Volume V Part 34 (1/2)
”Is he not dishonoured by the execution of his relative?”
”Dishonoured! Certainly not; even his brother was not dishonoured
He broke the law, but he paid for it with his life, and owed society nothing h and lost; that's all I don't know that there is any penalty in the statute book which dishonours the culprit; that would be tyrannical, and ould not bear it Ito pay the penalty It is only a dishonour when the criminal tries to escape punishment by base or cowardly actions”
”How do you iveness of the people, and the like”
”How about escaping from justice?”
”That is no dishonour, for to fly is an act of courage; it continues the defiance of the law, and if the law cannot exact obedience, so much the worse for it It is an honour for you to have escaped froht frohts with death and flees fronabit'”
”What do you think of highway robbers, then?”
”I detest theerous to society, but I pity theallows You go out in a coach to pay a visit to a friend three or fourfellow springs upon you with his pistol in his hand, and says, 'Your money or your life' What would you do in such a case?”
”If I had a pistol handy I would blow out his brains, and if not I would give him my purse and call hi in both cases If you killed hiht to take the law into your own hands; and if you called him an assassin, he would tell you that he was no assassin as he attacked you openly and gave you a free choice Nay, he is generous, for he ht, indeed, tell him he has an evil trade, and he would tell you that you were right, and that he would try to avoid the gallows as long as possible He would then thank you and advise you never to drive out of London without being accompanied by a mounted servant, as then no robber would dare to attack you We English always carry two purses on our journeys; a se one for ourselves”
What answer could I uland is a rich sea, but streith reefs, and those who voyage there would do well to take precautions Sir Augustus Hervey's discourse gavefrom one topic to another, as is always the ith a desultory conversation, Sir Augustus deplored the fate of an unhappy Englishman who had absconded to France with seventy thousand pounds, and had been brought back to London, and was to be hanged
”How could that be?” I asked
”The Crown asked the Duc de Nivernois to extradite hiland assent to so, for it violates the right of nations It is true that theto do with the principle of the thing”
”Of course they have got back the seventy thousand pounds?”
”Not a shi+lling of it”
”Hoas that?”
”Because no money was found on him He has most likely left his little fortune to his wife, who canand pretty”
”I wonder the police have not been after her”
”Such a thing is never thought of What could they do? It's not likely that she would confess that her husband left her the stolen ed, but it says nothing about what they have stolen, as they are supposed to have made aith it Then if we had to take into account the thieves who had kept their theft and thieves who had spent it, we should have to make two sets of laws, and make all manner of allowances; the end of it would be inextricable confusion It seelishmen that it would not be just to ordain two punishments for theft The robber becoot it by violence, but it is none the less his, for he can do what he likes with it That being the case, everyone should be careful to keep what he has, since he knows that once stolen he will never see it again I have taken Havana froe scale”
He talked at once like a philosopher and a faithful subject of his king
Engaged in this discussion alked towards the duchess of Northumberland's, where I made the acquaintance of Lady Rochefort, whose husband had just been appointed Spanish aallantries were innumerable, and furnished a fresh topic of conversation every day
The day before the assembly at Soho Square Martinelli dined with me, and told o out except on Sundays, when debtors are privileged