Martel, left on an uninhabited island.

Cocklyn, Sample, Vane— hanged.

England (most hapless of all), married, at
point of stake, to an aged princess of
Madagascar.

Some of these worthies, as may be surmised,
from the nature of their end, merely made a
feint of surrendering, and returned, on the first
opportunity, to their former mode of life. Among
the rest, Vane escaped at once in a small swift
vessel, firing a gun at the nearest king's ship as
he departed.

The royal commodore, Rogers, now
established himself in the island, and, forming the
remainder of the quondam rovers into a sort of
naval reserve, under proper command,
endeavoured to employ them in legitimate trade.

This, however, was not so easy: as was
soon exemplified in the case of John Augur, a
steady and respectable old pirate, whose good
conduct had induced the governor to entrust
him with the command of a provision-sloop.
Unluckily, on John's very first trip, two strange
sloops spoke him. During the dialogue, the old
corsair's impulse came upon him with such
irresistible power, that, in the twinkling of an eye,
the two strangers were despoiled of money and
goods, and he himself was on his way in search
of fresh adventures. The expedition, however,
was cut prematurely short by a tornado, which
dismasted the sloop, and forced her back on the
Bahama group: where the crew were captured,
taken back to Providence, tried, and
condemned, ten in number, on the evidence of the
eleventh.

Crowds of their ancient comrades stood
round the scaffold; but the power of law was
dominant; there was no thought of rescue.
"I had never thought to see the time,"
shouted one of the criminals, in despair, " that
ten such men as we should be tied up, and
hanged like dogs, with four hundred of their
sworn companions standing by!"

The taking of Providence, though it broke
up a dangerous combination, scattered the
elements of piracy far and wide. The
backsliding of John Augur augured badly for any
future confidence that might be reposed in
pirate penitence, and, inactivity soon becoming
intolerable, one by one the ex-professors slipped
off, and renewed their former course. Nor was
it always prudent to pursue. So catching was
the epidemic, that the officer frequently became
the thief. For example, these unlucky captains,
George Dew and Richard Ten, having been
commissioned to attack the French at Goree,
set sail with honest enough purpose; but,
George being driven back in a storm, Richard,
continuing his voyage alone, encountered
temptation in the shape of a rich Indiaman. So
he plundered the rich Indiaman, and, sharing
with his crew wealth sufficient to give even the
common sailors three thousand pounds apiece,
steered for Rhode Island.

How pirate made pirate is well illustrated by
the fact that four of the most remarkable rover-
captains of their time had been prisoners to
each other. Wynter (himself a prisoner to
pirates) took England, England took Davis,
Davis took the renowned Bartholomew Roberts.
England's maiden essay was the capture of
a British barque, the Pearl, which he fitted up
"on the piratical account," and therewith took,
in one cruise, nine other British vessels: out of
the crews of which at least one-half took voluntary
service with their captors. Good Captain
England was a remarkably successful
commander, but, having an objectionable taint of
generosity about him, gradually lost credit with
his men, and was marooned, with two other
over-gentlemanly persons, on the coast of
Madagascar. His lamentable fate has been told.

Davis, taken by the above, was a native of
Milford; honest and brave, he refused to sign
the piratical articles, swearing he would rather
be shot, as they had shot his captain: whereupon
the rover bade him return on board his own
ship, and make sail. He also gave him sealed
orders to be opened in a certain latitude: which,
being done, they were found to contain a free
gift of both ship and cargo to Davis and his
men. Again the tempter had all but triumphed.
Davis, indeed, desired to follow the liberal
instructions they had received, but the men
refused, and, proceeding to their proper destination,
gave him up to the authorities.
Nevertheless, having as yet been guilty of no act of
piracy, he was speedily released, and thence
sailed for Providence, intending to join the
rovers. Finding the island in possession of the
Government, he took service in a small trading
sloop, corrupted the crew, and, seizing the vessel,
captured a larger, and commenced a career
seldom equalled in the history of wild adventure.

Roberts, taken by the above, sailed from
London " in an honest employ" that is to say,
for Guinea, to take in slaves when he was
himself made prisoner. This occurred immediately
before the death of his captor; an event which
threw the honourable company into great
disorder, there being at the moment no one worthy
to succeed him. A sort of cabinet council was,
therefore, convened, at which the leading
members of the company, who had given themselves
the title of " lords," expressed their views.

So far as cabinet secrets have been suffered
to transpire, my Lord Ashplant (over a bowl)
proposed:

"That it was no signification who was dignified
with title, seeing that all good Governments
had the supreme power lodged in the community.
Should a captain be so saucy" (such were
his Lordship's emphatic words) "as at any time
to exceed prescription, why down with him!
It will be a caution to his successor. However,
it is my advice that, before we get fully drunk,
we pitch upon a man of courage (and navigation)
who shall ward us from the dangers of an
instable element, and the consequence of falling
by the ears, and such a one I take Roberts to
be. A fellow, I think, in all respects entitled
to your esteem and favour."

The noble lord's address was received with