Page:Daring deeds of famous pirates; true stories of the stirring adventures, bravery and resource of pirates, filibusters & buccaneers (1917).djvu/119

 CHAPTER X

THE GOOD SHIP EXCHANGE OF BRISTOL

A satirical English gentleman who lived in the reign of Charles and described himself as formerly "a servant in England's Navie," published a pamphlet in 1648 in which he complained bitterly of the inability of "the present Government," even in spite of the expense of vast quantities of money, "to clear England's seas of Ireland's Pyrates." The latter belonged at this time especially to Waterford and Wexford. A large amount of money, he bewailed, had been and was still being spent "to reduce half a dozen inconsiderable Pyrates," but yet the "pyrates are not reduced, neither are the seas guarded." One of these "pyrates" had in February 1647 in one day taken three small ships and one pinnace of a total value of £9000. One of these ships, whilst defending herself, had lost her master and one of her mates, as well as five mariners, besides other members of her crew wounded. And this author of A Cordiall for the Calenture asks if the present Government, with such an expenditure, cannot reduce half a dozen pirates, "how will England's Commonwealth be wasted if the French, the Danes, the Dutch, or all of them shall infest England's Seas."

Well, we know now that in time England's navy did actually defeat each of these—the Dutch, French and