s to
Virginia--the country where the grapes grew wild? What of Martin
Frobisher and Humphrey Gilbert? What of Cavendish? What of Captain
Amidas? What of Davis and half a score more? The exploits and
victories and discoveries--in many cases, the disasters and death--of
these sea-dogs filled the country from end to end with pride, and
every young, generous heart with envy. They, too, would sail Westward
Ho! to fight the Spaniard--three score of Englishmen against thousand
Dons--and sail home again, heavy laden with the silver ingots of Peru,
taken at Palengue or Nombre de Dios. Kingsley has written a book about
these adventurers; a very good book it is; but his pictures are marred
with the touch of the ecclesiastic--we need not suppose that the young
men sat always Bible in hand, talked like seminarists, or thought like
curates. The rovers who sailed with Drake and Raleigh had their
religion, like their rations, served out to them. Sailors always do.
Drake, the captain, might and did, consult the Bible for encouragement
and hope. Even he, however, reserved the right of using profane oaths;
that right survived the older form of faith. In a word, the
Elizabethan sailor--although a Protestant--was, in all respects, like
his predecessor, save that on this new battle-field he was filled with
a larger confidence and an audacity almost incredible to read
of--almost impossible to think upon.

This was the first phase of the romance which grew up along the shores
of America. So far it belongs to the Spanish Main and to the Isthmus
of Panama. The romance remained when the Elizabethans passed
away--they were followed by the buccaneers, privateers, marooners and
pirates--a degenerate company, but not without their picturesque side.
Pierre le Grand, Francois l'Olonnois, Henry Morgan, are captains only
one degree more piratical than Drake and Raleigh. Edward Teach, Kidd,
Avery, Bartholomew Roberts were pirates only because they plundered
ships English and French as well as Spanish; that they were roaring,
reckless, deboshed villains as well, detracted little from the renown
with which their names and exploits were surrounded, and that they
were mostly hanged in the end was an accident common to such a life,
the men under Drake were also sometimes hanged, though they were
mostly killed by sword, bullet, or fever. The romance remained. The
lad who would have enlisted under Drake found no difficulty in joining
Morgan, and, if the occasio