HIGHWAYMEN 163 



cause, took to the highway and robbed Parliamentarians 

 for a Hvelihood. One of them, James Hind, the son of a 

 saddler of Chipping Norton, so far prospered that he 

 was able to plunder Peters and Bradshaw, two of the 

 regicides. He narrowly escaped the proud distinftion 

 of robbing Cromwell himself, a deed which all Cavaliers, 

 highwaymen and otherwise, would have accounted both 

 just and righteous. Though they undoubtedly enjoyed 

 their spoils the better when filched from the pockets of 

 a Roundhead, the highwaymen were not blind to the 

 fadl that Royalist gold had every whit as much pur- 

 chasing power, and was not to be despised when Parlia- 

 mentary coin was scarce. 



Later generations cared not from whence their booty 

 came, but levied toll on all and sundry without dis- 

 tindfion of persons or politics. These highwaymen of 

 the eighteenth century held such an exalted opinion of 

 themselves and their profession that even the term 

 "highwaymen" was not sufficiently refined for their 

 sensitive feelings, and "Gentlemen of the Road" or 

 "Road Inspedlors" were terms more to their liking. 

 Incredible as it seems, these men who made it their 

 business to rob and plunder on the highway considered 

 themselves gentlemen, and constantly impressed this 

 fa6t on their viftims; even Dick Turpin, who was a 

 ruffian even for highwaymen, returned a mourning ring 

 with the remark that they were "too much of gentlemen 

 to take anything a gentleman valued so much." 



We have it on authority that the world takes people 

 at their own valuation, and the highwaymen, with their 



