& Highwaymen
Having done pirates, now let's cover a few of the lesser known but much beloved highwaymen and outlaws.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highwayman
Notable examples include: Claude Duval, whose memorial reads:
Here lies DuVall: Reder, if male thou art,
Look to thy purse; if female, to thy heart.
Much havoc has he made of both; for all
Men he made to stand, and women he made to fall
The second Conqueror of the Norman race,
Knights to his arm did yield, and ladies to his face.
Old Tyburn’s glory; England’s illustrious Thief,
Du Vall, the ladies' joy; Du Vall, the ladies' grief.
Wiki on Claude Duval: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Duval
And the aptly named Rufus Goodlove, who seduced the wives of wealthy merchants only to rob their houses.
Find more on the List of Highwaymen at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highwaymen
&, since we're on the theme - Outlaws: "Black Bart", noted for his charm and verses occasionally left behind at the scene of the crime:
I've labored long and hard for bread,
For honor, and for riches,
But on my corns too long you've tread,
You fine-haired sons of bitches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Bart_(outlaw)
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Pirates
Inspired by Marcel Schwob's "Imaginary Lives" I took to researching some of the more entertaining pirate histories (popular reading back in the day, and if "Pirates of the Caribbean" is any guide, as popular today...).
Of Note - The Pirate's Code:
I. Every man has a vote in affairs of moment; has equal title to the fresh provisions, or strong liquors, at any time seized, and may use them at pleasure, unless a scarcity makes it necessary, for the good of all, to vote a retrenchment.
II. Every man to be called fairly in turn, by list, on board of prizes because, (over and above their proper share,) they were on these occasions allowed a shift of clothes: but if they defrauded the company to the value of a dollar in plate, jewels, or money, marooning was their punishment. If the robbery was only betwixt one another, they contented themselves with slitting the ears and nose of him that was guilty, and set him on shore, not in an uninhabited place, but somewhere, where he was sure to encounter hardships.
III. No person to game at cards or dice for money.
IV. The lights and candles to be put out at eight o'clock at night: if any of the crew, after that hour still remained inclined for drinking, they were to do it on the open deck;
V. To keep their piece, pistols, and cutlass clean and fit for service.
VI. No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man were to be found seducing any of the latter sex, and carried her to sea, disguised, he was to suffer death;
VII. To desert the ship or their quarters in battle, was punished with death or marooning.
VIII. No striking one another on board, but every man's quarrels to be ended on shore, at sword and pistol.
IX. No man to talk of breaking up their way of living, till each had shared one thousand pounds. If in order to this, any man should lose a limb, or become a cripple in their service, he was to have eight hundred dollars, out of the public stock, and for lesser hurts, proportionately.
X. The Captain and Quartermaster to receive two shares of a prize: the master, boatswain, and gunner, one share and a half, and other officers one and quarter.
XI. The musicians to have rest on the Sabbath Day, but the other six days and nights, none without special favour.[44][45]
In short, the Pirate trade was not only lucrative, but one of the fairest around - far superior to the Royal Navy.
Start with Bartholomew Roberts, inspiration for "The Dread Pirate Roberts" in the Princess Bride
... a tall black [i.e. dark complexioned] Man, near forty Years of Age ... of good natural Parts, and personal Bravery, tho' he apply'd them to such wicked Purposes, as made them of no Commendation, frequently drinking 'Damn to him who ever lived to wear a Halter'.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_Roberts
And, my favorite: Captain Stede Bonnet, gentleman tobacco farmer who turned to Piracy to escape a nagging wife, only to end up being schooled by "Teach, or "Blackbeard".
In his Way he met with a Pyrate Sloop of ten Guns, commanded by one Major Bonnet, lately a Gentleman of good Reputation and Estate in the Island of Barbadoes, whom he joyned; but in a few Days after, Teach, finding that Bonnet knew nothing of a maritime Life, with the Consent of his own Men, put in another Captain, one Richards, to Command Bonnet’s Sloop, and took the Major on aboard his own Ship, telling him, that as he had not been used to the Fatigues and Care of such a Post, it would be better for him to decline it, and live easy and at his Pleasure, in such a Ship as his, where he should not be obliged to perform Duty, but follow his own Inclinations.
Wikipedia on Captain Stede Bonnet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stede_Bonnet
Wikipedia on Blackbeard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbeard
Wikipedia on Captain Kidd: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kidd
on Anne Bonny: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Bonny
on Calico Jack: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calico_Jack
on Henry Morgan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Morgan
The original "A General History of the Pyrates", via Project Guttenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/40580/40580-h/40580-h.htm
Now, before this turns to into a long list of Pirates I'll just refer you onward to Wiki's list of Pirates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pirates
And their list of Pirate Flags: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_Roger
And, finally, this article on the loot recovered from the wreck of Black Sam Bellamy's "Whydah" - an estimated $100 MILLION dollars worth of treasure found only 115 feet from shore and 30 feet down. Link: https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/article/World-s-only-real-pirate-treasure-dug-up-and-5200102.php
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Stormy on the Town
Today, the realization of the long anticipated "Stormy out on the Town". Which, if you've dealt with old age and decrepitude, you might correctly surmise was a bust.
He's gotten my postcard, is giving it back to me advising that it's from Queen Elizabeth, personal friend of his (this is the stamp, I was in a rush and didn't buy the more interesting ones...), and he's up and raring to go. Wheelchair to bus, bus downtown, wheelchair around.
First stop is the bank. While he's been laying around the hospital his OAP has been piling up.
The tellers are glad to see him, it's been a while, and he sits in the chair while they fetch him $200 - in $5, $10 & $20 denominations. From here to get cigarettes, he stops and gives a panhandler $5.00. He's rich for the day. Cigarettes bought it's now time to wheel him up to El Taco, and he sits across the street passed out in front of a window while I fetch his burrito. Returning I wake him, visit other of his street friends, acquaintances, rush him to the washroom (too late, by the looks of things), then to the candy store, the toy store, he buys some art off a friend - local "artist" whose art - like Stormy's - has a certain inimitable style.
An hour passes, I've wheeled him from one end of town to another, he's barking me directions, "Take me here" and "Do this" and "Take me there", I'm Ishmael to his Ahab, and he's now cold and wants to go home. But the bus doesn't come for another hour, and so we plot to fill the time, but he's done, done, done, I have to shake him to make sure he's not dead.
Return him to the hospital, he falls into bed. He's impressed by how far we've travelled, how many people we saw, how much he's done.
A couple of days later, visiting him again, he's recalling what a success the outing was, and we're going to have to do it again next week, he has money left to spend...
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