I recently read Hue and Cry, by Patrick Pringle, a history of Fielding's career as a London magistrate and his founding of the London police. Jonathan Wild, the criminal and the book, were explained, and that made reading the novel more interesting. I enjoyed the sly allusions to Walpole. The point Fielding was making was that Wild, the criminal, could use others to rob and get money only to be hung for it, while Walpole, the politician, did the same thing by legal means and was considered great.