[21] The Braves of the Hampa were a horde of ruffians principally Andalusians; they formed a society ready to commit every species of wrong and violence.

[22] The perrillo, or “little dog,” was the mark of Julian del Rey, a noted armourer of Toledo, by birth a Morisco.

But I had forgotten to say, that when Monipodio had first appeared, all those who were waiting for him, made a deep and long reverence, the two dashing cavaliers alone excepted, who did but just touch their hats, and then continued their walk up and down the court.

Monipodio also began to pace up and down the patio, and, as he did so, he questioned the new disciples as to their trade, their birthplace, and their parents.  To this Rincon replied, “Our trade is sufficiently obvious, since we are here before your worship; as to our country, it does not appear to me essential to the matter in hand that we should declare it, any more than the names of our parents, since we are not now stating our qualifications for admission into some noble order of knighthood.”

“What you say, my son, is true, as well as discreet,” replied Monipodio; “and it is, without doubt, highly prudent to conceal those circumstances; for if things should turn out badly, there is no need to have placed upon the books of register, and under the sign manual of the justice-clerk, ’So and so, native of such a place, was hanged, or made to dance at the whipping-post, on such a day,’ with other announcements of the like kind, which, to say the least of them, do not sound agreeable in respectable ears.  Thus, I repeat, that to conceal the name and abode of your parents, and even to change your own proper appellation, are prudent measures.  Between ourselves there must, nevertheless, be no concealment:  for the present I will ask your names only, but these you must give me.”

Rincon then told his name, and so did Cortado:  whereupon Monipodio said, “Henceforward I request and desire that you, Rincon, call yourself Rinconete, and you, Cortado, Cortadillo; these being names which accord, as though made in a mould, with your age and circumstances, as well as with our ordinances, which make it needful that we should also know the names of the parents of our comrades, because it is our custom to have a certain number of masses said every year for the souls of our dead, and of the benefactors of our society; and we provide for the payment of the priests who say them, by setting apart a share of our swag for that purpose.

“These masses, thus said and paid for, are of great service to the souls aforesaid.  Among our benefactors we count the Alguazil, who gives us warning; the Advocate, who defends us; the Executioner, who takes pity upon us when we have to be whipped, and the man who, when we are running along the street, and the people in full cry after us bawling ’Stop thief,’ throws himself between us and our pursuers, and checks the torrent, saying, ’Let the poor