The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Book of Scoundrels, by Charles Whibley

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Title: A Book of Scoundrels

Author: Charles Whibley

Release Date: February 21, 2006 [EBook #1632]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A BOOK OF SCOUNDRELS ***

Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer and David Widger

A BOOK OF SCOUNDRELS

By Charles Whibley

To the Greeks FOOLISHNESS

I desire to thank the Proprietors of the 'National Observer,' the
'New Review,' the 'Pall Mall Gazette,' and 'Macmillan's Magazine,' for
courteous permission to reprint certain chapters of this book.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CAPTAIN HIND

MOLL CUTPURSE AND JONATHAN WILD
I. MOLL CUTPURSE
II. JONATHAN WILD
III. A PARALLEL

RALPH BRISCOE

GILDEROY AND SIXTEEN-STRING JACK
I. GILDEROY
II. SIXTEEN-STRING JACK
III. A PARALLEL

THOMAS PURENEY

SHEPPARD AND CARTOUCHE
I. JACK SHEPPARD
II. LOUIS-DOMINIQUE CARTOUCHE
III. A PARALLEL

VAUX

GEORGE BARRINGTON

THE SWITCHER AND GENTLEMAN HARRY
I. THE SWITCHER
II. GENTLEMAN HARRY
III. A PARALLEL

DEACON BRODIE AND CHARLES PEACE
I. DEACON BRODIE
II. CHARLES PEACE
III. A PARALLEL

THE MAN IN THE GREY SUIT

MONSIEUR L'ABBE

INTRODUCTION

There are other manifestations of greatness than to relieve suffering or
to wreck an empire. Julius Caesar and John Howard are not the only heroes
who have smiled upon the world. In the supreme adaptation of means to an
end there is a constant nobility, for neither ambition nor virtue is
the essential of a perfect action. How shall you contemplate with
indifference the career of an artist whom genius or good guidance
has compelled to exercise his peculiar skill, to indulge his finer
aptitudes? A masterly theft rises in its claim to respect high above the
reprobation of the moralist. The scoundrel, when once justice is quit
of him, has a right to be appraised by his actions, not by their
effect; and he dies secure in the knowledge that he is commonly more
distinguished, if he be less