Of the Dutzers.
Of the Dutzers.
HE ixth chapter is about the Dutzers.
These are beggars who have been ill for a
long time, as they say, and have promised
a difficult pilgrimage to this or that Saint (ut supra
in precedenti capitulo) for three whole and entire
alms every day, that they, thereby, must go each
day from door to door until they find three pious
men who will give them three entire alms. Thus
speaketh a pious man unto them: “What is an entire
alms?” Whereat the Dutzer replieth: “A
‘plaphart’ (blaffard), whereof I must have three
every day, and take no less, for without that the
pilgrimage is no good.” Some go for iij pennies,
some for one penny, et in toto nihil. And the alms
they “must have from a good and correct man.”
Such is the vanity of women, rather than be called
impious they give a double “blaffard,” and send
the Dutzer one to another, who uses many other
Pg 25
words which I cannot make bold to repeat. Item,
they would take a hundred “blaffards” and more a
day if they were given them, and what they say
is all lies (GEVOPT). Item, this also is DUTZING, viz.
when a beggar comes to thine house and speaks:
“Good woman, might I ask you for a spoonful of
butter; I have many young children, and I want the
wherewith to cook soup for them?” Item, for an
egg (BETZAM): “I have a child bedridden now these
seven days.” Item, for a mouthful of wine, “for I
have a sick wife,” et sic de aliis. This is called
DUTZING.
Conclusio: Give nought whatsoever to those
Dutzers who say that they have taken a vow not
to gather more per diem than iij or iiij entire alms,
ut supra. They are half good (HUNT), and half
bad (LÖTSCH); but the greater part bad.