a book of scoundrels(流浪之书)-第14章
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clapped upon her。 Yet none knew her until she reached Bishopsgate；
where an orange…wench set up the cry； ‘Moll Cutpurse on horseback！'
Instantly the cavalier was surrounded by a noisy mob。 Some would have
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torn her from the saddle for an imagined insult upon womanhood； others；
more wisely minded； laughed at the prank with good…humoured merriment。
Every minute the throng grew denser； and it had fared hardly with
roystering Moll； had not a wedding and the arrest of a debtor presently
distracted the gaping idlers。 As the mob turned to gaze at the fresh
wonder； she spurred her horse until she gained Newington by an
unfrequented lane。 There she waited until night should cover her
progress to Shoreditch； and thus peacefully she returned home to lighten
the vintner's pocket of twenty pounds。
The fame of the adventure spread abroad； and that the scandal should
not be repeated Moll was summoned before the Court of Arches to answer
a charge of appearing publicly in mannish apparel。 The august tribunal
had no terror for her； and she received her sentence to do penance in a
white sheet at Paul's Cross during morning…service on a Sunday with an
audacious contempt。 ‘They might as well have shamed a black dog as
me；' she proudly exclaimed； and why should she dread the white sheet；
when all the spectators looked with a lenient eye upon her professed
discomfiture？' For a halfpenny；' she said； ‘she would have travelled to
every market…town of England in the guise of a penitent；' and having
tippled off three quarts of sack she swaggered to Paul's Cross in the
maddest of humours。 But not all the courts on earth could lengthen her
petticoat； or contract the Dutch slop by a single fold。 For a while；
perhaps； she chastened her costume； yet she soon reverted to the ancient
mode； and to her dying day went habited as a man。
As bear baiting was the passion of her life； so she was scrupulous in
the care and training of her dogs。 She gave them each a trundle…bed；
wrapping them from the cold in sheets and blankets； while their food
would not have dishonoured a gentleman's table。 Parrots； too； gave a
sense of colour and companionship to her house； and it was in this love of
pets； and her devotion to cleanliness； that she showed a trace of dormant
womanhood。 Abroad a ribald and a scold； at home she was the neatest of
housewives； and her parlour； with its mirrors and its manifold ornaments；
was the envy of the neighbours。 So her trade flourished； and she lived a
life of comfort； of plenty even； until the Civil War threw her out of work。
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When an unnatural conflict set the whole country at loggerheads； what
occasion was there for the honest prig？ And it is not surprising that； like
all the gentlemen adventurers of the age； Moll remained most stubbornly
loyal to the King's cause。 She made the conduit in Fleet Street run with
wine when Charles came to London in 1638； and it was her amiable
pleasantry to give the name of Strafford to a clever； cunning bull； and to
dub the dogs that assailed him Pym； Hampden； and the rest； that right
heartily she might applaud the courage of Strafford as he threw off his
unwary assailants。
So long as the quarrel lasted； she was compelled to follow a profession
more ancient than the fence's； for there is one passion which war itself
cannot extinguish。 When once the King had laid his head ‘down as upon
a bed；' when once the Protector had proclaimed his supremacy； the
industry of the road revived； and there was not a single diver or rumpad
that did not declare eternal war upon the black…hearted Regicides。 With a
laudable devotion to her chosen cause； Moll despatched the most
experienced of her gang to rob Lady Fairfax on her way to church； and
there is a tradition that the Roaring Girl； hearing that Fairfax himself
would pass by Hounslow； rode forth to meet him； and with her own voice
bade him stand and deliver。 One would like to believe it； yet it is scarce
credible。 If Fairfax had spent the balance of an ignominious career in
being plundered by a band of loyal brigands； he would not have had time
to justify the innumerable legends of pockets emptied and pistols levelled
at his head。 Moreover； Moll herself was laden with years； and she had
always preferred the council chamber to the battlefield。 But it is certain
that； with Captain Hind and Mull Sack to aid； she schemed many a clever
plot against the Roundheads； and nobly she played her part in avenging
the martyred King。
Thus she declined into old age； attended； like Queen Mary； by her
maids； who would card； reel； spin； and beguile her leisure with sweet
singing。 Though her spirit was untamed； the burden of her years
compelled her to a tranquil life。 She； who formerly never missed a bull…
baiting； must now content herself with tick…tack。 Her fortune； moreover；
had been wrecked in the Civil War。 Though silver shells still jingled in
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her pocket； time was she knew the rattle of the yellow boys。 But she
never lost courage； and died at last of a dropsy； in placid contentment with
her lot。 Assuredly she was born at a time well suited to her genius。 Had
she lived to…day； she might have been a ‘Pioneer'； she might even have
discussed some paltry problem of sex in a printed obscenity。
In her own freer； wiser age； she was not man's detractor； but his rival；
and if she never knew the passion of love； she was always loyal to the
obligation of friendship。 By her will she left twenty pounds to celebrate
the Second Charles's restoration to his kingdom； and you contemplate her
career with the single regret that she died a brief year before the red wine；
thus generously bestowed； bubbled at the fountain。
II JONATHAN WILD
WHEN Jonathan Wild and the Count La Ruse； in Fielding's narrative；
took a hand at cards； Jonathan picked his opponent's pocket； though he
knew it was empty； while the Count； from sheer force of habit； stacked the
cards； though Wild had not a farthing to lose。 And if in his uncultured
youth the great man stooped to prig with his own hand； he was early cured
of the weakness： so that Fielding's picture of the hero taking a bottle…screw
from the Ordinary's pocket in the very moment of death is entirely fanciful。
For ‘this Machiavel of Thieves；' as a contemporary styled him； left others
to accomplish what his ingenuity had planned。 His was the high policy
of theft。 If he lived on terms of familiar intimacy with the mill…kens； the
bridle…culls； the buttock…and…files of London； he was none the less the
friend and minister of justice。 He enjoyed the freedom of Newgate and
the Old Bailey。 He came and went as he liked： he packed juries； he
procured bail； he manufactured evidence； and there was scarce an assize or
a sessions passed but he slew his man。
The world knew him for a robber； yet could not refuse his brilliant
service。 At the Poultry Counter； you are told； he laid the foundations of
his future greatness； and to the Poultry Counter he was committed for
some trifling debt ere he had fully served his apprenticeship to the art and
mystery of buckle… making。 There he learned his craft； and at his
enlargement he was able forthwith to commence thief…catcher。 His plan
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was conceived with an effrontery that was nothing less than genius。 On
the one side he was the factor； or rather the tyrant； of the cross…coves： on
the other he was the trusted agent of justice； the benefactor of the outraged
and the plundered。 Among his earliest exploits
