a book of scoundrels-第6部分

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oic　Smith！　　However；　Johnson　has　his　uses；　and　those　to　whom　the　masterpiece　of　Captain　Alexander　is　inaccessible　will　turn　with　pleasure　to　the　General　History　of　the　lives　and　adventures　of　the　most　Famous　Highwaymen；　Murderers；　Street…Robbers；　&c。；　and　will　feel　no　regret　that　for　once　they　are　receiving　stolen　goods。

Though　Johnson　fell　immeasurably　below　his　predecessor　in　talent；　he　manifestly　excelled　him　in　scholarship。　　A　sojourn　at　the　University　had　supplied　him　with　a　fine　assortment　of　Latin　tags；　and　he　delighted　to　prove　his　erudition　by　the　citation　of　the　Chronicles。　　Had　he　possessed　a　sense　of　humour；　he　might　have　smiled　at　the　irony　of　committing　a　theft　upon　the　historian　of　thieves。　　But　he　was　too　vain　and　too　pompous　to　smile　at　his　own　weakness；　and　thus　he　would　pretend　himself　a　venturesome　highwayman；　a　brave　writer；　and　a　profound　scholar。　　Indeed；　so　far　did　his　pride　carry　him；　that　he　would　have　the　world　believe　him　the　same　Charles　Johnson；　who　wrote　The　Gentleman　Cully　and　The　Successful　Pyrate。　　Thus　with　a　boastful　chuckle　he　would　quote：

　　　　　Johnson；　who　now　to　sense；　now　nonsense　leaning；　　　　　　Means　not；　but　blunders　round　about　a　meaning

Thus；　ignoring　the　insult；　he　would　plume　himself　after　his　drunken　fashion　that　he；　too；　was　an　enemy　of　Pope。

　　　　　Yet　Johnson　has　remained　an　example。　　For　the　literature　of　scoundrelism　is　as　persistent　in　its　form　as　in　its　folk…lore。　　As　Harman's　Caveat；　which　first　saw　the　light　in　1566；　serves　as　a　model　to　an　unbroken　series　of　such　books；　as　The　London　Spy；　so　from　Johnson　in　due　course　were　developed　the　Newgate　Calendar；　and　those　innumerable　records；　which　the　latter　half　of　the　Eighteenth　Century　furnished　us　forth。　　The　celebrated　Calendar　was　in　its　origin　nothing　more　than　a　list　of　prisoners　printed　in　a　folio　slip。　　But　thereafter　it　became　the　Malefactor's　Bloody　Register；　which　we　know。　　Its　plan　and　purpose　were　to　improve　the　occasion。　　The　thief　is　no　longer　esteemed　for　an　artist　or　appraised　upon　his　merits：　he　is　the　awful　warning；　which　shall　lead　the　sinner　to　repentance。　　‘Here；'　says　the　preface；　‘the　giddy　thoughtless　youth　may　see　as　in　a　mirror　the　fatal　consequences　of　deviating　from　virtue'；　here　he　may　tremble　at　the　discovery　that　‘often　the　best　talents　are　prostituted　to　the　basest　purposes。'　　But　in　spite　of　‘the　proper　reflections　of　the　whole　affair；'　the　famous　Calendar　deserved　the　praise　of　Borrow。　　There　is　a　directness　in　the　narration；　which　captures　all　those　for　whom　life　and　literature　are　something　better　than　psychologic　formul。　　Moreover；　the　motives　which　drive　the　brigand　to　his　doom　are　brutal　in　their　simplicity；　and　withal　as　genuine　and　sincere　as　greed；　vanity；　and　lust　can　make　them。　　The　true　amateur　takes　pleasure　even　in　the　pious　exhortations；　because　he　knows　that　they　crawl　into　their　place；　lest　the　hypocrite　be　scandalised。　　But　with　years　the　Newgate　Calendar　also　declined；　and　at　last　it　has　followed　other　dead　literatures　into　the　night。

Meanwhile　the　broadside　had　enjoyed　an　unbroken　and　prosperous　career。　　Up　and　down　London；　up　and　down　England；　hurried　the　Patterer　or　Flying　Stationer。　　There　was　no　murder；　no　theft；　no　conspiracy；　which　did　not　tempt　the　Gutter　Muse　to　doggerel。　　But　it　was　not　until　James　Catnach　came　up　from　Alnwick　to　London　（in　1813）；　that　the　trade　reached　the　top　of　its　prosperity。　　The　vast　sheets；　which　he　published　with　their　scurvy　couplets；　and　the　admirable　picture；　serving　in　its　time　for　a　hundred　executions；　have　not　lost　their　power　to　fascinate。　　Theirs　is　the　aspect　of　the　early　woodcut；　the　coarse　type　and　the　catchpenny　headlines　are　a　perpetual　delight；　as　you　unfold　them；　your　care　keeps　pace　with　your　admiration；　and　you　cannot　feel　them　crackle　beneath　your　hand　without　enthusiasm　and　without　regret。　　He　was　no　pedantJemmy　Catnach；　and　the　image　of　his　ruffians　was　commonly　as　far　from　portraiture；　as　his　verses　were　remote　from　poetry。　　But　he　put　together　in　a　roughly　artistic　shape　the　last　murder；　robbery；　or　scandal　of　the　day。　　His　masterpieces　were　far　too　popular　to　live；　and　if　they　knew　so　vast　a　circulation　as　2；500；000　they　are　hard　indeed　to　come　by。　　And　now　the　art　is　wellnigh　dead；　though　you　may　discover　an　infrequent　survival　in　a　country　town。　　But　how　should　Catnach；　were　he　alive　to…day；　compete　with　the　Special　Edition　of　an　evening　print？

The　decline　of　the　Scoundrel；　in　fact；　has　been　followed　by　the　disappearance　of　chap…book　and　broadside。　　The　Education　Act；　which　made　the　cheap　novel　a　necessity；　destroyed　at　a　blow　the　literature　of　the　street。　　Since　the　highwayman　wandered；　fur…　coated；　into　the　City；　the　patterer　has　lost　his　occupation。　　Robbery　and　murder　have　degenerated　into　Chinese　puzzles；　whose　solution　is　a　pleasant　irritant　to　the　idle　brain。　　The　misunderstanding　of　Poe　has　produced　a　vast　polyglot　literature；　for　which　one　would　not　give　in　exchange　a　single　chapter　of　Captain　Smith。　　Vautrin　and　Bill　Sykes　are　already　discredited；　and　it　is　a　false　reflection　of　M。　Dupin；　which　dazzles　the　eye　of　a　moral　and　unimaginative　world。　　Yet　the　wise　man　sighs　for　those　fearless　days；　when　the　brilliant　Macheath　rode　vizarded　down　Shooter's　Hill；　and　presently　saw　his　exploits　set　forth；　with　the　proper　accompaniment　of　a　renowned　and　ancient　woodcut；　upon　a　penny　broadside。



CAPTAIN　HIND


CAPTAIN　HIND

JAMES　HIND；　the　Master　Thief　of　England；　the　fearless　Captain　of　the　Highway；　was　born　at　Chipping　Norton　in　1618。　　His　father；　a　simple　saddler；　had　so　poor　an　appreciation　of　his　son's　magnanimity；　that　he　apprenticed　him　to　a　butcher；　but　Hind's　destiny　was　to　embrue　his　hands　in　other　than　the　blood　of　oxen；　and　he　had　not　long　endured　the　restraint　of　this　common　craft　when　forty　shillings；　the　gift　of　his　mother；　purchased　him　an　escape；　and　carried　him　triumphant　and　ambitious　to　London。

Even　in　his　negligent　schooldays　he　had　fastened　upon　a　fitting　career。　　A　born　adventurer；　he　sought　only　enterprise　and　command：　if　a　commission　in　the　army　failed　him；　then　he　would　risk　his　neck　upon　the　road；　levying　his　own　tax　and　imposing　his　own　conditions。　　To　one　of　his　dauntless　resolution　an　opportunity　need　never　have　lacked；　yet　he　owed　his　first　preferment　to　a　happy　accident。　　Surprised　one　evening　in　a　drunken　brawl；　he　was　hustled　into　the　Poultry　Counter；　and　there　made　acquaintance　over　a　fresh　bottle　with　Robert　Allen；　one　of　the　chief　rogues　in　the　Park；　and　a　ruffian；　who　had　mastered　every　trick　in　the　game　of　plunder。　　A　dexterous　cly…faker；　an　intrepid　blade；　Allen　had　also　the　keenest　eye　for　untested　talent；　and　he　detected　Hind's　shining　qualities　after　the　first　glass。　　No　sooner　had　they　paid　the　price　of　release；　than　Hind　was　admitted　of　his　comrade's　gang；　he　took　the　oath　of　fealty；　and　by　way　of　winning　his　spurs　was　bid　to　hold　up　a　traveller　on　Shooter's　Hill。　　Granted　his　choice　of　a　mount；　he　straightway　took　the　finest　in　the　stable；　with　that　keen　perception　of　horse…flesh　which　never　deserted　him；　and　he　confronted　his　first　victim　in　the　liveliest　of　humours。　　There　was　no　falter　in　his　voice；　no　hint　of　inexperience　in　his　manner；　when　he　shouted　the　battle…cry：　　‘Stand　and　deliver！'　　The　horseman；　fearful　of　his　life；　instantly　surrendered　a　purse　of　ten　sovereigns；　as　to　the　most　practised　assailant　on　the　road。　　Whereupon　Hind；　with　a　flourish　of　ancient　courtesy；　gave　him　twenty　shillings　to　bear　his　charges。　　‘This；'　said　he；　‘is　for　handsale　sake　'；　and　thus　they　parted　in　mutual　compliment　and　content。

Allen　was　overjoyed　at　his　novice's　prowess。　　‘Did　you　not　see；'　he　cried　to　his　companions；　‘how　he　robbed　him　with　a　grace？'　　And　well　did　the　trooper　deserve　his　captain's　compliment；　for　his　art　was　perfect　from　the　first。　　In　bravery　as　in　gallantry　he　knew　no　rival；　and　he　plundered　with　so　elegant　a　style；　that　only　a　churlish　victim　could　resent　the　extortion。　　He　would　as　soon　have　turned　his　back　upon　an　enemy　as　demand　a　purse　uncovered。　　For　every　man　he　had　a　quip；　for　every　woman　a　compliment；　nor　did　he　ever　conceal　the　truth　that　the　means　were　for　him　as　important　as　the　end。　　Though　he　loved　money；　he　still　insisted　that　it　should　be　yielded　in　freedom　and　good　temper；　and　while　he　emptied　more　coaches　than　any　man　in　England；　he　was　never　at　a　loss　for　admirers。

Under　Allen　he　served　a　brilliant　apprenticeship。　　Enrolled　as　a　servant；　he　speedily　sat　at　the　master's　right　hand；　and　his　nimble　brains　devised　many　a　pretty　campaign。　　For　a　while　success　dogged　the　horse…hoofs　of　the　gang；　with　wealth　came　immunity；　and　not　one　of　the　warriors　had　the　misfortune　to　look　out　upon　the　world　through　a　grate。　　They　robbed　with　dignity；　even　with　splendour。　　Now　they　would　drive　forth　in　a　coach　and　four；　carrying　with　them　a　whole　armoury　of　offensive　weapons；　now　they　would　take　the　road　apparelled　as　noblemen；　and　attended　at　a　discreet　distance　by　their　proper　servants。　　But　recklessness　brought　the　inevitable　disaster；　and　it　was　no　less　a　personage　than　Oliver　Cromwell　who　overcame　the　hitherto　invincible　Allen。　　A　handful　of　the　gang　attacked　Oliver　on　his　way　from　Huntingdon；　but　the　marauders　were　outmatched；　and　the　most　of　them　were　forced　to　surrender。　　Allen；　taken　red…handed；　swung　at　Tyburn；　Hind；　with　his　better　mount　and　defter　horsemanship；　rode　clear　away。

The　loss　of　his　friend　was　a　lesson　in　caution；　and　henceforth　Hind　resolved　to　follow　his　craft　in　solitude。　　He　had　embellished　his　native　talent　with　all　the　instruction　that　others　could　impart；　and　he　reflected　that　he　who　rode　alone　neither　ran　risk　of　discovery　nor　had　any　need　to　share　his　booty。　　Thus　he　began　his　easy；　untrammelled　career；　making　time　and　space　of　no　account　by　his　rapid；　fearless　journeys。　　Now　he　was　prancing　the　moors　of　Yorkshire；　now　he　was　scouring　the　plain　between　Gloucester　and　Tewkesbury；　but　wherever　he　rode；　he　had　a　purse　in　his　pocket　and　a　jest　on　his　tongue。　　To　recall　his　prowess　is　to　ride　with　him　（in　fancy）　under　the　open　sky　along　the　fair；　beaten　road；　to　put　up　with　him　at　the　busy；　white　posthouse；　to　drink　unnumbered　pints　of　mulled　sack　with　the　round…bellied　landlord；　to　exchange　boastful　stories