Pirates – Lady Budd

The Pirate Code

The Pirate Code – Article I “Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity may make it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment mayContinue reading “The Pirate Code”

The Buccaneers

“Fifteen men on the Dead Man’s Chest Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!” Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island Buccaneers, the very name conjures up visions of daring feats and bold adventures. These were men who attacked the treasure-laden Spanish ships inContinue reading “The Buccaneers”

The Legend of a Lady

“She knew that this was happiness, this was living as she had always wished to live.” Daphne du Maurier, Frenchman’s Creek The setting: Cornwall, England in the 16th century. The players: Sir John and Lady Elizabeth Killigrew The plot: Lady Elizabeth vs. Queen Elizabeth I The Killigrews were rich members of the English aristocracy. InContinue reading “The Legend of a Lady”

Letters of Marque

“The sun shines on me just the same as on the other; and I should like to see the clause in Adam’s will that cuts me out of my share in the New World!” Francis I of France, 1494 Christopher Columbus may have been the discoverer of the New World in 1492, yet hisContinue reading “Letters of Marque”

A Merry Life, But Short

“In honest service, there are commonly low wages and hard labour; in this – plenty, satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power. Who would not balance credit on this side, when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst, is only a sour look or two on choking? No, a merry life andContinue reading “A Merry Life, But Short”

The Pirates Are Coming

“The HISPANIOLA still lay where she had anchored; but, sure enough, there was the Jolly Roger–the black flag of piracy–flying from her peak.” Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island Pirates, the very name strikes both dread and fascination deep within our hearts. We fear them, because of their ruthless disregard for those who stood in theirContinue reading “The Pirates Are Coming”