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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from The Plays of W. E. Henley and R. L. Stevenson, by William Ernest Henley

HUNT. That same, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal. The Captain’s given me a hard
hunt of it this time. I dropped on his marks first at Huntingdon, but he
was away North, and I had to up and after him. I heard of him all along
the York road, for he’s a light hand on the pad, has Jemmy, and leaves
his mark. [I missed him at York by four-and-twenty hours, and lost him
for as much more. Then I picked him up again at Carlisle, and we made a
race of it for the Border; but he’d a better nag, and was best up in the
road; so I had to wait till I ran him to earth in Edinburgh here and
could get a new warrant.] So here I am, sir. They told me you were an
active sort of gentleman, and I’m an active man myself. And Sir John
Fielding, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal, he’s an active gentleman, likewise,
though he’s blind as a himage, and he desired his compliments to you,
[sir, and said that between us he thought we’d do the trick].

LAWSON. Ay, he’ll be a fine man, Sir John. Hand me owre your papers,
Hunt, and you’ll have your new warrant quam primum. And see here,
Hunt, ye’ll aiblins have a while to yoursel’, and an active man, as ye
say ye are, should aye be grinding grist. We’re sair forfeuchen wi’ our
burglaries. Non constat de personâ. We canna get a grip o’ the
delinquents. Here is the Hue and Cry. Ye see there is a guid two
hundred pounds for ye.

HUNT. Well, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal [I ain’t a rich man, and two hundred’s
two hundred. Thereby, sir], I don’t mind telling you I’ve had a bit of a
worry at it already. You see, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal, I had to look into
a ken to-night about the Captain, and an old cock always likes to be sure
of his walk; so I got one of your Scotch officers—him as was so polite as
to show me round to Mr. Brodie’s—to give me full particulars about the
’ouse, and the flash companions that use it. In his list I drop on the
names of two old lambs of my own; and I put it to you, Mr.
Procurator-Fiscal, as a genleman as knows the world, if what’s a black
sheep in London is likely or not to be keeping school in Edinburgh?

Explanation ​

This excerpt is from Deacon Brodie, or The Double Life (1880), a collaborative play by William Ernest Henley and Robert Louis Stevenson, based on the real-life story of William Brodie (1741–1788), a respected Edinburgh cabinetmaker and city councillor who led a double life as a burglar and gambler. The play blends historical drama, crime, and psychological duality, themes that Stevenson would later explore in Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886). Brodie’s story—respectable by day, criminal by night—fascinated the Victorians, embodying anxieties about hypocrisy, class, and the fragility of social order.

This scene features Hunt, a bow street runner (an early form of detective), reporting to Lawson, the Procurator-Fiscal (a Scottish legal officer). Their dialogue reveals the pursuit of Brodie, the underworld networks, and the bureaucratic machinery of justice. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text, focusing on its language, themes, literary devices, and significance.

1. Context of the Scene ​

  • Hunt’s Role: A relentless, street-smart investigator from London, Hunt represents the long arm of the law chasing Brodie across Britain. His speech is colloquial, energetic, and laced with thieves’ cant (criminal slang), contrasting with Lawson’s more formal Scots-English.
  • Lawson’s Role: As a Scottish legal official, he embodies institutional authority but is pragmatic, offering Hunt a bounty ("two hundred pounds") to solve Edinburgh’s burglary epidemic. His use of Scots dialect ("sair forfeuchen," "aiblins") grounds the play in its Edinburgh setting.
  • The Chase: Brodie has evaded Hunt from Huntingdon to Edinburgh, showcasing his cunning and mobility. The geographical chase mirrors the duality of Brodie’s identity—always one step ahead, slipping between worlds.

2. Key Themes in the Excerpt ​

A. The Pursuit of Duality ​

  • Brodie’s double life is the play’s core theme. Hunt’s description of him as "the Captain" (a criminal alias) and his elusiveness ("he’d a better nag, and was best up in the road") reinforces his slippery, shape-shifting nature.
  • The physical chase (York, Carlisle, Edinburgh) symbolizes the moral and psychological chase—can society ever truly catch a man who is both respectable and criminal?

B. Crime and Class ​

  • Hunt’s working-class London dialect ("I ain’t a rich man," "flash companions") clashes with Lawson’s middle-class Scots legalese ("Non constat de personâ"—Latin for "the person is not identified"). This highlights the class divisions in law enforcement.
  • The bounty system ("two hundred pounds") reveals how justice is commodified—Hunt is motivated by money, not morality. This critiques Victorian capitalism, where even the law is transactional.

C. The Underworld Network ​

  • Hunt’s mention of "two old lambs of my own" (former criminal associates) suggests a hidden criminal underworld operating across cities. The phrase "keeping school" implies Brodie might be training other thieves, deepening his role as a corrupting figure.
  • The Hue and Cry (a public bulletin for wanted criminals) symbolizes the state’s desperate attempt to control chaos, but the system is flawed ("We canna get a grip o’ the delinquents").

D. Blindness and Perception ​

  • Sir John Fielding (a real-life blind magistrate known as the "Blind Beak") is mentioned as "blind as a himage" (dialect for "blind as a hermit"). His physical blindness ironically contrasts with his legal insight, while also foreshadowing the societal blindness to Brodie’s duality.
  • The line "between us he thought we’d do the trick" suggests collaboration is needed to uncover truth, but also that justice is imperfect—even the blind can "see" what others miss.

3. Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices ​

A. Dialect and Diction ​

  • Hunt’s Cockney/Thieves’ Cant:

    • "light hand on the pad" = skilled thief (a "pad" is a highway).
    • "flash companions" = criminal associates.
    • "an old cock always likes to be sure of his walk" = an experienced man checks his route (metaphor for caution).
    • This authenticates his character as a streetwise investigator and immerses the audience in the criminal underworld.

  • Lawson’s Scots-English:

    • "sair forfeuchen" = sorely troubled (by burglaries).
    • "aiblins" = perhaps.
    • "quam primum" = as soon as possible (Latin legal term).
    • This establishes regional authenticity and contrasts with Hunt’s speech, reinforcing class and cultural divides.

B. Metaphor and Imagery ​

  • "a hard hunt of it": The chase is framed as a hunt, with Brodie as prey. This animal imagery dehumanizes him slightly, making him a cunning fox rather than a man.
  • "ran him to earth": A hunting metaphor (like a fox driven from its den), suggesting Brodie’s inevitable capture—yet he remains elusive.
  • "grinding grist": A metaphor for work (grinding grain), implying Hunt should keep busy—but also that crime is a mill that never stops.

C. Irony and Foreshadowing ​

  • Dramatic Irony: The audience knows Brodie is a respected citizen, but Hunt and Lawson see only the criminal. This duality is the play’s central tension.
  • Foreshadowing: Hunt’s mention of "two old lambs" (criminals) hints at Brodie’s corrupting influence—he may be grooming others for crime, expanding his double life’s reach.

D. Repetition and Rhythm ​

  • Hunt’s fast-paced, breathless speech ("I dropped on his marks first at Huntingdon, but he was away North, and I had to up and after him") mimics the relentless pursuit, while Lawson’s slower, measured responses reflect bureaucratic deliberation.
  • The contrast in rhythm reinforces the tension between action (Hunt) and institution (Lawson).

4. Significance of the Excerpt ​

A. Characterizing the Law’s Limits ​

  • Hunt is efficient but flawed—he relies on informants, luck, and money, not pure justice. Lawson is bound by procedure ("Non constat de personâ"). Together, they show how the law is both human and fallible.

B. Brodie as a Gothic Figure ​

  • Though Brodie isn’t present, his absence dominates the scene. He is mythic—a ghostly criminal who slips through fingers. This elusiveness aligns with Gothic tropes (the unseen villain, the doppelgänger), which Stevenson would later perfect in Jekyll and Hyde.

C. Social Critique ​

  • The bounty system and Hunt’s mercenary attitude ("two hundred’s two hundred") critique Victorian justice as transactional. The play questions whether crime is a product of morality or opportunity.
  • The underworld’s mobility (London to Edinburgh) suggests crime knows no borders, challenging national and class divisions.

D. Foreshadowing Brodie’s Downfall ​

  • Hunt’s determination ("we’d do the trick") and the mention of informants hint that Brodie’s double life is unraveling. His arrogance (leaving "his mark") will be his undoing—a classic tragic flaw.

5. Connection to Jekyll and Hyde ​

This play is a precursor to Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde in several ways:

  • Dual Identity: Brodie, like Hyde, is the dark side of a respectable man.
  • Urban Gothic: Both works use cityscapes (Edinburgh/London) as labyrinths where crime hides in plain sight.
  • Legal vs. Moral Justice: Hunt and Lawson, like Utterson in Jekyll and Hyde, represent the law’s struggle to contain evil.
  • The Uncanny: Brodie’s elusiveness mirrors Hyde’s supernatural slipperiness.

Conclusion: Why This Scene Matters ​

This excerpt is a microcosm of the play’s central conflicts:

  • The chase (Hunt vs. Brodie) = society vs. the double life.
  • The bounty = justice as a business.
  • The underworld = the hidden rot beneath respectability.

Henley and Stevenson use dialect, metaphor, and irony to create a tense, authentic snapshot of 18th-century crime and punishment, while also exploring timeless themes of duality and hypocrisy. The scene sets up Brodie’s inevitable fall, making his eventual capture (and execution) a tragedy of his own making—a man who outsmarted everyone except himself.

Would you like a deeper dive into any specific aspect, such as the historical context of Bow Street Runners or the real Brodie’s crimes?