the　brains　of　innocent　men　were　racked　to　invent　tricks　which　might　have
  been　put　upon　them　by　the　illustrious　Captain。　　Thus　livelier　jests　and
  madder　exploits　were　fathered　upon　him　than　upon　any　of　his　kind；　and　he
  has　remained　for　two　centuries　the　prime　favourite　of　the　chap…books。
  Robbing　alone；　he　could　afford　to　despise　pedantry：　did　he　meet　a
  traveller　who　amused　his　fancy　he　would　give　him　the　pass…word　（‘the
  fiddler's　paid；'　or　what　not）；　as　though　the　highway　had　not　its　code　of
  morals；　nor　did　he　scruple；　when　it　served　his　purpose；　to　rob　the　bunglers
  of　his　own　profession。　　By　this　means；　indeed；　he　raised　the　standard　of
  the　Road　and　warned　the　incompetent　to　embrace　an　easier　trade。　　While
  he　never　took　a　shilling　without　sweetening　his　depredation　with　a　joke；　he
  was；　like　all　humorists；　an　acute　philosopher。　　‘Remember　what　I　tell
  you；'　he　said　to　the　foolish　persons　who　once　attempted　to　rob　him；　the
  master…thief　of　England；　‘disgrace　not　yourself　for　small　sums；　but　aim
  high；　and　for　great　ones；　the　least　will　bring　you　to　the　gallows。'　　There；
  in　five　lines；　is　the　whole　philosophy　of　thieving；　and　many　a　poor　devil
  has　leapt　from　the　cart　to　his　last　dance　because　he　neglected　the　counsel
  of　the　illustrious　Hind。　　Among　his　aversions　were　lawyers　and　thief…
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  catchers。　　‘Truly　I　could　wish；'　he　exclaimed　in　court；　‘that　full…fed　fees
  were　as　little　used　in　England　among　lawyers　as　the　eating　of　swine's　flesh
  was　among　the　Jews。'　　When　you　remember　the　terms　of　friendship
  whereon　he　lived　with　Moll　Cutpurse；　his　hatred　of　the　thief…catcher；　who
  would　hang　his　brother　for　‘the　lucre　of　ten　pounds；　which　is　the　reward；'
  or　who　would　swallow　a　false　oath　‘as　easily　as　one　would　swallow
  buttered　fish；'　is　a　trifle　mysterious。　　Perhaps　before　his　death　an
  estrangement　divided　Hind　and　Moll。　　Was　it　that　the　Roaring　Girl　was
  too　anxious　to　take　the　credit　of　Hind's　success？　　Or　did　he　harbour　the
  unjust　suspicion　that　when　the　last　descent　was　made　upon　him　at　the
  barber's；　Moll　might　have　given　a　friendly　warning？
  Of　this　he　made　no　confession；　but　the　honest　thief　was　ever　a　liberal
  hater　of　spies　and　attorneys；　and　Hind's　prudence　is　unquestioned。　　A
  miracle　of　intelligence；　a　master　of　style；　he　excelled　all　his
  contemporaries　and　set　up　for　posterity　an　unattainable　standard。　　The
  eighteenth　century　flattered　him　by　its　imitation；　but　cowardice　and
  swagger　compelled　it　to　limp　many　a　dishonourable　league　behind。
  Despite　the　single　inspiration　of　dancing　a　corant　upon　the　green；　Claude
  Duval；　compared　to　Hind；　was　an　empty　braggart。　　Captain　Stafford
  spoiled　the　best　of　his　effects　with　a　more　than　brutal　vice。　　Neither　Mull…
  Sack　nor　the　Golden　Farmer；　for　all　their　long　life　and　handsome　plunder；
  are　comparable　for　an　instant　to　the　robber　of　Peters　and　Bradshaw。　　They
  kept　their　fist　fiercely　upon　the　gold　of　others；　and　cared　not　by　what
  artifice　it　was　extorted。　　Hind　never　took　a　sovereign　meanly；　he
  approached　no　enterprise　which　he　did　not　adorn。　　Living　in　a　true
  Augustan　age；　he　was　a　classic　among　highwaymen；　the　very　Virgil　of　the
  Pad。
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  MOLL　CUTPURSE　AND
  JONATHAN　WILD
  I　MOLL　CUTPURSE
  THE　most　illustrious　woman　of　an　illustrious　age；　Moll　Cutpurse　has
  never　lacked　the　recognition　due　to　her　genius。　　She　was　scarce　of　age
  when　the　town　devoured　in　greedy　admiration　the　first　record　of　her
  pranks　and　exploits。　　A　year　later　Middleton　made　her　the　heroine　of　a
  sparkling　comedy。　　Thereafter　she　became　the　favourite　of　the　rufflers；
  the　commonplace　of　the　poets。　　Newgate　knew　her；　and　Fleet　Street；　her
  manly　figure　was　as　familiar　in　the　Bear　Garden　as　at　the　Devil　Tavern；
  courted　alike　by　the　thief　and　his　victim；　for　fifty　years　she　lived　a　life
  brilliant　as　sunlight；　many…coloured　as　a　rainbow。　　And　she　is
  remembered；　after　the　lapse　of　centuries；　not　only　as　the　Queen…Regent　of
  Misrule；　the　benevolent　tyrant　of　cly…filers　and　heavers；　of　hacks　and
  blades；　but　as　the　incomparable　Roaring　Girl；　free　of　the　playhouse；　who
  perchance　presided　with　Ben　Jonson　over　the　Parliament　of　Wits。
  She　was　born　in　the　Barbican　at　the　heyday　of　England's　greatness；
  four　years　after　the　glorious　defeat　of　the　Armada；　and　had　to　her　father　an
  honest　shoemaker。　　She　came　into　the　world　（saith　rumour）　with　her　fist
  doubled；　and　even　in　the　cradle　gave　proof　of　a　boyish；　boisterous
  disposition。　　Her　girlhood；　if　the　word　be　not　an　affront　to　her　mannish
  character；　was　as　tempestuous　as　a　wind…blown　petticoat。　　A　very　‘tomrig
  and　rump…scuttle；'　she　knew　only　the　sports　of　boys：　her　war…like　spirit
  counted　no　excuse　too　slight　for　a　battle；　and　so　valiant　a　lad　was　she　of
  her　hands；　so　well　skilled　in　cudgel…play；　that　none　ever　wrested　a　victory
  from　fighting　Moll。　　While　other　girls　were　content　to　hem　a　kerchief　or
  mark　a　sampler；　Moll　would　escape　to　the　Bear　Garden；　and　there　enjoy
  the　sport　of　baiting；　whose　loyal　patron　she　remained　unto　the　end。　　That
  which　most　bitterly　affronted　her　was　the　magpie　talk　of　the　wenches。
  ‘Why；'　she　would　ask　in　a　fury　of　indignation；　‘why　crouch　over　the　fire
  with　a　pack　of　gossips；　when　the　highway　invites　you　to　romance？　　Why
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  finger　a　distaff；　when　a　quarterstaff　comes　more　aptly　to　your　hand？'
  And　thus　she　grew　in　age　and　stature；　a　stranger　to　the　soft　delights　of
  her　sex；　her　heart　still　deaf　to　the　trivial　voice　of　love。　　Had　not　a
  wayward　accident　cumbered　her　with　a　kirtle；　she　would　have　sought
  death　or　glory　in　the　wars；　she　would　have　gone　with　Colonel　Downe's
  men　upon　the　road；　she　would　have　sailed　to　the　Spanish　Main　for　pieces
  of　eight。　　But　the　tyranny　of　womanhood　was　as　yet　supreme；　and　the
  honest　shoemaker；　ignorant　of　his　daughter's　talent；　bade　her　take　service
  at　a　respectable　saddler's；　and　thus　suppress　the　frowardness　of　her　passion。
  Her　rebellion　was　instant。　　Never　would　she　abandon　the　sword　and　the
  wrestling…booth　for　the　harmless　bodkin　and　the　hearthstone　of
  domesticity。　　Being　absolute　in　refusal；　she　was　kidnapped　by　her　friends
  and　sent　on　board　a　ship；　bound　for　Virginia　and　slavery。　　There；　in　the
  dearth　of　womankind；　even　so　sturdy　a　wench　as　Moll　might　have　found　a
  husband；　but　the　enterprise　was　little　to　her　taste；　and；　always　resourceful；
  she　escaped　from　shipboard　before　the　captain　had　weighed　his　anchor。
  Henceforth　she　resolved　her　life　should　be　free　and　chainless　as　the
  winds。　　Never　more　should　needle　and　thread　tempt　her　to　a　womanish
  inactivity。　　As　Hercules；　whose　counterpart　she　was；　changed　his　club　for
  the　distaff　of　Omphale；　so　would　she　put　off　the　wimple　and　bodice　of　her
  sex　for　jerkin　and　galligaskins。　　If　she　could　not　allure　manhood；　then
  would　she　brave　it。　　And　though　she　might　not　cross　swords　with　her
  country's　foes；　at　least　she　might　levy　tribute　upon　the　unjustly　rich；　and
  confront　an　enemy　wherever　there　was　a　full　pocket。
  Her　entrance　into　a　gang　of　thieves　was　beset　by　no　difficulty。　　The
  Bear　Garden；　always　her　favourite　resort；　had　made　her　acquainted　with
  all　the　divers　and　rumpads　of　the　town。　　The　time；　moreover；　was
  favourable　to　enterprise；　and　once　again　was　genius　born　into　a　golden　age。
  The　cutting　of　purses　was　an　art　brought　to　perfection；　and　already　the
  more　elegant　practice　of　picking　pockets　was　understood。　　The　transition
  gave　scope　for　endless　ingenuity；　and　Moll　was　not　slow　in　mastering　the
  theory　of　either　craft。　　It　was　a　changing　fashion　of　dress；　as　I　have　said；
  which　forced　a　new　tactic　upon　the　thief；　the　pocket　was　invented　because
  the　hanging　purse　was　too　easy　a　prey　for　the　thievish　scissors。　　And　no
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  sooner　did　the　world　conceal　its　wealth　in　pockets　than　the　cly…filer　was
  born　to　extract　the　booty　with　his　long；　nimble　fingers。　　The　trick　was
  managed　with　an　admirable　forethought；　which　has　been　a　constant
  example　to　after　ages。　　The　file　was　always　accompanied　by　a　bull：；
  whose　duty　it　was　to　jostle　and　distract　the　victim　while　his　pockets　were
  rifled。　　The　bung；　or　what　not；　was　rapidly　passed　on　to　the　attendant　rub；
  who　scurried　off　before　the　cry　of　STOP　THIEF！　　could　be　raised。
  Thus　was　the　craft　of　thieving　practised　when　Moll　was　enrolled　a
  humble　member　of　the　gang。　　Yet　nature　had　not　endowed　her　with　the
  qualities　which　ensure　an　active　triumph。　　‘The　best　signs　and　marks　of　a
  happy；　industrious　hand；'　wrote　the　hoyden；　‘is　a　long　middle　finger；
  equally　suited　with　that　they　call　the　fool's　or　first　finger。'　　Now