or loure, lowre, subs. (old).—Money. Fr. louer = to hire: ‘It was granted him in LOWER of his servyse’ (Merlin, E.E.T.S. i. 59).

1

  1568.  Colkelbie Sow, I. 148 [Bannatyne MSS.]. A lass that luvis bot for LOUR.

2

  1573.  HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors (1814), p. 65. LOWRE, money.

3

  1610.  ROWLANDS, Martin Mark-all, 39 [Hunterian Club’s Reprint, 1874]. LOWER, money.

4

  1622.  FLETCHER, Beggar’s Bush, ii. 1.

          Prig.  A very tyrant I, an arrant tyrant,
If e’er I come to reign (therefore look to ’t!)
Except you do provide me hum enough,
and LOUR to bowze with!

5

  1632.  DEKKER, English Villanies, sig. M. What are they, but drunken Beggers? All that they beg being either LOWRE or Bowse.

6

  1670.  COTTON, Burlesque upon Burlesque: or, The Scoffer Scofft, in Wks. (1725), p. 280.

        But e’re this life I’ll longer lead,
I’ll stroll for LOWER, or beg my bread.

7

  1671.  R. HEAD, The English Rogue. Bing out, bien morts and toure. The bien cove hath the LOURE.

8

  1724.  E. COLES, English Dictionary, s.v.

9

  1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v. LOUR, money.

10

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. CLOY. To cloy the LOUR, to steal money.

11

  1834.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, p. 315 (ed. 1864). ‘Well, say no more about it, Sir Luke,’ said Jem, fawningly; ‘I knows I owes you my life, and I thank you for it. Take back the LOWRE. He should not have shown it me—it was that as did all the mischief.’

12

  1889.  C. T. CLARKSON and J. HALL RICHARDSON, Police! 321, s.v. Bad money, gammy LOWER.

13