this post was submitted on 09 Jun 2024
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Translation:

You will come to London. Behold, I warn you, whatever of evil or of perversity (behavior or beliefs that are considered immoral or unnatural) there is in any, whatever in all parts of the world, you will find in that city alone. Do not go to the dances of panders (people who arrange sexual relationships for others), nor mix yourself up with the herds of the stews (brothels or houses of prostitution); avoid the talus (dice games) and the dice, the theatre and the tavern. You will find more braggadocios (boastful, arrogant people) there than in all France, while the number of flatterers (people who praise excessively to gain advantage) is infinite. Stage players (actors), buffoons (clowns or jesters), those that have no hair on their bodies (eunuchs, men who have been castrated, typically to serve in positions of trust around women or in royal households), Garamantes (a North African tribe), pickthanks (flatterers or sycophants), catamites (young boys used for homosexual purposes), effeminate sodomites (men who engage in anal sex), lewd musical girls, druggists (people who manufacture or dispense drugs), lustful persons, fortunetellers, extortioners (people who obtain money through force or threats), nightly strollers (people who wander the streets at night, possibly for criminal purposes), magicians, mimics (people who imitate the speech and mannerisms of others), common beggars, tatterdemalions (raggedly dressed people)β€”this whole crew has filled every house. So if you do not wish to live with the shameful, you will not dwell in London.

Source at The Internet Archive

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[–] krashmo@lemmy.world 18 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Nightly strollers is an interesting one. The rest have mostly survived as things a certain subset of people look down on but I don't think there's many modern complaints about people walking at night. Unless maybe that specific wording implies some sort of unsavory behavior I'm not aware of.

[–] Flummoxed@lemmy.world 23 points 3 months ago

There were curfews in walled towns like London: all citizens were expected to be home with their fires out once the church bells tolled nine. Or maybe it was eight. Anyway, to walk at night then was nefarious in itself, as there was absolutely nothing worth doing that wasn't nefarious after curfew.

[–] ummthatguy@lemmy.world 12 points 3 months ago

Presumably "neerdowells" (noun. an idle, worthless person; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; good-for-nothing) or other scoundrels I would think.