FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   >>  
3 4 Perfume 0 2 One bushel and a half of meal 0 8 Water 0 3 Garnishing the vessels 0 3 ------------- Total of feast for 50 people L1 13 2-1/2 ------------- CURIOS. * * * * * THE SELECTOR; AND LITERARY NOTICES OF NEW WORKS. * * * * * VIDOCQ. (Concluded.) We have a vulgar book called _Frauds of London laid open_, and Vidocq's fourth volume will serve for Paris, since he defines the nomenclature--nay the very craft of thieves with great minuteness: thus-- _The Chevaliers Grimpants_. "The Chevaliers Grimpants, called also _voleurs au bonjour_, _donneurs de bonjours_, _bonjouriers_, are those who introduce themselves into a house and carry off in an instant the first movable commodity that falls in their way. The first _bonjouriers_ were I am assured, servants out of place. They were at first few in number, but, soon acquiring pupils, their industry increased so rapidly, that from 1800 to 1812, there was scarcely a day that robberies were not committed in Paris of from a dozen to fifteen baskets of plate. "The _Almanach du commerce, l'Almanach royal_, and that with twenty-five thousand addresses in it, are, for bonjouriers, the most interesting works that can be published. Every morning, before they go out, they consult them; and when they propose visiting any particular house, it is very seldom that they are not acquainted with the names of at least two persons in it; and that they may effect an entrance, they inquire for one when they see the porter, and endeavour to rob the other. "A _bonjourier_ has always a gentlemanly appearance, and his shoes always well made and thin. He gives the preference to kid before any other leather, and takes care to bruise and break the sole that it may not creak or make any noise; sometimes the sole is made of felt; at other times, and especially in winter, the kid slipper, or dogskin shoe, is replaced by list shoes, with which they can walk, go up stairs, or descend a staircase, without any noise. The theft _au bonjour_, is effected without violence, without skeleton keys, without burglariously entering. If a thief sees a key in a door of a room, he first knocks very gently, then a little harder, then very loudly; i
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   >>  



Top keywords:

bonjouriers

 
bonjour
 

Grimpants

 
Almanach
 

Chevaliers

 

called

 
acquainted
 

visiting

 

seldom

 

inquire


entrance

 
effect
 

persons

 

entering

 

burglariously

 

propose

 

loudly

 
harder
 

interesting

 

thousand


addresses

 

published

 

skeleton

 

consult

 

knocks

 
morning
 
gently
 

violence

 
preference
 

slipper


winter
 

dogskin

 

leather

 

bruise

 
replaced
 

staircase

 

descend

 

bonjourier

 
effected
 

endeavour


stairs

 
gentlemanly
 

appearance

 

porter

 

Frauds

 
London
 

vulgar

 
VIDOCQ
 

Concluded

 

Vidocq