a book of scoundrels-第5部分

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　evil　eye；　and　he　would　rather　be　hanged　by　an　unsuspected　judge　than　receive　an　easy　stretch　from　one　whose　glance　he　dared　not　face。　　And　while　the　anthropologist　claims　him　for　a　savage；　whose　civilisation　has　been　arrested　at　brotherhood　with　the　Solomon　Islanders；　the　politician　might　pronounce　him　a　true　communist；　in　that　he　has　preserved　a　wholesome　contempt　of　property　and　civic　life。　　The　pedant；　again；　would　feel　his　bumps；　prescribe　a　gentle　course　of　bromide；　and　hope　to　cure　all　the　sins　of　the　world　by　a　municipal　Turkish　bath。　　The　wise　man；　respecting　his　superstitions；　is　content　to　take　him　as　he　finds　him；　and　to　deduce　his　character　from　his　very　candid　history；　which　is　unaffected　by　pedant　or　politician。

Before　all　things；　he　is　sanguine；　he　believes　that　Chance；　the　great　god　of　his　endeavour；　fights　upon　his　side。　　Whatever　is　lacking　to…day；　to…morrow's　enterprise　will　fulfil；　and　if　only　the　omens　be　favourable；　he　fears　neither　detection　nor　the　gallows。　　His　courage　proceeds　from　this　sanguine　temperament；　strengthened　by　shame　and　tradition　rather　than　from　a　self…　controlled　magnanimity；　he　hopes　until　despair　is　inevitable；　and　then　walks　firmly　to　the　gallows；　that　no　comrade　may　suspect　the　white　feather。　　His　ambition；　too；　is　the　ambition　of　the　savage　or　of　the　child；　he　despises　such　immaterial　advantages　as　power　and　influence；　being　perfectly　content　if　he　have　a　smart　coat　on　his　back　and　a　bottle　of　wine　at　his　elbow。　　He　would　rather　pick　a　lock　than　batter　a　constitution；　and　the　world　would　be　well　lost；　if　he　and　his　doxy　might　survey　the　ruin　in　comfort。

But　if　his　ambition　be　modest；　his　love　of　notoriety　is　boundless。　　He　must　be　famous；　his　name　must　be　in　the　mouths　of　men；　he　must　be　immortal　（for　a　week）　in　a　rough　woodcut。　　And　then；　what　matters　it　how　soon　the　end？　　His　braveries　have　been　hawked　in　the　street；　his　prowess　has　sold　a　Special　Edition；　he　is　the　first　of　his　race；　until　a　luckier　rival　eclipses　him。　　Thus；　also；　his　dandyism　is　inevitable：　it　is　not　enough　for　him　to　cover　his　nakednesshe　must　dress；　and　though　his　taste　is　sometimes　unbridled；　it　is　never　insignificant。　　Indeed；　his　biographers　have　recorded　the　expression　of　his　fancy　in　coats　and　small…clothes　as　patiently　and　enthusiastically　as　they　have　applauded　his　courage。　　And　truly　the　love　of　magnificence；　which　he　shares　with　all　artists；　is　sincere　and　characteristic。　　When　an　accomplice　of　Jonathan　Wild's　robbed　Lady　Mn　at　Windsor；　his　equipage　cost　him　forty　pounds；　and　Nan　Hereford　was　arrested　for　shoplifting　at　the　very　moment　that　four　footmen　awaited　her　return　with　an　elegant　sedan…chair。

His　vanity　makes　him　but　a　prudish　lover；　who　desires　to　woo　less　than　to　be　wooed；　and　at　all　times　and　through　all　moods　he　remains　the　primeval　sentimentalist。　　He　will　detach　his　life　entirely　from　the　catchwords　which　pretend　to　govern　his　actions；　he　will　sit　and　croon　the　most　heartrending　ditties　in　celebration　of　home…life　and　a　mother's　love；　and　then　set　forth　incontinently　upon　a　well…planned　errand　of　plunder。　　For　all　his　artistry；　he　lacks　balance　as　flagrantly　as　a　popular　politician　or　an　advanced　journalist。　　Therefore　it　is　the　more　remarkable　that　in　one　point　he　displays　a　certain　caution：　he　boggles　at　a　superfluous　murder。　　For　all　his　contempt　of　property；　he　still　preserves　a　respect　for　life；　and　the　least　suspicion　of　unnecessary　brutality　sets　not　only　the　law　but　his　own　fellows　against　him。　　Like　all　men　whose　god　is　Opportunity；　he　is　a　reckless　gambler；　and；　like　all　gamblers；　he　is　monstrously　extravagant。　　In　brief；　he　is　a　tangle　of　picturesque　qualities；　which；　until　our　own　generation；　was　incapable　of　nothing　save　dulness。

The　Bible　and　the　Newgate　Calendarthese　twain　were　George　Borrow's　favourite　reading；　and　all　save　the　psychologist　and　the　pedant　will　applaud　the　preference。　　For　the　annals　of　the　‘family'　are　distinguished　by　an　epic　severity；　a　fearless　directness　of　speech；　which　you　will　hardly　match　outside　the　Iliad　or　the　Chronicles　of　the　Kings。　　But　the　Newgate　Calendar　did　not　spring　ready…made　into　being：　it　is　the　result　of　a　curious　and　gradual　development。　　The　chap…books　came　first；　with　their　bold　type；　their　coarse　paper；　and　their　clumsy；　characteristic　woodcutsthe　chap…books；　which　none　can　contemplate　without　an　enchanted　sentiment。　　Here　at　last　you　come　upon　a　literature；　which　has　been　read　to　pieces。　　The　very　rarity　of　the　slim；　rough　volumes；　proves　that　they　have　been　handed　from　one　greedy　reader　to　another；　until　the　great　libraries　alone　are　rich　enough　to　harbour　them。　　They　do　not　boast　the　careful　elegance　of　a　famous　press：　many　of　them　came　from　the　printing…office　of　a　country　town：　yet　the　least　has　a　simplicity　and　concision；　which　are　unknown　in　this　age　of　popular　fiction。　　Even　their　lack　of　invention　is　admirable：　as　the　same　woodcut　might　be　used　to　represent　Guy；　Earl　of　Warwick；　or　the　last　highwayman　who　suffered　at　Tyburn；　so　the　same　enterprise　is　ascribed　with　a　delightful　ingenuousness　to　all　the　heroes　who　rode　abroad　under　the　stars　to　fill　their　pockets。

The　Life　and　Death　of　Gamaliel　Ratsey　delighted　England　in　1605；　and　was　the　example　of　after　ages。　　The　anecdote　of　the　road　was　already　crystallised；　and　henceforth　the　robber　was　unable　to　act　contrary　to　the　will　of　the　chap…book。　　Thus　there　grew　up　a　folk…lore　of　thievery：　the　very　insistence　upon　the　same　motive　suggests　the　fairytale；　and；　as　in　the　legends　of　every　country；　there　is　an　identical　element　which　the　anthropologists　call　‘human'；　so　in　the　annals　of　adventure　there　is　a　set　of　invariable　incidents；　which　are　the　essence　of　thievery。　　The　industrious　hacks；　to　whom　we　owe　the　entertainment　of　the　chap…books；　being　seedy　parsons　or　lawyers'　clerks；　were　conscious　of　their　literary　deficiencies：　they　preferred　to　obey　tradition　rather　than　to　invent　ineptitudes。　　So　you　may　trace　the　same　jest；　the　same　intrigue　through　the　unnumbered　lives　of　three　centuries。　　And　if；　being　a　philosopher；　you　neglect　the　obvious　plagiarism；　you　may　induce　from　these　similarities　a　cunning　theory　concerning　the　uniformity　of　the　human　brain。　　But　the　easier　explanation　is；　as　always；　the　more　satisfactory；　and　there　is　little　doubt　that　in　versatility　the　thief　surpassed　his　historian。

Had　the　chap…books　still　been　scattered　in　disregarded　corners；　they　would　have　been　unknown　or　misunderstood。　　Happily；　a　man　of　genius　came　in　the　nick　to　convert　them　into　as　vivid　and　sparkling　a　piece　of　literature　as　the　time　could　show。　　This　was　Captain　Alexander　Smith；　whose　Lives　of　the　Highwaymen；　published　in　1719；　was　properly　described　by　its　author　as　‘the　first　impartial　piece　of　this　nature　which　ever　appeared　in　English。'　　Now；　Captain　Smith　inherited　from　a　nameless　father　no　other　patrimony　than　a　fierce　loyalty　to　the　Stuarts；　and　the　sanguine　temperament　which　views　in　horror　a　well…ordered　life。　　Though　a　mere　foundling；　he　managed　to　acquire　the　rudiments；　and　he　was　not　wholly　unlettered　when　at　eighteen　he　took　to　the　road。　　His　courage；　fortified　by　an　intimate　knowledge　of　the　great　tradition；　was　rewarded　by　an　immediate　success；　and　he　rapidly　became　the　master　of　so　much　leisure　as　enabled　him　to　pursue　his　studies　with　pleasure　and　distinction。　　When　his　companions　damned　him　for　a　milksop；　he　was　loftily　contemptuous；　conscious　that　it　was　not　in　intelligence　alone　that　he　was　their　superior。　　While　the　Stuarts　were　the　gods　of　his　idolatry；　while　the　Regicides　were　the　fiends　of　his　frank　abhorrence；　it　was　from　the　Elizabethans　that　he　caught　the　splendid　vigour　of　his　style；　and　he　owed　not　only　his　historical　sense；　but　his　living　English　to　the　example　of　Philemon　Holland。　　Moreover；　it　is　to　his　constant　glory　that；　living　at　a　time　that　preferred　as　well　to　attenuate　the　English　tongue　as　to　degrade　the　profession　of　the　highway；　he　not　only　rode　abroad　with　a　fearless　courtesy；　but　handled　his　own　language　with　the　force　and　spirit　of　an　earlier　age。

He　wrote　with　the　authority　of　courage　and　experience。　　A　hazardous　career　had　driven　envy　and　malice　from　his　dauntless　breast。　　Though　he　confesses　a　debt　to　certain　‘learned　and　eminent　divines　of　the　Church　of　England；'　he　owed　a　greater　debt　to　his　own　observation；　and　he　knewnone　betterhow　to　recognise　with　enthusiasm　those　deeds　of　daring　which　only　himself　has　rivalled。　　A　master　of　etiquette；　he　distributed　approval　and　censure　with　impartial　hand；　and　he　was　quick　to　condemn　the　smallest　infraction　of　an　ancient　law。　　Nor　was　he　insensible　to　the　dignity　of　history。　　The　best　models　were　always　before　him。　　With　admirable　zeal　he　studied　the　manner　of　such　masters　as　Thucydides　and　Titus　Livius　of　Padua。　　Above　all；　he　realised　the　importance　of　setting　appropriate　speeches　in　the　mouths　of　his　characters；　and；　permitting　his　heroes　to　speak　for　themselves；　he　imparted　to　his　work　an　irresistible　air　of　reality　and　good　faith。　　His　style；　always　studied；　was　neither　too　low　nor　too　high　for　his　subject。　　An　ill…balanced　sentence　was　as　hateful　to　him　as　a　foul　thrust　or　a　stolen　advantage。

Abroad　a　craftsman；　he　carried　into　the　closet　the　skill　and　energy　which　dis