a book of scoundrels-第13部分

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nathan　that　made　Blueskin　a　thief；　and　Jonathan　screened　his　creature　from　justice　only　so　long　as　clemency　seemed　profitable。　　At　the　first　hint　of　disobedience　Blueskin　was　committed　to　Newgate。　　When　he　had　stood　his　trial；　and　was　being　taken　to　the　Condemned　Hole；　he　beckoned　to　Wild　as　though　to　a　conference；　and　cut　his　throat　with　a　penknife。　　The　assembled　rogues　and　turnkeys　thought　their　Jonathan　dead　at　last；　and　rejoiced　exceedingly　therein。　　Straightway　the　poet　of　Newgate's　Garland　leaped　into　verse：

　　　　　　　　　　Then　hopeless　of　life；　　　　　　　　　　　He　drew　his　penknife；　　　　　　　　　　　And　made　a　sad　widow　of　Jonathan's　wife。　　　　　　But　forty　pounds　paid　her；　her　grief　shall　appease；　　　　　　And　every　man　round　me　may　rob；　if　he　please。

But　Jonathan　recovered；　and　Molly；　his　wife；　was　destined　a　second　time　to　win　the　conspicuous　honour　that　belongs　to　a　hempen　widow。

As　his　career　drew　to　its　appointed　close；　Fortune　withheld　her　smiles。　　‘People　got　so　peery；'　complained　the　great　man；　‘that　ingenious　men　were　put　to　dreadful　shifts。'　　And　then；　highest　tribute　to　his　greatness；　an　Act　of　Parliament　was　passed　which　made　it　a　capital　offence　‘for　a　prig　to　steal　with　the　hands　of　other　people'；　and　in　the　increase　of　public　vigilance　his　undoing　became　certain。　　On　the　2nd　of　January；　1725；　a　day　not　easy　to　forget；　a　creature　of　Wild's　spoke　with　fifty　yards　of　lace；　worth　40；　at　his　Captain's　bidding；　and　Wild；　having　otherwise　disposed　of　the　plunder；　was　charged　on　the　10th　of　March　that　he　‘did　feloniously　receive　of　Katharine　Stetham　ten　guineas　on　account　and　under　colour　of　helping　the　said　Katharine　Stetham　to　the　said　lace　again；　and　did　not　then；　nor　any　time　since；　discover　or　apprehend；　or　cause　to　be　apprehended　and　brought　to　Justice；　the　persons　that　committed　the　said　felony。'　　Thus　runs　the　indictment；　and；　to　the　inexpressible　relief　of　lesser　men；　Jonathan　Wild　was　condemned　to　the　gallows。

Thereupon　he　had　serious　thoughts　of　‘putting　his　house　in　order'；　with　an　ironical　smile　he　demanded　an　explanation　of　the　text：　　‘Cursed　is　every　one　that　hangeth　on　a　tree'；　but；　presently　reflecting　that　‘his　Time　was　but　short　in　this　World；　he　improved　it　to　the　best　advantage　in　Eating；　Drinking；　Swearing；　Cursing；　and　talking　to　his　Visitants。'　　For　all　his　bragging；　drink　alone　preserved　his　courage：　‘he　was　very　restless　in　the　Condemned　Hole；'　though　‘he　gave　little　or　no　attention　to　the　condemned　Sermon　which　the　purblind　Ordinary　preached　before　him；'　and　which　was；　in　Fielding's　immortal　phrase；　‘unto　the　Greeks　foolishness。'　　But　in　the　moment　of　death　his　distinction　returned　to　him。　　He　tried；　and　failed；　to　kill　himself；　and　his　progress　to　the　nubbing　cheat　was　a　triumph　of　execration。　　He　reached　Tyburn　through　a　howling　mob；　and　died　to　a　yell　of　universal　joy。

The　Ordinary　has　left　a　record　so　precious　and　so　lying；　that　it　must　needs　be　quoted　at　length。　　The　great　Thief…Catcher's　confession　is　a　masterpiece　of　comfort；　and　is　so　far　removed　from　the　truth　as　completely　to　justify　Fielding's　incomparable　creation。　　‘Finding　there　was　no　room　for　mercy　（and　how　could　I　expect　mercy；　who　never　showed　any）'thus　does　the　devil　dodger　dishonour　our　Jonathan's　memory！‘as　soon　as　I　came　into　the　Condemned　Hole；　I　began　to　think　of　making　a　preparation　for　my　soul。　。　。　。　　To　part　with　my　wife；　my　dear　Molly；　is　so　great　an　Affliction　to　me；　that　it　touches　me　to　the　Quick；　and　is　like　Daggers　entering　into　my　Heart。'　　How　tame　the　Ordinary's　falsehood　to　the　brilliant　invention　of　Fielding；　who　makes　Jonathan　kick　his　Tishy　in　the　very　shadow　of　the　Tree！　　And　the　Reverend　Gentleman　gains　in　unction　as　he　goes：　　‘In　the　Cart　they　all　kneeled　down　to　prayers　and　seemed　very　penitent；　the　Ordinary　used　all　the　means　imaginable　to　make　them　think　of　another　World；　and　after　singing　a　penitential　Psalm；　they　cry'd　Lord　Jesus　Christ　receive　our　Souls；　the　cart　drew　away　and　they　were　all　turned　off。　　This　is　as　good　an　account　as　can　be　given　by　me。'　　Poor　Ordinary！　　If　he　was　modest；　he　was　also　untruthful；　and　you　are　certain　that　it　was　not　thus　the　hero　met　his　death。

Even　had　Fielding　never　written　his　masterpiece；　Jonathan　Wild　would　still　have　been　surnamed　‘The　Great。'　　For　scarce　a　chap…　book　appeared　in　the　year　of　Jonathan's　death　that　did　not　expose　the　only　right　and　true　view　of　his　character。　　‘His　business；'　says　one　hack　of　prison　literature；　‘at　all　times　was　to　put　a　false　gloss　upon　things；　and　to　make　fools　of　mankind。'　　Another　precisely　formulates　the　theory　of　greatness　insisted　upon　by　Fielding　with　so　lavish　an　irony　and　so　masterly　a　wit。　　While　it　is　certain　that　The　History　of　the　Late　Mr。　Jonathan　Wild　is　as　noble　a　piece　of　irony　as　literature　can　show；　while　for　the　qualities　of　wit　and　candour　it　is　equal　to　its　motive；　it　is　likewise　true　that　therein　you　meet　the　indubitable　Jonathan　Wild。　　It　is　an　entertainment　to　compare　the　chap…books　of　the　time　with　the　reasoned；　finished　work　of　art：　not　in　any　spirit　of　pedantrysince　accuracy　in　these　matters　is　of　small　account；　but　with　intent　to　show　how　doubly　fortunate　Fielding　was　in　his　genius　and　in　his　material。　　Of　course　the　writer　rejoiced　in　the　aid　of　imagination　and　eloquence；　of　course　he　embellished　his　picture　with　such　inspirations　as　Miss　Laetitia　and　the　Count；　of　course　he　preserves　from　the　first　page　to　the　last　the　highest　level　of　unrivalled　irony。　　But　the　sketch　was　there　before　him；　and　a　lawyer's　clerk　had　treated　Jonathan　in　a　vein　of　heroism　within　a　few　weeks　of　his　death。　　And　since　a　plain　statement　is　never　so　true　as　fiction；　Fielding's　romance　is　still　more　credible；　still　convinces　with　an　easier　effort；　than　the　serious　and　pedestrian　records　of　contemporaries。　　Nor　can　you　return　to　its　pages　without　realising　that；　so　far　from　being　‘the　evolution　of　a　purely　intellectual　conception；'　Jonathan　Wild　is　a　magnificently　idealised　and　ironical　portrait　of　a　great　man。



III　A　PARALLEL

（MOLL　CUTPURSE　AND　JONATHAN　WILD）



A　PARALLEL

（MOLL　CUTPURSE　AND　JONATHAN　WILD）

THEY　plied　the　same　trade；　each　with　incomparable　success。　　By　her；　as　by　him；　the　art　of　the　fence　was　carried　to　its　ultimate　perfection。　　In　their　hands　the　high　policy　of　theft　wanted　nor　dignity　nor　assurance。　　Neither　harboured　a　single　scheme　which　was　not　straightway　translated　into　action；　and　they　were　masters　at　once　of　Newgate　and　the　Highway。　　As　none　might　rob　without　the　encouragement　of　his　emperor；　so　none　was　hanged　at　Tyburn　while　intrigue　or　bribery　might　avail　to　drag　a　half…doomed　neck　from　the　halter；　and　not　even　Moll　herself　was　more　bitterly　tyrannical　in　the　control　of　a　reckless　gang　than　the　thin…jawed；　hatchet…faced　Jonathan　Wild。

They　were　statesmen　rather　than　warriorshappy　if　they　might　direct　the　enterprises　of　others；　and　determined　to　punish　the　lightest　disobedience　by　death。　　The　mind　of　each　was　readier　than　his　right　arm；　and　neither　would　risk　an　easy　advantage　by　a　misunderstood　or　unwonted　sleight　of　hand。　　But　when　you　leave　the　exercise　of　their　craft　to　contemplate　their　character　with　a　larger　eye；　it　is　the　woman　who　at　every　point　has　the　advantage。　　Not　only　was　she　the　peerless　inventor　of　a　new　cunning；　she　was　at　home　（and　abroad）　the　better　fellow。　　The　suppression　of　sex　was　in　itself　an　unparalleled　triumph；　and　the　most　envious　detractor　could　not　but　marvel　at　the　domination　of　her　womanhood。　　Moreover；　she　shone　in　a　gayer；　more　splendid　epoch。　　The　worthy　contemporary　of　Shakespeare；　she　had　small　difficulty　in　performing　feats　of　prowess　and　resource　which　daunted　the　intrepid　ruffians　of　the　eighteenth　century。　　Her　period；　in　brief；　gave　her　an　eternal　superiority；　and　it　were　as　hopeless　for　Otway　to　surpass　the　master　whom　he　disgraced；　as　for　Wild　to　o'ershadow　the　brilliant　example　of　Moll　Cutpurse。

Tyrants　both；　they　exercised　their　sovereignty　in　accordance　with　their　varying　temperament。　　Hers　was　a　fine；　fat；　Falstaffian　humour；　which；　while　it　inspired　Middleton；　might　have　suggested　to　Shakespeare　an　equal　companion　of　the　drunken　knight。　　His　was　but　a　narrow；　cynic　wit；　not　edged　like　the　knife；　which　wellnigh　cut　his　throat；　but　blunt　and　scratching　like　a　worn…toothed　saw。

She　laughed　with　a　laugh　that　echoed　from　Ludgate　to　Charing　Cross；　and　her　voice　drowned　all　the　City。　　He　grinned　rarely　and　with　malice；　he　piped　in　a　voice　shrill　and　acid　as　the　tricks　of　his　mischievous　imagination。　　She　knew　no　cruelty　beyond　the　necessities　of　her　life；　and　none　regretted　more　than　she　the　inevitable　death　of　a　traitor。　　He　lusted　after　destruction　with　a　fiendish　temper；　which　was　a　grim　anticipation　of　De　Sade；　he　would　even　smile　as　he　saw　the　noose　tighten　round　the　necks　of　the　poor　innocents　he　had　beguiled　to　Tyburn。　　It　was　his　boast　that　he　had　contrived　robberies　for　the　mere　glory　of　dragging　his　silly　victims　to　the　gallows。　　But　Moll；　though　she　stood　half…way　between　the　robber　and　his　prey；　would　have　sacrificed　a　hundred　well…earned　commissions　rather　than　see　her　friends　and　comrades　strangled。　　Her　temperament　compelled　her　to　the　loyal　support　of　her　own　order；　and　she　would　have　shrunk　in　horror　from　her　rival；