…　1
  A　BOOK　OF　SCOUNDRELS
  A　BOOK　OF
  SCOUNDRELS
  by　CHARLES　WHIBLEY
  1
  …　2
  A　BOOK　OF　SCOUNDRELS
  INTRODUCTION
  There　are　other　manifestations　of　greatness　than　to　relieve　suffering　or
  to　wreck　an　empire。　　Julius　Csar　and　John　Howard　are　not　the　only
  heroes　who　have　smiled　upon　the　world。　　In　the　supreme　adaptation　of
  means　to　an　end　there　is　a　constant　nobility；　for　neither　ambition　nor　virtue
  is　the　essential　of　a　perfect　action。　　How　shall　you　contemplate　with
  indifference　the　career　of　an　artist　whom　genius　or　good　guidance　has
  compelled　to　exercise　his　peculiar　skill；　to　indulge　his　finer　aptitudes？　　A
  masterly　theft　rises　in　its　claim　to　respect　high　above　the　reprobation　of　the
  moralist。　　The　scoundrel；　when　once　justice　is　quit　of　him；　has　a　right　to
  be　appraised　by　his　actions；　not　by　their　effect；　and　he　dies　secure　in　the
  knowledge　that　he　is　commonly　more　distinguished；　if　he　be　less　loved；
  than　his　virtuous　contemporaries。
  While　murder　is　wellnigh　as　old　as　life；　property　and　the　pocket
  invented　theft；　late…born　among　the　arts。　　It　was　not　until　avarice　had
  devised　many　a　cunning　trick　for　the　protection　of　wealth；　until　civilisation
  had　multiplied　the　forms　of　portable　property；　that　thieving　became　a
  liberal　and　an　elegant　profession。　　True；　in　pastoral　society；　the　lawless
  man　was　eager　to　lift　cattle；　to　break　down　the　barrier　between　robbery
  and　warfare。　　But　the　contrast　is　as　sharp　between　the　savagery　of　the
  ancient　reiver　and　the　polished　performance　of　Captain　Hind　as　between
  the　daub　of　the　pavement　and　the　perfection　of　Velasquez。
  So　long　as　the　Gothic　spirit　governed　Europe；　expressing　itself　in
  useless　ornament　and　wanton　brutality；　the　more　delicate　crafts　had　no
  hope　of　exercise。　　Even　the　adventurer　upon　the　road　threatened　his
  victim　with　a　bludgeon；　nor　was　it　until　the　breath　of　the　Renaissance　had
  vivified　the　world　that　a　gentleman　and　an　artist　could　face　the　traveller
  with　a　courteous　demand　for　his　purse。　　But　the　age　which　witnessed　the
  enterprise　of　Drake　and　the　triumph　of　Shakespeare　knew　also　the　prowess
  of　the　highwayman　and　the　dexterity　of　the　cutpurse。　　Though　the　art
  displayed　all　the　freshness　and　curiosity　of　the　primitives；　still　it　was　art。
  With　Gamaliel　Ratsey；　who　demanded　a　scene　from　Hamlet　of　a　rifled
  2
  …　3
  A　BOOK　OF　SCOUNDRELS
  player；　and　who　could　not　rob　a　Cambridge　scholar　without　bidding　him
  deliver　an　oration　in　a　wood；　theft　was　already　better　than　a　vulgar
  extortion。　　Moll　Cutpurse；　whose　intelligence　and　audacity　were　never
  bettered；　was　among　the　bravest　of　the　Elizabethans。　　Her　temperament
  was　as　large　and　as　reckless　as　Ben　Jonson's　own。　　Neither　her　tongue　nor
  her　courage　knew　the　curb　of　modesty；　and　she　was　the　first　to　reduce　her
  craft　to　a　set　of　wise　and　imperious　rules。　　She　it　was　who　discovered　the
  secret　of　discipline；　and　who　insisted　that　every　member　of　her　gang
  should　undertake　no　other　enterprise　than　that　for　which　nature　had　framed
  him。　　Thus　she　made　easy　the　path　for　that　other　hero；　of　whom　you　are
  told　that　his　band　was　made　up　‘of　several　sorts　of　wicked　artists；　of　whom
  he　made　several　uses；　according　as　he　perceived　which　way　every　man's
  particular　talent　lay。'　　This　statesmanThomas　Dun　was　his　namedrew
  up　for　the　use　of　his　comrades　a　stringent　and　stately　code；　and　he　was
  wont　to　deliver　an　address　to　all　novices　concerning　the　art　and　mystery　of
  robbing　upon　the　highway。　　Under　auspices　so　brilliant；　thievery　could
  not　but　flourish；　and　when　the　Stuarts　sat　upon　the　throne　it　was　already
  lifted　above　the　level　of　questioning　experiment。
  Every　art　is　shaped　by　its　material；　and　with　the　variations　of　its
  material　it　must　perforce　vary。　　If　the　skill　of　the　cutpurse　compelled　the
  invention　of　the　pocket；　it　is　certain　that　the　rare　difficulties　of　the　pocket
  created　the　miraculous　skill　of　those　crafty　fingers　which　were　destined　to
  empty　it。　　And　as　increased　obstacles　are　perfection's　best　incentive；　a
  finer　cunning　grew　out　of　the　fresh　precaution。　　History　does　not　tell　us
  who　it　was　that　discovered　this　new　continent　of　roguery。　　Those　there
  are　who　give　the　credit　to　the　valiant　Moll　Cutpurse；　but　though　the
  Roaring　Girl　had　wit　to　conceive　a　thousand　strange　enterprises；　she　had
  not　the　hand　to　carry　them　out；　and　the　first　pickpocket　must　needs　have
  been　a　man　of　action。　　Moreover；　her　nickname　suggests　the　more　ancient
  practice；　and　it　is　wiser　to　yield　the　credit　to　Simon　Fletcher；　whose　praises
  are　chanted　by　the　early　historians。
  Now；　Simon；　says　his　biographer；　was　‘looked　upon　to　be　the　greatest
  artist　of　his　age　by　all　his　contemporaries。'　　The　son　of　a　baker　in
  Rosemary　Lane；　he　early　deserted　his　father's　oven　for　a　life　of　adventure；
  3
  …　4
  A　BOOK　OF　SCOUNDRELS
  and　he　claims　to　have　been　the　first　collector　who；　stealing　the　money；　yet
  left　the　case。　　The　new　method　was　incomparably　more　subtle　than　the
  old：　it　afforded　an　opportunity　of　a　hitherto　unimagined　delicacy；　the
  wielders　of　the　scissors　were　aghast　at　a　skill　which　put　their　own
  clumsiness　to　shame；　and　which　to　a　previous　generation　would　have
  seemed　the　wildest　fantasy。　　Yet　so　strong　is　habit；　that　even　when　the
  picking　of　pockets　was　a　recognised　industry；　the　superfluous　scissors　still
  survived；　and　many　a　rogue　has　hanged　upon　the　Tree　because　he
  attempted　with　a　vulgar　implement　such　feats　as　his　unaided　forks　had　far
  more　easily　accomplished。
  But；　despite　the　innovation　of　Simon　Fletcher；　the　highway　was　the
  glory　of　Elizabeth；　the　still　greater　glory　of　the　Stuarts。　　‘The
  Lacedmonians　were　the　only　people；'　said　Horace　Walpole；　‘except
  the　English　who　seem　to　have　put　robbery　on　a　right　foot。'　　And　the
  English　of　the　seventeenth　century　need　fear　the　rivalry　of　no
  Lacedmonian。　　They　were；　indeed；　the　most　valiant　and　graceful
  robbers　that　the　world　has　ever　known。　　The　Civil　War　encouraged　their
  profession；　and；　since　many　of　them　had　fought　for　their　king；　a　proper
  hatred　of　Cromwell　sharpened　their　wits。　　They　were　scholars　as　well　as
  gentlemen；　they　tempered　their　sport　with　a　merry　wit；　their　avarice　alone
  surpassed　their　courtesy；　and　they　robbed　with　so　perfect　a　regard　for　the
  proprieties　that　it　was　only　the　pedant　and　the　parliamentarian　who
  resented　their　interference。
  Nor　did　their　princely　manner　fail　of　its　effect　upon　their　victims。
  The　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century　was　the　golden　age；　not　only　of　the
  robber；　but　of　the　robbed。　　The　game　was　played　upon　either　side　with　a
  scrupulous　respect　for　a　potent；　if　unwritten；　law。　　Neither　might　nor　right
  was　permitted　to　control　the　issue。　　A　gaily　attired；　superbly　mounted
  highwayman　would　hold　up　a　coach　packed　with　armed　men；　and　take　a
  purse　from　each；　though　a　vigorous　remonstrance　might　have　carried　him
  to　Tyburn。　　But　the　traveller　knew　his　place：　he　did　what　was　expected　of
  him　in　the　best　of　tempers。　　Who　was　he　that　he　should　yield　in　courtesy
  to　the　man　in　the　vizard？　　As　it　was　monstrous　for　the　one　to　discharge
  his　pistol；　so　the　other　could　not　resist　without　committing　an　outrage
  4
  …　5
  A　BOOK　OF　SCOUNDRELS
  upon　tradition。　　One　wonders　what　had　been　the　result　if　some
  mannerless　reformer　had　declined　his　assailant's　invitation　and　drawn　his
  sword。　　Maybe　the　sensitive　art　might　have　died　under　this　sharp　rebuff。
  But　none　save　regicides　were　known　to　resist；　and　their　resistance　was
  never　more　forcible　than　a　volley　of　texts。　　Thus　the　High…　toby…crack
  swaggered　it　with　insolent　gaiety；　knowing　no　worse　misery　than　the　fear
  of　the　Tree；　so　long　as　he　followed　the　rules　of　his　craft。　　But　let　a　touch
  of　brutality　disgrace　his　method；　and　he　appealed　in　vain　for　sympathy　or
  indulgence。　　The　ruffian；　for　instance；　of　whom　it　is　grimly　recorded　that
  he　added　a　tie…wig　to　his　booty；　neither　deserved　nor　received　the　smallest
  consideration。　　Delivered　to　justice；　he　speedily　met　the　death　his
  vulgarity　merited；　and　the　road　was　taught　the　salutary　lesson　that　wigs
  were　as　sacred　as　trinkets　hallowed　by　association。
  With　the　eighteenth　century　the　highway　fell　upon　decline。　　No　doubt
  in　its　silver　age；　the　century's　beginning；　many　a　brilliant　deed　was　done。
  Something　of　the　old　policy　survived；　and　men　of　spirit　still　went　upon　the
  pad。　　But　the　breadth　of　the　ancient　style　was　speedily　forgotten；　and　by
  the　time　the　First　George　climbed　to　the　throne；　robbery　was　already　a
  sordid　trade。　　Neither　side　was　conscious　of　its　noble　obligation。　　The
  vulgar　audacity　of　a　bullying　thief　wa