THE HIERARCHY OF THIEVES 119 



rogues, amoDgst whom, in general, tlicre reigns some- 

 tbino' like some reo-ard to character. 



"The highest order of thieves (!) are the pick- 

 pockets or cutpurses, whom you find everywhere, 

 and sometimes even in the best companies. They 

 are generally well and handsomely dressed, so that 

 you take them to be persons of condition ; as indeed 

 may sometimes be the case — persons who by extrava- 

 gance and excesses have reduced themselves to want, 

 and find themselves oblio-ed at last to have recourse 

 to pilfering and thieving. 



" Next to them come the highwaymen, who rob on 

 horseback, and often, they say, even with unloaded 

 pistols, they terrify travellers in order to put them- 

 selves in possession of their purses. Among these 

 persons, however, there are instances of true greatness 

 of soul ; there are numberless instances of their re- 

 turning a large part of their booty where the party 

 robbed has appeared to be particularly distressed, and 

 they are seldom guilty of murder. 



" Then comes the third and lowest and worst of all 

 thieves and rogues, the footpads before mentioned, 

 who are on foot, and often murder in the most in- 

 human manner, for the sake of only a few shillings, 

 any unfortunate people who happen to fall in their 

 way." 



The coach arrived, one is glad to say, unharmed at 

 Richmond, despite forebodings of disaster ; but the 

 pirates on board (so to speak) demanded another 

 shilling of the Pastor, although he had already paid 

 one at starting. 



At Richmond he stayed the night, and in the 



