New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-03
PIR.fTICAL MITES.

| From The GcnUemdjts HGJO-iHc.
| During the whole reign of Henry ". 1899
| 1913. though there existed truce between France
and England, the ordinary incidents Of hOstilile'
| continued at Just as II tie countries mad beer
| at open war The object of either side lunde
and wautOn devastation nor from their landing Oi
each others coasts, burning each others towns ant
crODs and CARRYING OIL each others property, did the
country of either derive tho least benefit whatever
II was not till the year l4l that Henry V sought
to put stop to the pratlcal practices OF the Eng
| lish marine, and he then did so without requiring
| a reciprocal endeayOr on the part OF the Other
| countries of Europe.
Maritime warfare beng thus simply an extension
of maritime piracy, the usages OF the one naturally
became the uSageS of the other; the only difference
being that in time of II was with the license
and pay Of the State and with the help OF knights
and squires that the pirates carried OIL their accus-
toned programme of incendiarlsln. massacres, and
From this connection. therefore, lower char
acter Of warfare prevailed from the irst on sea
than land and the spirit Of piracy breathed over
the waters As little mercy a. was shown by
pirates TO the crew OF captured or surrendered YES
sci was shown in like case by the regular naval
service of the country, for wounded and uuwounded
"A ike were thrown into the sea- When the fleet of
Breton pirates defeated the English pirates i'll July
1913 and took o 900 of them prisoners, they threw
overheard the greater part of them and in the great
sea fight between the English and Spanish fleets OF
1850 the whole OF the crew of a Spanish ship that
surrendered to the Earl Of Lancaster were thrown
overheard, according TO the DarDarOus custom OF
the age"
Two other stories OF that tire still further display
the utter want Ofanything like chyalIOus feeling IN
maritime usages. \ Flemish ship, on It's way TO
Scotland. having been driven by storm on the
English coast near the Thames, and its crew hav-
ing been slain by the inhabitants, the king re-
WaTdcd the assaSsns with the Whole OF the cargo,
and kept the ship and the rigging for hims elf
IBIS. III 1879. when fleet of english knights,
under Sir John Arundel, Oh their way to Brittany,
WAS oveItaken by a storm and the iettlsOn OF other
things failed to relieve the vessels sixty women.
many of whom had been forced to embark were
thrown INTO the sea. The piratical origin, there
If ltirfp al a
the fact that plunder which is less the Iule tnan
an incident of Oh land. remains IFS chef object
and feature al sea. The fact may fuIthe be cX-
planned by the survival OF piracy that was long
sanctioned by the States under the euIse OF prl-
Watering. If We would understand the popular
ty II wars in England III the old priyaieerlng days
must recall the magnificent fortunes which were
often won prize money IN the career OF legallLcd
piracy. During the which was concluded III
17IS by the treaty ,f AiX-la-Chapclle England
captured of French and Spanish ships collectively
pcnsation rs this balance of 1876 shirs III her favor
may seem after contest of about nine years the
pccuniary balance in her favor Is said to have
amounted to G2.O0O,O0O.
We now begin 10 see why our fOrefathers rang
their church bells at the announcement OF war, as
they did at the declaration of tins one against
Spain. War represented TO large classes what the
gold mines of Peru represented TO Spaln-the best
OF all possible pecuniary speculations. In the year
1747 alone the English ships took GA pTlZeS ana
OF hat enormous value they often were
Two Spansh-rcgister ships are recorded 70 have
brought in f;}5C to every foremost man who took
part in their capture In l745 three Spanish vessels
returning from Peru having been captured by lhree
privateersmen the owners of the latter received 10
their separate shares the sum OF t1OO,OOO and
every common seaman $500. Another Spanish
galleOn was taken by British man-Ot war With a
million sterling in bullion on board.