The adventures of this notorious offender excited more attention than those of many of our most celebrated warriors. He was, for a considerable time, the principal subject of conversation in all ranks of society. Histories of his life issued from the press in a variety of forms. A pantomimic entertainment was brought forward at Drury-lane theatre, called "Harlequin Sheppard," wherein his adventures, prison-breakings, and other extraordinary escapes, were represented; and another dramatic work was published, as a farce of three acts, called "The Prison-Breaker;" or, "The Adventures of John Sheppard;" and a part of it, with songs, catches, and glees added, was performed at Bartholomew Fair, under the title of "The Quaker's Opera."
The arts too, were busied in handing to posterity memoranda for us never to follow the example of Jack Sheppard.
Sir James Thornhill[2], the first painter of the day, painted his portrait, from which engravings in mezzotinto were made; and the few still in preservation are objects of curiosity. On this subject the following lines were written at the time:--
"Thornhill, 'tis thine to gild with fame The obscure, and raise the humble name; To make the form elude the grave, And Sheppard from oblivion save.
Though life in vain the wretch implores, An exile on the farthest shores, Thy pencil brings a kind reprieve, And bids the dying robber live.
This piece to latest time shall stand, And show the wonders of thy hand: Thus former masters graced their name, And gave egregious robbers fame.
Apelles Alexander drew, Cæsar is to Aurelius due; Cromwell in Lily's works doth shine, And Sheppard, Thornhill, lives in thine."
In modern times, the adventures of Sheppard and his contemporaries have become even better known and more remarked, in consequence of the work to which we have already alluded, and from which we have made an extract which details his exploits with great exactness; but at the same time gives to them a degree of romantic interest to which they are hardly entitled. The _rage_ for house-breakers has become immense, and the fortunes of the most notorious and the most successful of thieves have been made the subject of entertainments at no fewer than six of the London theatres.