subs. (old).—A sharper’s confederate; a decoy: cf. BARNACLE.
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 Booke (1868), 242]. With a BARNARDS blowe lurkying in some lane, woode, or hill top.
1591. GREENE, A Notable Discovery of Cozenage (1859), 8. Foure persons were requited … the Taker up, the Verser, the BARNARD, and 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. [See the whole passage.]
