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Page 18
But to proceed with our history, which will, we hope, produce much
better lessons, and more instructive, than any we can preach: Wild
was no sooner retired to a night-cellar than he began to reflect
on the sweets he had that day enjoyed from the labours of others,
viz., first, from Mr. Bagshot, who had for his use robbed the
count; and, secondly, from the gentleman, who, for the same good
purpose, had picked the pocket of Bagshot. He then proceeded to
reason thus with himself: "The art of policy is the art of
multiplication, the degrees of greatness being constituted by
those two little words MORE or LESS. Mankind are first properly to
be considered under two grand divisions, those that use their own
hands, and those who employ the hands of others. The former are
the base and rabble; the latter, the genteel part of the creation.
The mercantile part of the world, therefore, wisely use of the
term EMPLOYING HANDS, and justly prefer each other as they employ
more or fewer; for thus one merchant says he is greater than
another because he employs more hands. And now indeed the merchant
should seem to challenge some character of greatness, did we not
necessarily come to a second division, viz., of those who employ
hands for the use of the community in which they live, and of
those who employ hands merely for their own use, without any
regard to the benefit of society. Of the former sort are the
yeoman, the manufacturer, the merchant, and perhaps the gentleman.
The first of these being to manure and cultivate his native soil,
and to employ hands to produce the fruits of the earth. The second
being to improve them by employing hands likewise, and to produce
from them those useful commodities which serve as well for the
conveniences as necessaries of life. The third is to employ hands
for the exportation of the redundance of our own commodities, and
to exchange them with the redundances of foreign nations, that
thus every soil and every climate may enjoy the fruits of the
whole earth. The gentleman is, by employing hands, likewise to
embellish his country with the improvement of art and sciences,
with the making and executing good and wholesome laws for the
preservation of property and the distribution of justice, and in
several other manners to be useful to society. Now we come to the
second part of this division, viz., of those who employ hands for
their own use only; and this is that noble and great part who are
generally distinguished into conquerors, absolute princes,
statesmen, and prigs [Footnote: Thieves.]. Now all these differ
from each other in greatness only--they employ MORE or FEWER
hands. And Alexander the Great was only GREATER than a captain of
one of the Tartarian or Arabian hordes, as he was at the head of a
larger number. In what then is a single prig inferior to any other
great man, but because he employs his own hands only; for he is
not on that account to be levelled with the base and vulgar,
because he employs his hands for his own use only. Now, suppose a
prig had as many tools as any prime minister ever had, would he
not be as great as any prime minister whatsoever? Undoubtedly he
would. What then have I to do in the pursuit of greatness but to
procure a gang, and to make the use of this gang centre in myself?
This gang shall rob for me only, receiving very moderate rewards
for their actions; out of this gang I will prefer to my favour the
boldest and most iniquitous (as the vulgar express it); the rest I
will, from time to time, as I see occasion, transport and hang at
my pleasure; and thus (which I take to be the highest excellence
of a prig) convert those laws which are made for the benefit and
protection of society to my single use."
Having thus preconceived his scheme, he saw nothing wanting to put
it in immediate execution but that which is indeed the beginning
as well as the end of all human devices: I mean money. Of which
commodity he was possessed of no more than sixty-five guineas,
being all that remained from the double benefits he had made of
Bagshot, and which did not seem sufficient to furnish his house,
and every other convenience necessary for so grand an undertaking.
He resolved, therefore, to go immediately to the gaming-house,
which was then sitting, not so much with an intention of trusting
to fortune as to play the surer card of attacking the winner in
his way home. On his arrival, however, he thought he might as well
try his success at the dice, and reserve the other resource as his
last expedient. He accordingly sat down to play; and as Fortune,
no more than others of her sex, is observed to distribute her
favours with strict regard to great mental endowments, so our hero
lost every farthing in his pocket. This loss however he bore with
great constancy of mind, and with as great composure of aspect. To
say truth, he considered the money as only lent for a short time,
or rather indeed as deposited with a banker. He then resolved to
have immediate recourse to his surer stratagem; and, casting his
eyes round the room, he soon perceived a gentleman sitting in a
disconsolate posture, who seemed a proper instrument or tool for
his purpose. In short (to be as concise as possible in these least
shining parts of our history), Wild accosted this man, sounded
him, found him fit to execute, proposed the matter, received a
ready assent, and, having fixed on the person who seemed that
evening the greatest favourite of Fortune, they posted themselves
in the most proper place to surprise the enemy as he was retiring
to his quarters, where he was soon attacked, subdued, and
plundered; but indeed of no considerable booty; for it seems this
gentleman played on a common stock, and had deposited his winnings
at the scene of action, nor had he any more than two shillings in
his pocket when he was attacked.
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