Overview

""The Blacke Bookes Messenger"" and ""The Defence of Conny-Catching"" are foundational examples of Elizabethan rogue literature, offering a vivid and often humorous glimpse into the criminal underworld of 16th-century London. Written by the prolific pamphleteer and dramatist Robert Greene, these works detail the ingenious scams, tricks, and linguistic slang used by ""conny-catchers""-the confidence men of the era-to defraud unsuspecting victims. In ""The Blacke Bookes Messenger"", Greene presents the life and death of Ned Browne, a notorious cutpurse and rogue, serving as both a cautionary tale and a social exposé. Complementing this is ""The Defence of Conny-Catching"", which provides a satirical counter-perspective, ostensibly written by ""Cuthbert Conny-Catcher"" to justify the minor thievery of rogues by comparing it to the more sophisticated exploitations practiced by the respectable upper classes and merchants. Together, these pamphlets are essential reading for those interested in the social history of the Tudor period, the evolution of English prose, and the origins of the true crime genre. This collection captures the vibrant, gritty reality of the Elizabethan streets, preserving the wit and vernacular of a bygone age. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Full Product Details

9781025304342

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Countries Available