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I shall not repeat what I have said in the history concerning the privateers of the West Indies, where I have taken notice they live upon spoil; and as custom is a second nature, it is no wonder that, when an honest livelihood is not easily had, they run into one so like their own; so that it may be said, that privateers in time of war are a nursery for pirates against a peace. Posição 57-60

Plutarch is very circumstantial in relating the actions of Spartacus, the slave, and makes the conquest of him, one of the greatest glories of Marcus Crassus; and it is probable, if this slave had liv’d a little longer, Plutarch would have given us his life at large. Rome, the misstress of the world, was no more at first than a refuge for thieves and outlaws; and if the progress of our pirates had been equal to their beginning; had they all united, and settled in some of those islands, they might, by this time, have been honoured with the name of a commonwealth, and no power in those parts of the world could have been able to dispute it with them. Posição 107-112

[...] the first action of theirs which made a noise, was the taking of Julius Caesar, who was as yet a youth, and who being obliged to fly from the cruelties of Sulla, who sought his life, went into Bithynia, and sojourned a while with Nicomedes, king of that country; in his return back by sea, he was met with, and taken, by some of these pirates, near the island of Farmakonisi: these pirates had a barbarous custom of tying their prisoners back to back and throwing them into the sea; but, supposing Caesar to be some person of a high rank, because of his purple robes, and the number of his attendants, they thought it would be more for their profit to preserve him, in hopes of receiving a great sum for his ransom; therefore they told him he should have his liberty, provided he would pay them Btwenty talents, which they judg’d to be a very high demand, in our money, about three thousand six hundred pounds sterling; he smiled, and of his own accord promised them fifty talents; they were both pleased, and surpriz’d at his answer, and consented that several of his attendants should go by his direction and raise the money; and he was left among these ruffians with no more than 3 attendants. He pass’d eight and thirty days, and seemed so little concerned or afraid, that often when he went to sleep, he used to charge them not to make a noise, threatening, if they disturbed him, to hang them all; he also play’d at dice with them, and sometimes wrote verses and dialogues, which he used to repeat, and also cause them to repeat, and if they did not praise and admire them, he would call them beasts and barbarians, telling them he would crucify them. They took all these as the sallies of a juvenile humour, and were rather diverted, than displeased at them. Posição 171-184

But what was most barbarous, was a custom they had when they took any ship, of enquiring of the person on board, concerning their names and country; if any of them said he was a Roman, they fell down upon their knees, as if in a fright at the greatness of that name, and begg’d pardon for what they had done, and imploring his mercy, they used to perform the offices of servants about his person, and when they found they had deceived him into a belief of their being sincere, they hung out the ladder of the ship, and coming with a show of courtesy, told him, he had his liberty, desiring him to walk out of the ship, and this in the middle of the sea, and when they observed him in surprise, as was natural, they used to throw him overboard with mighty shouts of laughter; so wanton they were in their cruelty. Posição 208-214

[...] though the greatest part of them returned again, like the dog to the vomit. Posição 442-443

The criminals would fain have spirited up the pardoned pirates, to rescue them out of the hands of the officers of justice, telling them from the gallows, that, they never thought to have seen the time, when ten such men as they should be ty’d up and hanged like dogs, and four hundred of their sworn friends and companions quietly standing by to behold the spectacle. Posição 469-471

When Avery had remain’d some time in this kingdom, he was afraid to offer his diamonds to sale, lest an enquiry into his manner of coming by them should occasion a discovery; therefore considering with himself what was best to be done, he fancied there were some persons at Bristol, whom he might venture to trust; upon which, he resolved to pass over into England; he did so, and going into Devonshire, he sent to one of these friends to meet him at a town called Biddiford; when he had communicated himself to his friends, and consulted with him about the means of his effects, they agreed, that the safest method would be, to put them in the hands of some merchants, who being men of wealth and credit in the world, no enquiry would be made how they came by them; this friend telling him he was very intimate with some who were very fit for the purpose, and if he would but allow them a good commission would do the business very faithfully. Avery liked the proposal, for he found no other way of managing his affairs, since he could not appear in them himself; therefore his friend going back to Bristol, and opening the matter to the merchants, they made Avery a visit at Biddiford, where, after some protestations of honour and integrity, he delivered them his effects, consisting of diamonds and some vessels of gold; they gave him a little money for present subsistence, and so they parted. [lavagem de dinheiro] [direito penal] Posição 720-731

II Of Captain Martel, and His Crew I come now to the pirates that have rose since the Peace of Utrecht; in wartime there is no room for any, because all those of a roving advent’rous disposition find employment in privateers, so there is no opportunity for pirates; like our mobs in London, when they come to any height, our superiors order out the trainbands, and when once they are raised, the others are suppressed of course; I take the reason of it to be, that the mob go into the tame army, and immediately from notorious breakers of the peace, become, by being put into order, solemn preservers of it. Posição 849-855

The multitude of men and vessels, employ’d this way, in time of war, in the West Indies, is another reason, for the number of pirates in a time of peace: this cannot be supposed to be a reflection on any of our American governments, much less on the King himself, by whose authority such commissions are granted, because of the reasonableness, and absolute necessity, there is for the doing of it; yet the observation is just, for so many idle people employing themselves in privateers, for the sake of plunder and riches, which they always spend as fast as they get, that when the war is over, and they can have no farther business in the way of life they have been used to, they too readily engage in acts of piracy, which being but the same practice without a commission, they make very little distinction betwixt the lawfulness of one, and the unlawfulness of the other. Posição 860-866

They observed the man-of-war to stand off to sea, and took the opportunity to warp out, in order to slip away from the island; but at twelve o’clock they run aground, and then seeing the Scarborough about, standing in again, as their case was desperate, so they were put into the utmost confusion; they quitted their ship, and set her on fire, with 20 Negroes in her, who were all burnt; 19 of the pirates made their escape in a small sloop, but the captain and the rest, with 20 Negroes, betook to the woods, where ’twas probable they might starve, for we never heard what became of ’em afterwards: Captain Hume released the prisoners, with the ship and sloop that remained, and then went after the two pirate sloops first mentioned. Posição 923-929

The Life of Mary Read she would not have had him refuse the challenge, because, she could not bear the thoughts of his being branded with cowardice; on the other side, she dreaded the event, and apprehended the fellow might be too hard for him: when love once enters into the breast of one who has any sparks of generosity, it stirs the heart up to the most noble actions; in this dilemma, she show’d, that she fear’d more for his life than she did for her own; for she took a resolution of quarreling with this fellow herself, and having challenged him ashore, she appointed the time two hours sooner than that when he was to meet her lover, where she fought him at sword and pistol, and killed him upon the spot. Posição 2304-2309

The Life of Anne Bonny The day that Rackam was executed, by special favour, he was admitted to see her; but all the comfort she gave him, was, that she was sorry to see him there, but if he had fought like a man, he need not have been hang’d like a dog. Posição 2434-2436

After this, a counsel of war was called over a large bowl of punch, at which it was proposed to choose a commander; the election was soon over, for it fell upon Davis by a great majority of legal pollers, there was no scrutiny demanded, for all acquiesced in the choice: as soon as he was possess’d of his command, he drew up articles, which were signed and sworn to by himself and the rest, then he made a short speech, the sum of which, was, a declaration of war against the whole world. Posição 2472-2476

Here was the form of justice kept up, which is as much as can be said of several other courts, that have more lawful commissions for what they do.—Here was no feeing of council, and bribing of witnesses was a custom not known among them; no packing of juries, no torturing and wresting the sense of the law, for by-ends and purposes, no puzzling or perplexing the cause with unintelligible canting terms, and useless distinctions; nor was their sessions burdened with numberless officers, the ministers of rapine and extortion, with ill-boding aspects, enough to fright Astraea from the court. The place appointed for their trials, was the steerage of the ship; in order to which, a large bowl of rum punch was made, and placed upon the table, the pipes and tobacco being ready, the judicial proceedings began; the prisoners were brought forth, and articles of indictment against them read; they were arraigned upon a statute of their own making, and the letter of the law being strong against them, and the fact plainly proved, they were about to pronounce sentence, when one of the judges mov’d, that they should first smoke t’other pipe; which was accordingly done. [direito penal] Posição 3460-3468

But all the mitigation that could be obtained for the other prisoners, was, that they should have the liberty of choosing any four of the whole company to be their executioners. The poor wretches were ty’d immediately to the mast, and there shot dead, pursuant to their villainous sentence. Posição 3479-3481

[...] pirates plundered her of what they though fit, put all the men ashore upon the island above mentioned, and then set fire to the ship. Posição 947-948

He had the least temptation of any man to follow such a course of life, from the condition of his circumstances. It was very surprising to everyone, to hear of the major’s enterprise, in the island were he liv’d; and as he was generally esteem’d and honoured, before he broke out into open acts of piracy [...] Posição 1245-1247

And therefore having now discharged my duty to you as a Christian, by giving you the best counsel I can, with respect to the salvation of your soul, I must now do my office as a judge. The sentence that the law hath appointed to pass upon you for your offences, and which this court doth therefore award, is, That you, the said Stede Bonnet, shall go from hence to the place from whence you came, and from thence to the place of execution, where you shall be hanged by the neck till you are dead. And the God of infinite mercy be merciful to your soul. Posição 1566-1571

[...] it is surprising that men of good understanding should engage in a course of life, that so much debases humane nature, and sets them upon a level with the wild beasts of the forest, who live and prey upon their weaker fellow creatures: a crime so enormous! that it includes almost all others, as murder, rapine, theft, ingratitude, etc. and though they make these vices familiar to them by their daily practice, yet these men are so inconsistent with themselves, that a reflection made upon their honour, their justice, or their courage, is look’d upon as an offence that ought to be punished with the life of him that commits it: England was one of these men, who seem’d to have such a share of reason, as should have taught him better things. Posição 1578-1584

This ship lay in the road, almost slaved, when the pirates came in, and the commander being onshore, settling his accounts, was sent to for the ransom, but he excused it, as having no orders from the owners; though the true reason might be, that he thought it dishonourable to treat with robbers; and that the ship, separate from the slaves, towards whom he could mistrust no cruelty, was not worth the sum demanded; hereupon, Roberts sends the boat to transport the Negroes, in order to set her on fire; but being in haste, and finding that unshackling them cost much time and labour, they actually set her on fire, with eighty of those poor wretches on board, chained two and two together, under the miserable choice of perishing by fire or water: those who jumped overboard from the flames, were seized by sharks, a voracious fish, in plenty in this road, and, in their sight, tore limb from limb alive. Posição 3691-3697

They would yet in these circumstances be impudently merry, saying, when they viewed their nakedness, that they had not left them a halfpenny, to give old Charon, to ferry them over Styx: and at their thin commons, they would observe, that they fell away so fast, that they should not have weight left to hang them. Posição 3913-3915

[... ]the three circumstances that complete a pirate; first, being a volunteer amongst them at the beginning; secondly, being a volunteer at the taking or robbing of any ship; or lastly, voluntarily accepting a share in the booty of those that did; Posição 3983-3985

When the evidence had been heard, the prisoners were called upon to answer, how they came on board this pirate ship; and their reason for so audacious a resistance, as had been made against the King’s ship. To this, each, in his reply, owned himself to be one of those taken out of the Ranger; that he had signed their piratical articles, and shared in their plunder, some few only accepted, who had been there too short a time. But that neither in this signing, or sharing, nor in the resistance had been made against His Majesty’s ship, had they been volunteers, but had acted in these several parts, from a terror of death; which a law amongst them, was to be the portion of those who refused. The court then ask’d, who made those laws? How those guns came to be fired? Or why they had not deserted their stations, and mutinied, when so fair a prospect of redemption offered? They replied still, with the same answers, and could extenuate their crimes, with no other plea, than being forced men. Wherefore the court were of opinion, that the indictment, as it charged them with an unlawful attack and resistance of the King’s ship, was sufficiently proved; but then it being undeniably evident, that many of these prisoners had been forced, and some of them of very short standing, they did, on mature deliberation, come to this merciful resolution; Posição 4164-4174

It happened that the boat one day came aboard just before dinner was ready, and Low desired that they might stay and dine; but the captain, being in a hurry for his lading, ordered them a bottle of rum, and to take t’other trip, because no time should be lost: this provoked the boat’s crew, but particularly Low, who takes up a loaded musket and fires at the captain, but missing him, shot another poor fellow thro’ the head, then put off the boat, and with his twelve companions goes to sea: the next day they took a small posição 5645-5649

and extorted by that means, a confession that the captain had, during the chase, hung out of the cabin window, a bag with 11,000 moidores, which, as soon as he was taken, he cut the rope off, and let it drop into the sea. Low, upon hearing what a prize had escap’d him, rav’d like a fury, swore a thousand oaths, and ordered the captain’s lips to be cut off, which he broil’d before his face, and afterwards murdered him and all the crew, being thirty-two persons.

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