a book of scoundrels-第2部分

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enied　to　many　a　victorious　general。　　Lord　Mountford　led　half　White's　to　do　him　honour　on　the　day　of　his　arrest。　　On　the　first　Sunday；　which　he　spent　in　Newgate；　three　thousand　jostled　for　entrance　to　his　cell；　and　the　poor　devil　fainted　three　times　at　the　heat　caused　by　the　throng　of　his　admirers。　　So　long　as　his　fate　hung　in　the　balance；　Walpole　could　not　take　up　his　pen　without　a　compliment　to　the　man；　who　claimed　to　have　robbed　him　near　Hyde　Park。　　Yet　a　more　pitiful　rascal　never　showed　the　white　feather。　　Not　once　was　he　known　to　take　a　purse　with　his　own　hand；　the　summit　of　his　achievement　being　to　hold　the　horses'　heads　while　his　accomplice　spoke　with　the　passengers。　　A　poltroon　before　his　arrest；　in　Court　he　whimpered　and　whinnied　for　mercy；　he　was　carried　to　the　cart　pallid　and　trembling；　and　not　even　his　preposterous　finery　availed　to　hearten　him　at　the　gallows。　　Taxed　with　his　timidity；　he　attempted　to　excuse　himself　on　the　inadmissible　plea　of　moral　rectitude。　　‘I　have　as　much　personal　courage　in　an　honourable　cause；'　he　exclaimed　in　a　passage　of　false　dignity；　‘as　any　man　in　Britain；　but　as　I　knew　I　was　committing　acts　of　injustice；　so　I　went　to　them　half　loth　and　half　consenting；　and　in　that　sense　I　own　I　am　a　coward　indeed。'

The　disingenuousness　of　this　proclamation　is　as　remarkable　as　its　hypocrisy。　　Well　might　he　brag　of　his　courage　in　an　honourable　cause；　when　he　knew　that　he　could　never　be　put　to　the　test。　　But　what　palliation　shall　you　find　for　a　rogue　with　so　little　pride　in　his　art；　that　he　exercised　it　‘half　loth；　half　consenting'？　　It　is　not　in　this　recreant　spirit　that　masterpieces　are　achieved；　and　Maclaine　had　better　have　stayed　in　the　far　Highland　parish；　which　bred　him；　than　have　attempted　to　cut　a　figure　in　the　larger　world　of　London。　　His　famous　encounter　with　Walpole　should　have　covered　him　with　disgrace；　for　it　was　ignoble　at　every　point；　and　the　art　was　so　little　understood；　that　it　merely　added　a　leaf　to　his　crown　of　glory。　　Now；　though　Walpole　was　far　too　well…bred　to　oppose　the　demand　of　an　armed　stranger；　Maclaine；　in　defiance　of　his　craft；　discharged　his　pistol　at　an　innocent　head。　　True；　he　wrote　a　letter　of　apology；　and　insisted　that；　had　the　one　pistol…　shot　proved　fatal；　he　had　another　in　reserve　for　himself。　　But　not　even　Walpole　would　have　believed　him；　had　not　an　amiable　faith　given　him　an　opportunity　for　the　answering　quip：　　‘Can　I　do　less　than　say　I　will　be　hanged　if　he　is？'

As　Maclaine　was　a　coward　and　no　thief；　so　also　he　was　a　snob　and　no　gentleman。　　His　boasted　elegance　was　not　more　respectable　than　his　art。　　Fine　clothes　are　the　embellishment　of　a　true　adventurer；　they　hang　ill　on　the　sloping　shoulders　of　a　poltroon。

And　Maclaine；　with　all　the　ostensible　weaknesses　of　his　kind；　would　claim　regard　for　the　strength　that　he　knew　not。　　He　occupied　a　costly　apartment　in　St。　James's　Street；　his　morning　dress　was　a　crimson　damask　banjam；　a　silk　shag　waistcoat；　trimmed　with　lace；　black　velvet　breeches；　white　silk　stockings；　and　yellow　morocco　slippers；　but　since　his　magnificence　added　no　jot　to　his　courage；　it　was　rather　mean　than　admirable。　　Indeed；　his　whole　career　was　marred　by　the　provincialism　of　his　native　manse。

And　he　was　the　adored　of　an　intelligent　age；　he　basked　a　few　brief　weeks　in　the　noonday　sun　of　fashion。

If　distinction　was　not　the　heritage　of　the　Eighteenth　Century；　its　glory　is　that　now　and　again　a　giant　raised　his　head　above　the　stature　of　a　prevailing　rectitude。　　The　art　of　verse　was　lost　in　rhetoric；　the　noble　prose；　invented　by　the　Elizabethans；　and　refined　under　the　Stuarts；　was　whittled　away　to　common　sense　by　the　admirers　of　Addison　and　Steele。　　Swift　and　Johnson；　Gibbon　and　Fielding；　were　apparitions　of　strength　in　an　amiable；　ineffective　age。　　They　emerged　sudden　from　the　impeccable　greyness；　to　which　they　afforded　an　heroic　contrast。　　So；　while　the　highway　drifteddrifted　to　a　vulgar　incompetence；　the　craft　was　illumined　by　many　a　flash　of　unexpected　genius。　　The　brilliant　achievements　of　Jonathan　Wild　and　of　Jack　Sheppard　might　have　relieved　the　gloom　of　the　darkest　era；　and　their　separate　masterpieces　make　some　atonement　for　the　environing　cowardice　and　stupidity。　　Above　all；　the　Eighteenth　Century　was　Newgate's　golden　age；　now　for　the　first　time　and　the　last　were　the　rules　and　customs　of　the　Jug　perfectly　understood。　　If　Jonathan　the　Great　was　unrivalled　in　the　art　of　clapping　his　enemies　into　prison；　if　Jack　the　Slip…string　was　supreme　in　the　rarer　art　of　getting　himself　out；　even　the　meanest　criminal　of　his　time　knew　what　was　expected　of　him；　so　long　as　he　wandered　within　the　walled　yard；　or　listened　to　the　ministrations　of　the　snuff…besmirched　Ordinary。　　He　might　show　a　lamentable　lack　of　cleverness　in　carrying　off　his　booty；　he　might　prove　a　too　easy　victim　to　the　wiles　of　the　thief…catcher；　but　he　never　fell　short　of　courage；　when　asked　to　sustain　the　consequences　of　his　crime。

Newgate；　compared　by　one　eminent　author　to　a　university；　by　another　to　a　ship；　was　a　republic；　whose　liberty　extended　only　so　far　as　its　iron　door。　　While　there　was　no　liberty　without；　there　was　licence　within；　and　if　the　culprit；　who　paid　for　the　smallest　indiscretion　with　his　neck；　understood　the　etiquette　of　the　place；　he　spent　his　last　weeks　in　an　orgie　of　rollicking　lawlessness。　　He　drank；　he　ate；　he　diced；　he　received　his　friends；　or　chaffed　the　Ordinary；　he　attempted；　through　the　well…　paid　cunning　of　the　Clerk；　to　bribe　the　jury；　and　when　every　artifice　had　failed　he　went　to　Tyburn　like　a　man。　　If　he　knew　not　how　to　live；　at　least　he　would　show　a　resentful　world　how　to　die。

‘In　no　country；'　wrote　Sir　T。　Smith；　a　distinguished　lawyer　of　the　time；　‘do　malefactors　go　to　execution　more　intrepidly　than　in　England'；　and　assuredly；　buoyed　up　by　custom　and　the　approval　of　their　fellows；　Wild's　victims　made　a　brave　show　at　the　gallows。　　Nor　was　their　bravery　the　result　of　a　common　callousness。　　They　understood　at　once　the　humour　and　the　delicacy　of　the　situation。　　Though　hitherto　they　had　chaffed　the　Ordinary；　they　now　listened　to　his　exhortation　with　at　least　a　semblance　of　respect；　and　though　their　last　night　upon　earth　might　have　been　devoted　to　a　joyous　company；　they　did　not　withhold　their　ear　from　the　Bellman's　Chant。　　As　twelve　o'clock　approachedtheir　last　midnight　upon　earththey　would　interrupt　the　most　spirited　discourse；　they　would　check　the　tour　of　the　mellowest　bottle　to　listen　to　the　solemn　doggerel。　　‘All　you　that　in　the　condemn'd　hole　do　lie；'　groaned　the　Bellman　of　St。　Sepulchre's　in　his　duskiest　voice；　and　they　who　held　revel　in　the　condemned　hole　prayed　silence　of　their　friends　for　the　familiar　cadences：


All　you　that　in　the　condemn'd　hole　do　lie；　Prepare　you；　for　to…morrow　you　shall　die；　Watch　all　and　pray；　the　hour　is　drawing　near；　That　you　before　th'　Almighty　must　appear。　Examine　well　yourselves；　in　time　repent　That　you　may　not　t'　eternal　flames　be　sent；　And　when　St。　Pulchre's　bell　to…morrow　tolls；　The　Lord　above　have　mercy　on　your　souls。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Past　twelve　o'clock！


Even　if　this　warning　voice　struck　a　momentary　terror　into　their　offending　souls；　they　were　up　betimes　in　the　morning；　eager　to　pay　their　final　debt。　　Their　journey　from　Newgate　to　Tyburn　was　a　triumph；　and　their　vanity　was　unabashed　at　the　droning　menaces　of　the　Ordinary。　　At　one　point　a　chorus　of　maidens　cast　wreaths　upon　their　way；　or　pinned　nosegays　in　their　coats；　that　they　might　not　face　the　executioner　unadorned。　　At　the　Crown　Tavern　they　quaffed　their　last　glass　of　ale；　and　told　the　landlord　with　many　a　leer　and　smirk　that　they　would　pay　him　on　their　way　back。　　Though　gravity　was　asked；　it　was　not　always　given；　but　in　the　Eighteenth　Century　courage　was　seldom　wanting。　　To　the　common　citizen　a　violent　death　was　（and　is）　the　worst　of　horrors；　to　the　ancient　highwayman　it　was　the　odd　trick　lost　in　the　game　of　life。　　And　the　highwayman　endured　the　rope；　as　the　practised　gambler　loses　his　estate；　without　blenching。　　One　there　was；　who　felt　his　leg　tremble　in　his　own　despite：　wherefore　he　stamped　it　upon　the　ground　so　violently；　that　in　other　circumstances　he　would　have　roared　with　pain；　and　he　left　the　world　without　a　tremor。　　In　this　spirit　Cranmer　burnt　his　recreant　right　hand；　and　in　either　case　the　glamour　of　a　unique　occasion　was　a　stimulus　to　courage。

But　not　even　this　brilliant　treatment　of　accessories　availed　to　save　the　highway　from　disrepute；　indeed；　it　had　become　the　profitless　pursuit　of　braggarts　and　loafers；　long　before　the　abolition　of　the　stage…coach　destroyed　its　opportunity。　　In　the　meantime；　however；　the　pickpocket　was　master　of　his　trade。　　His　strategy　was　perfect；　his　sleight　of　hand　as　delicate　as　long；　lithe　fingers　and　nimble　brains　could　make　it。　　He　had　discarded　for　ever　those　clumsy　instruments　whose　use　had　barred　the　progress　of　the　Primitives。　　The　breast…pocket　behind　the　tightest　buttoned　coat　presented　no　difficulty　to　his　love　of　research；　and　he　would　penetrate　the　stoutest　frieze　or　the　lightest　satin；　as　easily　as　Jack　Sheppard　made　a　hole　through　Newgate。　　His　trick　of　robbery　was　so　simple　and　yet　so　successful；　that　ever　since　it　has　remained　a　tradition。　　The　collision；　the　victim's　murmured　apology；　the　hasty　scuffle；　the　booty　handed　to　the　aide…de…camp；　who　is　out　of　sight　before　the　hue　and　cry　can　be　raisedsuch　was　the　policy　advocated　two　hundred　years　ago；　such　is　the　policy　pursued　to　day　by　the　few　artists　that　remain。

Throughout　the　eighteenth　century　the　art　of　cly…faking　held　its　own；　though　its　reputation　paled　in　the　glamour　of　the　highway。　　It　culminated　in　George　Barrington；　whose　vivid　genius　persuaded　him　to　work　alone　and　to　carry　off　his　own　booty；　it　still　flourished　（in　a　silver　age）　when　the　incomparable　Haggart　performed　his　prodigies　of　skill；　even　in　our　prosaic　time　some　flashes　of　the　ancient　glory　have　been　seen。　　Now　and　again　circumstances　have　driven　it　into　eclipse。　　When　the　facile　sentiment　of　the　Early　Victorian　Era　poised　the　tear　of　sympathy　upon　every　trembling　eyelid；　the　most　obdurate　was　forced　to　provide　himself　with　a　silk　handkerchief　of　equal　size　and　value。

Now；　a　wipe　is　the　easiest　booty　in　the　world；　and　the　Artful　Dodger　might　grow　rich　without　the　exercise　of　the　smalles