uncommon　and　innumerable。　　It　is　not　given　to　all　men　to　be　light…
  brained；　light…limbed；　light…fingered。　　A　courage　which　shall　face　an
  enemy　under　the　starlight；　or　beneath　the　shadow　of　a　wall；　which　shall
  track　its　prey　to　a　well…defended　lair；　is　far　rarer　than　a　law…abiding
  cowardice。　　The　recklessness　that　risks　all　for　a　present　advantage　is
  called　genius；　if　a　victorious　general　urge　it　to　success；　nor　can　you　deny
  to　the　intrepid　Highwayman；　whose　sudden　resolution　triumphs　at　an
  instant　of　peril；　the　possession　of　an　admirable　gift。　　But　all　heroes　have
  not　proved　themselves　excellent　at　all　points。　　This　one　has　been
  distinguished　for　the　courtly　manner　of　his　attack；　that　other　for　a
  prescience　which　discovers　booty　behind　a　coach…　door　or　within　the
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  pocket　of　a　buttoned　coat。　　If　Cartouche　was　a　master　of　strategy；
  Barrington　was　unmatched　in　another　branch；　and　each　may　claim　the
  credit　due　to　a　peculiar　eminence。　　It　is　only　thus　that　you　may　measure
  conflicting　talents：　as　it　were　unfair　to　judge　a　poet　by　a　brief　experiment
  in　prose；　so　it　would　be　monstrous　to　cheapen　the　accomplishments　of　a
  pickpocket；　because　he　bungled　at　the　concealment　of　his　gains。
  A　stern　test　of　artistry　is　the　gallows。　　Perfect　behaviour　at　an
  enforced　and　public　scrutiny　may　properly　be　esteemed　an　effect　of　talent…
  …an　effect　which　has　not　too　often　been　rehearsed。　　There　is　no　reason
  why　the　Scoundrel；　fairly　beaten　at　the　last　point　in　the　game；　should　not
  go　to　his　death　without　swagger　and　without　remorse。　　At　least　he　might
  comfort　himself　with　such　phrases　as　‘a　dance　without　the　music；'　and　he
  has　not　often　been　lacking　in　courage。　　What　he　has　missed　is　dignity：　his
  pitfalls　have　been　unctuosity；　on　the　one　side；　bravado　on　the　other。　　It
  was　the　Prison　Ordinary；　who　first　misled　him　into　the　assumption　of　a
  piety　which　neither　preacher　nor　disciple　understood。　　It　was　the　Prison
  Ordinary；　who　persuaded　him　to　sign　his　name　to　a　lying　confession　of
  guilt；　drawn　up　in　accordance　with　a　foolish　and　inexorable　tradition；　and
  to　deliver　such　a　last　dying　speech　as　would　not　disappoint　the　mob。
  The　set　phrases；　the　vain　prayer　offered　for　other　sinners；　the
  hypocritical　profession　of　a　superior　righteousness；　were　neither　noble　nor
  sincere。　　When　Tom　Jones　（for　instance）　was　hanged；　in　1702；　after　a
  prosperous　career　on　Hounslow　Heath；　his　biographer　declared　that　he
  behaved　with　more　than　usual　‘modesty　and　decency；'　because　he
  ‘delivered　a　pretty　deal　of　good　advice　to　the　young　men　present；
  exhorting　them　to　be　industrious　in　their　several　callings。'　　Whereas　his
  biographer　should　have　discovered　that　it　is　not　thus　that　your　true　hero
  bids　farewell　to　frolic　and　adventure。
  As　little　in　accordance　with　good　taste　was　the　last　appearance　of　the
  infamous　Jocelin　Harwood；　who　was　swung　from　the　cart　in　1692　for
  murder　and　robbery。　　He　arrived　at　Tyburn　insolently　drunk。　　He
  blustered　and　ranted；　until　the　spectators　hissed　their　disapproval；　and　he
  died　vehemently　shouting　that　he　would　act　the　same　murder　again　in　the
  same　case。　　Unworthy；　also；　was　the　last　dying　repartee　of　Samuel
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  Shotland；　a　notorious　bully　of　the　Eighteenth　Century。　　Taking　off　his
  shoes；　he　hurled　them　into　the　crowd；　with　a　smirk　of　delight。　　‘My　father
  and　mother　often　told　me；'　he　cried；　‘that　I　should　die　with　my　shoes　on；
  but　you　may　all　see　that　I　have　made　them　both　liars。'　　A　great　man　dies
  not　with　so　mean　a　jest；　and　Tyburn　was　untouched　to　mirth　by　Shotland's
  facile　humour。
  On　the　other　hand；　there　are　those　who　have　given　a　splendid　example
  of　a　brave　and　dignified　death。　　Brodie　was　a　sorry　bungler　when　at　work；
  but　a　perfect　artist　at　the　gallows。　　The　glory　of　his　last　achievement　will
  never　fade。　　The　muttered　prayer；　unblemished　by　hypocrisy；　the　jest
  thrown　at　George　Smitha　metaphor　from　the　gaming…tablethe　silent
  adjustment　of　the　cord　which　was　to　strangle　him；　these　last　offices　were
  performed　with　an　unparalleled　quietude　and　restraint。　　Though　he　had
  pattered　the　flash　to　all　his　wretched　accomplices；　there　was　no　trace　of　the
  last　dying　speech　in　his　final　utterances；　and　he　set　an　example　of　a　simple
  greatness；　worthy　to　be　followed　even　to　the　end　of　time。　　Such　is　the
  type；　but　others　also　have　given　proof　of　a　serene　temper。　　Tom　Austin's
  masterpiece　was　in　another　kind；　but　it　was　none　the　less　a　masterpiece。
  At　the　very　moment　that　the　halter　was　being　put　about　his　neck；　he　was
  asked　by　the　Chaplain　what　he　had　to　say　before　he　died。　　‘Only；'　says　he；
  ‘there's　a　woman　yonder　with　some　curds　and　whey；　and　I　wish　I　could
  have　a　pennyworth　of　them　before　I　am　hanged；　because　I　don't　know
  when　I　shall　see　any　again。'　　There　is　a　brave　irrelevance　in　this　very
  human　desire；　which　is　beyond　praise。
  Valiant　also　was　the　conduct　of　Roderick　Audrey；　who　after　a　brief　but
  brilliant　career　paid　his　last　debt　to　the　law　in　1714。
  He　was　but　sixteen；　and；　says　his　biographer；　‘he　went　very　decent　to
  the　gallows；　being　in　a　white　waistcoat；　clean　napkin；　white　gloves；　and　an
  orange　in　one　hand。'　　So　well　did　he　play　his　part；　that　one　wonders　Jack
  Ketch　did　not　shrink　from　the　performance　of　his。　　But　throughout　his
  short　life；　Roderick　Audreythe　very　name　is　an　echo　of　romance！
  displayed　a　contempt　for　whatever　was　common　or　ugly。　　Not　only　was
  his　appearance　at　Tyburn　a　lesson　in　elegance；　but　he　thieved；　as　none　ever
  thieved　before　or　since；　with　no　other　accomplice　than　a　singing…bird。
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  Thus　he　would　play　outside　a　house；　wherein　he　espied　a　sideboard　of
  plate；　and　at　last；　bidding　his　playmate　flutter　through　an　open　window
  into　the　parlour；　he　would　follow　upon　the　excuse　of　recovery；　and；　once
  admitted；　would　carry　off　as　much　silver　as　he　could　conceal。　　None　other
  ever　attempted　so　graceful　an　artifice；　and　yet　Audrey's　journey　to　Tyburn
  is　even　more　memorable　than　the　story　of　his　gay　accomplice。
  But　it　is　not　only　the　truly　great　who　have　won　for　themselves　an
  enduring　reputation。　　There　are　men；　not　a　few；　esteemed；　like　the
  popular　novelist；　not　for　their　art　but　for　some　foolish　gift；　some　facile
  trick　of　notoriety；　whose　actions　have　tickled　the　fancy；　not　the
  understanding　of　the　world。　　The　coward　and　the　impostor　have　been　set
  upon　a　pedestal　of　glory　either　by　accident　or　by　the　whim　of　posterity。
  For　more　than　a　century　Dick　Turpin　has　appeared　not　so　much　the
  greatest　of　highwaymen；　as　the　Highwaymen　Incarnate。　　His　prowess　has
  been　extolled　in　novels　and　upon　the　stage；　his　ride　to　York　is　still
  bepraised　for　a　feat　of　miraculous　courage　and　endurance；　the　death　of
  Black　Bess　has　drawn　floods　of　tears　down　the　most　callous　cheeks。　　And
  the　truth　is　that　Turpin　was　never　a　gentleman　of　the　road　at　all！　　Black
  Bess　is　as　pure　an　invention　as　the　famous　ride　to　York。　　The　ruffian；　who
  is　said　to　have　ridden　the　phantom　mare　from　one　end　of　England　to　the
  other；　was　a　common　butcher；　who　burned　an　old　woman　to　death　at
  Epping；　and　was　very　properly　hanged　at　York　for　the　stealing　of　a　horse
  which　he　dared　not　bestride。
  Not　one　incident　in　his　career　gives　colour　to　the　splendid　myth　which
  has　been　woven　round　his　memory。　　Once　he　was　in　London；　and　he　died
  at　York。　　So　much　is　true；　but　there　is　naught　to　prove　that　his　progress
  from　the　one　town　to　the　other　did　not　occupy　a　year。　　Nor　is　there　any
  reason　why　the　halo　should　have　been　set　upon　his　head　rather　than　upon
  another's。　　Strangest　truth　of　all；　none　knows　at　what　moment　Dick
  Turpin　first　shone　into　glory。　　At　any　rate；　there　is　a　gap　in　the　tradition；
  and　the　chap…books　of　the　time　may　not　be　credited　with　this　vulgar　error。
  Perhaps　it　was　the　popular　drama　of　Skelt　which　put　the　ruffian　upon　the
  black　mare's　back；　but　whatever　the　date　of　the　invention；　Turpin　was　a
  popular　hero　long　before　Ainsworth　sent　him　rattling　across　England。
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  And　in　order　to　equip　this　butcher　with　a　false　reputation；　a　valiant　officer
  and　gentleman　was　stripped　of　the　credit　due　to　a　magnificent　achievement。
  For　though　Turpin　tramped　to　York　at　a　journeyman's　leisure；　Nicks　rode
  thither　at　a　stretchNicks　the　intrepid　and　gallant；　whom　Charles　II。；　in
  admiration　of　his　feat；　was　wont　to　call　Swiftnicks。
  This　valiant　collector；　whom　posterity　has　robbed　for　Turpin's
  embellishment；　lived　at　the　highest　moment　of　his　art。　　He　knew　by　rote
  the　lessons　taught　by　Hind　and　Duval；　he　was　a　fearless　rider　and　a
  courteous　thief。　　Now；　one　morning　at　five　of　the　clock；　he　robbed　a
  gentleman　near　Barnet　of