I know that "snollygoster" was in the missing thread; I wanted a sort of bridge to this new version.
cozen verb \ˈkə-zən\ (
Of uncertain origin; perhaps from French
cousiner "cheat on pretext of being a cousin;" or from Middle English
cosyn "fraud, trickery" [mid-15c.], which is perhaps related to Old French
coçon "dealer, merchant, trader," from Latin
cocionem "horse dealer."
Webster's says perhaps from obsolete Italian
cozzonare, from Italian
cozzone horse trader, from Latin
cocion-,
cocio trader. The
Oxford English Dictionary, on the other hand, says the earliest trace of the word appears to be in the derivative
cousoner in J. Awdelay's
Fraternitye of Vacabondes, 1561; it is not improbable that it arose among the vagabond class. It has generally been associated with
cousin n., and compared with French
cousiner , explained by Cotgrave, 1611, as ‘to clayme kindred for aduantage, or particular ends; as he, who to saue charges in trauelling, goes from house to house, as cosin to the owner of euerie one’, by Littré as ‘faire le parasite sous prétexte de cousinage’.)
1 : to deceive, win over, or induce to do something by artful coaxing and wheedling or shrewd trickery
2 : to gain by cozening someone
—
coz·en·er nounBelow is a comparison of two prominent Royalists active in the English Civil Wars, by
somebody who was a participant himself.
Goring, who was now general of the horse, was no more gracious to prince Rupert, than Wilmot had been; and had all the other's faults, and wanted his regularity, and preserving his respect with the officers. Wilmot loved debauchery, but shut it out from his business; never neglected that, and rarely miscarried in it. Goring had a much better understanding, and a sharper wit, (except in the very exercise of debauchery, and then the other was inspired,) a much keener courage, and presentness of mind in danger: Wilmot discerned it farther off, and because he could not behave himself so well in it, commonly prevented, or warily declined it; and never drank when he was within distance of an enemy: Goring was not able to resist the temptation, when he was in the middle of them, nor would decline it to obtain a victory; and in one of those fits, he had suffered the horse to escape out of Cornwall; and the most signal misfortunes of his life in war had their rise from that uncontrollable license. Neither of them valued their promises, professions, or friendships, according to any rules of honour or integrity; but Wilmot violated them the less willingly, and never but for some great benefit or convenience to himself; Goring without scruple, out of humour, or for wit's sake; and loved no man so well, but that he would cozen him, and then expose him to public mirth for having been cozened: therefore he had always fewer friends than the other, but more company; for no man had a with that pleased the company better. The ambition of both was unlimited, ans so equally incapable of being contented; and both unrestrained, by any respect to good-nature or justice, from pursuing the satisfaction thereof: yet Wilmot had more scruples from religion to startle him, and would not have attained his end by any gross or foul act of wickedness: Goring could have passed those pleasantly, and would, without hesitation, have broken any trust, or done any act of treachery, to have satisfied an ordinary passion or appetite; and, in truth, wanted nothing but industry (for he had wit, and courage, and understanding, and ambition, uncontrolled by any fear of God or man) to have been as eminent and successful in the highest attempt in wickedness of any man in the age he lived in, or before. Of all his qualifications, dissimulation was his masterpiece; in which he so much excelled, that men were not ordinarily ashamed, or out of countenance, with being deceived but twice by him.
-- Edward Hyde, 1st earl of Clarendon, The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England (1704)
Goring and Wilmot