seducer, so much tender innocence in the soul of the seduced, that--
bless the little dears!--their very peccadilloes make one interested
in them; and their naughtiness becomes quite sacred, so deliciously
is it described. Now, if we ARE to be interested by rascally
actions, let us have them with plain faces, and let them be
performed, not by virtuous philosophers, but by rascals. Another
clever class of novelists adopt the contrary system, and create
interest by making their rascals perform virtuous actions. Against
these popular plans we here solemnly appeal. We say, let your
rogues in novels act like rogues, and your honest men like honest
men; don't let us have any juggling and thimble-rigging with virtue
and vice, so that, at the end of three volumes, the bewildered
reader shall not know which is which; don't let us find ourselves
kindling at the generous qualities of thieves, and sympathising with
the rascalities of noble hearts. For our own part, we know what the
public likes, and have chosen rogues for our characters, and have
taken a story from the "Newgate Calendar," which we hope to follow
out to edification. Among the rogues, at least, we will have
nothing that shall be mistaken for virtues. And if the British
public (after calling for three or four editions) shall give up, not
only our rascals, but the rascals of all other authors, we shall be
content:--we shall apply to Government for a pension, and think that
our duty is done.



CHAPTER II. IN WHICH ARE DEPICTED THE PLEASURES OF A SENTIMENTAL
ATTACHMENT.