psies and trampers, and
all kinds of strange characters. Old Fulcher, besides being an
industrious basket-maker, was an out-and-out thief, as was also his son,
and, indeed, every member of his family. They used to make baskets
during the day, and thieve during a great part of the night. I had not
been with them twelve hours before old Fulcher told me that I must thieve
as well as the rest. I demurred at first, for I remembered the fate of
my father, and what he had told me about leaving off bad courses, but
soon allowed myself to be over-persuaded; more especially as the first
robbery I was asked to do was a fruit robbery. I was to go with young
Fulcher, and steal some fine Morell cherries, which grew against a wall
in a gentleman's garden; so young Fulcher and I went and stole the
cherries, one half of which we ate, and gave the rest to the old man, who
sold them to a fruiterer ten miles off from the place where we had stolen
them. The next night old Fulcher took me out with himself. He was a
great thief, though in a small way. He used to say, that they were
fools, who did not always manage to keep the rope below their shoulders,
by which he meant, that it was not advisable to commit a robbery, or do
anything which could bring you to the gallows. He was all for petty
larceny, and knew where to put his hand upon any little thing in England,
which it was possible to steal. I submit it to the better judgment of
the Romany Rye, who I see is a great hand for words and names, whether he
ought not to have been called old Filcher, instead of Fulcher. I shan't
give a regular account of the larcenies he committed during the short
time I knew him, either alone by himself, or with me and his son. I
shall merely relate the last.

"A melancholy gentleman, who lived a very solitary life, had a large carp
in a shady pond in a meadow close to his house; he was exceedingly fond
of it, and used to feed it with his own hand, the creature being so tame
that it would put its snout out of the water to be fed when it was
whistled to; feeding and looking at his carp were the only pleasures the
poor melancholy gentleman possessed. Old Fulcher--being in the
neighbourhood, and having an order from a fishmonger for a large fish,
which was wanted at a great city dinner, at which His Majesty was to be
present--swore he would steal the carp, and asked me to go with him. I
had heard of the gentleman's fondness for his creature, and begged