Smith, Alexander, Captain [pseud.],
The History of the Most Noted Highway-Men (London: J. Morphew/ A. Dodd, 1714).

Description

title page/ p.i-vi preface signed: Alexander Smith./ [16] pp. "Table" alphabetical, names of criminals and their deeds/ p.1-288/ 12°.

Shelf-marks

{NA:CLU-C: HV6245.S64}.

Bibliographical Reference

ESTC: n008451.

Microfilm

RP: reel 4041, no. 2.

Author

Smith, Alexander, Captain, pseud., cf. preface to The Second Volume of the History of the Lives of the Most Notorious High-way-men (London: J. Morphew/ A. Dodd, 1714).

History of Publication

	1.a	The History of the Most Noted Highway-Men (London: J. Morphew/ A. Dodd, 1714).
	2.a	The Second Volume of the History of the Lives of the Most Notorious High-way-men (London: J. Morphew/ A. Dodd, 1714).
	1/[2].b	The History of the Lives of the Most Noted Highway-Men [...] in two volumes. The second edition [vol. 2, 1st edition] (London: J. Morphew/ A. Dodd, 1714).
	1-2	ø[...] third edition (London: J. Morphew/ A. Dodd, 1715). [Cf. advertisement reproduced with the title page of Smith, Alexander, The secret History of the Lives of the Most Celebrated Beauties (J. Brown/ J. Graves/ J. Morphew, 171[5]).
	1/2.c	A Compleat History of the Lives and Robberies of the Most Notorious Highway-men [...] the fifth edition (London: S. Briscoe/ A. Dodd, 1719).
	3.a	The Third Volume of the Compleat History of the Lives, Robberies, Piracies, and Murders committed by the most notorious Rogues, &c. (London: S. Briscoe/ T. Warner/ A. Dodd, 1720).
	1-3.d	A General History of the Lives and Adventures of the Most Famous Highwaymen, Murderers, Street-Robbers, &c. to which is added, a genuine account of the voyages and plunders of the most notorious pyrates. Interspersed with several diverting tales, and pleasant songs. And adorned with the Heads of the most remarkable Villains, curiously engraven on Copper (London: J. Janeway/ Booksellers of Westminster, 1734).

The title is connected with the editions of:

• Lucas, Theophilius, Memoirs of the Lives, Intrigues and Comical Adventures of the most Famous Gamesters (London: J. Brown/ F. Burleigh, 1714).
• Smith, Alexander, Captain, The secret History of the Lives of the Most Celebrated Beauties (London: J. Brown/ J. Graves/ J. Morphew, 171[5]).
• Smith, Alexander, Captain, The Comical and Tragical History of the most noted Baylifis in and about London and Westminster (London: Printed for S. Briscoe, 1723).
• Johnson, Charles, Captain, A General History of the Robberies and Murders Of the most notorious Pyrates, and also their Policies, Discipline, and Government from their first Rise and Settlement in 1717 to the present year, with the Adventures of the two Female Pyrates, Mary Read and Anne Bonny (London: Printed for C. Rivington, J. Lacy, and J. Stone, 1724).

German - allegedly, so library catalogues and the 1987 edition, a translation by Johann Leonhard Rost (Meletaon), though he is everything but a likely candidate. When should the Nürnberg based astronomer have learned English? The edition is more likely to have appeared in Hamburg.

B.	a	Leben und Thaten der berühmtesten Strassen-Räuber, Mörder (Franckfurt/ Leipzig, 1720).
	b	Leben und Thaten der berühmtesten Strassen-Räuber [...] ed. Schlösser, Anselm (München: Beck, 1987). [A revised selection claiming Johann Leonhard Rost to have been the original translator]

Self-classification

Title: "History" (sg. even though numerous histories are presented).

Remarks

According to preface: lives of criminals published to prevent crime. Source allegedly not the reports of the ordinaries of Newgate, but narrations of the criminlas themselves. The individual biographies are, however, altogether third person narratives, offered without any hint at the respective sources. The pattern is standardized: first name and extraction, then a sequence of crimes in which the criminal delights the audience with the presence of his mind if not his wit, finally, dated, the notice of the execution. The stories remind of satires by Quevedo, with characters and professions falling victim not only of the respective criminal but also of the higher satire. The criminal demasks his victims by forcing them to pay what they owe him. Numerous dates within, the last: 4 Sep. 1713.

o.s.