a book of scoundrels-第22章

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eetle…browed　marauder；　who　would　have　despised　the　frippery　of　Sixteen…String　Jack　as　vehemently　as　his　sudden　appearance　would　have　frightened　the　foppish　lover　of　Ellen　Roach。

Their　conduct　with　women　is　sufficient　index　of　their　character。　　Jack　Rann　was　too　general　a　lover　for　fidelity。　　But　he　was　amiable；　even　in　his　unfaithfulness；　he　won　the　undying　affection　of　his　Ellen；　he　never　stood　in　the　dock　without　a　nosegay　tied　up　by　fair　and　nimble　fingers；　he　was　attended　to　Tyburn　by　a　bevy　of　distinguished　admirers。　　Gilderoy；　on　the　other　hand；　approached　women　in　a　spirit　of　violence。　　His　Sadic　temper　drove　him　to　kill　those　whom　he　affected　to　love。　　And　his　cruelty　was　amply　repaid。　　While　Ellen　Roach　perjured　herself　to　save　the　lover；　to　whose　memory　she　professed　a　lifelong　loyalty；　it　was　Peg　Cunningham　who　wreaked　her　vengeance　in　the　betrayal　of　Gilderoy。　　He　remained　true　to　his　character；　when　he　ripped　up　the　belly　of　his　betrayer。　　This　was　the　closing　act　of　his　life。

Rann；　also；　was　consistent；　even　to　the　gallows。　　The　night　before　his　death　he　entertained　seven　women　at　supper；　and　outlaughed　them　all。　　The　contrast　is　not　so　violent　as　it　appears。　　The　one　act　is　melodrama；　the　other　farce。　　And　what　is　farce；　but　melodrama　in　a　happier　shape？



THOMAS　PURENEY


THOMAS　PURENEY

THOMAS　PURENEY；　Archbishop　among　Ordinaries；　lived　and　preached　in　the　heyday　of　Newgate。　　His　was　the　good　fortune　to　witness　Sheppard's　encounter　with　the　topsman；　and　to　shrive　the　battered　soul　of　Jonathan　Wild。　　Nor　did　he　fall　one　inch　below　his　opportunity。　　Designed　by　Providence　to　administer　a　final　consolation　to　the　evil…doer；　he　permitted　no　false　ambition　to　distract　his　talent。　　As　some　men　are　born　for　the　gallows；　so　he　was　born　to　thump　the　cushion　of　a　prison　pulpit；　and　his　peculiar　aptitude　was　revealed　to　him　before　he　had　time　to　spend　his　strength　in　mistaken　endeavour。

For　thirty　years　his　squat；　stout　figure　was　amiably　familiar　to　all　such　as　enjoyed　the　Liberties　of　the　Jug。　　For　thirty　years　his　mottled　nose　and　the　rubicundity　of　his　cheeks　were　the　ineffaceable　ensigns　of　his　intemperance。　　Yet　there　was　a　grimy　humour　in　his　forbidding　aspect。　　The　fusty　black　coat；　which　sat　ill　upon　his　shambling　frame；　was　all　besmirched　with　spilled　snuff；　and　the　lees　of　a　thousand　quart　pots。　　The　bands　of　his　profession　were　ever　awry　upon　a　tattered　shirt。　　His　ancient　wig　scattered　dust　and　powder　as　he　went；　while　a　single　buckle　of　some　tawdry　metal　gave　a　look　of　oddity　to　his　clumsy；　slipshod　feet。　　A　caricature　of　a　man；　he　ambled　and　chuckled　and　seized　the　easy　pleasures　within　his　reach。　　There　was　never　a　summer's　day　but　he　caught　upon　his　brow　the　few　faint　gleams　of　sunlight　that　penetrated　the　gloomy　yard。　　Hour　after　hour　he　would　sit；　his　short　fingers　hardly　linked　across　his　belly；　drinking　his　cup　of　ale；　and　puffing　at　a　half…extinguished　tobacco…pipe。　　Meanwhile　he　would　reflect　upon　those　triumphs　of　oratory　which　were　his　supreme　delight。　　If　it　fell　on　a　Monday　that　he　took　the　air；　a　smile　of　satisfaction　lit　up　his　fat；　loose　features；　for　still　he　pondered　the　effect　of　yesterday's　masterpiece。　　On　Saturday　the　glad　expectancy　of　to…morrow　lent　him　a　certain　joyous　dignity。　　At　other　times　his　eye　lacked　lustre；　his　gesture　buoyancy；　unless　indeed　he　were　called　upon　to　follow　the　cart　to　Tyburn；　or　to　compose　the　Last　Dying　Speech　of　some　notorious　malefactor。

Preaching　was　the　master　passion　of　his　life。　　It　was　the　pulpit　that　reconciled　him　to　exile　within　a　great　city；　and　persuaded　him　to　the　enjoyment　of　roguish　company。　　Those　there　were　who　deemed　his　career　unfortunate；　but　a　sense　of　fitness　might　have　checked　their　pity；　and　it　was　only　in　his　hours　of　maudlin　confidence　that　the　Reverend　Thomas　confessed　to　disappointment。　　Born　of　respectable　parents　in　the　County　of　Cambridgeshire；　he　nurtured　his　youth　upon　the　exploits　of　James　Hind　and　the　Golden　Farmer。　　His　boyish　pleasure　was　to　lie　in　the　ditch；　which　bounded　his　father's　orchard；　studying　that　now　forgotten　masterpiece；　‘There's　no　Jest　like　a　True　Jest。'　Then　it　was　that　he　felt　‘immortal　longings　in　his　blood。'　　He　would　take　to　the　road；　so　he　swore；　and　hold　up　his　enemies　like　a　gentleman。　　Once；　indeed；　he　was　surprised　by　the　clergyman　of　the　parish　in　act　to　escape　from　the　rectory　with　two　volumes　of　sermons　and　a　silver　flagon。　　The　divine　was　minded　to　speak　seriously　to　him　concerning　the　dreadful　sin　of　robbery；　and　having　strengthened　him　with　texts　and　good　counsel；　to　send　him　forth　unpunished。　　‘Thieving　and　covetousness；'　said　the　parson；　‘must　inevitably　bring　you　to　the　gallows。　　If　you　would　die　in　your　bed；　repent　you　of　your　evildoing；　and　rob　no　more。'　　The　exhortation　was　not　lost　upon　Pureney；　who；　chastened　in　spirit；　straightly　prevailed　upon　his　father　to　enter　him　a　pensioner　at　Corpus　Christi　College　in　the　University　of　Cambridge；　that　at　the　proper　time　he　might　take　orders。

At　Cambridge　he　gathered　no　more　knowledge　than　was　necessary　for　his　profession；　and　wasted　such　hours　as　should　have　been　given　to　study　in　drinking；　dicing；　and　even　less　reputable　pleasures。　　Yet　repentance　was　always　easy；　and　he　accepted　his　first　curacy；　at　Newmarket；　with　a　brave　heart　and　a　good　hopefulness。　　Fortunate　was　the　choice　of　this　early　cure。　　Had　he　been　gently　guided　at　the　outset；　who　knows　but　he　might　have　lived　out　his　life　in　respectable　obscurity？　　But　Newmarket　then；　as　now；　was　a　town　of　jollity　and　dissipation；　and　Pureney　yielded　without　persuasion　to　the　pleasures　denied　his　cloth。　　There　was　ever　a　fire　to　extinguish　at　his　throat；　nor　could　he　veil　his　wanton　eye　at　the　sight　of　a　pretty　wench。　　Again　and　again　the　lust　of　preaching　urged　him　to　repent；　yet　he　slid　back　upon　his　past　gaiety；　until　Parson　Pureney　became　a　byword。　　Dismissed　from　Newmarket　in　disgrace；　he　wandered　the　country　up　and　down　in　search　of　a　pulpit；　but　so　infamous　became　the　habit　of　his　life　that　only　in　prison　could　he　find　an　audience　fit　and　responsive。

And；　in　the　nick；　the　chaplaincy　of　Newgate　fell　vacant。　　Here　was　the　occasion　to　temper　dissipation　with　piety；　to　indulge　the　twofold　ambition　of　his　life。　　What　mattered　it；　if　within　the　prison　walls　he　dipped　his　nose　more　deeply　into　the　punch…bowl　than　became　a　divine？　　The　rascals　would　but　respect　him　the　more　for　his　prowess；　and　knit　more　closely　the　bond　of　sympathy。　　Besides；　after　preaching　and　punch　he　best　loved　a　penitent；　and　where　in　the　world　could　he　find　so　rich　a　crop　of　erring　souls　ripe　for　repentance　as　in　gaol？　　Henceforth　he　might　threaten；　bluster；　and　cajole。　　If　amiability　proved　fruitless　he　would　put　cruelty　to　the　test；　and　terrify　his　victims　by　a　spirited　reference　to　Hell　and　to　that　Burning　Lake　they　were　so　soon　to　traverse。　　At　last；　thought　he；　I　shall　be　sure　of　my　effect；　and　the　prospect　flattered　his　vanity。　　In　truth；　he　won　an　immediate　and　assured　success。　　Like　the　common　file　or　cracksman；　he　fell　into　the　habit　of　the　place；　intriguing　with　all　the　cleverness　of　a　practised　diplomatist；　and　setting　one　party　against　the　other　that　he　might　in　due　season　decide　the　trumpery　dispute。　　The　trusted　friend　of　many　a　distinguished　prig　and　murderer；　he　so　intimately　mastered　the　slang　and　etiquette　of　the　Jug；　that　he　was　appointed　arbiter　of　all　those　nice　questions　of　honour　which　agitated　the　more　reputable　among　the　cross…coves。　　But　these　were　the　diversions　of　a　strenuous　mind；　and　it　was　in　the　pulpit　or　in　the　closet　that　the　Reverend　Thomas　Pureney　revealed　his　true　talent。

As　the　ruffian　had　a　sense　of　drama；　so　he　was　determined　that　his　words　should　scald　and　bite　the　penitent。　　When　the　condemned　pew　was　full　of　a　Sunday　his　happiness　was　complete。　　Now　his　deep　chest　would　hurl　salvo　on　salvo　of　platitudes　against　the　sounding…board；　now　his　voice；　lowered　to　a　whisper；　would　coax　the　hopeless　prisoners　to　prepare　their　souls。　　In　a　paroxysm　of　feigned　anger　he　would　crush　the　cushion　with　his　clenched　fist；　or　leaning　over　the　pulpit　side　as　though　to　approach　the　nearer　to　his　victims；　would　roll　a　cold　and　bitter　eye　upon　them；　as　of　a　cat　watching　caged