courteous　thief。　　Now；　one　morning　at　five　of　the　clock；　he　robbed　a
  gentleman　near　Barnet　of　560；　and　riding　straight　for　York；　he
  appeared　on　the　Bowling　Green　at　six　in　the　evening。　　Being　presently
  recognised　by　his　victim；　he　was　apprehended；　and　at　the　trial　which
  followed　he　pleaded　a　triumphant　alibi。　　But　vanity　was　too　strong　for
  discretion；　and　no　sooner　was　Swiftnicks　out　of　danger；　than　he　boasted；　as
  well　he　might；　of　his　splendid　courage。　　Forthwith　he　appeared　a　popular
  hero；　obtained　a　commission　in　Lord　Moncastle's　regiment；　and　married　a
  fortune。　　And　then　came　Turpin　to　filch　his　glory！　　Nor　need　Turpin
  have　stooped　to　a　vicarious　notoriety；　for　he　possessed　a　certain　rough；
  half　conscious　humour；　which　was　not　despicable。　　He　purchased　a　new
  fustian　coat　and　a　pair　of　pumps；　in　which　to　be　hanged；　and　he　hired　five
  poor　men　at　ten　shillings　the　day；　that　his　death　might　not　go　unmourned。
  Above　all；　he　was　distinguished　in　prison。　　A　crowd　thronged　his　cell　to
  identify　him；　and　one　there　was　who　offered　to　bet　the　keeper　half　a　guinea
  that　the　prisoner　was　not　Turpin；　whereupon　Turpin　whispered　the　keeper；
  ‘Lay　him　the　wager；　you　fool；　and　I　will　go　you　halves。'　　Surely　this
  impudent　indifference　might　have　kept　green　the　memory　of　the　man　who
  never　rode　to　York！
  If　the　Scoundrel　may　claim　distinction　on　many　grounds；　his　character
  is　singularly　uniform。　　To　the　anthropologist　he　might　well　appear　the
  survival　of　a　savage　race；　and　savage　also　are　his　manifold　superstitions。
  He　is　a　creature　of　times　and　seasons。　　He　chooses　the　occasion　of　his
  deeds　with　as　scrupulous　a　care　as　he　examines　his　formidable　crowbars
  and　jemmies。　　At　certain　hours　he　would　refrain　from　action；　though
  every　circumstance　favoured　his　success：　he　would　rather　obey　the
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  restraining　voice　of　a　wise；　unreasoning　wizardry；　than　fill　his　pockets
  with　the　gold　for　which　his　human　soul　is　ever　hungry。　　There　is　no　law
  of　man　he　dares　not　break　but　he　shrinks　in　horror　from　the　infringement
  of　the　unwritten　rules　of　savagery。　　Though　he　might　cut　a　throat　in　self…
  defence；　he　would　never　walk　under　a　ladder；　and　if　the　13th　fell　on　a
  Friday；　he　would　starve　that　day　rather　than　obtain　a　loaf　by　the　method　he
  best　understands。　　He　consults　the　omens　with　as　patient　a　divination　as
  the　augurs　of　old；　and　so　long　as　he　carries　an　amulet　in　his　pocket；　though
  it　be　but　a　pebble　or　a　polished　nut；　he　is　filled　with　an　irresistible　courage。
  For　him　the　worst　terror　of　all　is　the　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
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  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。
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  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　similariti