LIVES OF ENGLISH HIGHWAYMEN AND PIRA.TES.
THE lives of pirates, and robbers in general, would combine the philosophy of history with the interest of romance. The masses of the introductions of the various was, would throw a new view on the progress of human society ; the individual details, would unite the strange and sudden changes, the spirit-stirring adven- ture, of a novel, with the truth of matter-of-fact occurrences. Such a work, to be properly executed, would require the learning, discrimination, and eloquence of GIBBON, with the creative genius and the animated style of Scorr. If properly executed, it would rival Robinson Crusoe in popularity, and far surpass it in eloquence and philosophical reach. We did not expect any thing of this sort from Mr. WHITEHi.AD; but we expected something more than a selection from the works of Captains SMITH and JOHNSON. "Elegant Extracts from the Newgate Calendar," and the "Lives of the Buccaneers," may be an entertaining sort of thing, but it need not have been heralded by a flourish of trumpets. The compilation, or whatever else it may be called, of Mr. WHITEHEAD, commences with the life of ROBIN HOOD, and ends with that of BARRINGTON. With regard to the first, we have not sufficient reliance on Captain SMITH'S antiquarian knowledge, to place implicit confidence in his facts. The lives of EUGENE ARAM, PAUL JONES, and GEORGE BBRRINGTON, probably supplied by the editor, scarcely fall under the description of the titlepage. Some of the intermediate worthies deserved a better biographer than they have yet received. The highwaymen of the seventeenth and the earlier part of the eighteenth century, was not the com- mon thief of the present day; the pirate of nearly the same period was not always the atrocious and abandoned wretch of our times. Many gentlemen, who now frequent the inferior class of clubs, or as younger sons of younger brothers prey upon the public in another way, then, after squandering their means, occasionally took to the road. The persons who in the present century assist the South American Liberators, the descendants of the Greeks, or the Arcadian brothers of Portugal, at those periods undertook to revenge the cruelties the Spaniards had inflicted on the Indians, and on such Europeans as fell into their power. Both classes indeed were bad enough.—men of loose principles, and broken fortunes, But, judged by the standard of their own age, they -were not altogether abandoned. Murder might be committed on the road, but it was the exception. The highwayman gene- rally robbed with some regard to form, frequently with jocu- larity, at times with the utmost politeness, and a certain libe- rality. He would listen to lectures on his "evil courses," from clergymen and judges,—though they never produced the de- sired effect, but were always replied to by the word "deliver frequently would he throw back a pittance to his antagonist, to pay his expenses on the road ; at times he would only levy a con- tribution; and the exploit of one gentleman weighed heavily on his mind, when, by taking the third part of a dowry, he broke a match and the lady's heart. Many readers of Paul Clifford have probably conceived that his forbearance when Lord Mauleverer's pistol-ball grazes him, is overstrained: but such is not the case. A fight was mostly considered a spirited sort of demonstration, ending in a gene- ral delivery, or a lodging in Newgate, as the case might be, but leaving no ill-blood behind it. Though more of cruelty mingled with the exploits of the buccaneers than with those of the high- waymen, they probably were the better class of the two; not much if any worse than the mercenary soldiers of the age, or even than the majority of our brave defenders who have figured in the sack of a town. So long as they confined their depredations to the Spaniards, in their own opinion, and probably in that of the people, their con- duct was justifiable, as that nation was both our natural and reli- gious efiemy. If they tortured their prisoners, the Spaniards had set them the example : if they were licentious when they had sacked .a town, we need not travel beyond the present age or the Peninsula to match them in that respect: we must remember, too, that religious animosity sharpened their hatred, and that if the alleged danger of a storm is a valid excuse for the subsequent conduct of a besieging army, the achievements of regular troops must fade away before some of the exploits of the "bold buc- caneers." Another thing which added to their respectability, was their numbers, and the power of their leaders. Several com- manded what might even now be termed fleets; and when MOR- GAN, amongst other directions, enjoined his captains to carry on "hostilities against the Spaniards as enemies of the English na- tion," he had thirty-seven sail and upwards of two thousand men under his command. At a time when the national navy had enough to do to defend the Channel, such a power on remote stations was too useful in war to be vehemently discouraged during peace. If it DOW and then levied toll on an Englishman, it was exceedingly prompt in revenging such practices on the part of others. Should he popular enemies become Government ones also, the buccaneers supplied the place of a national force, as soon as "a declaration" secured them from all risk of trouble on ac- count of old scores, and enabled them to dispose of their prizes
to greater advantage. As the Executive became more powerful the administration of the finances more exact, the marine force more extensive, and the Islands more densely and respectably settled, these adventurers gradually disappeared. Some died off, or retired; others entered into the King's or the merchants' service ; a few sunk into the highwaymen of the sea ; who have gradually degenerated into the present pirate—perhaps the greatest miscreant that can be found.
In a publication the greater part of which is a reprint, there is not much need of criticism. Without merit of some kind, the lives would not have lived so long. They are written without much strength or elegance, but have a homely purity and native idiom of style; the adventures are narrated with a kind of professional gusto; and there is a schoolboy and vulgar sort of in- terest which carries the reader on. But in the eyes of the great biographers, facts were all in all. Their narratives neither paint the manners of the age nor the characters of the men. To many readers some of the anecdotes will seem improbable, because the narrators have not the art of making the reader feel the truth, by bringing all the attendant circumstances of the fact and the spirit of the times before him.
The publication is splendidly got up. And as its appearance and titles may fail in giving a true idea of its contents, a specimen seems indispensable. We select a few anecdotes of the road, as we have noticed them in turning over the pages.
About this period, the unfortunate Charles the First suffered death for his political principles. Captain Hind conceived an inveterate enmity to all those who had stained their hands with their Sovereign's blood, and gladly embraced every opportunity to wreak his vengeance upon them. In a short time, Allan and Hind met with the usurper, Oliver Cromwell, riding from Huntingdon to London. They attacked the coach ; but Oliver, being attended by seven ser- vants, Allan was apprehended, and it was with no small difficulty that Hind made his escape. The unfertunate Allan was soon after tried, and suffered death for his audacity. The only effect which this produced upon Hind, was to render him more cautious in his future depredations. He could not, however, think of abandoning a course on which he had just entered, and which promised so many advantages.
The Captain had ridden so hard to escape from Cromwell and his train, that he killed his horse ; and, having no money to purchase a substitute, he was under the necessity of trying his fortune upon foot, until he should find means to pro- cure another. It was not long before he espied a horse tied to a hedge with a saddle on and a brace of pistols attached to it He looked round and observed a gentleman on the other side of the hedge. " This is my horse," exclaimed the Captain, and immediately vaulted into the saddle. The gentleman called out to him that the horse was Isis. " Sir," said Hind, " you may think your- self well off that I have left you all the money in your pocket to buy another; which you had best lay out before I meet you again, lest you should be worse used."
There is another story of Hind's ingenious method of supplying himself with
a horse upon occasion. It appears that, being upon a second extremity reduced to the humble station of a foot-pad, he hired a sorry nag, and proceeded on his journey. He was overtaken by a gentleman mounted on a fine hunter, with a portmanteau behind him. They entered into conversation upon such topics as are common to travellers, and Hind was very eloquent in the praise of the gentleman's horse, which inclined the other to descant upon the qualifications of the animal. There was upon one side of the road a wall, which the gentleman said his horse would leap over. Hind offered to risk a bottle on it ; to which the gentleman agreed, and quickly made his horse leap over. The Captain acknow- ledged that be had lost his wager, but requested the gentleman to let him try If be could do the same ; to which he consented; and the Captain, being seated in the saddle of his companion, rode off at full speed, and left him to return the other miserable animal to its owner.
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At another time, Old Mob met with the Dutchess of Portsmouth, between Newmarket and London. He stopped the coach, and demanded her money. Accustomed to command a monarch, she could not conceive how a mean-look- ing fellow should talk in this style. Upon this, she briskly demanded if he knew who she was? " Yes, madam, I know you to be the greatest harlot in the kingdom, and maintained at the public expense ! I know that all the cour- tiers depend upon your smiles, and that even the King is your slave ! But what of all that ? A gentleman collector upon the road is a greater man, and more absolute than his majesty is at court. You may now say, madam that a single highwayman has exercised his authority where Charles the Second of England has often begged a favour."
Her Grace continued to gaze at him with a lofty air, and told him that he was a very insolent fellow ; that she would give him nothing ; and that he should certainly suffer for his insolence ; adding, "touch me if you dare!" "Madam," answered Mob, "that haughty French spirit will do you no good here ; I am an English freebooter, and I insist upon it, as my native right, to seize all foreign commodities. Your money is indeed English, but it is forfeited, as being the fruit of English folly. All you have is confiscated, as being be- stowed upon one so worthless. I am King here, madam ! I have use for money as well as he ! The public pay for his follies, and so they must for mine ! " Mob immediately attacked her ; but she cried for quarter, and delivered him two hundred pounds, a very rich necklace which her royal paramour had lately given her, a gold watch, and two diamond rings.
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Sir John Jefferies was the next to supply the wants of our adventurer; who first disabled two servants, and then, advancing to the coach, demanded his lord- ship's money. Jefferies, by his cruelties exhibited in the Western Assizes, had rendered himself sufficiently infamous; and supposing that his name would carry terror, he informed Old Mob of the quality of the person whom he had accosted in so rude a manner. "I am happy," said he, "in having an opportunity of being revenged of you, for lately putting me in fear of my life. I might," ad- ded he, "deliver you over to trial for putting me in dread of death; but shall compound the matter with the money you have in your coach." The Judge began to expostulate with him upon the danger to which he ex- posed both soul and body by such crimes; reminding him, that if he believed there was a Providence which governed the world, he might expect to meet with justice as the reward of his iniquities. " When justice has overtaken us both, said Old Mob, "I hope to stand as good a chance as your Lordship ; who have written your name in indelible characters of blood, and deprived many thousands of their lives for no other reason than their appearance in defence of their just rights and liberties. It is enough for you to preach morality upon the bench, when no person can venture to contradict you; but your lesson can have no effect upon me. I know you well enough to perceive that they are only lavished upon me to save your ill-gotten wealth." Then thundering forth a volley of oaths, and presenting a pistol to his breast, he threatened the Judge with instant death, unless he surrendered his cash. Perceiving that his ate- 'Wray was of no consequence to him upon tlae road, Jefferies delivered his 'stoney, amountanget0 fifty-six guineas.
One 'day, Du Vail and some others espied a knight and his lady travelling along in their coach. Seeing themselwes in danger of being attacked, the lady resorted to a flageolet, which she commenced playing, which she did very dex- terously. Du Vail taking the hint, pulled one out of his pocket, began to play, and in this posture approached the coach. "Sir," said he to the knight, "your lady performs excellently, and I make no doubt she dances veil: will you step out of the coach, and let us have the honour to dance a courant with her upon the heath?" " I dare not deny any thing, Sir," replied the knight readily, "to a gentleman of your quality and good behaviour ; you seem a man of generosity, and your request is perfectly reasonable." Immediately the footman opened the door, and the knight came out. Du Vail leaped lightly off his horse, and handed the lady down. It was surprising to see how gracefully he moved upon the grass: scarcely a dancing-master in London but would have been proud to have shown such agility in a pair of pumps, as Du Vail evinced in a pair of French riding-boots. As soon as the dance was over, he handed the lady to The coach ; but just as the knight was stepping in, "Sir," said he, "you forget -to pay the music." His worship replied, that be never forgot such things, and instantly put his hand under the seat of the coach, pulled out 100/. in a bag, which he delivered to Du Vail; who received it with a very good grace, and courteously answered, " Sir, you are liberal, and shall have no cause to regret your generosity ; this 1001. given so handsomely, is better than ten times the sum taken by force. Your noble behaviour has, excused you the other SOO/. which you have in the coach with you." After this, he gave him his word that lie-might pass undisturbed, if he met any other of his crew, and then wished 'them a good journey.
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