a book of scoundrels-第15章

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he　was　also　untruthful；　and　you　are　certain　that　it　was　not　thus　the　hero　met　his　death。

Even　had　Fielding　never　written　his　masterpiece；　Jonathan　Wild　would　still　have　been　surnamed　‘The　Great。'　　For　scarce　a　chap…　book　appeared　in　the　year　of　Jonathan's　death　that　did　not　expose　the　only　right　and　true　view　of　his　character。　　‘His　business；'　says　one　hack　of　prison　literature；　‘at　all　times　was　to　put　a　false　gloss　upon　things；　and　to　make　fools　of　mankind。'　　Another　precisely　formulates　the　theory　of　greatness　insisted　upon　by　Fielding　with　so　lavish　an　irony　and　so　masterly　a　wit。　　While　it　is　certain　that　The　History　of　the　Late　Mr。　Jonathan　Wild　is　as　noble　a　piece　of　irony　as　literature　can　show；　while　for　the　qualities　of　wit　and　candour　it　is　equal　to　its　motive；　it　is　likewise　true　that　therein　you　meet　the　indubitable　Jonathan　Wild。　　It　is　an　entertainment　to　compare　the　chap…books　of　the　time　with　the　reasoned；　finished　work　of　art：　not　in　any　spirit　of　pedantrysince　accuracy　in　these　matters　is　of　small　account；　but　with　intent　to　show　how　doubly　fortunate　Fielding　was　in　his　genius　and　in　his　material。　　Of　course　the　writer　rejoiced　in　the　aid　of　imagination　and　eloquence；　of　course　he　embellished　his　picture　with　such　inspirations　as　Miss　Laetitia　and　the　Count；　of　course　he　preserves　from　the　first　page　to　the　last　the　highest　level　of　unrivalled　irony。　　But　the　sketch　was　there　before　him；　and　a　lawyer's　clerk　had　treated　Jonathan　in　a　vein　of　heroism　within　a　few　weeks　of　his　death。　　And　since　a　plain　statement　is　never　so　true　as　fiction；　Fielding's　romance　is　still　more　credible；　still　convinces　with　an　easier　effort；　than　the　serious　and　pedestrian　records　of　contemporaries。　　Nor　can　you　return　to　its　pages　without　realising　that；　so　far　from　being　‘the　evolution　of　a　purely　intellectual　conception；'　Jonathan　Wild　is　a　magnificently　idealised　and　ironical　portrait　of　a　great　man。



III　A　PARALLEL

（MOLL　CUTPURSE　AND　JONATHAN　WILD）



A　PARALLEL

（MOLL　CUTPURSE　AND　JONATHAN　WILD）

THEY　plied　the　same　trade；　each　with　incomparable　success。　　By　her；　as　by　him；　the　art　of　the　fence　was　carried　to　its　ultimate　perfection。　　In　their　hands　the　high　policy　of　theft　wanted　nor　dignity　nor　assurance。　　Neither　harboured　a　single　scheme　which　was　not　straightway　translated　into　action；　and　they　were　masters　at　once　of　Newgate　and　the　Highway。　　As　none　might　rob　without　the　encouragement　of　his　emperor；　so　none　was　hanged　at　Tyburn　while　intrigue　or　bribery　might　avail　to　drag　a　half…doomed　neck　from　the　halter；　and　not　even　Moll　herself　was　more　bitterly　tyrannical　in　the　control　of　a　reckless　gang　than　the　thin…jawed；　hatchet…faced　Jonathan　Wild。

They　were　statesmen　rather　than　warriorshappy　if　they　might　direct　the　enterprises　of　others；　and　determined　to　punish　the　lightest　disobedience　by　death。　　The　mind　of　each　was　readier　than　his　right　arm；　and　neither　would　risk　an　easy　advantage　by　a　misunderstood　or　unwonted　sleight　of　hand。　　But　when　you　leave　the　exercise　of　their　craft　to　contemplate　their　character　with　a　larger　eye；　it　is　the　woman　who　at　every　point　has　the　advantage。　　Not　only　was　she　the　peerless　inventor　of　a　new　cunning；　she　was　at　home　（and　abroad）　the　better　fellow。　　The　suppression　of　sex　was　in　itself　an　unparalleled　triumph；　and　the　most　envious　detractor　could　not　but　marvel　at　the　domination　of　her　womanhood。　　Moreover；　she　shone　in　a　gayer；　more　splendid　epoch。　　The　worthy　contemporary　of　Shakespeare；　she　had　small　difficulty　in　performing　feats　of　prowess　and　resource　which　daunted　the　intrepid　ruffians　of　the　eighteenth　century。　　Her　period；　in　brief；　gave　her　an　eternal　superiority；　and　it　were　as　hopeless　for　Otway　to　surpass　the　master　whom　he　disgraced；　as　for　Wild　to　o'ershadow　the　brilliant　example　of　Moll　Cutpurse。

Tyrants　both；　they　exercised　their　sovereignty　in　accordance　with　their　varying　temperament。　　Hers　was　a　fine；　fat；　Falstaffian　humour；　which；　while　it　inspired　Middleton；　might　have　suggested　to　Shakespeare　an　equal　companion　of　the　drunken　knight。　　His　was　but　a　narrow；　cynic　wit；　not　edged　like　the　knife；　which　wellnigh　cut　his　throat；　but　blunt　and　scratching　like　a　worn…toothed　saw。

She　laughed　with　a　laugh　that　echoed　from　Ludgate　to　Charing　Cross；　and　her　voice　drowned　all　the　City。　　He　grinned　rarely　and　with　malice；　he　piped　in　a　voice　shrill　and　acid　as　the　tricks　of　his　mischievous　imagination。　　She　knew　no　cruelty　beyond　the　necessities　of　her　life；　and　none　regretted　more　than　she　the　inevitable　death　of　a　traitor。　　He　lusted　after　destruction　with　a　fiendish　temper；　which　was　a　grim　anticipation　of　De　Sade；　he　would　even　smile　as　he　saw　the　noose　tighten　round　the　necks　of　the　poor　innocents　he　had　beguiled　to　Tyburn。　　It　was　his　boast　that　he　had　contrived　robberies　for　the　mere　glory　of　dragging　his　silly　victims　to　the　gallows。　　But　Moll；　though　she　stood　half…way　between　the　robber　and　his　prey；　would　have　sacrificed　a　hundred　well…earned　commissions　rather　than　see　her　friends　and　comrades　strangled。　　Her　temperament　compelled　her　to　the　loyal　support　of　her　own　order；　and　she　would　have　shrunk　in　horror　from　her　rival；　who；　for　all　his　assumed　friendship　with　the　thief；　was　a　staunch　and　subtle　ally　of　justice。

Before　all　things　she　had　the　genius　of　success。　　Her　public　offences　were　trivial　and　condoned。　　She　died　in　her　bed；　full　of　years　and　of　honours；　beloved　by　the　light…fingered　gentry；　reverenced　by　all　the　judges　on　the　bench。　　He；　for　all　the　sacrifices　he　made　to　a　squint…eyed　law；　died　execrated　alike　by　populace　and　police。　　Already　Blueskin　had　done　his　worst　with　a　pen…knife；　already　Jack　Sheppard　and　his　comrades　had　warned　Drury　Lane　against　the　infamous　thief…catcher。　　And　so　anxious；　on　the　other　hand；　was　the　law　to　be　quit　of　their　too　zealous　servant；　that　an　Act　of　Parliament　was　passed　with　the　sole　object　of　placing　Jonathan's　head　within　the　noose。　　His　method；　meagre　though　masterly；　lulled　him　too　soon　to　an　impotent　security。　　She；　with　her　larger　view　of　life；　her　plumper　sense　of　style；　was　content　with　nothing　less　than　an　ultimate　sovereignty；　and　manifestly　did　she　prove　her　superiority。

Though　born　for　the　wimple；　she　was　more　of　a　man　than　the　breeched　and　stockinged　Jonathan；　whose　only　deed　of　valiance　was　to　hang；　terrier…like；　by　his　teeth　to　an　evasive　enemy。　　While　he　cheated　at　cards　and　cogged　the　dice；　she　trained　dogs　and　never　missed　a　bear…baiting。　　He　shrank；　like　the　coward　that　he　was；　from　the　exercise　of　manly　sports；　she　cared　not　what　were　the　weaponsquarterstaff　or　broadswordso　long　as　she　vanquished　her　opponent。　　She　scoured　the　town　in　search　of　insult；　he　did　but　exert　his　cunning　when　a　quarrel　was　put　upon　him。　　Who；　then；　shall　deny　her　manhood？　　Who　shall　whisper　that　his　style　was　the　braver　or　the　better　suited　to　his　sex？

As　became　a　hero；　she　kept　the　best　of　loose　company：　her　parlour　was　ever　packed　with　the　friends　of　loyalty　and　adventure。　　Are　not　Hind　and　Mull　Sack　worth　a　thousand　Blueskins？　　Moreover；　plunder　and　wealth　were　not　the　only　objects　of　her　pursuit：　she　was　not　merely　a　fence　but　a　patriot；　and　she　would　have　accounted　a　thousand　pounds　well　lost；　if　she　did　but　compass　the　discomfiture　of　a　Parliament…man。　　Indeed；　if　Jonathan；　the　thief…catcher；　limped　painfully　after　his　magnificent　example；　Jonathan　the　man　and　the　sportsman　confessed　a　pitiful　inferiority　to　the　valiant　Moll。　　Thus　she　avenged　her　sex　by　distancing　the　most　illustrious　of　her　rivals；　and　if　he　pleads　for　his　credit　a　taste　for　theology；　hers　is　the　chuckle　of　contemptuous　superiority。　　She　died　a　patriot；　bequeathing　a　fountain　of　wine　to　the　champions　of　an　exiled　king；　he　died　a　casuist；　setting　crabbed　problems　to　the　Ordinary。　　Here；　again；　the　advantage　is　evident：　loyalty　is　the　virtue　of　men；　a　sudden　attachment　to　religion　is　the　last　resource　of　the　second…rate　citizen　and　of　the　trapped　criminal。



RALPH　BRISCOE


RALPH　BRISCOE

A　SPARE；　lean　frame；　a　small　head　set　forward　upon　a　pair　of　sloping　shoulders；　a　thin；　sharp　nose；　and　rat…like　eyes；　a　flat；　hollow　chest；　shrunk　shanks；　modestly　retreating　from　their　snuff…coloured　hosethese　are　the