeriesLibrary of English literature ; LEL 22252-53
Library of English literature ; LEL 22252-53. UNAUTHORIZED
General noteErrors in pagination: v. 1, page numbers 3-48 repeat; v. 2, pages 202 and 353 misnumbered 102 and 373 respectively; v. 3, pages 25**-**48 inserted between pages 24 and 25, page numbers 38 and 39 reversed, page numbers 145-152 and 358 repeat.
General noteTable of contents precedes each vol.
General noteVol. 3 has title: The third volume of the compleat history of the lives, robberies, piracies, and murders committed by the most notorious rogues, &c. from the time of Edward the Confessor. With the famous sermon preach'd by Bernard Sympson a monk, to a gang of highway-men in a wood near Maidenhead-thicket. Printed from the original M.S. out of the Bodleian library in Oxford. Together with the continuation of the wicked lives of highway-men, murderers, foot-pads, house-breakers, shoplifts, water-pads, kid-lays, hook-pole-lays, molly-lays, bumming-lays, and the surprising adventures of several famous pirates, down to the present time. With The thieves grammar whereby the art of thieving, is fully detected. A key to the art of thieving; newly discovered, whereby several secret mysteries are unlocked for the good of the publick. Never before printed.
General note"The thieves new canting dictionary of the words, terms, proverbs, and phrases, used in the modern language of the thieves, &c. Useful for all sorts of people, (especially travellers) to secure their money, and preserve their lives. Much augmented, by Capt. Alexander Smith. London: Printed for Sam. Briscoe, 1719": [34] p. at end of v. 2.
General note"The thieves grammar. By Capt. Alexander Smith. London: Printed by S. Collins, for Sam. Briscoe,...": v. 3, p. [334]-362.
Reproduction noteJoyner- Microfiche. Chicago, Ill. : Library Resources, inc., 1976. 2 microfiches : positive ; 8 x 13 cm. (Library of English literature ; LEL 22252-53)