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ed　the　sublime　appearance　by　announcing　that　arrangements　were　made　for　the　swallowing　up　of　London　and　Westminster。　Even　the　Cock…lane　ghost　had　been　laid　only　a　round　dozen　of　years；　after　rapping　out　its　messages；　as　the　spirits　of　this　very　year　last　past　（supernaturally　deficient　in　originality）　rapped　out　theirs。　Mere　messages　in　the　earthly　order　of　events　had　lately　e　to　the　English　Crown　and　People；　from　a　congress　of　British　subjects　in　America：　which；　strange　to　relate；　have　proved　more　important　to　the　human　race　than　any　munications　yet　received　through　any　of　the　chickens　of　the　Cock…lane　brood。
France；　less　favoured　on　the　whole　as　to　matters　spiritual　than　her　sister　of　the　shield　and　trident；　rolled　with　exceeding　smoothness　down　hill；　making　paper　money　and　spending　it。　Under　the　guidance　of　her　Christian　pastors；　she　entertained　herself　besides；　with　such　humane　achievements　as　sentencing　a　youth　to　have　his　hands　cut　off；　his　tongue　torn　out　with　pincers；　and　his　body　burned　alive；　because　he　had　not　kneeled　down　in　the　rain　to　do　honour　to　a　dirty　procession　of　monks　which　passed　within　his　view；　at　a　distance　of　some　fifty　or　sixty　yards。　It　is　likely　enough　that；　rooted　in　the　woods　of　France　and　Norway；　there　were　growing　trees；　when　that　sufferer　was　put　to　death；　already　marked　by　the　Woodman；　Fate；　to　edown　and　be　sawn　into　boards；　to　make　a　certain　movable　framework　with　a　sack　and　a　knife　in　it；　terrible　in　history。　It　is　likely　enough　that　in　the　rough　outhouses　old　some　tillers　of　the　heavy　lands　adjacent　to　Paris；　there　were　sheltered　from　the　weather　that　very　day；　rude　carts；　be　spattered　with　rustic　mire；　snuffed　about　by　pigs；　and　roosted　in　by　poultry；　which　the　Farmer；　Death；　had　already　set　apart　to　be　his　tumbrils　of　the　Revolution。　But　that　Woodman　and　that　Farmer；　though　they　work　unceasingly；　work　silently；　and　no　one　heard　them　as　they　went　about　with　muffled　tread：　the　rather；　for　as　much　as　to　entertain　any　suspicion　that　they　were　awake；　was　to　be　atheistical　and　traitorous。
In　England；　there　was　scarcely　an　amount　of　order　and　protection　to　justify　much　national　boasting。　Daring　burglaries　by　armed　men；　and　highway　robberies；　took　place　in　the　capital　itself　every　night；　families　were　publicly　cautioned　not　to　go　out　of　town　without　removing　their　furniture　to　upholsterers'　warehouses　for　security；　the　highwayman　in　the　dark　was　a　City　tradesman　in　the　light；　and；　being　recognised　and　challenged　by　his　fellow…tradesman　whom　he　stopped　in　his　character　of　‘the　Captain；　'　gallantly　shot　him　through　the　head　and　rode　away；　the　mail　was　waylaid　by　seven　robbers；　and　the　guard　shot　three　dead；　and　then　got　shot　dead　himself　by　the　other　four；　‘in　consequence　of　the　failure　of　his　ammunition：'　after　which　the　mail　was　robbed　in　Peace；　that　magnificent　potentate；　the　Lord　Mayor　of　London；　was　made　to　stand　and　deliver　on　Turnham　Green；　by　one　highwayman；　who　despoiled　the　illustrious　creature　insight　of　all　his　retinue；　prisoners　in　London　gaols　fought　battles　with　their　turnkeys；　and　the　majesty　of　the　law　fired　blunderbusses　in　among　them；　loaded　with　rounds　of　shot　and　ball；　thieves　snipped　off　diamond　crosses　from　the　necks　of　noble　lords　at　Court　drawing…rooms；　musketeers　went　into　St。　Giles's；　to　search　for　contraband　goods；　and　the　mob　fired　on　the　musketeers；　and　the　musketeers　fired　on　the　mob；　and　nobody　thought　any　of　these　occurrences　much　out　of　the　mon　way。　In　the　midst　of　them；　the　hangman；　ever　busy　and　ever　worse　than　useless；　was　in　constant　requisition；　now；　stringing　up　long　rows　of　miscellaneous　criminals；　now；　hanging　a　house…breaker　on　Saturday　who　had　been　taken　on　Tuesday；　now；　burning　people　in　the　hand　at　Newgate　by　the　dozen；　and　now　burning　pamphlets　at　the　door　of　Westminster　Hall；　to…day；　taking　the　life　of　an　atrocious　murderer；　and　to…morrow　of　a　wretched　pilferer　who　had　robbed　a　farmer's　boy　of　sixpence。
All　these　things；　and　a　thousand　like　them；　came　to　pass　in　and　close　upon　the　dear　old　year　one　thousand　seven　hundred　and　seventy…five。　Environed　by　them；　while　the　Woodman　and　the　Farmer　worked　unheeded；　those　two　of　the　large　jaws；　and　those　other　two　of　the　plain　and　the　fair　laces；　trod　with　stir　enough；　and　carried　their　divine　rights　with　a　high　hand。　Thus　did　the　year　one　thousand　seven　hundred　and　seventy…five　conduct　their　Greatnesses；　and　myriads　of　small　creatures……the　creatures　of　this　chronicle　among　the　rest……along　the　roads　that　lay　before　them。　
CHAPTER　II
The　Mail
It　was　the　Dover　road　that　lay；　on　a　Friday　night　late　in　November；　before　the　first　of　the　persons　with　whom　this　history　has　business。　The　Dover　road　lay；　as　to　him；　beyond　the　Dover　mail；　as　it　lumbered　up　Shooter's　Hill。　He　walked　uphill　in　the　mire　by　the　side　of　the　mail；　as　the　rest　of　the　passengers　did；　not　because　they　had　the　least　relish　for　walking　exercise；　under　the　circumstances；　but　because　the　hill；　and　the　harness；　and　the　mud；　and　the　mail；　were　all　so　heavy　that　the　horses　had　three　times　already　e　to　a　stop；　beside　once　drawing　the　coach　across　the　road；　with　the　mutinous　intent　of　taking　it　back　to　Blackheath。　Reins　and　whip　and　coachman　and　guard；　however；　in　bination；　had　read　that　article　of　war　which　forbad　a　purpose　otherwise　strongly　in　favour　of　the　argument；　that　some　brute　animals　are　endued　with　Reason；　and　the　team　had　capitulated　and　returned　to　their　duty。
With　drooping　heads　and　tremulous　tails；　they　mashed　their　way　through　the　thick　mud；　floundering　and　stumbling　he　between　whiles；　as　if　they　were　falling　to　pieces　at　the　large　joints。　As　often　as　the　driver　rested　them　and　brought　them　to　a　stand；　with　a　wary　‘Wo…ho！　so…ho　then！'　the　near　leader　violently　shook　his　head　and　everything　upon　it……like　an　unusually　emphatic　horse；　denying　that　the　coach　could　be　got　up　the　hill。　Whenever　the　leader　made　this　rattle；　the　passenger　started；　as　a　nervous　passenger　might；　and　was　disturbed　in　mind。
There　was　a　steaming　mist　in　all　the　hollows；　and　it　had　roamed　in　its　forlornness　up　the　hill；　like　an　evil　spirit；　seeking　rest　and　finding　none。　A　clammy　and　intensely　cold　mist；　made　its　slow　way　through　the　air　in　ripples　that　visibly　followed　and　overspread　one　another；　as　the　waves　of　an　unwholesome　sea　might　do。　It　was　dense　enough　to　shut　out　everything　from　the　light　of　the　coach…lamps　but　these　its　own　workings　and　a　few　yards　of　road；　and　the　reek　of　the　labouring　horse　steamed　into　it；　as　if　they　had　made　it　all。
Two　other　passengers；　besides　the　one；　were　plodding　up　the　hill　by　the　side　of　the　mail。　All　three　were　wrapped　to　the　cheek…bones　and　over　the　ears；　and　wore　jack…boots。　Not　one　of　the　three　could　have　said；　from　anything　he　saw；　what　either　of　the　other　two　was　like；　and　each　was　hidden　under　almost　as　many　wrappers　from　the　eyes　of　the　mind；　as　from　the　eyes　of　the　body；　of　his　two　panions。　In　those　days；　travellers　were　very　shy　of　being　confidential　on　short　notice；　for　anybody　on　the　road　might　be　a　robber　or　in　league　with　robbers。　As　to　the　latter；　when　every　posting…house　and　ale…house　could　produce　somebody　in　‘the　Captain's'　pay；　ranging　from　the　landlord　to　the　lowest　stable　nondescript；　it　was　the　likeliest　thing　upon　the　cards。　So　the　guard　of　the　Dover　mail　thought　to　himself；　that　Friday　night　in　November；　one　thousand　seven　hundred　and　seventy…five；　lumbering　up　Shooter's　Hill；　as　he　stood　on　his　own　particular　perch　behind　the　mail；　beating　his　feet；　and　keeping　an　eye　and　a　hand　on　the　arm…chest　before　him；　where　a　loaded　blunderbuss　lay　at　the　top　of　six　or　eight　loaded　horse…pistols；　deposited　on　a　substratum　of　cutlass。
The　Dover　mail　was　in　its　usual　genial　position　that　the　guard　suspected　the　passengers；　the　passengers　suspected　one　another　and　the　guard；　they　all　suspected　everybody　else；　and　the　coachman　was　sure　of　nothing　but　the　horses；　as　to　which　cattle　he　could　with　a　clear　conscience　have　taken　his　oath　on　the　two　Testaments　that　they　were　not　fit　for　the　journey。
‘Wo…ho！'　said　the　coachman。　‘So；　then　One　more　pull　and　you're　at　the　top　and　be　damned　to　you；　for　I　have　had　trouble　enough　to　get　you　to　it……Joe！'
‘Halloa'　the　guard　replied。　
‘What　o'clock　do　you　make　it；　Joe？'　
‘Ten　minut