ut of the protection of
all laws. But if the statute of any government declares an offence,
committed on board one of their own vessels, to be piracy; such an
offence will be punished exclusively by the nation which passes the
statute. In England the offence was formerly cognizable only by the
Admiralty courts, which proceeded without a jury in a method founded on
the civil law. But by the statute of Henry VIII. c. 15, it was enacted
that piracy should be tried by commissioners nominated by the lord
chancellor, the indictment being first found by a grand jury, of twelve
men, and afterwards tried by another jury, as at common law. Among the
commissioners, there are always some of the common law judges. In the
United States, pirates are tried before the circuit court of the United
States. Piracy has been known from the remotest antiquity; for in the
early ages every small maritime state was addicted to piracy, and
navigation was perilous. This habit was so general, that it was regarded
with indifference, and, whether merchant, traveller, or pirate, the
stranger was received with the rights of hospitality. Thus Nestor,
having given Mentor and Telemachus a plenteous repast, remarks, that the
banquet being finished, it was time to ask his guests to their business.
"Are you," demands the aged prince, "merchants destined to any port, or
are you merely adventurers and pirates, who roam the seas without any
place of destination, and live by rapine and ruin."
[Illustration]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
PREFACE TO THIS EDITION
INTRODUCTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE DANISH AND NORMAN PIRATES
ADVENTURES AND EXPLOITS OF CAPTAIN AVERY
HISTORY OF THE JOASSAMEE PIRATES
SKETCH OF THE JOASSAMEE CHIEF--RAHMAH-BEN-JABIR
LIFE OF LAFITTE, THE PIRATE OF THE GULF
THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN ROBERTS
THE LIFE OF CHARLES GIBBS
HISTORY AND EXECUTION OF THE SPANISH PIRATES
THE LIFE OF BENITO DE SOTO
THE ADVENTURES OF CAPT. ROBERT KIDD
BLOODY CAREER AND EXECUTION OF VINCENT BENAVIDES
THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN DAVIS
AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF THE MALAY PIRATES
THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN CONDENT
THE LIFE OF CAPT. EDWARD LOW
LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF CAPT. EDWARD ENGLAND
ACCOUNT OF THE LYNN PIRATES
HISTORY OF THE LADRONE PIRATES
THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN LEWIS
LIFE, CAREER, AND DEATH OF CAPT. THOMAS WHITE
LIFE, ATROCITIES, AND BLOODY DEATH OF BLACK BEARD
EXPLOITS, ARREST, AND EXECUTION OF CAPT. CHARLES VANE
THE WE
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