Poetry · Chapter

Three Highwaymen explained

A street contractor is robbed of his purse by two highwaymen, leaving him semi-dead on the pavement.

What happens

A street contractor is robbed of his purse by two highwaymen, leaving him semi-dead on the pavement. He reports the crime to the Chief, who scolds him for complaining about losing only six bits.

Themes in this chapter

Hypocrisy and Corruption
The Chief's dismissive attitude toward the victim highlights corruption and lack of justice.
Political Satire
The absurdity of the police response mocks institutional authority.

Characters to notice

Unknown
The narrator describes the robbery and the contractor's encounter with the Chief.
The Judge
The Chief, a sententious man, dismisses the contractor's complaint with sarcasm.

Key passages

“Two robbers robbed him of his purse, Left him uncomfortably spread On his own pavement, semi-dead”
Two thieves stole his money and left him injured on the street.
Describes the physical and financial assault.
“Why, damn your avaricious soul! The Chief said: do you claim the whole? You did quite well to get, begad, Within six bits of all they had!”
The Chief scolds the victim for complaining about losing only a small amount of money.
Highlights the Chief's cynical and corrupt attitude.

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