the　General　History　of　the　lives　and　adventures　of　the　most　Famous
  Highwaymen；　Murderers；　Street…Robbers；　&c。；　and　will　feel　no　regret　that
  for　once　they　are　receiving　stolen　goods。
  Though　Johnson　fell　immeasurably　below　his　predecessor　in　talent；　he
  manifestly　excelled　him　in　scholarship。　　A　sojourn　at　the　University　had
  supplied　him　with　a　fine　assortment　of　Latin　tags；　and　he　delighted　to
  prove　his　erudition　by　the　citation　of　the　Chronicles。　　Had　he　possessed　a
  sense　of　humour；　he　might　have　smiled　at　the　irony　of　committing　a　theft
  upon　the　historian　of　thieves。　　But　he　was　too　vain　and　too　pompous　to
  smile　at　his　own　weakness；　and　thus　he　would　pretend　himself　a
  venturesome　highwayman；　a　brave　writer；　and　a　profound　scholar。
  Indeed；　so　far　did　his　pride　carry　him；　that　he　would　have　the　world
  believe　him　the　same　Charles　Johnson；　who　wrote　The　Gentleman　Cully
  and　The　Successful　Pyrate。　　Thus　with　a　boastful　chuckle　he　would
  quote：
  Johnson；　who　now　to　sense；　now　nonsense　leaning；
  Means　not；　but　blunders　round　about　a　meaning
  Thus；　ignoring　the　insult；　he　would　plume　himself　after　his　drunken
  fashion　that　he；　too；　was　an　enemy　of　Pope。
  Yet　Johnson　has　remained　an　example。　　For　the　literature　of
  scoundrelism　is　as　persistent　in　its　form　as　in　its　folk…lore。　　As　Harman's
  Caveat；　which　first　saw　the　light　in　1566；　serves　as　a　model　to　an　unbroken
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  series　of　such　books；　as　The　London　Spy；　so　from　Johnson　in　due　course
  were　developed　the　Newgate　Calendar；　and　those　innumerable　records；
  which　the　latter　half　of　the　Eighteenth　Century　furnished　us　forth。　　The
  celebrated　Calendar　was　in　its　origin　nothing　more　than　a　list　of　prisoners
  printed　in　a　folio　slip。　　But　thereafter　it　became　the　Malefactor's　Bloody
  Register；　which　we　know。　　Its　plan　and　purpose　were　to　improve　the
  occasion。　　The　thief　is　no　longer　esteemed　for　an　artist　or　appraised　upon
  his　merits：　he　is　the　awful　warning；　which　shall　lead　the　sinner　to
  repentance。　　‘Here；'　says　the　preface；　‘the　giddy　thoughtless　youth　may
  see　as　in　a　mirror　the　fatal　consequences　of　deviating　from　virtue'；　here　he
  may　tremble　at　the　discovery　that　‘often　the　best　talents　are　prostituted　to
  the　basest　purposes。'　　But　in　spite　of　‘the　proper　reflections　of　the　whole
  affair；'　the　famous　Calendar　deserved　the　praise　of　Borrow。　　There　is　a
  directness　in　the　narration；　which　captures　all　those　for　whom　life　and
  literature　are　something　better　than　psychologic　formul。　　Moreover；
  the　motives　which　drive　the　brigand　to　his　doom　are　brutal　in　their
  simplicity；　and　withal　as　genuine　and　sincere　as　greed；　vanity；　and　lust　can
  make　them。　　The　true　amateur　takes　pleasure　even　in　the　pious
  exhortations；　because　he　knows　that　they　crawl　into　their　place；　lest　the
  hypocrite　be　scandalised。　　But　with　years　the　Newgate　Calendar　also
  declined；　and　at　last　it　has　followed　other　dead　literatures　into　the　night。
  Meanwhile　the　broadside　had　enjoyed　an　unbroken　and　prosperous
  career。　　Up　and　down　London；　up　and　down　England；　hurried　the　Patterer
  or　Flying　Stationer。　　There　was　no　murder；　no　theft；　no　conspiracy；　which
  did　not　tempt　the　Gutter　Muse　to　doggerel。　　But　it　was　not　until　James
  Catnach　came　up　from　Alnwick　to　London　（in　1813）；　that　the　trade
  reached　the　top　of　its　prosperity。　　The　vast　sheets；　which　he　published
  with　their　scurvy　couplets；　and　the　admirable　picture；　serving　in　its　time
  for　a　hundred　executions；　have　not　lost　their　power　to　fascinate。　　Theirs　is
  the　aspect　of　the　early　woodcut；　the　coarse　type　and　the　catchpenny
  headlines　are　a　perpetual　delight；　as　you　unfold　them；　your　care　keeps
  pace　with　your　admiration；　and　you　cannot　feel　them　crackle　beneath　your
  hand　without　enthusiasm　and　without　regret。　　He　was　no　pedantJemmy
  Catnach；　and　the　image　of　his　ruffians　was　commonly　as　far　from
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  portraiture；　as　his　verses　were　remote　from　poetry。　　But　he　put　together　in
  a　roughly　artistic　shape　the　last　murder；　robbery；　or　scandal　of　the　day。
  His　masterpieces　were　far　too　popular　to　live；　and　if　they　knew　so　vast　a
  circulation　as　2；500；000　they　are　hard　indeed　to　come　by。　　And　now　the
  art　is　wellnigh　dead；　though　you　may　discover　an　infrequent　survival　in　a
  country　town。　　But　how　should　Catnach；　were　he　alive　to…day；　compete
  with　the　Special　Edition　of　an　evening　print？
  The　decline　of　the　Scoundrel；　in　fact；　has　been　followed　by　the
  disappearance　of　chap…book　and　broadside。　　The　Education　Act；　which
  made　the　cheap　novel　a　necessity；　destroyed　at　a　blow　the　literature　of　the
  street。　　Since　the　highwayman　wandered；　fur…　coated；　into　the　City；　the
  patterer　has　lost　his　occupation。　　Robbery　and　murder　have　degenerated
  into　Chinese　puzzles；　whose　solution　is　a　pleasant　irritant　to　the　idle　brain。
  The　misunderstanding　of　Poe　has　produced　a　vast　polyglot　literature；　for
  which　one　would　not　give　in　exchange　a　single　chapter　of　Captain　Smith。
  Vautrin　and　Bill　Sykes　are　already　discredited；　and　it　is　a　false　reflection　of
  M。　Dupin；　which　dazzles　the　eye　of　a　moral　and　unimaginative　world。
  Yet　the　wise　man　sighs　for　those　fearless　days；　when　the　brilliant
  Macheath　rode　vizarded　down　Shooter's　Hill；　and　presently　saw　his
  exploits　set　forth；　with　the　proper　accompaniment　of　a　renowned　and
  ancient　woodcut；　upon　a　penny　broadside。
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  CAPTAIN　HIND
  JAMES　HIND；　the　Master　Thief　of　England；　the　fearless　Captain　of
  the　Highway；　was　born　at　Chipping　Norton　in　1618。　　His　father；　a　simple
  saddler；　had　so　poor　an　appreciation　of　his　son's　magnanimity；　that　he
  apprenticed　him　to　a　butcher；　but　Hind's　destiny　was　to　embrue　his　hands
  in　other　than　the　blood　of　oxen；　and　he　had　not　long　endured　the　restraint
  of　this　common　craft　when　forty　shillings；　the　gift　of　his　mother；
  purchased　him　an　escape；　and　carried　him　triumphant　and　ambitious　to
  London。
  Even　in　his　negligent　schooldays　he　had　fastened　upon　a　fitting　career。
  A　born　adventurer；　he　sought　only　enterprise　and　command：　if　a
  commission　in　the　army　failed　him；　then　he　would　risk　his　neck　upon　the
  road；　levying　his　own　tax　and　imposing　his　own　conditions。　　To　one　of
  his　dauntless　resolution　an　opportunity　need　never　have　lacked；　yet　he
  owed　his　first　preferment　to　a　happy　accident。　　Surprised　one　evening　in　a
  drunken　brawl；　he　was　hustled　into　the　Poultry　Counter；　and　there　made
  acquaintance　over　a　fresh　bottle　with　Robert　Allen；　one　of　the　chief　rogues
  in　the　Park；　and　a　ruffian；　who　had　mastered　every　trick　in　the　game　of
  plunder。　　A　dexterous　cly…faker；　an　intrepid　blade；　Allen　had　also　the
  keenest　eye　for　untested　talent；　and　he　detected　Hind's　shining　qualities
  after　the　first　glass。　　No　sooner　had　they　paid　the　price　of　release；　than
  Hind　was　admitted　of　his　comrade's　gang；　he　took　the　oath　of　fealty；　and
  by　way　of　winning　his　spurs　was　bid　to　hold　up　a　traveller　on　Shooter's
  Hill。　　Granted　his　choice　of　a　mount；　he　straightway　took　the　finest　in　the
  stable；　with　that　keen　perception　of　horse…flesh　which　never　deserted　him；
  and　he　confronted　his　first　victim　in　the　liveliest　of　humours。　　There　was
  no　falter　in　his　voice；　no　hint　of　inexperience　in　his　manner；　when　he
  shouted　the　battle…cry：　　‘Stand　and　deliver！'　　The　horseman；　fearful　of
  his　life；　instantly　surrendered　a　purse　of　ten　sovereigns；　as　to　the　most
  practised　assailant　on　the　road。　　Whereupon　Hind；　with　a　flourish　of
  ancient　courtesy；　gave　him　twenty　shillings　to　bear　his　charges。　　‘This；'
  said　he；　‘is　for　handsale　sake　'；　and　thus　they　parted　in　mutual　compliment
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  and　content。
  Allen　was　overjoyed　at　his　novice's　prowess。　　‘Did　you　not　see；'　he
  cried　to　his　companions；　‘how　he　robbed　him　with　a　grace？'　　And　well
  did　the　trooper　deserve　his　captain's　compliment；　for　his　art　was　perfect
  from　the　first。　　In　bravery　as　in　gallantry　he　knew　no　rival；　and　he
  plundered　with　so　elegant　a　style；　that　only　a　churlish　victim　could　resent
  the　extortion。　　He　would　as　soon　have　turned　his　back　upon　an　enemy　as
  demand　a　purse　uncovered。　　For　every　man　he　had　a　quip；　for　every
  woman　a　compliment；　nor　did　he　ever　conceal　the　truth　that　the　means
  were　for　him　as　important　as　the　end。　　Though　he　loved　money；　he　still
  insisted　that　it　should　be　yielded　in　freedom　and　good　temper；　and　while
  he　emptied　more　coaches　than　any　man　in　England；　he　was　never　at　a　loss
  for　admirers。
  Under　Allen　he　served　a　brilliant　apprenticeship。　　Enrolled　as　a