and　here　his　admirable　qualities　of　cunning　and　coolness　found　their　most
  generous　scope。　　A　love　of　fine　clothes　he　shared　with　all　the　best　of　his
  kind；　and　he　visited　Mr　Bilgerthe　jeweller　who　arrested　him
  magnificently　arrayed。　　He　wore　a　black　coat　and　waistcoat；　blue
  pantaloons；　Hessian　boots；　and　a　hat　‘in　the　extreme　of　the　newest
  fashion。'　　He　was　also　resplendent　with　gold　watch　and　eye…glass。　　His
  hair　was　powdered；　and　a　fawney　sparkled　on　his　dexter　fam。　　The　booty
  was　enormous；　and　a　week　later　he　revisited　the　shop　on　another　errand。
  This　second　visit　was　the　one　flash　of　genius　in　a　somewhat　drab　career：
  the　jeweller　was　so　completely　dumfounded；　that　Vaux　might　have　got
  clean　away。　　But　though　he　kept　discreetly　out　of　sight　for　a　while；　at　last
  he　drifted　back　to　his　ancient　boozing…ken；　and　was　there　betrayed　to　a
  notorious　thief…catcher。　　The　inevitable　sentence　of　death　followed。　　It
  was　commuted　after　the　fashion　of　the　time；　and　Vaux；　having　sojourned　a
  while　at　the　Hulks；　sought　for　a　second　time　the　genial　airs　of　Botany　Bay。
  His　vanity　and　his　laziness　were　alike　invincible。　　He　believed
  himself　a　miracle　of　learning　as　well　as　a　perfect　thief；　and　physical　toil
  was　the　sole　‘lay'　for　which　he　professed　no　capacity。　　For　a　while　he
  corrected　the　press　for　a　printer；　and　he　roundly　asserts　that　his　knowledge
  of　literature　and　of　foreign　tongues　rendered　him　invaluable。　　It　was
  vanity　again　that　induced　him　to　assert　his　innocence　when　he　was　lagged
  for　so　vulgar　a　crime　as　stealing　a　wipe　from　a　tradesman　in　Chancery
  Lane。　　At　the　moment　of　arrest　he　was　on　his　way　to　purchase　base　coin
  from　a　Whitechapel　bit…faker：　but；　despite　his　nefarious　errand；　he　is
  righteously　wrathful　at　what　he　asserts　was　an　unjust　conviction；　and
  henceforth　he　assumed　the　crown　of　martyrdom。　　His　first　and　last
  ambition　during　the　intervals　of　freedom　was　gentility；　and　so　long　as　he
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  was　not　at　work　he　lived　the　life　of　a　respectable　grocer。　　Although　the
  casual　Cyprian　flits　across　his　page；　he　pursued　the　one　flame　of　his　life
  for　the　good　motive；　and　he　affects　to　be　a　very　model　of　domesticity。
  The　sentiment　of　piety　also　was　strong　upon　him；　and　if　he　did　not；　like
  the　illustrious　Peace；　pray　for　his　jailer；　he　rivalled　the　Prison　Ordinary　in
  comforting　the　condemned。　　Had　it　only　been　his　fate　to　die　on　the
  gallows；　how　unctuous　had　been　his　croak！
  The　text　of　his　‘Memoirs'　having　been　edited；　it　is　scarce　possible　to
  define　his　literary　talent。　　The　book；　as　it　stands；　is　an　excellent　piece　of
  narrative；　but　it　loses　somewhat　by　the　pretence　of　style。　　The　man's
  invulnerable　conceit　prevented　an　absolute　frankness；　and　there　is　little
  enough　hilarity　to　correct　the　acid　sentiment　and　the　intolerable　vows　of
  repentance。　　Again；　though　he　knows　his　subject；　and　can　patter　flash
  with　the　best；　his　incorrigible　respectability　leads　him　to　ape　the　manner　of
  a　Grub　Street　hack；　and　to　banish　to　a　vocabulary　those　pearls　of　slang
  which　might　have　added　vigour　and　lustre　to　his　somewhat　tiresome　page。
  However；　the　thief　cannot　escape　his　inevitable　defects。　　The　vanity；　the
  weakness；　the　sentimentality　of　those　who　are　born　beasts　of　prey；　yet
  have　the　faculty　of　depredation　only　half…developed；　are　the　foes　of　truth；
  and　it　is　well　to　remember　that　the　autobiography　of　a　rascal　is　tainted　at
  its　source。　　A　congenial　pickpocket；　equipped　with　the　self…knowledge
  and　the　candour　which　would　enable　him　to　recognise　himself　an　outlaw
  and　justice　his　enemy　rather　than　an　instrument　of　malice；　would　prove　a
  Napoleon　rather　than　a　Vaux。　　So　that　we　must　e'en　accept　our　Newgate
  Calendar　with　its　many　faults　upon　its　head；　and　be　content。　　For　it　takes
  a　man　of　genius　to　write　a　book；　and　the　thief　who　turns　author　commonly
  inhabits　a　paradise　of　the　second…rate。
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  GEORGE　BARRINGTON
  AS　Captain　Hind　was　master　of　the　road；　George　Barrington　was　（and
  remains　for　ever）　the　absolute　monarch　of　pickpockets。　　Though　the　art；
  superseding　the　cutting　of　purses；　had　been　practised　with　courage　and
  address　for　half　a　century　before　Barrington　saw　the　light；　it　was　his　own
  incomparable　genius　that　raised　thievery　from　the　dangerous　valley　of
  experiment；　and　set　it；　secure　and　honoured；　upon　the　mountain　height　of
  perfection。　　To　a　natural　habit　of　depredation；　which；　being　a　man　of
  letters；　he　was　wont　to　justify；　he　added　a　sureness　of　hand；　a　fertility　of
  resource；　a　recklessness　of　courage　which　drove　his　contemporaries　to　an
  amazed　respect；　and　from　which　none　but　the　Philistine　will　withhold　his
  admiration。　　An　accident　discovered　his　taste　and　talent。　　At　school　he
  attempted　to　kill　a　companionthe　one　act　of　violence　which　sullies　a
  strangely　gentle　career；　and　outraged　at　the　affront　of　a　flogging；　he　fled
  with　twelve　guineas　and　a　gold　repeater　watch。　　A　vulgar　theft　this；　and
  no　presage　of　future　greatness；　yet　it　proves　the　fearless　greed；　the
  contempt　of　private　property；　which　mark　as　with　a　stigma　the
  temperament　of　the　prig。　　His　faculty　did　not　rust　long　for　lack　of　use；
  and　at　Drogheda；　when　he　was　but　sixteen；　he　encountered　one　Price；　half
  barnstormer；　half　thief。　　Forthwith　he　embraced　the　twin　professions；　and
  in　the　interlude　of　more　serious　pursuits　is　reported　to　have　made　a
  respectable　appearance　as　Jaffier　in　Venice　Preserved。　　For　a　while　he
  dreamed　of　Drury　Lane　and　glory；　but　an　attachment　for　Miss　Egerton；　the
  Belvidera　to　his　own　Jaffier；　was　more　costly　than　the　barns　of
  Londonderry　warranted；　and；　with　Price　for　a　colleague；　he　set　forth　on　a
  tour　of　robbery；　merely　interrupted　through　twenty　years　by　a　few　periods
  of　enforced　leisure。
  His　youth；　indeed；　was　his　golden　age。　　For　four　years　he　practised
  his　art；　chilled　by　no　shadow　of　suspicion；　and　his　immunity　was　due　as
  well　to　his　excellent　bearing　as　to　his　sleight　of　hand。　　In　one　of　the
  countless　chap…books　which　dishonour　his　fame；　he　is　unjustly　accused　of
  relying　for　his　effects　upon　an　elaborate　apparatus；　half　knife；　half　scissors；
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  wherewith　to　rip　the　pockets　of　his　victims。　　The　mere　backbiting　of　envy！
  An　artistic　triumph　was　never　won　save　by　legitimate　means；　and　the　hero
  who　plundered　the　Dulce　of　Lr　at　Ranelagh；　who　emptied　the　pockets　of
  his　acquaintance　without　fear　of　exposure；　who　all　but　carried　off　the
  priceless　snuff…box　of　Count　Orloff；　most　assuredly　followed　his　craft　in
  full　simplicity　and　with　a　proper　scorn　of　clumsy　artifice。　　At　his　first
  appearance　he　was　the　master；　sumptuously　apparelled；　with　Price　for
  valet。　　At　Dublin　his　birth　and　quality　were　never　questioned；　and　when
  he　made　a　descent　upon　London　it　was　in　company　with　Captain　W。　　H
  n；　who　remained　for　years　his　loyal　friend。　　He　visited　Brighton　as　the
  chosen　companion　of　Lord　Ferrers　and　the　wicked　Lord　Lyttelton。　　His
  manners　and　learning　were　alike　irresistible。　　Though　the　picking　of
  pockets　was　the　art　and　interest　of　his　life；　he　was　on　terms　of　easy
  familiarity　with　light　literature；　and　he　considered　no　toil　too　wearisome　if
  only　his　conversation　might　dazzle　his　victims。　　Two　maxims　he
  charactered　upon　his　heart：　the　one；　never　to　run　a　large　risk　for　a　small
  gain；　the　other；　never　to　forget　the　carriage　and　diction　of　a　gentleman。
  He　never　stooped　to　pilfer；　until　exposure　and　decay　had　weakened　his
  hand。　　In　his　first　week　at　Dublin　he　carried　off　1000；　and　it　was
  only　his　fateful　interview　with　Sir　John　Fielding　that　gave　him　poverty　for
  a　bedfellow。　　Even　at　the　end；　when　he　slunk　from　town　to　town；　a
  notorious　outlaw；　he　had　inspirations　of　his　ancient　magnificence；　andat
  Chesterhe　eluded　the　vigilance　of　his　enemies　and　captured　600；
  wherewith　he　purchased　some　months　of　respectability。　　Now；
  respectability　was　ever　dear　to　him；　and　it　was　at　once　his　pleasure　and
  profit　to　live　in　the　highest　society。　　Were　it　not　blasphemy　to　sully
  Barrington　with　slang　you　would　call　him　a　member　of　the　swell…mob；　but；
  having　cultivated　a　grave　and　sober　style　for　himself；　he　recoiled　in　horror
  from　the　flash　lingo；　and　his　susceptibility　demands　respect。
  He　kept　a　commonplace　book！　　Was　ever　such　thrift　in　a　thief？
  Whatever　images　or　thoughts　flashed　through　his　brain；　he　seized　them　on
  paper；　even　‘amidst　the　jollity　of　a　tavern；　or　in　the　warmth　of　an
  interesting　conversation。'　　Was　it　then　strange　that　he　triumphed　as　a　man
  of　fashionable　and　cultured　leisure？　　He　would　visit　Ranelagh　with　the
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  most　distinguished；　and　turn　a　while　from　epigram　and　jest　to　empty　the
  pocket　of　a　rich