a book of scoundrels-第5部分

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f　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　distinguished　him　when　the　moon　was　on　the　heath。　　Though　not　born　to　the　arts　of　peace；　he　was　determined　to　prove　his　respect　for　letters；　and　his　masterpiece　is　no　less　pompous　in　manner　than　it　is　estimable　in　tone　and　sound　in　reflection。　　He　handled　slang　as　one　who　knew　its　limits　and　possibilities；　employing　it　not　for　the　sake　of　eccentricity；　but　to　give　the　proper　colour　and　sparkle　to　his　page；　indeed；　his　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　vagabonds　of　speech　enabled　him　to　compile　a　dictionary　of　Pedlar's　French；　which　has　been　pilfered　by　a　whole　battalion　of　imitators。　　Moreover；　there　was　none　of　the　proverbs　of　the　pavement；　those　first　cousins　of　slang；　that　escaped　him；　and　he　assumed　all　the　licence　of　the　gentleman…　collector　in　the　treatment　of　his　love…passages。

Captain　Smith　took　the　justest　view　of　his　subject。　For　him　robbery；　in　the　street　as　on　the　highway；　was　the　finest　of　the　arts；　and　he　always　revered　it　for　its　own　sake　rather　than　for　vulgar　profit。　　Though；　to　deceive　the　public；　he　abhorred　villainy　in　word；　he　never　concealed　his　admiration　in　deed　of　a　‘highwayman　who　robs　like　a　gentleman。'　　‘There　is　a　beauty　in　all　the　works　of　nature；'　he　observes　in　one　of　his　wittiest　exordia；　‘which　we　are　unable　to　define；　though　all　the　world　is　convinced　of　its　existence：　so　in　every　action　and　station　of　life　there　is　a　grace　to　be　attained；　which　will　make　a　man　pleasing　to　all　about　him　and　serene　in　his　own　mind。'　　Some　there　are；　he　continues；　who　have　placed　‘this　beauty　in　vice　itself；　otherwise　it　is　hardly　probable　that　they　could　commit　so　many　irregularities　with　a　strong　gust　and　an　appearance　of　satisfaction。'　　Notwithstanding　that　the　word　‘vice'　is　used　in　its　conventional　sense；　we　have　here　the　key　to　Captain　Smith's　position。　　He　judged　his　heroes'　achievements　with　the　intelligent　impartiality　of　a　connoisseur；　and　he　permitted　no　other　prejudice　than　an　unfailing　loyalty　to　interrupt　his　opinion。

Though　he　loved　good　English　as　he　loved　good　wine；　he　was　never　so　happy　as　when　（in　imagination）　he　was　tying　the　legs　of　a　Regicide　under　the　belly　of　an　ass。　　And　when　in　the　manner　of　a　bookseller's　hack　he　compiled　a　Comical　and　Tragical　History　of　the　Lives　and　Adventures　of　the　most　noted　Bayliffs；　adoration　of　the　Royalists　persuaded　him　to　miss　his　chance。　　So　brave　a　spirit　as　himself　should　not　have　looked　complacently　upon　the　officers　of　the　law；　but　he　saw　in　the　glorification　of　the　bayliff　another　chance　of　castigating　the　Roundheads；　and　thus　he　set　an　honorific　crown　upon　the　brow　of　man's　natural　enemy。　　‘These　unsanctified　rascals；'　wrote　he；　‘would　run　into　any　man's　debt　without　paying　him；　and　if　their　creditors　were　Cavaliers　they　thought　they　had　as　much　right　to　cheat　'em；　as　the　Israelites　had　to　spoil　the　Egyptians　of　their　ear…rings　and　jewels。'　　Alas！　the　boot　was　ever　on　the　other　leg；　and　yet　you　cannot　but　admire　the　Captain's　valiant　determination　to　sacrifice　probability　to　his　legitimate　hate。

Of　his　declining　years　and　death　there　is　no　record。　　One　likes　to　think　of　him　released　from　care；　and　surrounded　by　books；　flowers；　and　the　good　things　of　this　earth。　　Now　and　again；　maybe；　he　would　muse　on　the　stirring　deeds　of　his　youth；　and　more　often　he　would　put　away　the　memory　of　action　to　delight　in　the　masterpiece　which　made　him　immortal。　　He　would　recall　with　pleasure；　no　doubt；　the　ready　praise　of　Richard　Steele；　his　most　appreciative　critic；　and　smile　contemptuously　at　the　baseness　of　his　friend　and　successor；　Captain　Charles　Johnson。　　Now；　this　ingenious　writer　was　wont　to　boast；　when　the　ale　of　Fleet　Street　had　empurpled　his　nose；　that　he　was　the　most　intrepid　highwayman　of　them　all。　　‘Once　upon　a　time；'　he　would　shout；　with　an　arrogant　gesture；　‘I　was　known　from　Blackheath　to　Hounslow；　from　Ware　to　Shooter's　Hill。'　　And　the　truth　is；　the　only　‘crime'　he　ever　committed　was　plagiarism。　　The　self…assumed　title　of　Captain　should　have　deceived　nobody；　for　the　braggart　never　stole　anything　more　difficult　of　acquisition　than　another　man's　words。　　He　picked　brains；　not　pockets；　he　committed　the　greater　sin　and　ran　no　risk。　　He　helped　himself　to　the　admirable　inventions　of　Captain　Smith　without　apology　or　acknowledgment；　and；　as　though　to　lighten　the　dead…weight　of　his　sin；　he　never　skipped　an　opportunity　of　maligning　his　victim。　　Again　and　again　in　the　very　act　to　steal　he　will　declare　vaingloriously　that　Captain　Smith's　stories　are　‘barefaced　inventions。'　　But　doubt　was　no　check　to　the　habit　of　plunder；　and　you　knew　that　at　every　reproach；　expressed　（so　to　say）　in　self…defence；　he　plied　the　scissors　with　the　greater　energy。　　The　most　cunning　theft　is　the　tag　which　adorns　the　title…page　of　his　book：

　　　　　Little　villains　oft　submit　to　fate　　　　　　That　great　ones　may　enjoy　the　world　in　state。

Thus　he　quotes　from　Gay；　and　you　applaud　the　aptness　of　the　quotation；　until　you　discover　that　already　it　was　used　by　Steele　in　his　appreciation　of　the　heroic　Smith！　　However；　Johnson　has　his　uses；　and　those　to　whom　the　masterpiece　of　Captain　Alexander　is