a book of scoundrels- 第24部分

Who　knows　but　he　might　have　been　a　respectable　citizen；　with　never　a　chance　for　the　display　of　his　peculiar　talent；　had　not　hunger　and　his　mistress's　greed　driven　him　upon　the　pad？　　History　records　no　brilliant　robbery　of　his　own　planning；　and　so　circumscribed　was　his　imagination　that　he　must　needs　pick　out　his　own　friends　and　benefactors　for　depredation。　　His　paltry　sense　of　discipline　permitted　him　to　be　betrayed　even　by　his　brother　and　pupil；　and　there　was　no　cracksman　of　his　time　over　whose　head　he　held　the　rod　of　terror。　　Even　his　hatred　of　Jonathan　Wild　was　the　result　not　of　policy　but　of　prejudice。　　Cartouche；　on　the　other　hand；　was　always　perfect　when　at　work。　　The　master　of　himself；　he　was　also　the　master　of　his　fellows。　　There　was　no　detail　of　civil　war　that　he　had　not　made　his　own；　and　he　still　remains；　after　nearly　two　centuries；　the　greatest　captain　the　world　has　seen。　　Never　did　he　permit　an　enterprise　to　fail　by　accident；　never　was　he　impelled　by　hunger　or　improvidence　to　fight　a　battle　unprepared。　　His　means　were　always　neatly　fitted　to　their　end；　as　is　proved　by　the　truth　that；　throughout　his　career；　he　was　arrested　but　once；　and　then　not　by　his　own　inadvertence　but　by　the　treachery　of　others。

Yet　from　the　moment　of　arrest　Jack　Sheppard　asserted　his　magnificent　superiority。　　If　Cartouche　was　a　sorry　bungler　at　prison…breaking；　Sheppard　was　unmatched　in　this　dangerous　art。　　The　sport　of　the　one　was　to　break　in；　of　the　other　to　break　out。　　True；　the　Briton　proved　his　inferiority　by　too　frequently　placing　himself　under　lock　and　key；　but　you　will　forgive　his　every　weakness　for　the　unexampled　skill　wherewith　he　extricated　himself　from　the　stubbornest　dungeon。　　Cartouche　would　scarce　have　given　Sheppard　a　menial's　office　in　his　gang。　　How　cordially　Sheppard　would　have　despised　Cartouche's　solitary　experiment　in　escape！　　To　be　foiled　by　a　dog　and　a　boxmaker's　daughter！　　Would　not　that　have　seemed　contemptible　to　the　master　breaker　of　those　unnumbered　doors　and　walls　which　separate　the　Castle　from　the　freedom　of　Newgate　roof？

Such；　then；　is　the　contrast　between　the　heroes。　　Sheppard　claims　our　admiration　for　one　masterpiece。　　Cartouche　has　a　sheaf　of　works；　which　shall　carry　him　triumphantly　to　the　remotest　future。

And　when　you　forget　a　while　professional　rivalry；　and　consider　the　delicacies　of　leisure；　you　will　find　the　Frenchman's　greatness　still　indisputable。　　At　all　points　he　was　the　prettier　gentleman。　　Sheppard；　to　be　sure；　had　a　sense　of　finery；　but　he　was　so　unused　to　grandeur　that　vulgarity　always　spoiled　his　effects。　　When　he　hied　him　from　the　pawnshop；　laden　with　booty；　he　must　e'en　cram　what　he　could　not　wear　into　his　pockets；　and　doubtless　his　vulgar　lack　of　reticence　made　detection　easier。　　Cartouche；　on　the　other　hand；　had　an　unfailing　sense　of　proportion；　and　was　never　more　dressed　than　became　the　perfect　dandy。　　He　was　elegant；　he　was　polished；　he　was　joyous。　　He　drank　wine；　while　the　other　soaked　himself　in　beer；　he　despised　whatever　was　common；　while　his　rival　knew　but　the　coarser　flavours　of　life。

The　one　was　distinguished　by　a　boisterous　humour；　a　swaggering　pride　in　his　own　prowess；　the　wit　of　the　other　might　be　edged　like　a　knife；　nor　would　he　ever　appeal　for　a　spectacle　to　the　curiosity　of　the　mob。　　Both　were　men　of　many　mistresses；　but　again　in　his　conduct　with　women　Cartouche　showed　an　honester　talent。　　Sheppard　was　at　once　the　prey　and　the　whipping…block　of　his　two　infamous　doxies；　who　agreed　in　deformity　of　feature　as　in　contempt　for　their　lover。　　Cartouche；　on　the　other　hand；　chose　his　cabaret　for　the　wit　of　its　patronne；　and　was　always　happy　in　the　elegance　and　accomplishment　of　his　companions。　　One　point　of　likeness　remains。　　The　two　heroes　resembled　each　other　not　only　in　their　profession；　but　in　their　person。　　Though　their　trade　demanded　physical　strength；　each　was　small　and　slender　of　build。　　‘A　little；　slight…limbed　lad；'　says　the　historian　of　Sheppard。　　‘A　thin；　spare　frame；'　sings　the　poet　of　Cartouche。　　Here；　then；　neither　had　the　advantage；　and　if　in　the　shades　Cartouche　despises　the　clumsiness　and　vulgarity　of　his　rival；　Sheppard　may　still　remember　the　glory　of　Newgate；　and　twit　the　Frenchman　with　the　barking　of　the　boxmaker's　dog。　　But　genius　is　the　talent　of　the　dead；　and　the　wise；　who　are　not　partisans；　will　not　deny　to　the　one　or　to　the　other　the　possession　of　the　rarer　gift。



VAUX


VAUX

TO　Haggart；　who　babbled　on　the　Castle　Rock　of　Willie　Wallace　and　was　only　nineteen　when　he　danced　without　the　music；　to　Simms；　alias　Gentleman　Harry；　who　showed　at　Tyburn　how　a　hero　could　die；　to　George　Barrington；　the　incomparably　witty　and　adroitto　these　a　full　meed　of　honour　has　been　paid。　　Even　the　coarse　and　dastardly　Freney　has　achieved；　with　Thackeray's　aid　（and　Lever's）　something　of　a　reputation。　　But　James　Hardy　Vaux；　despite　his　eloquent　bid　for　fame；　has　not　found　his　rhapsodist。　　Yet　a　more　consistent　ruffian　never　pleaded　for　mercy。　　From　his　early　youth　until　in　1819　he　sent　forth　his　Memoirs　to　the　world；　he　lived　industriously　upon　the　cross。　　There　was　no　racket　but　he　worked　it　with　energy　and　address。　　Though　he　practised　the　more　glorious　crafts　of　pickpocket　and　shoplifter；　he　did　not　despise　the　begging…letter；　and　he　suffered　his　last　punishment　for　receiving　what　another's　courage　had　conveyed。　　His　enterprise　was　not　seldom　rewarded　with　success；　and　for　a　decade　of　years　he　continued　to　preserve　an　appearance　of　gentility；　but　it　is　plain；　even　from　his　own　narrative；　that　he　was　scarce　an　artist；　and　we　shall　best　understand　him　if　we　recognise　that　he　was　a　Philistine　among　thieves。　　He　lived　in　an　age　of　pocket…　picking；　and　skill　in　this　branch　is　the　true　test　of　his　time。　　A　contemporary　of　Barrington；　he　had　before　him　the　most　brilliant　of　examples；　which　might　properly　have　enforced　the　worth　of　a　simple　method。　　But；　though　he　constantly　brags　of　his　success　at　Drury　Lane；　we　take　not　his　generalities　for　gospel；　and　the　one　exploit　whose　credibility　is　enforced　with　circumstance　was　pitiful　both　in　conception　and　performance。　　A　meeting　of　freeholders　at　the　‘Mermaid　Tavern；'　Hackney；　was　the　occasion；　and　after　drawing　blank　upon　blank；　Vaux　succeeded　at　last　in　extracting　a　silver　snuff…box。　　Now；　his　clumsiness　had　suggested　the　use　of　the　scissors；　and　the　victim　not　only　discovered　the　scission　in　his　coat；　but　caught　the　thief　with　the　implements　of　his　art　upon　him。　　By　a　miracle　of　impudence　Vaux　escaped　conviction；　but　he　deserved　the　gallows　for　his　want　of　principle；　and　not　even　sympathy　could　have　let　drop　a　tear；　had　justice　seized　her　due。　　On　the　straight　or　on　the　cross　the　canons　of　art　deserve　respect；　and　a　thief　is　great；　not　because　he　is　a　thief；　but　because；　in　filling　his　own　pocket；　he　preserves　from　violence　the　legitimate　traditions　of　his　craft。

But　it　was　in　conflict　with　the　jewellers　that　Vaux　best　proved　his　mettle。　　It　was　his　wont　to　clothe　himself　‘in　the　most　elegant　attire；'　and　on　the　pretence　of　purchase　to　rifle　the　shops　of　Piccadilly。　　For　this　offence‘pinching'　the　Cant　Dictionary　calls　ithe　did　his　longest　stretch　of　time；　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　himmagnificently　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　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　b