Page:A short history of social life in England.djvu/292

272 and armed men could load up their wagons on the open shore in defiance of the Customs officers, and encounter no opposition. Tea, coffee, tobacco, rum, and brandy were freely smuggled into the country, and men of note had no conscience against stowing away such goods in their cellars. The plunder of shipwrecked sailors lured on to the rocks by false lights was not uncommon, and only shows the imperfect civilisation of this time. The punishments for stealing were still very severe. Death was the penalty to be paid for stealing a sheep or a horse in the eighteenth century, or 40s. from a dwelling-house, 5s. from a shop, or I2½d. from a pocket, while a man might attempt murder or take the life of another, burn a house, commit a highway robbery, and his crime be classed under "misdemeanours." The London of this age has been called the "City of the Gallows." Indeed, all over England they were terribly common, and to witness the death of a condemned criminal was among the rude amusements of the eighteenth century. Such enormous crowds pressed to see the famous highwayman, Jack Shepherd, in gaol, before he paid the extreme penalty, that the keeper was estimated to have made £200 for showing him, while Dr. Dodd, a