or barnard, subs. (old cant).—A swindling decoy; lurking sharper; a scoundrel. Hence BERNARD’S LAW = villany, sharping.
1532. Dice Play (1850), 37. Another oily theft … is the BARNARDS LAW: which to be exactly practised asketh four persons at least, each of them to play a long several part by himself.
1562. BULLEYN [Babees Book (1868), 242]. With a BARNARD’S BLOWE, lurkyng in some lane, wodde, or hill top.
1591. GREENE, A Notable Discovery of Cozenage (1859), 8. Foure persons were required … the Taker up, the Verser, the BARNARD, and the Rutter. Ibid. [Works (1885), X. 10]. Comes in the BARNARD stumbling into your companie, like some aged Farmer of the Countrey … and is so carelesse of his money, that out he throweth some fortie Angels on the boords end.
1608. DEKKER, The Belman of London [Works (1885), III, 126]. The BERNARD … counterfets many parts in one, and is now a drunken man … anon in another humour … onely to blind the Cozen … the more easily to beguile him.
