Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) the art of picking pockets.

1552		G. Walker Detection of Vyle and Detestable Use of Dice Play 18: Thus they give their own conveyance the name of cheating law; so do they other terms, as sacking law, high law, figging law, and such like.
1591		Greene Notable Discovery of Coosnage C2: In Figging law. The picke pocket, a Foist / He that faceth the man, the Stale / Taking the purse, Drawing / Spying of him, Smoaking / The purse, the Bong / The monie, the Shels / The Act doing, striking.
1608		Dekker Belman of London H1: The Parliament of these hell-hounds, it seemes wil soone break vp, for they stand now onely vpon the last lawe; which they call Figging-Lawe: in making of which law, two persons haue the chiefe voices, that is to say, the Cutpurse & the Pick-pocket.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: A diver with two fingers, a pickpocket; all his train study the figging law, that’s to say, cutting of purses and foisting.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.