there　is　a　tradition　that　the　Roaring　Girl；　hearing　that　Fairfax　himself
  would　pass　by　Hounslow；　rode　forth　to　meet　him；　and　with　her　own　voice
  bade　him　stand　and　deliver。　　One　would　like　to　believe　it；　yet　it　is　scarce
  credible。　　If　Fairfax　had　spent　the　balance　of　an　ignominious　career　in
  being　plundered　by　a　band　of　loyal　brigands；　he　would　not　have　had　time
  to　justify　the　innumerable　legends　of　pockets　emptied　and　pistols　levelled
  at　his　head。　　Moreover；　Moll　herself　was　laden　with　years；　and　she　had
  always　preferred　the　council　chamber　to　the　battlefield。　　But　it　is　certain
  that；　with　Captain　Hind　and　Mull　Sack　to　aid；　she　schemed　many　a　clever
  plot　against　the　Roundheads；　and　nobly　she　played　her　part　in　avenging
  the　martyred　King。
  Thus　she　declined　into　old　age；　attended；　like　Queen　Mary；　by　her
  maids；　who　would　card；　reel；　spin；　and　beguile　her　leisure　with　sweet
  singing。　　Though　her　spirit　was　untamed；　the　burden　of　her　years
  compelled　her　to　a　tranquil　life。　　She；　who　formerly　never　missed　a　bull…
  baiting；　must　now　content　herself　with　tick…tack。　　Her　fortune；　moreover；
  had　been　wrecked　in　the　Civil　War。　　Though　silver　shells　still　jingled　in
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  her　pocket；　time　was　she　knew　the　rattle　of　the　yellow　boys。　　But　she
  never　lost　courage；　and　died　at　last　of　a　dropsy；　in　placid　contentment　with
  her　lot。　　Assuredly　she　was　born　at　a　time　well　suited　to　her　genius。　　Had
  she　lived　to…day；　she　might　have　been　a　‘Pioneer'；　she　might　even　have
  discussed　some　paltry　problem　of　sex　in　a　printed　obscenity。
  In　her　own　freer；　wiser　age；　she　was　not　man's　detractor；　but　his　rival；
  and　if　she　never　knew　the　passion　of　love；　she　was　always　loyal　to　the
  obligation　of　friendship。　　By　her　will　she　left　twenty　pounds　to　celebrate
  the　Second　Charles's　restoration　to　his　kingdom；　and　you　contemplate　her
  career　with　the　single　regret　that　she　died　a　brief　year　before　the　red　wine；
  thus　generously　bestowed；　bubbled　at　the　fountain。
  II　JONATHAN　WILD
  WHEN　Jonathan　Wild　and　the　Count　La　Ruse；　in　Fielding's　narrative；
  took　a　hand　at　cards；　Jonathan　picked　his　opponent's　pocket；　though　he
  knew　it　was　empty；　while　the　Count；　from　sheer　force　of　habit；　stacked　the
  cards；　though　Wild　had　not　a　farthing　to　lose。　　And　if　in　his　uncultured
  youth　the　great　man　stooped　to　prig　with　his　own　hand；　he　was　early　cured
  of　the　weakness：　so　that　Fielding's　picture　of　the　hero　taking　a　bottle…screw
  from　the　Ordinary's　pocket　in　the　very　moment　of　death　is　entirely　fanciful。
  For　‘this　Machiavel　of　Thieves；'　as　a　contemporary　styled　him；　left　others
  to　accomplish　what　his　ingenuity　had　planned。　　His　was　the　high　policy
  of　theft。　　If　he　lived　on　terms　of　familiar　intimacy　with　the　mill…kens；　the
  bridle…culls；　the　buttock…and…files　of　London；　he　was　none　the　less　the
  friend　and　minister　of　justice。　　He　enjoyed　the　freedom　of　Newgate　and
  the　Old　Bailey。　　He　came　and　went　as　he　liked：　he　packed　juries；　he
  procured　bail；　he　manufactured　evidence；　and　there　was　scarce　an　assize　or
  a　sessions　passed　but　he　slew　his　man。
  The　world　knew　him　for　a　robber；　yet　could　not　refuse　his　brilliant
  service。　　At　the　Poultry　Counter；　you　are　told；　he　laid　the　foundations　of
  his　future　greatness；　and　to　the　Poultry　Counter　he　was　committed　for
  some　trifling　debt　ere　he　had　fully　served　his　apprenticeship　to　the　art　and
  mystery　of　buckle…　making。　　There　he　learned　his　craft；　and　at　his
  enlargement　he　was　able　forthwith　to　commence　thief…catcher。　　His　plan
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  was　conceived　with　an　effrontery　that　was　nothing　less　than　genius。　　On
  the　one　side　he　was　the　factor；　or　rather　the　tyrant；　of　the　cross…coves：　on
  the　other　he　was　the　trusted　agent　of　justice；　the　benefactor　of　the　outraged
  and　the　plundered。　　Among　his　earliest　exploits　was　the　recovery　of　the
  Countess　of　Gdn's　chair；　impudently　carried　off　when　her　ladyship　had
  but　just　alighted；　and　the　courage　wherewith　he　brought　to　justice　the
  murderers　of　one　Mrs。　Knap；　who　had　been　slain　for　some　trifling　booty；
  established　his　reputation　as　upon　a　rock。　　He　at　once　advertised　himself
  in　the　public　prints　as　Thief…Catcher　General　of　Great　Britain　and　Ireland；
  and　proceeded　to　send　to　the　gallows　every　scoundrel　that　dared　dispute
  his　position。
  His　opportunities　of　gain　were　infinite。　　Even　if　he　did　not　organise
  the　robbery　which　his　cunning　was　presently　to　discover；　he　had　spies　in
  every　hole　and　corner　to　set　him　on　the　felon's　track。　　Nor　did　he　leave　a
  single　enterprise　to　chance：　　‘He　divided　the　city　and　suburbs　into　wards
  or　divisions；　and　appointed　the　persons　who　were　to　attend　each　ward；　and
  kept　them　strictly　to　their　duty。'　　If　a　subordinate　dared　to　disobey　or　to
  shrink　from　murder；　Jonathan　hanged　him　at　the　next　assize；　and　happily
  for　him　he　had　not　a　single　confederate　whose　neck　he　might　not　put　in　the
  halter　when　he　chose。　　Thus　he　preserved　the　union　and　the　fidelity　of　his
  gang；　punishing　by　judicial　murder　the　smallest　insubordination；　the
  faintest　suspicion　of　rivalry。　　Even　when　he　had　shut　his　victim　up　in
  Newgate；　he　did　not　leave　him　so　long　as　there　was　a　chance　of　blackmail。
  He　would　make　the　most　generous　offers　of　evidence　and　defence　to　every
  thief　that　had　a　stiver　left　him。　　But　whether　or　not　he　kept　his　bargain
  that　depended　upon　policy　and　inclination。　　On　one　occasion；　when　he
  had　brought　a　friend　to　the　Old　Bailey；　and　relented　at　the　last　moment；　he
  kept　the　prosecutor　drunk　from　the　noble　motive　of　self…interest；　until　the
  case　was　over。　　And　so　esteemed　was　he　of　the　officers　of　the　law　that
  even　this　interference　did　but　procure　a　reprimand。
  His　meanest　action　marked　him　out　from　his　fellows；　but　it　was　not
  until　he　habitually　pillaged　the　treasures　he　afterwards　restored　to　their
  grateful　owners　for　a　handsome　consideration；　that　his　art　reached　the
  highest　point　of　excellence。　　The　event　was　managed　by　him　with
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  amazing　adroitness　from　beginning　to　end。
  It　was　he　who　discovered　the　wealth　and　habit　of　the　victim；　it　was　he
  who　posted　the　thief　and　seized　the　plunder；　giving　a　paltry　commission　to
  his　hirelings　for　the　trouble；　it　was　he　who　kept　whatever　valuables　were
  lost　in　the　transaction；　and　as　he　was　the　servant　of　the　Court；　discovery　or
  inconvenience　was　impossible。　　Surely　the　Machiavel　of　Thieves　is
  justified　of　his　title。　　He　was　known　to　all　the　rich　and　titled　folk　in　town；
  and　if　he　was　generally　able　to　give　them　back　their　stolen　valuables　at
  something　more　than　double　their　value；　he　treated　his　clients　with　a　most
  proper　insolence。　　When　Lady　Mn　was　unlucky　enough　to　lose　a　silver
  buckle　at　Windsor；　she　asked　Wild　to　recover　it；　and　offered　the　hero
  twenty　pounds　for　his　trouble。　　‘Zounds；　Madam；'　says　he；　‘you　offer
  nothing。　　It　cost　the　gentleman　who　took　it　forty　pounds　for　his　coach；
  equipage；　and　other　expenses　to　Windsor。'　　His　impudence　increased　with
  success；　and　in　the　geniality　of　his　cups　he　was　wont　to　boast　his　amazing
  rogueries：　‘hinting　not　without　vanity　at　the　poor　Understandings　of　the
  Greatest　Part　of　Mankind；　and　his　own　Superior　Cunning。'
  In　fifteen　years　he　claimed　10；000　for　his　dividend　of　recovered
  plunderings；　and　who　shall　estimate　the　moneys　which　flowed　to　his
  treasury　from　blackmail　and　the　robberies　of　his　gang？　　So　brisk　became
  his　trade　in　jewels　and　the　precious　metals　that　he　opened　relations　with
  Holland；　and　was　master　of　a　fleet。　　His　splendour　increased　with　wealth：
  he　carried　a　silver…　mounted　sword；　and　a　footman　tramped　at　his　heels。
  ‘His　table　was　very　splendid；'　says　a　biographer：　‘he　seldom　dining　under
  five　Dishes；　the　Reversions　whereof　were　generally　charitably　bestow'd　on
  the　Commonside　felons。'　　At　his　second　marriage　with　Mrs。　Mary　Dn；
  the　hempen　widow　of　Scull　Dn；　his　humour　was　most　happily　expressed：
  he　distributed　white　ribbons　among　the　turnkeys；　he　gave　the　Ordinary
  gloves　and　favours；　he　sent　the　prisoners　of　Newgate　several　ankers　of
  brandy　for　punch。　　‘Twas　a　fitting　complaisance；　since　his　fortune　was
  drawn　from　Newgate；　and　since　he　was　destined　himself；　a　few　years　later；
  to　drink　punch‘a　liquor　nowhere　spoken　against　in　the　Scriptures'with
  the　same　Ordinary　whom　he　thus　magnificently　decorated。　　Endowed
  with　considerable　courage；　for　a　while　he　had　the　prudence　to　save　his　skin；
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  and　despite　his　bravado　he　was　known　on　occasion　to　yield　a　plundered
  treasure　to　an　accomplice　who　set　a　pistol　to　his　head。　　But　it　is　certain
  that　the　accomplice　died　at　Tyburn　for　his　pains；　and　on　equal