provided　the　prologue；　which　for　one　passage　is　for　ever　memorable。
  Thus　it　runs：
  From　distant　climes；　o'er　widespread　seas；　we　come；
  Though　not　with　much　eclat　or　beat　of　drum；　　　　　　True　patriots　we；　for
  be　it　understood；　　　　　　We　left　our　country　for　our　country's　good。
  No　private　views　disgraced　our　generous　zeal；　　　　　　What　urged　our
  travels　was　our　country's　weal；　　　　　　And　none　will　doubt；　but　that　our
  emigration　　　　　　Has　proved　most　useful　to　the　British　nation。
  ‘We　left　our　country　for　our　country's　good。'　　That　line；　thrown
  fortuitously　into　four　hundred　pages　of　solid　prose；　has　emerged　to
  become　the　common　possession　of　Fleet　Street。　　It　is　the　man's　one　title
  to　literary　fame；　for　spurning　the　thievish　practice　he　knew　so　well；　he　was
  righteously　indignant　when　The　London　Spy　was　fathered　upon　him。
  Though　he　emptied　his　contemporary's　pockets　of　many　thousands；　he
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  enriched　the　Dictionary　of　Quotations　with　one　line；　which　will　be
  repeated　so　long　as　there　is　human　hand　to　wield　a　pen。　　And；　if　the　High
  Constable　of　Paramatta　was　tediously　respectable；　George　Barrington；　the
  Prig；　was　a　man　of　genius。
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  THE　SWITCHER　AND
  GENTLEMAN　HARRY
  I　THE　SWITCHER
  DAVID　HAGGART　was　born　at　Canonmills；　with　no　richer　birthright
  than　thievish　fingers　and　a　left　hand　of　surpassing　activity。　　The　son　of　a
  gamekeeper；　he　grew　up　a　long…legged；　red…headed　callant；　lurking　in　the
  sombre　shadow　of　the　Cowgate；　or　like　the　young　Sir　Walter；　championing
  the　Auld　Town　against　the　New　on　the　slopes　of　Arthur's　Seat。　　Kipping
  was　his　early　sin；　but　the　sportsman's　instinct；　born　of　his　father's　trade；
  was　so　strong　within　him；　that　he　pinched　a　fighting　cock　before　he　was
  breeched；　and　risked　the　noose　for　horse…stealing　when　marbles　should
  have　engrossed　his　boyish　fancy。　　Turbulent　and　lawless；　he　bitterly
  resented　the　intolerable　restraint　of　a　tranquil　life；　and；　at　last；　in　the　hope
  of　a　larger　liberty；　he　enlisted　for　a　drummer　in　the　Norfolk　Militia；
  stationed　at　the　moment　in　Edinburgh　Castle。　　A　brief；　insubordinate　year；
  misspent　in　his　country's　service；　proved　him　hopeless　of　discipline：　he
  claimed　his　discharge；　and　henceforth　he　was　free　to　follow　the　one　craft
  for　which　nature　and　his　own　ambition　had　moulded　him。
  Like　Chatterton；　like　Rimbaud；　Haggart　came　into　the　full　possession
  of　his　talent　while　still　a　child。　　A　Barrington　of　fourteen；　he　knew　every
  turn　and　twist　of　his　craft；　before　he　escaped　from　school。　　His　youthful
  necessities　were　munificently　supplied　by　facile　depredation；　and　the　only
  hindrance　to　immediate　riches　was　his　ignorance　of　flash　kens　where　he
  might　fence　his　plunder。　　Meanwhile　he　painted　his　soul　black　with
  wickedness。　　Such　hours　as　he　could　snatch　from　the　profitable　conduct
  of　his　trade　he　devoted　to　the　austere　debauchery　of　Leith　or　the　Golden
  Acre。　　Though　he　knew　not　the　seduction　of　whisky；　he　missed　never　a
  dance　nor　a　raffle；　joining　the　frolics　of　prigs　and　callets　in　complete
  forgetfulness　of　the　shorter　catechism。　　In　vain　the　kirk　compared　him　to
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  a　‘bottle　in　the　smoke'；　in　vain　the　minister　whispered　of　hell　and　the
  gallows；　his　heart　hardened；　as　his　fingers　grew　agile；　and　when；　at　sixteen；
  he　left　his　father's　house　for　a　sporting　life；　he　had　not　his　equal　in　the
  three　kingdoms　for　cunning　and　courage。
  His　first　accomplice　was　Barney　M'Guire；　whountil　a　fourteen
  stretch　sent　him　to　Botany　Bayplayed　Clytus　to　David's　Alexander；　and　it
  was　at　Portobello　Races　that　their　brilliant　partnership　began。　　Hitherto
  Haggart　had　worked　by　stealth；　he　had　tracked　his　booty　under　the　cloud
  of　night。　　Now　was　the　moment　to　prove　his　prowess　in　the　eye　of　day；　to
  break　with　a　past　which　he　already　deemed　ignoble。　　His　heart　leaped
  with　the　occasion：　he　tackled　his　adventure　with　the　hot…head　energy　of　a
  new　member；　big　with　his　maiden　speech。　　The　victim　was　chosen　in　an
  instant：　a　backer；　whose　good　fortune　had　broken　the　bookmakers。　　There
  was　no　thief　on　the　course　who　did　not　wait；　in　hungry　appetence；　the
  sportsman's　descent　from　the　stand；　yet　the　novice　outstripped　them　all。
  ‘I　got　the　first　dive　at　his　keek…cloy；'　he　writes　in　his　simple；　heroic　style；
  ‘and　was　so　eager　on　my　prey；　that　I　pulled　out　the　pocket　along　with　the
  money；　and　nearly　upset　the　gentleman。'　　A　steady　brain　saved　him　from
  the　consequence　of　an　o'erbuoyant　enthusiasm。　　The　notes　were　passed　to
  Barney　in　a　flash；　and　when　the　sportsman　turned　upon　his　assailant；
  Haggart's　hands　were　empty。
  Thereupon　followed　an　infinite　series　of　brilliant　exploits。　　With
  Barney　to　aid；　he　plundered　the　Border　like　a　reiver。　　He　stripped　the
  yeomen　of　Tweedside　with　a　ferocity　which　should　have　avenged　the
  disgrace　of　Flodden。　　More　than　once　he　ransacked　Ecclefechan；　though
  it　is　unlikely　that　he　emptied　the　lean　pocket　of　Thomas　Carlyle。　　There
  was　not　a　gaff　from　Newcastle　to　the　Tay　which　he　did　not　haunt　with
  sedulous　perseverance；　nor　was　he　confronted　with　failure；　until　his　figure
  became　a　universal　terror。　　His　common　method　was　to　price　a　horse；　and
  while　the　dealer　showed　Barney　the　animal's　teeth；　Haggart　would　slip
  under　the　uplifted　arm；　and　ease　the　blockhead　of　his　blunt。　　Arrogant　in
  his　skill；　delighted　with　his　manifold　triumphs；　Haggart　led　a　life　of
  unbroken　prosperity　under　the　brisk　air　of　heaven；　and；　despite　the　risk　of
  his　profession；　he　remained　two　years　a　stranger　to　poverty　and
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  imprisonment。　　His　worst　mishap　was　to　slip　his　forks　into　an　empty
  pocket；　or　to　encounter　in　his　cups　a　milvadering　horse…　dealer；　but　his
  joys　were　free　and　frank；　while　he　exulted　in　his　success　with　a　boyish
  glee。　　‘I　was　never　happier　in　all　my　life　than　when　I　fingered　all　this
  money；'　he　exclaims　when　he　had　captured　the　comfortable　prize　of　two
  hundred　pounds。　　And　then　he　would　make　merry　at　Newcastle　or　York；
  forgetting　the　knowing　ones　for　a　while；　going　abroad　in　white　cape　and
  tops；　and　flicking　his　leg　like　a　gentleman　with　a　dandy　whip。　　But　at　last
  Barney　and　a　wayward　ambition　persuaded　him　to　desert　his　proper　craft
  for　the　greater　hazard　of　cracking　a　crib；　and　thus　he　was　involved　in　his
  ultimate　ruin。　　He　incurred　and　he　deserved　the　untoward　fate　of　those
  who　overlook　their　talents'　limitation；　and　when　this　master　of　pickpockets
  followed　Barney　through　the　window　of　a　secluded　house　upon　the　York
  Road；　he　might　already　have　felt　the　noose　tightening　at　his　neck。　　The
  immediate　reward　of　this　bungled　attack　was　thirty　pounds；　but　two　days
  later　he　was　committed　with　Barney　to　the　Durham　Assizes；　where　he
  exchanged　the　obscurity　of　the　perfect　craftsman　for　the　notoriety　of　the
  dangerous　gaol…bird。
  For　the　moment；　however；　he　recovered　his　freedom：　breaking　prison；
  he　straightway　conveyed　a　fiddlestick　to　his　comrade；　and　in　a　twinkling
  was　at　Newcastle　again；　picking　up　purses　well　lined　with　gold；　and
  robbing　the　bumpkins　of　their　scouts　and　chats。　　But　the　time　of　security
  was　overpast。　　Marked　and　suspicious；　he　began　to　fear　the　solitude　of
  the　country；　he　left　the　horse…fair　for　the　city；　and　sought　in　the　budging…
  kens　of　Edinburgh　the　secrecy　impossible　on　the　hill…side。　　A　clumsy
  experiment　in　shop…lifting　doubled　his　danger；　and　more　than　once　he　saw
  the　inside　of　the　police…office。　　Henceforth；　he　was　free　of　the　family；　he
  loafed　in　the　Shirra…Brae；　he　knew　the　flash　houses　of　Leith　and　the
  Grassmarket。　　With　Jean　Johnston；　the　blowen　of　his　choice；　he　smeared
  his　hands　with　the　squalor　of　petty　theft；　and　the　drunken　recklessness
  wherewith　he　swaggered　it　abroad　hastened　his　approaching　downfall。
  With　a　perpetual　anxiety　to　avoid　the　nippers　his　artistry　dwindled。
  The　left　hand；　invincible　on　the　Cheviots；　seemed　no　better　than　a　bunch
  of　thumbs　in　the　narrow　ways　of　Edinburgh；　and　after　innumerable
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  misadventures　Haggart　was　safely　lodged　in　Dumfries　gaol。　　No　sooner
  was　he　locked　within　his　cell　than　his　restless　brain　planned　a　generous
  escape。　　He　would　win　liberty　for　his　fellows　as　well　as　for　himself；　and
  after　a　brief　council　a　murderous　plot　was　framed　and　executed。　　A　stone
  slung　in　a　handkerchief　sent　Morrin；　the　gaoler；　to　sleep；　the　keys　found　on
  him　opened　the　massy　doors；　and　Haggart　w