As　became　a　gentleman…adventurer；　Captain　Hind　was　staunch　in　his
  30
  …　31
  A　BOOK　OF　SCOUNDRELS
  loyalty　to　his　murdered　King。　　To　strip　the　wealthy　was　always　reputable；
  but　to　rob　a　Regicide　was　a　masterpiece　of　well…doing。
  A　fervent　zeal　to　lighten　Cromwell's　pocket　had　brought　the　illustrious
  Allen　to　the　gallows。　　But　Hind　was　not　one　whit　abashed；　and　he　would
  never　forego　the　chance　of　an　encounter　with　his　country's　enemies。　　His
  treatment　of　Hugh　Peters　in　Enfield　Chace　is　among　his　triumphs。　　At　the
  first　encounter　the　Presbyterian　plucked　up　courage　enough　to　oppose　his
  adversary　with　texts。　　To　Hind's　command　of　‘Stand　and　deliver！'　duly
  enforced　with　a　loaded　pistol；　the　ineffable　Peters　replied　with　ox…eye
  sanctimoniously　upturned：　　‘Thou　shalt　not　steal；　let　him　that　stole；　steal
  no　more；'　adding　thereto　other　variations　of　the　eighth　commandment。
  Hind　immediately　countered　with　exhortations　against　the　awful　sin　of
  murder；　and　rebuked　the　blasphemy　of　the　Regicides；　who；　to　defend　their
  own　infamy；　would　wrest　Scripture　from　its　meaning。　　‘Did　you　not；　O
  monster　of　impiety；'　mimicked　Hind　in　the　preacher's　own　voice；　‘pervert
  for　your　own　advantage　the　words　of　the　Psalmist；　who　said；　‘‘Bind　their
  kings　with　chains；　and　their　nobles　with　fetters　of　iron''？　　Moreover；　was
  it　not　Solomon　who　wrote：　　‘‘Men　do　not　despise　a　thief；　if　he　steal　to
  satisfy　his　soul　when　he　is　hungry''？　　And　is　not　my　soul　hungry　for　gold
  and　the　Regicides'　discomfiture？'　　Peters　was　still　fumbling　after　texts
  when　the　final　argument：　　‘Deliver　thy　money；　or　I　will　send　thee　out　of
  the　world！'　frightened　him　into　submission；　and　thirty　broad　pieces　were
  Hind's　reward。
  Not　long　afterwards　he　confronted　Bradshaw　near　Sherborne；　and；
  having　taken　from　him　a　purse　fat　with　Jacobuses；　he　bade　the　Sergeant
  stand　uncovered　while　he　delivered　a　discourse　upon　gold；　thus　shaped　by
  tradition：　　‘Ay；　marry；　sir；　this　is　the　metal　that　wins　my　heart　for　ever！
  O　precious　gold；　I　admire　and　adore　thee　as　much　as　Bradshaw；　Prynne；　or
  any　villain　of　the　same　stamp。　　This　is　that　incomparable　medicament；
  which　the　republican　physicians　call　the　wonder…working　plaster。　　It　is
  truly　catholic　in　operation；　and　somewhat　akin　to　the　Jesuit's　powder；　but
  more　effectual。　　The　virtues　of　it　are　strange　and　various；　it　makes　justice
  deaf　as　well　as　blind；　and　takes　out　spots　of　the　deepest　treason　more
  cleverly　than　castle…soap　does　common　stains；　it　alters　a　man's　constitution
  31
  …　32
  A　BOOK　OF　SCOUNDRELS
  in　two　or　three　days；　more　than　the　virtuoso's　transfusion　of　blood　can　do
  in　seven　years。　　‘Tis　a　great　alexiopharmick；　and　helps　poisonous
  principles　of　rebellion；　and　those　that　use　them。　　It　miraculously　exalts
  and　purifies　the　eyesight；　and　makes　traitors　behold　nothing　but　innocence
  in　the　blackest　malefactors。　　‘Tis　a　mighty　cordial　for　a　declining　cause；　it
  stifles　faction　or　schism；　as　certainly　as　the　itch　is　destroyed　by　butter　and
  brimstone。　　In　a　word；　it　makes　wise　men　fools；　and　fools　wise　men；　and
  both　knaves。　　The　very　colour　of　this　precious　balm　is　bright　and　dazzling。
  If　it　be　properly　applied　to　the　fist；　that　is　in　a　decent　manner；　and　a
  competent　dose；　it　infallibly　performs　all　the　cures　which　the　evils　of
  humanity　crave。'　　Thus　having　spoken；　he　killed　the　six　horses　of
  Bradshaw's　coach；　and　went　contemptuously　on　his　way。
  But　he　was　not　a　Cavalier　merely　in　sympathy；　nor　was　he　content　to
  prove　his　loyalty　by　robbing　Roundheads。　　He；　too；　would　strike　a　blow
  for　his　King；　and　he　showed；　first　with　the　royal　army　in　Scotland；　and
  afterwards　at　Worcester；　what　he　dared　in　a　righteous　cause。　　Indeed；　it
  was　his　part　in　the　unhappy　battle　that　cost　him　his　life；　and　there　is　a
  strange　irony　in　the　reflection　that；　on　the　self…same　day　whereon　Sir
  Thomas　Urquhart　lost　his　precious　manuscripts　in　Worcester's　kennels；　the
  neck　of　James　Hind　was　made　ripe　for　the　halter。　　His　capture　was　due　to
  treachery。　　Towards　the　end　of　1651　he　was　lodged　with　one　Denzys；　a
  barber；　over　against　St。　Dunstan's　Church　in　Fleet　Street。　　Maybe　he　had
  chosen　his　hiding…place　for　its　neighbourhood　to　Moll　Cutpurse's　own
  sanctuary。　　But　a　pack　of　traitors　discovered　him；　and　haling　him　before
  the　Speaker　of　the　House　of　Commons；　got　him　committed　forthwith　to
  Newgate。
  At　first　he　was　charged　with　theft　and　murder；　and　was　actually
  condemned　for　killing　George　Sympson　at　Knole　in　Berkshire。　　But　the
  day　after　his　sentence；　an　Act　of　Oblivion　was　passed；　and　Hind　was　put
  upon　trial　for　treason。　　During　his　examination　he　behaved　with　the
  utmost　gaiety；　boastfully　enlarging　upon　his　services　to　the　King's　cause。
  ‘These　are　filthy　jingling　spurs；'　said　he　as　he　left　the　bar；　pointing　to　the
  irons　about　his　legs；　‘but　I　hope　to　exchange　them　ere　long。'　　His　good…
  humour　remained　with　him　to　the　end。　　He　jested　in　prison　as　he　jested　on
  32
  …　33
  A　BOOK　OF　SCOUNDRELS
  the　road；　and　it　was　with　a　light　heart　that　he　mounted　the　scaffold　built　for
  him　at　Worcester。　　His　was　the　fate　reserved　for　traitors：　he　was　hanged；
  drawn；　and　quartered；　and　though　his　head　was　privily　stolen　and　buried
  on　the　day　of　execution；　his　quarters　were　displayed　upon　the　town　walls；
  until　time　and　the　birds　destoyed｛sic｝　them　utterly。
  Thus　died　the　most　famous　highwayman　that　ever　drew　rein　upon　an
  English　road；　and　he　died　the　death　of　a　hero。　　The　unnumbered　crimes　of
  violence　and　robbery　wherewith　he　might　have　been　charged　weighed　not
  a　feather's　weight　upon　his　destiny；　he　suffered　not　in　the　cause　of　plunder；
  but　in　the　cause　of　Charles　Stuart。　　And　in　thus　excusing　his　death；　his
  contemporaries　did　him　scant　justice。　　For　while　in　treasonable　loyalty　he
  had　a　thousand　rivals；　on　the　road　he　was　the　first　exponent　of　the　grand
  manner。　　The　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century　was；　in　truth；　the　golden
  age　of　the　Road。　　Not　only　were　all　the　highwaymen　Cavaliers；　but　many
  a　Cavalier　turned　highwayman。　　Broken　at　their　King's　defeat；　a　hundred
  captains　took　pistol　and　vizard；　and　revenged　themselves　as　freebooters
  upon　the　King's　enemies。　　And　though　Hind　was　outlaw　first　and　royalist
  afterwards；　he　was　still　the　most　brilliant　collector　of　them　all。　　If　he
  owed　something　to　his　master；　Allen；　he　added　from　the　storehouse　of　his
  own　genius　a　host　of　new　precepts；　and　was　the　first　to　establish　an
  enduring　tradition。
  Before　all　things　he　insisted　upon　courtesy；　a　guinea　stolen　by　an
  awkward　ruffian　was　a　sorry　theft；　levied　by　a　gentleman　of　the　highway；
  it　was　a　tribute　paid　to　courage　by　generosity。　　Nothing　would　atone　for
  an　insult　offered　to　a　lady；　and　when　it　was　Hind's　duty　to　seize　part　of　a
  gentlewoman's　dowry　on　the　Petersfield　road；　he　not　only　pleaded　his
  necessity　in　eloquent　excuse；　but　he　made　many　promises　on　behalf　of
  knight…errantry　and　damsels　in　distress。　　Never　would　he　extort　a　trinket
  to　which　association　had　given　a　sentimental　worth；　during　a　long　career
  he　never　left　any　man；　save　a　Roundhead；　penniless　upon　the　road；　nor
  was　it　his　custom　to　strip　the　master　without　giving　the　man　a　trifle　for　his
  pains。　　His　courage；　moreover；　was　equal　to　his　understanding。　　Since　he
  was　afraid　of　nothing；　it　was　not　his　habit　to　bluster　when　he　was　not
  determined　to　have　his　way。　　When　once　his　pistol　was　levelled；　when
  33
  …　34
  A　BOOK　OF　SCOUNDRELS
  once　the　solemn　order　was　given；　the　victim　must　either　fight　or　surrender；
  and　Hind　was　never　the　man　to　decline　a　combat　with　any　weapons　and　in
  any　circumstances。
  Like　the　true　artist　that　he　was；　he　neglected　no　detail　of　his　craft。　　As
  he　was　a　perfect　shot；　so　also　he　was　a　finished　horseman；　and　his　skill　not
  only　secured　him　against　capture；　but　also　helped　him　to　the　theft　of　such
  horses　as　his　necessities　required；　or　to　the　exchange　of　a　worn…out　jade
  for　a　mettled　prancer。　　Once　upon　a　time　a　credulous　farmer　offered
  twenty　pounds　and　his　own　gelding　for　the　Captain's　mount。　　Hind　struck
  a　bargain　at　once；　and　as　they　jogged　along　the　road　he　persuaded　the
  farmer　to　set　his　newly…purchased　horse　at　the　tallest　hedge；　the　broadest
  ditch。　　The　bumpkin　failed；　as　Hind　knew　he　would　fail；　and；　begging　the
  loan　for　an　instant　of　his　ancient　steed；　Hind　not　only　showed　what
  horsemanship　could　accomplish；　but　straightway　rode　off　with　the　better
  horse　and　twenty　pounds　in　his　pocket。　　So　marvellously　did　his
  reputation　grow；　that　it　became　a　distinction　to　be　outwitted　by　him；　and
  the　brains　of　innocent　men　were　racked　to　invent　tricks　which　might　have
  been　put　upon　them　by　the　illustrious　Captain。　　Th