"the (unnatural) trade", 1728

[Joel S. Berson]

I have now verified the 1728 quotation.

_A Genuine Narrative of all the Street Robberies Committed since
October last, by James Dalton, And His Accomplices ..._.
London, J. Roberts, 1728.
page 42.

[41] But before we quit this Subject, as an Amusement to the Reader,
it may be some Entertainment to hear one of their Songs, which is
sung at the Club by that charming Warbler, Miss Irons, besides which,
there are several others, but they are [42] too ludicrous and filthy
to admit of a Publication.  [Too bad.]
      (1.)
Let the Fops of the Town upbraid
Us, for an unnatural Trade,
We value not Man nor Maid;
    But among our own selves we'll be free,
       But among, &c.
We'll kiss and we'll Sw---e,
Behind we will drive,
And we will contrive
    New Ways for Lechery,
       New Ways, &c.

[In case it wouldn't be clear, the word "Behind" was set in italics.
"Sw---e" must be "swive", "to copulate with", trans. in Chaucer,
c1386, and intr. c1440.]

Interdates 1680 -- 1937.

Joel

At 8/8/2010 11:37 AM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>Rictor Norton's __Mother Clap's Molly House_ (1992) alleges two
>quotations for "trade" = prostitution:
>
>1)   c1693/1694, in a letter from Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of
>Sunderland, to Edward ("Beau") Wilson.  Sunderland accuses Wilson of
>behaving like a harlot in "the Trade".  The source presumably is
>_Love Letters Between a certain late Nobleman And the famous Mr.
>Wilson_, 1723 ("In a collection of Tracts, British Library shelfmark
>Cup. 363gg. 31 (1)."  In Norton: 38 and n.9.
>
>2)   1728.  "Let the Fops of the Town upbraid / Us for an unnatural
>Trade".  James Dalton, _A Genuine Narative_ (London: 1728),
>42-43.  [Available in ECCO.]  In Norton: 118.
>
>I have not confirmed either "trade" quotation.
>
>The OED has trade (n), sense 6.c, "prostitution", first in 1680, then
>1937.  If confirmed, these would fill in the gap a little.
>-----
>
>The Dalton may have additional pay-backs.  (It is presently the
>source for 4 quotations in the OED, including "molly".)
>
>Author:  "Dalton, James, street-robber."
>Title [somewhat fuller]: A genuine narrative of all the street
>robberies committed since October last, : by James Dalton, and his
>accomplices ... III. Some merry Stories of Dalton's biting the Women
>of the Town, his detecting and exposing the Mollies, and a Song which
>is sung at the Molly-Clubs: With other very pleasant and remarkable
>Adventures. To which is added a *key to the canting language*,
>occasionally made Use of in this Narrative.  [Emphasis added.]
>
>I note the "biting the Women of the Town".  This might mean "score a
>trick" or "arrange for sex, possibly for money" (as alleged by Norton
>elsewhere) -- or possibly "bite, n.", sense 1.i, "Slang phr. to put
>the bite on: to borrow money from (someone); to ask (someone) for a
>loan; also, to threaten, to blackmail, to extort money from. orig.
>and chiefly U.S." -- but the  first quotation for this is "1933 D.
>RUNYON Furthermore (1938)."
>
>Joel
>
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