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DE BERENGER'S HELPS AND HINTS.'

[SEPTEMBER 1835.]

THE Baron, in a series of letters to his son Augustus, desires to instruct him "how to become an overmatch for anybody who, in any shape, may aim, either at his life, his purse, or other property, or at unfair impediments to his justifiable pursuits, or at the disturbance of his peace of mind in any way, or of his enjoyments generally." He disclaims all rivalry with Lord Chesterfield, whose chief aim was to give his son the ostentatious accomplishments of a fine gentleman. Such accomplishments the Colonel is far from despising, but he rightly prefers to them all "unsophisticated ideas of honour." Neither does he seek to make his Augustus a disciple of the Tom and Jerry school, a thoroughbred Pickle, or a knowing varmint. But, "just as a merchant possessed of superior knowledge may be deemed richer than a more opulent rival, whose information is contracted, so, by the cool and judicious, as well as adroit application of even inferior physical powers, shall you be taught and enabled to subdue even gigantic, but ignorant opponents." And the worthy Baron says, "I will exert my best endeavours to show you how you can effect all this, yet without adopting any but fair and honourable means." It is long since we have read a more amusing and instructive series of letters, and we recommend the volume to the study of the youth of Great Britain and Ireland before they make a visit to the metropolis. Our article must be a short one, but we shall return to the consideration of some of the most interesting subjects treated of in the Helps and Hints, and for the present confine ourselves to the precautions which are necessary in walking the streets of great cities-the general rules and cautions to be observed on the highways and

1 Helps and Hints how to Protect Life and Property, &c. By LIEUT.-COL. BARON DE BERENGER.

roads and the best modes of defending yourself against the attacks which may be made on you in either of those situations.

"Never," saith the experienced Baron, "walk with your hands in your pockets." If you do, the thieves will take you for a flat, “that is, a weak-minded person, and likely to be operated upon successfully." Let there be nothing absurd in your dress, for by the outward pickpockets judge the inward man. On one occasion, the Colonel himself, when looking into the window of a print-shop, felt a tug, " and nimbly catching a young man's hand in my pocket, I forcibly retained it there, he begging all the while to be forgiven, and in very strenuous but submissive terms. Foolishly, being rather what is called upon good terms with myself, I somewhat pompously demanded to know what he could possibly see in my face to warrant his hopes of taking advantage of my folly. Hesitating a little, he replied, If you will but forgive me, sir, I will candidly tell you, and it may save you loss hereafter. Why, as to your face, sir, it is well enough, but your wearing pumps and silk stockings on a rainy day, and in such muddy streets, made me make sure of having met in you with a good flat.'”

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Instead of allowing your tailor to make outside pockets to your morning frocks or coats, order him, quoth the Baron, somewhat imperiously, to place them inside. Our tailor has done so with the only morning frock or coat we have, and the consequence of such an arrangement or disposition of the parts is, that we are unable to pick our own pocket. That our snuff-box is there we know and feel, as it keeps bobbing against the calf of our leg, but to get anything near it with our hand has always hitherto baffled our utmost dexterity. We have to take off our patent safety, previous to every pinch, lay it across our knees, and after much manipulation, contrive to extricate Horn Tooke from the cul-de-sac. "Nevertheless, you

must not rely upon being secure even then; for pickpockets are as crafty as they are nimble; " yet we cannot but think it a little hard that every hand should seem to know the way into those pockets but our own. The only true ephemeral is your beautiful white blue-spotted silk handkerchief!

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Avoid," saith the Baron, "every unnecessary display of money, since no solid excuse can be offered for so dangerous an act of carelessness or so pitiful a gratification of vanity. This practice is but

too common with persons of weak intellects or with perfect novices; and if, instead of being the result of thoughtlessness, their aim is to impress others with an idea of their consequence, it counteracts the very effect they endeavour to promote; for just as every thinking observer concludes that the being the owner of a horse, or the master of a servant, must be something quite new with a person who more frequently than others introduces 'my horse' or 'my servant' into his conversation, so to him it cannot fail to become a confirmation that the possession of large sums must either be unusual or of recent date with persons who so sillily can expose themselves to additional risks by thus inviting and provoking the ingenuity of sharpers and thieves of every description. Numerous, frightfully numerous, are the instances of murders committed in Great Britain and abroad under no instigation but that caused by the inconsiderate display of much cash, or of the boast of possessing it; for which reason it is more prudent to keep even your own servants in ignorance upon such points than to caution them against divulging, since mere innocent swagger on their part, or intoxication, may produce calamitiesresults that may throw whole families into mourning and consternation."

Have all your wits about you on leaving the bank, banking-houses, army and navy agencies, or similar places where you have been receiving money. Come out with a rueful countenance, as if you had found that you had long ago overdrawn your account. Dividend-hunters will see written on your face "No effects." Slip into a coach with a suicidal air, and tell Jehu to drive to the Stairs, as if in desperation you wished the public to know that your only friend on earth now was the Thames.

"Never pull out your watch to satisfy any inquirer. Tell him the time by guess," says the benevolent Baron, " continuing your walk all the while." To all questions about the road or any street, or name of any resident, without slackening your pace give a brief answer, expressive of total ignorance of that particular part of the world. Allow no man to put any letter or parcel into your hand with a request that you will have the kindness to explain the address.

A still more useful advice to young, and likewise to elderly gentlemen, we give in the Baron's own forcible words.

For many reasons, of which the following is a sufficient one, never let fair strangers, who may accost you in the streets, under pretended acquaintance, or other excuses, lay hold of your arm.

Shake them off with a bow, and the assurance that they are mistaken, and cross the road directly; nay, as those ladies hunt in couples, they may endeavour to honour you by attempts to take you between them by each seizing upon one of your arms. You cannot avert too nimbly all the favours about to be conferred upon you, be it by these charmers themselves, or by some less elegant confederate, male or female, close at hand, and who, if a male, may, at night especially, bully, perhaps maltreat you, for having presumed to intrude yourself, as will be maintained by all, upon ladies to whom he may claim a close and endearing alliance. And in this pretended husband, father, or brother, you may behold some coarse, ruffian-looking fellow, of prize-fighting make and shape-one whose confident manner will betray the reliance which pervades his mind that his peculiar je ne scai quoi will impress you with such unfeigned respect as to paralyse all remonstrances on your part, even if a bare-faced removal of your purse, pocket-book, or watch, should have been discovered by you in good time, so as absolutely to be engaged in endeavours to obtain restitution.

From these few specimens a judgment may be formed of the value of the Baron's advice, suggested by much experience, how to walk with safety to person and pocket the perilous streets of London. Equally excellent are his general rules and cautions to be observed on the highways and roads near the outskirts of London. They are precisely such as we used always to observe half a century ago—more or less-when the highways and byways were far rifer than now with all sorts of danger.

Avoid at all times gateways, corners of streets, mews, lanes, and all obscure recesses, for they are the lurking-places of thieves, robbers, perhaps murderers. Not that they are at all times so haunted-but your business may be effectually done in one encounter-and therefore "accustom yourself never to pass such places without expecting the possibility of some such attack."

Keep the crown of the carriage-road-if wheels be unfrequent; and, if compelled to walk the causeway, keep the side farthest from the ditch. So may you prevent the rascals from surrounding you, and be able at once to make play.

Never suffer any man to come in close contact with you, whether he be walking before or behind;-if he hang on your steps-cross over-and if he do the same, outwalk him if you can, If you hear his step too close upon you, face about, and

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make a sudden halt, "as if to examine something, yet looking at him firmly as he comes on towards you, thus to make him pass you; but doing all this without any flurry or menace." If he has not screwed his courage to the sticking-place, he will probably wish you good-night and pass on. Be in no haste to follow him-but step into the first public, and take a cheerer. But, continues the bold Baron, "if a fellow on the highway hangs down his head as if to baulk your scrutiny, and still continues about you, prepare yourself instantly to make the most desperate resistance; for he not only has determined on attacking you, but he will conclude his robbery with maltreatment-perhaps as long as symptoms of life appear, for fear you should swear to his person.' It is often, therefore, a point not merely of delicacy, but of difficulty and danger, to look a fellow on the highway in the face on either a cloudy or clear night. If you do not, you cannot tell whether he intends to murder you or not; and if you do, he is sure to murder you if he can: for he cannot fail to remark that you are studying his phiz, that you may with a safe conscience swear to his person at the Old Bailey. Wherefore the considerate Baron counselleth " any timid or feeble person to refrain from scrutinising the features of robbers. They should not appear to know-if even they should recognise him-any felonious assailant, much less be so foolish as to call him by name." Yet here again it is dangerous to affect ignorance. They see through your cowardly hypocrisy, and fracture your skull.

What, then, are the best modes of self-defence against attacks, whether on the streets or on the highways and roads? -and this brings us to the third part of the Baron's discourse, from which we are selecting a few characteristic specimens. In it he draws his practical conclusions. And in the first place he directs our attention to แ our tools or rather weapons." "The stick," he says well," is an excellent weapon." "A stick," he does not hesitate to say-" in able hands, is nearly as good as a sword." Nay, in the hands of an inferior broadswordsman, it is-he maintains-even better. How so? Because a stick inflicts nearly equal pain by a blow from any part of the circumference, wherefore it has been jocosely called a sword having an edge all round. The best kind of sticks -are oak, ash, and hazel saplings, black thorn, and sound

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