adornment；　and　the　worthy　Writer　to　the　Signet；　who　prepared　the　work
  for　the　Press；　would　have　asked　three　times　the　space　to　record　one…half
  the　adventures。　　‘I　sunk　upon　it　with　my　forks　and　brought　it　with　me'；
  ‘We　obtained　thirty…three　pounds　by　this　affair'is　there　not　the　stalwart
  flavour　of　the　epic　in　these　plain；　unvarnished　sentences？
  His　other　accomplishments　are　pallid　in　the　light　of　his　brilliant　left
  hand。　　Once；　at　Derryhe　attended　a　cock…　fight；　and　beguiled　an　interval
  by　emptying　the　pockets　of　a　lucky　bookmaker。　　An　expert；　who　watched
  the　exploit　in　admiration；　could　not　withhold　a　compliment。　　‘You　are　the
  Switcher；'　he　exclaimed；　‘some　take　all；　but　you　leave　nothing。'　　And　it　is
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  as　the　Switcher　that　Haggart　keeps　his　memory　green。
  II　GENTLEMAN　HARRY
  ‘DAMN　ye　both！　stop；　or　I　will　blow　your　brains　out！'　　Thus　it　was
  that　Harry　Simms　greeted　his　victims；　proving　in　a　phrase　that　the　heroic
  age　of　the　rumpad　was　no　more。　　Forgotten　the　debonair　courtesy　of
  Claude　Duval！　　Forgotten　the　lightning　wit；　the　swift　repartee　of　the
  incomparable　Hind！　　No　longer　was　the　hightoby…gloak　a　‘gentleman'　of
  the　road；　he　was　a　butcher；　if　not　a　beggar；　on　horseback；　a　braggart
  without　the　courage　to　pull　a　trigger；　a　swashbuckler；　oblivious　of　that
  ancient　style　which　converted　the　misery　of　surrender　into　a　privilege。
  Yet　Harry　Simms；　the　supreme　adventurer　of　his　age；　was　not　without
  distinction；　his　lithe　form　and　his　hard…ridden　horse　were　the　common
  dread　of　England；　his　activity　was　rewarded　with　a　princely　treasure；　and
  if　his　method　were　lacking　in　urbanity；　the　excuse　is　that　he　danced　not　to
  the　brilliant　measure　of　the　Cavaliers；　but　limped　to　the　clumsy　fiddle…
  scraping　of　the　early　Georges。
  At　Eton；　where　a　too…indulgent　grandmother　had　placed　him；　he
  ransacked　the　desks　of　his　school…fellows；　and　avenged　a　birching　by
  emptying　his　master's　pockets。　　Wherefore　he　lost　the　hope　of　a　polite
  education；　and　instead　of　proceeding　with　a　clerkly　dignity　to　King's
  College；　in　the　University　of　Cambridge；　he　was　ignominiously
  apprenticed　to　a　breeches…maker。　　The　one　restraint　was　as　irksome　as　the
  other；　and　Harry　Simms　abandoned　the　needle；　as　he　had　scorned　the
  grammar；　to　go　upon　the　pad。　　Though　his　early　companions　were
  scragged　at　Tyburn；　the　light…fingered　rascal　was　indifferent　to　their　fate；
  and　squandering　such　booty　as　fell　to　his　share；　he　bravely　‘turned　out'　for
  more。　　Tottenham　Court　Fair　was　the　theatre　of　his　childish　exploits；　and
  there　he　gained　some　little　skill　in　the　picking　of　pockets。　　But　a　spell　of
  bad　trade　brought　him　to　poverty；　and　he　attempted　to　replenish　an　empty
  pocket　by　the　childish　expedient　of　a　threatening　letter。
  The　plan　was　conceived　and　executed　with　a　futility　which　ensured　an
  instant　capture。　　The　bungler　chose　a　stranger　at　haphazard；　commanding
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  him；　under　penalty　of　death；　to　lay　five　guineas　upon　a　gun　in　Tower
  Wharf；　the　guineas　were　cunningly　deposited；　and　the　rascal；　caught　with
  his　hand　upon　the　booty；　was　committed　to　Newgate。　　Youth；　and　the
  intercession　of　his　grandmother；　procured　a　release；　unjustified　by　the
  infamous　stupidity　of　the　trick。　　Its　very　clumsiness　should　have　sent　him
  over　sea；　and　it　is　wonderful　that　from　a　beginning　of　so　little　promise；　he
  should　have　climbed　even　the　first　slopes　of　greatness。　　However；　the
  memory　of　gaol　forced　him　to　a　brief　interlude　of　honesty；　for　a　while　he
  wore　the　pink　coat　of　Colonel　Cunningham's　postillion；　and　presently　was
  promoted　to　the　independence　of　a　hackney　coach。
  Thus　employed；　he　became　acquainted　with　the　famous　Cyprians　of
  Covent　Garden；　who；　loving　him　for　his　handsome　face　and　sprightly
  gesture；　seduced　him　to　desert　his　cab　for　an　easier　profession。　　So　long
  as　the　sky　was　fair；　he　lived　under　their　amiable　protection；　but　the
  summer　having　chased　the　smarter　gentry　from　town；　the　ladies　could
  afford　him　no　more　than　would　purchase　a　horse　and　a　pair　of　pistols；　so
  that　Harry　was　compelled　to　challenge　fortune　on　the　high　road。　　His　first
  journey　was　triumphantly　successful。　　A　post…chaise　and　a　couple　of
  coaches　emptied　their　wealth　into　his　hands；　and；　riding　for　London；　he
  was　able　to　return　the　favours　lavished　upon　him　by　Covent　Garden。　　At
  the　first　touch　of　gold　he　was　transformed　to　a　finished　blade。　　He
  purchased　himself　a　silver…hilted　sword；　which　he　dangled　over　a　discreet
  suit　of　black　velvet；　a　prodigious　run　of　luck　at　the　gaming…tables　kept　his
  purse　well　lined；　and　he　made　so　brilliant　an　appearance　in　his　familiar
  haunts　that　he　speedily　gained　the　name　of　‘Gentleman　Harry。'　　But　the
  money；　lightly　won；　was　lightly　spent。　　The　tables　took　back　more　than
  they　gave；　and　before　long　Simms　was　astride　his　horse　again；　flourishing
  his　irons；　and　crying：　　‘Stand　and　deliver'！　upon　every　road　in　England。
  Epping　Forest　was　his　general　hunting…ground；　but　his　enterprise　took
  him　far　afield；　and　if　one　night　he　galloped　by　starlight　across　Bagshot
  Heath；　another　he　was　holding　up　the　York　stage　with　unbridled　insolence。
  He　robbed；　he　roared；　he　blustered　with　praiseworthy　industry；　and　good
  luck　coming　to　the　aid　of　caution；　he　escaped　for　a　while　the　necessary
  punishment　of　his　crimes。　　It　was　on　Stockbridge　Downs　that　he　met　his
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  first　check。
  He　had　stopped　a　chariot；　and　came　off　with　a　hatful　of　gold；　but　the
  victims；　impatient　of　disaster；　raised　the　county；　and　Gentleman　Harry　was
  laid　by　the　heels。　　Never　at　a　loss；　he　condescended　to　a　cringing
  hypocrisy：　he　whined；　he　whimpered；　he　babbled　of　reform；　he　plied　his
  prosecutors　with　letters　so　packed　with　penitence；　that　they　abandoned
  their　case；　and　in　a　couple　of　days　Simms　had　eased　a　collector　at　Eversey
  Bank　of　three　hundred　pounds。　　For　this　enterprise　two　others　climbed
  the　gallows；　and　the　robber's　pride　in　his　capture　was　miserably　lessened
  by　the　shedding　of　innocent　blood。
  But　he　forgot　his　remorse　as　speedily　as　he　dissipated　his　money；　and
  sentimentality　neither　damped　his　enjoyment　nor　restrained　his　energy。
  Even　his　brief　visits　to　London　were　turned　to　the　best　account；　and；
  though　he　would　have　the　world　believe　him　a　mere　voluptuary；　his　eye
  was　bent　sternly　upon　business。　　If　he　did　lose　his　money　in　a　gambling
  hell；　he　knew　who　won　it；　and　spoke　with　his　opponent　on　the　homeward
  way。　　In　his　eyes　a　fuddled　rake　was　always　fair　game；　and　the　stern
  windows　of　St。　Clement's　Church　looked　down　upon　many　a　profitable
  adventure。　　His　most　distinguished　journey　was　to　Ireland；　whither　he　set
  forth　to　find　a　market　for　his　stolen　treasure。　　But　he　determined　that　the
  road　should　bear　its　own　charges；　and　he　reached　Dublin　a　richer　man　than
  he　left　London。　　In　three　months　he　was　penniless；　but　he　did　not　begin
  trade　again　until　he　had　recrossed　the　Channel；　and；　having　got　to　work
  near　Chester；　he　returned　to　the　Piazza　fat　with　bank…notes。
  With　success　his　extravagance　increased；　and；　living　the　life　of　a　man
  about　town；　he　was　soon　harassed　by　debt。　　More　than　once　he　was
  lodged　in　the　Marshalsea；　and　as　his　violent　temper　resented　the
  interference　of　a　dun；　he　became　notorious　for　his　assaults　upon　sheriff's
  officers。　　And　thus　his　poor　skill　grew　poorer：　forgetting　his　trade；　he
  expected　that　brandy　would　ease　his　embarrassment。　　At　last；　sodden　with
  drink；　he　enlisted　in　the　Guards；　from　which　regiment　he　deserted；　only　to
  be　pressed　aboard　a　man…of…war。　　Freed　by　a　clever　trick；　he　took　to　the
  road　again；　until　a　paltry　theft　from　a　barber　transported　him　to　Maryland。
  There　he　turned　sailor；　and　his　ship；　The　Two　Sisters；　being　taken　by　a
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  privateer；　he　contrived　to　scramble　into　Portugal；　whence　he　made　his　way
  back　to　England；　and　to　the　only　adventure　of　which　he　was　master。　　He
  landed　with　no　more　money　than　the　price　of　a　pistol；　but　he　prigged　a
  prancer　at　Bristol　horsefair；　and　set　out　upon　his　last　journey。　　The　tide　of
  his　fortune　was　at　flood。　　He　crammed　his　pockets　with　watches；　he　was
  owner　of　enough　diamonds　to　set　up　shop　in　a　fashionable　quarter；　of
  guineas　he　had　as　many　as　would　support　his　magnificence　for　half　a　year；
  and　at　last　he　resolved　to　quit　the　road；　and　to　live　like　the　gentleman　he
  was。　　To　this　prudence　he　was　the　more　easily　persuaded；　because　not
  only　were　the　thief…takers　eager　for　his　capture；　but　he　was　a　double…dyed
  deserter；　whose　sole　chance　of　quietude　was　a　decent　obscurity。
  His　resolution　was　taken　at　St。　Albans；　and　over　a　comfortable　dinn