The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language

"The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language" by Luther et al. is an anonymously authored text first printed around 1509-1510. This German work catalogues twenty-eight types of wandering beggars in medieval society, exposing their alleged deceptive practices and fraudulent methods for soliciting alms. The book includes a glossary of Rotwelsch, the secret cant used by vagrants. Martin Luther later edited editions, adding a preface discouraging charity to itinerant beggars—a controversial stance that would shape attitudes toward poverty and almsgiving.

The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language, from the public domain. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #46287.