a book of scoundrels-第22部分

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The　one　was　distinguished　by　a　boisterous　humour；　a　swaggering　pride　in　his　own　prowess；　the　wit　of　the　other　might　be　edged　like　a　knife；　nor　would　he　ever　appeal　for　a　spectacle　to　the　curiosity　of　the　mob。　　Both　were　men　of　many　mistresses；　but　again　in　his　conduct　with　women　Cartouche　showed　an　honester　talent。　　Sheppard　was　at　once　the　prey　and　the　whipping…block　of　his　two　infamous　doxies；　who　agreed　in　deformity　of　feature　as　in　contempt　for　their　lover。　　Cartouche；　on　the　other　hand；　chose　his　cabaret　for　the　wit　of　its　patronne；　and　was　always　happy　in　the　elegance　and　accomplishment　of　his　companions。　　One　point　of　likeness　remains。　　The　two　heroes　resembled　each　other　not　only　in　their　profession；　but　in　their　person。　　Though　their　trade　demanded　physical　strength；　each　was　small　and　slender　of　build。　　‘A　little；　slight…limbed　lad；'　says　the　historian　of　Sheppard。　　‘A　thin；　spare　frame；'　sings　the　poet　of　Cartouche。　　Here；　then；　neither　had　the　advantage；　and　if　in　the　shades　Cartouche　despises　the　clumsiness　and　vulgarity　of　his　rival；　Sheppard　may　still　remember　the　glory　of　Newgate；　and　twit　the　Frenchman　with　the　barking　of　the　boxmaker's　dog。　　But　genius　is　the　talent　of　the　dead；　and　the　wise；　who　are　not　partisans；　will　not　deny　to　the　one　or　to　the　other　the　possession　of　the　rarer　gift。



VAUX


VAUX

TO　Haggart；　who　babbled　on　the　Castle　Rock　of　Willie　Wallace　and　was　only　nineteen　when　he　danced　without　the　music；　to　Simms；　alias　Gentleman　Harry；　who　showed　at　Tyburn　how　a　hero　could　die；　to　George　Barrington；　the　incomparably　witty　and　adroitto　these　a　full　meed　of　honour　has　been　paid。　　Even　the　coarse　and　dastardly　Freney　has　achieved；　with　Thackeray's　aid　（and　Lever's）　something　of　a　reputation。　　But　James　Hardy　Vaux；　despite　his　eloquent　bid　for　fame；　has　not　found　his　rhapsodist。　　Yet　a　more　consistent　ruffian　never　pleaded　for　mercy。　　From　his　early　youth　until　in　1819　he　sent　forth　his　Memoirs　to　the　world；　he　lived　industriously　upon　the　cross。　　There　was　no　racket　but　he　worked　it　with　energy　and　address。　　Though　he　practised　the　more　glorious　crafts　of　pickpocket　and　shoplifter；　he　did　not　despise　the　begging…letter；　and　he　suffered　his　last　punishment　for　receiving　what　another's　courage　had　conveyed。　　His　enterprise　was　not　seldom　rewarded　with　success；　and　for　a　decade　of　years　he　continued　to　preserve　an　appearance　of　gentility；　but　it　is　plain；　even　from　his　own　narrative；　that　he　was　scarce　an　artist；　and　we　shall　best　understand　him　if　we　recognise　that　he　was　a　Philistine　among　thieves。　　He　lived　in　an　age　of　pocket…　picking；　and　skill　in　this　branch　is　the　true　test　of　his　time。　　A　contemporary　of　Barrington；　he　had　before　him　the　most　brilliant　of　examples；　which　might　properly　have　enforced　the　worth　of　a　simple　method。　　But；　though　he　constantly　brags　of　his　success　at　Drury　Lane；　we　take　not　his　generalities　for　gospel；　and　the　one　exploit　whose　credibility　is　enforced　with　circumstance　was　pitiful　both　in　conception　and　performance。　　A　meeting　of　freeholders　at　the　‘Mermaid　Tavern；'　Hackney；　was　the　occasion；　and　after　drawing　blank　upon　blank；　Vaux　succeeded　at　last　in　extracting　a　silver　snuff…box。　　Now；　his　clumsiness　had　suggested　the　use　of　the　scissors；　and　the　victim　not　only　discovered　the　scission　in　his　coat；　but　caught　the　thief　with　the　implements　of　his　art　upon　him。　　By　a　miracle　of　impudence　Vaux　escaped　conviction；　but　he　deserved　the　gallows　for　his　want　of　principle；　and　not　even　sympathy　could　have　let　drop　a　tear；　had　justice　seized　her　due。　　On　the　straight　or　on　the　cross　the　canons　of　art　deserve　respect；　and　a　thief　is　great；　not　because　he　is　a　thief；　but　because；　in　filling　his　own　pocket；　he　preserves　from　violence　the　legitimate　traditions　of　his　craft。

But　it　was　in　conflict　with　the　jewellers　that　Vaux　best　proved　his　mettle。　　It　was　his　wont　to　clothe　himself　‘in　the　most　elegant　attire；'　and　on　the　pretence　of　purchase　to　rifle　the　shops　of　Piccadilly。　　For　this　offence‘pinching'　the　Cant　Dictionary　calls　ithe　did　his　longest　stretch　of　time；　and　here　his　admirable　qualities　of　cunning　and　coolness　found　their　most　generous　scope。　　A　love　of　fine　clothes　he　shared　with　all　the　best　of　his　kind；　and　he　visited　Mr　Bilgerthe　jeweller　who　arrested　himmagnificently　arrayed。　　He　wore　a　black　coat　and　waistcoat；　blue　pantaloons；　Hessian　boots；　and　a　hat　‘in　the　extreme　of　the　newest　fashion。'　　He　was　also　resplendent　with　gold　watch　and　eye…glass。　　His　hair　was　powdered；　and　a　fawney　sparkled　on　his　dexter　fam。　　The　booty　was　enormous；　and　a　week　later　he　revisited　the　shop　on　another　errand。　　This　second　visit　was　the　one　flash　of　genius　in　a　somewhat　drab　career：　the　jeweller　was　so　completely　dumfounded；　that　Vaux　might　have　got　clean　away。　　But　though　he　kept　discreetly　out　of　sight　for　a　while；　at　last　he　drifted　back　to　his　ancient　boozing…ken；　and　was　there　betrayed　to　a　notorious　thief…catcher。　　The　inevitable　sentence　of　death　followed。　　It　was　commuted　after　the　fashion　of　the　time；　and　Vaux；　having　sojourned　a　while　at　the　Hulks；　sought　for　a　second　time　the　genial　airs　of　Botany　Bay。

His　vanity　and　his　laziness　were　alike　invincible。　　He　believed　himself　a　miracle　of　learning　as　well　as　a　perfect　thief；　and　physical　toil　was　the　sole　‘lay'　for　which　he　professed　no　capacity。　　For　a　while　he　corrected　the　press　for　a　printer；　and　he　roundly　asserts　that　his　knowledge　of　literature　and　of　foreign　tongues　rendered　him　invaluable。　　It　was　vanity　again　that　induced　him　to　assert　his　innocence　when　he　was　lagged　for　so　vulgar　a　crime　as　stealing　a　wipe　from　a　tradesman　in　Chancery　Lane。　　At　the　moment　of　arrest　he　was　on　his　way　to　purchase　base　coin　from　a　Whitechapel　bit…faker：　but；　despite　his　nefarious　errand；　he　is　righteously　wrathful　at　what　he　asserts　was　an　unjust　conviction；　and　henceforth　he　assumed　the　crown　of　martyrdom。　　His　first　and　last　ambition　during　the　intervals　of　freedom　was　gentility；　and　so　long　as　he　was　not　at　work　he　lived　the　life　of　a　respectable　grocer。　　Although　the　casual　Cyprian　flits　across　his　page；　he　pursued　the　one　flame　of　his　life　for　the　good　motive；　and　he　affects　to　be　a　very　model　of　domesticity。　　The　sentiment　of　piety　also　was　strong　upon　him；　and　if　he　did　not；　like　the　illustrious　Peace；　pray　for　his　jailer；　he　rivalled　the　Prison　Ordinary　in　comforting　the　condemned。　　Had　it　only　been　his　fate　to　die　on　the　gallows；　how　unctuous　had　been　his　croak！

The　text　of　his　‘Memoirs'　having　been　edited；　it　is　scarce　possible　to　define　his　literary　talent。　　The　book；　as　it　stands；　is　an　excellent　piece　of　narrative；　but　it　loses　somewhat　by　the　pretence　of　style。　　The　man's　invulnerable　conceit　prevented　an　absolute　frankness；　and　there　is　little　enough　hilarity　to　correct　the　acid　sentiment　and　the　intolerable　vows　of　repentance。　　Again；　though　he　knows　his　subject；　and　can　patter　flash　with　the　best；　his　incorrigible　respectability　leads　him　to　ape　the　manner　of　a　Grub　Street　hack；　and　to　banish　to　a　vocabulary　those　pearls　of　slang　which　might　have　added　vigour　and　lustre　to　his　somewhat　tiresome　page。　　However；　the　thief　cannot　escape　his　inevitable　defects。　　The　vanity；　the　weakness；　the　sentimentality　of　those　who　are　born　beasts　of　prey；　yet　have　the　faculty　of　depredation　only　half…developed；　are　the　foes　of　truth；　and　it　is　well　to　remember　that　the　autobiography　of　a　rascal　is　tainted　at　its　source。　　A　congenial　pickpocket；　equipped　with　the　self…knowledge　and　the　candour　which　would　enable　him　to　recognise　himself　an　outlaw　and　justice　his　enemy　rather　than　an　instrument　of　malice；　would　prove　a　Napoleon　rather　than　a　Vaux。　　So　that　we　must　e'en　accept　our　Newgate　Calendar　with　its　many　faults　upon　its　head；　and　be　content。　　For　it　takes　a　man　of　genius　to　write　a　book；　and　the　thief　who　turns　author　commonly　inhabits　a　paradise　of　the　second…rate。



GEORGE　BARRINGTON


GEORGE　BARRINGTON

AS　Captain　Hind　was　master　of　the　road；　George　Barrington　was　（and　remains　for　ever）　the　absolute　monarch　of　pickpockets。　　Though　the　art；　superseding　the　cutting　of　purses；　had　been　practised　with　courage　and　address　for　half　a　century　before　Barrington　saw　the　light；　it　was　his　own　incomparable　genius　that　raised　thievery　from　the　dangerous　valley　of　experiment；　and　set　it；　secure　and　honoured；　upon　the　mountain　height　of　perfection。　　To　a　natural　habit　of　depredation；　which；　being　a　man　of　letters；　he　was　wont　to　justify；　he　added　a　sureness　of　hand；　a　fertility　of　resource；　a　recklessness　of　courage　which　drove　his　contemporaries　to　an　amazed　respect；　and　from　which　none　but　the　Philistine　will　withhold　his　admiration。　　An　accident　discovered　his　taste　and　talent。　　At　school　he　attempted　to　kill　a　companionthe　one　act　of　violence　which　sullies　a　strangely　gentle　career；　and　outraged　at　the　affront　of　a　flogging；　he　fled　with　twelve　guineas　and　a　gold　repeater　watch。　　A　vulgar　theft　this；　and　no　presage　of　future　greatness；　yet　it　proves　the　fearless　greed；　the　contempt　of　private　property；　which　mark　as　with　a　stigma　the　temperament　of　the　prig。　　His　faculty　did　not　rust　long　for　lack　of　use；　and　at　Drogheda；　when　he　was　but　sixteen；　he　encountered　one　Price；　half　barnstormer；　half　thief。　　Forthwith　he　embraced　the　twin　professions；　and　in　the　interlude　of　more　serious　pursuits　is　reported　to　have　made　a　respectable　appearance　as　Jaffier　in　Venice　Preserved。　　For　a　while　he　dreamed　of　Drury　Lane　and　glory；　but　an　attachment　for　Miss　Egerton；　the　Belvidera　to　his　own　Jaffier；　was　more　costly　than　the　barns　of　Londonderry　warranted；　and；　with　Price　for　a　colleague；　he　set　forth　on　a　tour　of　robbery；　merely　interrupted　through　twenty　years　by　a　few　periods　of　enforced　leisure。

His　youth；　indeed；　was　his　golden　age。　　For　four　years　he　practised　his　art；　chilled　by　no　shadow　of　suspicion；　and　his　immunity　was　due　as　well　to　his　excellent　bearing　as　to　his　sleight　of　hand。　　In　one　of　the　countless　chap…books　which　dishonour　his　fame；　he　is　unjustly　accused　of　relying　for　his　effects　upon　an　elaborate　apparatus；　half　knife；　half　scissors；　wherewith　to　rip　the　pockets　of　his　victims。　　The　mere　backbiting　of　envy！　　An　artistic　triumph　was　never　won　save　by　legitimate　means；　and　the　hero　who　plundered　the