a book of scoundrels-第25节

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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　Dulce　of　Lr　at　Ranelagh；　who　emptied　the　pockets　of　his　acquaintance　without　fear　of　exposure；　who　all　but　carried　off　the　priceless　snuff…box　of　Count　Orloff；　most　assuredly　followed　his　craft　in　full　simplicity　and　with　a　proper　scorn　of　clumsy　artifice。　　At　his　first　appearance　he　was　the　master；　sumptuously　apparelled；　with　Price　for　valet。　　At　Dublin　his　birth　and　quality　were　never　questioned；　and　when　he　made　a　descent　upon　London　it　was　in　company　with　Captain　W。　　Hn；　who　remained　for　years　his　loyal　friend。　　He　visited　Brighton　as　the　chosen　companion　of　Lord　Ferrers　and　the　wicked　Lord　Lyttelton。　　His　manners　and　learning　were　alike　irresistible。　　Though　the　picking　of　pockets　was　the　art　and　interest　of　his　life；　he　was　on　terms　of　easy　familiarity　with　light　literature；　and　he　considered　no　toil　too　wearisome　if　only　his　conversation　might　dazzle　his　victims。　　Two　maxims　he　charactered　upon　his　heart：　the　one；　never　to　run　a　large　risk　for　a　small　gain；　the　other；　never　to　forget　the　carriage　and　diction　of　a　gentleman。

He　never　stooped　to　pilfer；　until　exposure　and　decay　had　weakened　his　hand。　　In　his　first　week　at　Dublin　he　carried　off　1000；　and　it　was　only　his　fateful　interview　with　Sir　John　Fielding　that　gave　him　poverty　for　a　bedfellow。　　Even　at　the　end；　when　he　slunk　from　town　to　town；　a　notorious　outlaw；　he　had　inspirations　of　his　ancient　magnificence；　andat　Chesterhe　eluded　the　vigilance　of　his　enemies　and　captured　600；　wherewith　he　purchased　some　months　of　respectability。　　Now；　respectability　was　ever　dear　to　him；　and　it　was　at　once　his　pleasure　and　profit　to　live　in　the　highest　society。　　Were　it　not　blasphemy　to　sully　Barrington　with　slang　you　would　call　him　a　member　of　the　swell…mob；　but；　having　cultivated　a　grave　and　sober　style　for　himself；　he　recoiled　in　horror　from　the　flash　lingo；　and　his　susceptibility　demands　respect。

He　kept　a　commonplace　book！　　Was　ever　such　thrift　in　a　thief？　　Whatever　images　or　thoughts　flashed　through　his　brain；　he　seized　them　on　paper；　even　‘amidst　the　jollity　of　a　tavern；　or　in　the　warmth　of　an　interesting　conversation。'　　Was　it　then　strange　that　he　triumphed　as　a　man　of　fashionable　and　cultured　leisure？　　He　would　visit　Ranelagh　with　the　most　distinguished；　and　turn　a　while　from　epigram　and　jest　to　empty　the　pocket　of　a　rich　acquaintance。　　And　ever　with　so　tactful　a　certainty；　with　so　fine　a　restraint　of　the　emotions；　that　suspicion　was　preposterous。　　To　catalogue　his　exploits　is　superfluous；　yet　let　it　be　recorded　that　once　he　went　to　Court；　habited　as　a　clergyman；　and　came　home　the　richer　for　a　diamond　order；　Lord　C's　proudest　decoration。　　Even　the　assault　upon　Prince　Orloff　was　nobly　planned。　　Barrington　had　precise　intelligence　of　the　marvellous　snuff…box　the　Empress's　own　gift　to　her　lover；　he　knew　also　how　he　might　meet　the　Prince　at　Drury　Lane；　he　had　even　discovered　that　the　Prince　for　safety　hid　the　jewel　in　his　vest。　　But　the　Prince　felt　the　Prig's　hand　upon　the　treasure；　and　gave　an　instant　alarm。　　Over…confidence；　maybe；　or　a　too　liberal　dinner　was　the　cause　of　failure；　and　Barrington；　surrounded　in　a　moment；　was　speedily　in　the　lock…up。　　It　was　the　first　rebuff　that　the　hero　had　received；　and　straightway　his　tact　and　ingenuity　left　him。　　The　evidence　was　faulty；　the　prosecution　declined；　and　naught　was　necessary　for　escape　save　presence　of　mind。　　Even　friends　were　staunch；　and　had　Barrington　told　his　customary　lie；　his　character　had　gone　unsullied。　　Yet　having　posed　for　his　friends　as　a　student　of　the　law；　at　Bow　Street　he　must　needs　declare　himself　a　doctor；　and　the　needless　discrepancy　ruined　him。　　Though　he　escaped　the　gallows；　there　was　an　end　to　the　diversions　of　intellect　and　fashion；　as　he　discovered　when　he　visited　the　House　of　Lords　to　hear　an　appeal；　and　Black　Rod　ejected　him　at　the　persuasion　of　Mr。　G。　　As　yet　unused　to　insult；　he　threatened　violence　against　the　aggressor；　and　finding　no　bail　he　was　sent　on　his　first　imprisonment　to　the　Bridewell　in　Tothill　Fields。　　Rapid；　indeed；　was　the　descent。　　At　the　first　grip　of　adversity；　he　forgot　his　cherished　principles；　and　two　years　later　the　loftiest　and　most　elegant　gentlemen　that　ever　picked　a　pocket　was　at　the　Hulksfor　robbing　a　harlot　at　Drury　Lane！　　Henceforth；　his　insolence　and　artistry　declined；　and；　though　to　the　last　there　were　intervals　of　grandeur；　he　spent　the　better　part　of　fifteen　years　in　the　commission　of　crimes；　whose　very　littleness　condemned　them。　　At　last　an　exile　from　St。　James's　and　Ranelagh；　he　was　forced　into　a　society　which　still　further　degraded　him。　　Hitherto　he　had　shunned　the　society　of　professed　thieves；　in　his　golden　youth　he　had　scorned　to　shelter　him　in　the　flash　kens；　which　were　the　natural　harbours　of　pickpockets。　　But　now；　says　his　biographer；　he　began　to　seek　evil　company；　and；　the　victim　of　his　own　fame；　found　safety　only　in　obscene　concealment。

At　the　Hulks　he　recovered　something　of　his　dignity；　and　discretion　rendered　his　first　visit　brief　enough。　　Even　when　he　was　committed　on　a　second　offence；　and　had　attempted　suicide；　he　was　still　irresistible；　and　he　was　discharged　wi