Besidestheprophets，therehavebeenthealmanackmakers，Lilly，PoorRobin，Partridge，andFrancisMoore，physician，inEngland，andMatthewLaensbergh，inFranceandBelgium。Butgreatasweretheirpretensions，theyweremodestyitselfincomparisonwithMerlin，Shipton，andNixon，whofixedtheirmindsuponhigherthingsthantheweather，andwhowerenotsorestrainedintheirflightsoffancyastoprophesyforonlyoneyearatatime。Aftersuchprophetsasthey，thealmanackmakershardlydeservetobementioned；no，noteventherenownedPartridge，whosewonderfulprognosticationssetallEnglandagogin1708，andwhosedeath，atatimewhenhewasstillaliveandkicking，wassopleasantlyandsatisfactorilyprovedbyIsaacBickerstaff。Theanti-climaxwouldbetoopalpable，andtheyandtheirdoingsmustbeleftuncommemorated。
Jack。Whereshallwefindsuchanothersetofpracticalphilosopherswho，toaman，areabovethefearofdeath？
Wat。Soundmenandtrue！
Robin。Oftriedcourageandindefatigableindustry！
Ned。Whoisthereherethatwouldnotdieforhisfriend？
Harry。Whoisthereherethatwouldbetrayhimforhisinterest？
Mat。Showmeagangofcourtiersthatcouldsayasmuch！
DialogueofthievesintheBeggars’Opera。
Whetheritbethatthemultitude，feelingthepangsofpoverty，sympathisewiththedaringandingeniousdepredatorswhotakeawaytherichman’ssuperfluity，orwhetheritbetheinterestthatmankindingeneralfeelfortherecordsofperilousadventures，itiscertainthatthepopulaceofallcountrieslookwithadmirationupongreatandsuccessfulthieves。Perhapsboththesecausescombinetoinvesttheircareerwithcharmsinthepopulareye。AlmosteverycountryinEuropehasitstraditionalthief，whoseexploitsarerecordedwithallthegracesofpoetry，andwhosetrespasses——
“arecitedupinrhymes，Andsungbychildreninsucceedingtimes。“
[Shakspeare’sRapeofLucretia。]
Thosetravellerswhohavemadenationalmannersandcharacteristicstheirpeculiarstudy，haveoftenobservedandremarkeduponthisfeeling。ThelearnedAbbeleBlanc，whoresidedforsometimeinEnglandatthecommencementoftheeighteenthcentury，says，inhisamusinglettersontheEnglishandFrenchnations，thathecontinuallymetwithEnglishmenwhowerenotlessvaininboastingofthesuccessoftheirhighwaymenthanofthebraveryoftheirtroops。
Talesoftheiraddress，theircunning，ortheirgenerosity，wereinthemouthsofeverybody，andanotedthiefwasakindofheroinhighrepute。Headdsthatthemob，inallcountries，beingeasilymoved，lookingeneralwithconcernuponcriminalsgoingtothegallows；butanEnglishmoblookeduponsuchsceneswith’extraordinaryinterest:
theydelightedtoseethemgothroughtheirlasttrialswithresolution，andapplaudedthosewhowereinsensibleenoughtodieastheyhadlived，bravingthejusticebothofGodandmen:such，hemighthaveadded，asthenotedrobberMacpherson，ofwhomtheoldballadsays——
“Saerantingly，saewantonly，Saedauntinglygaedhe:
Heplayedaspring，anddanceditroundBeneaththegallowstree。“
AmongthesetraditionalthievesthemostnotedinEngland，orperhapsinanycountry，isRobinHood，anamewhichpopularaffectionhasencircledwithapeculiarhalo。“Herobbedtherichtogivetothepoor；“andhisrewardhasbeenanimmortalityoffame，atitheofwhichwouldbethoughtmorethansufficienttorecompenseabenefactorofhisspecies。Romanceandpoetryhavebeenemuloustomakehimalltheirown；andtheforestofSherwood，inwhichheroamedwithhismerrymen，armedwiththeirlongbows，andcladinLincolngreen，hasbecometheresortofpilgrims，andaclassicspotsacredtohismemory。Thefewvirtueshehad，whichwouldhaveensuredhimnopraiseifhehadbeenanhonestman，havebeenblazonedforthbypopularrenownduringsevensuccessivecenturies，andwillneverbeforgottenwhiletheEnglishtongueendures。Hischaritytothepoor，andhisgallantryandrespectforwomen，havemadehimthepre-eminentthiefofalltheworld。
AmongEnglishthievesofalaterdate，whohasnotheardofClaudeDuval，DickTurpin，JonathanWild，andJackSheppard，thoseknightsoftheroadandofthetown，whosepeculiarchivalryformedatoncethedreadandthedelightofEnglandduringtheeighteenthcentury？
Turpin’sfameisunknowntonoportionofthemalepopulationofEnglandaftertheyhaveattainedtheageoften。HiswondrousridefromLondontoYorkhasendearedhimtotheimaginationofmillions；
hiscrueltyinplacinganoldwomanuponafire，toforcehertotellhimwhereshehadhiddenhermoney，isregardedasagoodjoke；andhisproudbearinguponthescaffoldislookeduponasavirtuousaction。TheAbbeleBlanc，writingin1737，sayshewascontinuallyentertainedwithstoriesofTurpin——how，whenherobbedgentlemen，hewouldgenerouslyleavethemenoughtocontinuetheirjourney，andexactapledgefromthemnevertoinformagainsthim，andhowscrupuloussuchgentlemenwereinkeepingtheirword。Hewasonedaytoldastorywithwhichtherelatorwashethehighestdegreedelighted。Turpin，orsomeothernotedrobber，stoppedamanwhomheknewtobeveryrich，withtheusualsalutation——“Yourmoneyoryourlife！“butnotfindingmorethanfiveorsixguineasabouthim，hetookthelibertyofentreatinghim，inthemostaffablemanner，nevertocomeoutsoillprovided；addingthat，ifhefellinwithhim，andhehadnomorethansuchapaltrysum，hewouldgivehimagoodlicking。Anotherstory，toldbyoneofTurpin’sadmirers，wasofarobberyhehadcommitteduponaMr。C。nearCambridge。Hetookfromthisgentlemanhiswatch，hissnuff-box，andallhismoneybuttwoshillings，and，beforehelefthim，requiredhiswordofhonourthathewouldnotcausehimtobepursuedorbroughtbeforeajustice。Thepromisebeinggiven，theybothpartedverycourteously。TheyafterwardsmetatNewmarket，andrenewedtheiracquaintance。Mr。C。
kepthiswordreligiously；henotonlyrefrainedfromgivingTurpinintocustody，butmadeaboastthathehadfairlywonsomeofhismoneybackagaininanhonestway。Turpinofferedtobetwithhimonsomefavouritehorse，andMr。C。acceptedthewagerwithasgoodagraceashecouldhavedonefromthebestgentlemaninEngland。Turpinlosthisbetandpaiditimmediately，andwassosmittenwiththegenerousbehaviourofMr。C。thathetoldhimhowdeeplyheregrettedthatthetriflingaffairwhichhadhappenedbetweenthemdidnotpermitthemtodrinktogether。ThenarratorofthisanecdotewasquiteproudthatEnglandwasthebirthplaceofsuchahighwayman。
[TheAbbe，inthesecondvolume，intheletterNo。79，dressedtoMonsieurdeBuffon，givesthefollowingcuriousparticularsoftherobbersof1757，whicharenotwithoutinterestatthisday，ifitwereonlytoshowthevastimprovementwhichhastakenplacesincethatperiod:——“Itisusual，intravelling，toputtenoradozenguineasinaseparatepocket，asatributetothefirstthatcomestodemandthem:therightofpassport，whichcustomhasestablishedhereinfavouroftherobbers，whoarealmosttheonlyhighwaysurveyorsinEngland，hasmadethisnecessary；andaccordinglytheEnglishcallthesefellowsthe’GentlemenoftheRoad，’thegovernmentlettingthemexercisetheirjurisdictionupontravellerswithoutgivingthemanygreatmolestation。Tosaythetruth，theycontentthemselveswithonlytakingthemoneyofthosewhoobeywithoutdisputing；butnotwithstandingtheirboastedhumanity，thelivesofthosewhoendeavourtogetawayarenotalwayssafe。Theyareverystrictandsevereinlevyingtheirimpost；andifamanhasnotwherewithaltopaythem，hemayrunthechanceofgettinghimselfknockedontheheadforhispoverty。
“Aboutfifteenyearsago，theserobbers，withtheviewofmaintainingtheirrights，fixeduppapersatthedoorsofrichpeopleaboutLondon，expresslyforbiddingallpersons，ofwhatsoeverqualityorcondition，fromgoingoutoftownwithouttenguineasandawatchaboutthem，onpainofdeath。Inbadtimes，whenthereislittleornothingtobegotontheroads，thesefellowsassembleingangs，toraisecontributionseveninLondonitself；andthewatchmenseldomtroublethemselvestointerferewiththemintheirvocation。“]
NotlessfamiliartothepeopleofEnglandisthecareerofJackSheppard，asbrutalaruffianaseverdisgracedhiscountry，butwhohasclaimsuponthepopularadmirationwhichareverygenerallyacknowledged。Hedidnot，likeRobinHood，plundertherichtorelievethepoor，norrobwithanuncouthsortofcourtesy，likeTurpin；butheescapedfromNewgatewiththefettersonhislimbs。Thisachievement，morethanoncerepeated，hasencircledhisfelonbrowwiththewreathofimmortality，andmadehimquiteapatternthiefamongthepopulace。Hewasnomorethantwenty-threeyearsofageatthetimeofhisexecution，andhediedmuchpitiedbythecrowd。Hisadventureswerethesoletopicsofconversationformonths；theprint-shopswerefilledwithhiseffigies，andafinepaintingofhimwasmadebySirRichardThornhill。Thefollowingcomplimentaryversestotheartistappearedinthe“BritishJournal“ofNovember28th，1724。
“Thornhill！’tisthinetogildwithfameTh’obscure，andraisethehumblename；
Tomaketheformeludethegrave，AndSheppardfromoblivionsave！
ApellesAlexanderdrew——
CesaristoAureliusdue；
CromwellinLilly’sworksdothshine，AndSheppard，Thornhill，livesinthine！“
SohighwasJack’sfamethatapantomimeentertainment，called“HarlequinJackSheppard，“wasdevisedbyoneThurmond，andbroughtoutwithgreatsuccessatDruryLaneTheatre。Allthesceneswerepaintedfromnature，includingthepublic-housethattherobberfrequentedinClaremarket，andthecondemnedcellfromwhichhehadmadehisescapeinNewgate。
TheRev。Mr。Villette，theeditorofthe“AnnalsofNewgate，“
publishedin1754，relatesacurioussermonwhich，hesays，afriendofhishearddeliveredbyastreet-preacheraboutthetimeofJack’sexecution。Theorator，afteranimadvertingonthegreatcarementookoftheirbodies，andthelittlecaretheybestowedupontheirsouls，continuedasfollows，bywayofexemplifyingtheposition:——“Wehavearemarkableinstanceofthisinanotoriousmalefactor，wellknownbythenameofJackSheppard。Whatamazingdifficultieshasheovercome！
whatastonishingthingshasheperformed！andallforthesakeofastinking，miserablecarcass；hardlyworththehanging！Howdexterouslydidhepickthechainofhispadlockwithacrookednail！howmanfullyhebursthisfettersasunder！——climbupthechimney！——wrenchoutanironbar！——breakhiswaythroughastonewall！——makethestrongdoorofadarkentryflybeforehim，tillhegotupontheleadsoftheprison！then，fixingablankettothewallwithaspike，hestoleoutofthechapel。Howintrepidlydidhedescendtothetopoftheturner’shouse！——howcautiouslypassdownthestair，andmakehisescapetothestreetdoor！
“Oh！thatyewerealllikeJackSheppard！Mistakemenot，mybrethren；Idon’tmeaninacarnal，butinaspiritualsense，forI