Introduction
On June 20th, 1782, German tourist Karl Philipp Moritz was excited to find himself taking his first ride in an English stagecoach. During the trip, he and his fellow-passengers were regaled with stories of daring crimes in the neighbourhoods through which they passed, prompting Moritz to reflect on the perils of walking abroad in Georgian England.
THE man who was with us in the coach pointed out to us the country seats of the lords and great people by which we passed; and entertained us with all kind of stories of robberies which had been committed on travellers, hereabouts; so that the ladies at last began to be rather afraid; on which he began to stand up for the superior honour of the English robbers, when compared with the French: the former he said robbed only, the latter both robbed and murdered.
Notwithstanding this there are in England another species of villains, who also murder, and that often-times for the merest trifle, of which they rob the person murdered. These are called footpads, and are the lowest class of English rogues; amongst whom in general there reigns something like some regard to character.
The highest order of thieves are the pickpockets or cutpurses, whom you find everywhere; and sometimes even in the best companies. They are generally well and handsomely dressed, so that you take them to be persons of rank; as indeed may sometimes be the case: persons who by extravagance and excesses have reduced themselves to want, and find themselves obliged at last to have recourse to pilfering and thieving.
Précis
In 1782, German tourist Karl Philip Moritz took his first trip on an English stage. A fellow-traveller horrified Moritz and several nervous ladies with tales of robbery on the road, prompting Moritz to reflect on the differences between the murderous footpad and the courteous pickpocket, this last being (he understood) often quite the gentleman, reduced to theft by cicumstances. (59 / 60 words)
In 1782, German tourist Karl Philip Moritz took his first trip on an English stage. A fellow-traveller horrified Moritz and several nervous ladies with tales of robbery on the road, prompting Moritz to reflect on the differences between the murderous footpad and the courteous pickpocket, this last being (he understood) often quite the gentleman, reduced to theft by cicumstances.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, if, may, or, otherwise, since, until.
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