Plafery

In Carew's masque of *Cœlum Britannicum*, acted before the court at Whitehall, the 18th of February, 1633; Momus, arriving from Olympus immediately after Mercury, says to him— "The hosts upon the highway cry out with open mouth upon you, for supporting *plafery* in your train; which, though, as you are the god of petty larceny, you might protect, yet you know it is directly *against the new orders*, and oppose the reformation in diameter." What is *plafery*? It is evident that the joking allusion to it was rather bold, for Mercury exclaims,— "Peace, railer, bridle your licentious tongue, And l…