A Discourse on Pirates, by Captain Henry Mainwaring

How They Can be Suppressed

These things being thus known, it remains now to consider of a remedy for all these enormities, and which may be the best way so to handle the matter that those which are now out may be cut off, and those that are not yet may be prevented, which were both an honourable thing for the State, an acceptable thing to God, and a great benefit to all Christian merchants.

First then to prevent their beginning, your Highness may do well to give special command to all officers of all ports within your Highness' dominions to enquire of the behaviour of such seafaring men as are there, and especially of such as have been pirates, and to have such as live dissolutely without seeking honest employments put in good security for their behaviour, or to be imprisoned. And in Ireland, because there is little or no shipping belonging to the country, to command strictly that no seafaring man, especially that hath been a Pirate, shall come within 10 or 12 miles of the sea coast.

I know that there is such an order already,<93> and it is reasonable well observed in the South Coast, yet not so well (as I have heard) but that some have lately run away with ships from thence, and in the West and North-West on my knowledge it hath not been, nor is not so; but me thinketh the best and surest way, and that which might much advance the wealth and glory of our State, were to devise some more universal employment than now we have, by which men of that spirit might not complain, as they now do, that they are forced for lack of convenient employment to enter into such unlawful courses. The proof of this is plain, for since your Highness' reign there have been more pirates by ten for one, than were in the whole reign of the last Queen.<94>

There being now no voyage to speak of but Newfoundland, which they hold too toilsome, that of Newcastle which many hold too base, and the East Indies which most hold dangerous and tedious, and for your Highness' ships the entertainment is so small, and the pay so bad that they hold it a kind of slavery to serve in them.<95> I speak (40) of the private sailor not the officer. In this I must say to myself ne sutor ultra crepidam,<96> and leave the project to your Highness' singular judgment, only I will remember this, that it is an ill policy, which provides more for punishing than preventing of offenders.

Next, to take away their hopes and encouragements, your Highness must put on a constant immutable resolution never to grant any pardon, and for those that are or may be taken, to put them all to death, or make slaves of them, for if your Highness should ask me when those men would leave offending I might answer, as a wise favourite did the late Queen, demanding when he would leave begging, he answered, when she would leave giving;<97> so say I, when your Highness leaves pardoning. And in the little observation I could make in my small travels, I have noted those countries best governed, where the laws are most severely executed; as for instance in Tunis, where no offence is ever remitted, but strictly punished according to their customs and Laws. In 5 months together when I was coming and going I never heard of murder, robbery, or private quarrel. Nay a Christian, which is more than he can warrant himself in any part of Christendom, may on my knowledge travel 150 miles into the country, though he carry good store of money, and himself alone, and none will molest him. So likewise, in my commonwealth of most uncivil and barbarous seamen (the common sort of seamen I mean), that are of all men the most uncivil and barbarous, I could never have subsisted as I did, if I had ever pardoned any notorious offence, though committed by my truest followers, by which constant severity I kept them all in a short time in so good obedience, and conformity, that for few years I never had any outrageous offence, but had them all aboard my ships in as good civility and order, as it could not have been much better in a civil state;<98> for questionless, as fear of punishment makes men doubtful to offend, so the hope of being pardoned makes them the apter to err.

To cut them off at sea, such ships must be employed as are proper for the business, that is floaty ships,<47> good sailors, the less remarkable by painting<99> the better, and of reasonable good force in regard that the Turks of Algiers go in fleets some 8 or 9 sail together with 20 or 30 pieces of ordnance each of them. I am verily persuaded that some of your Majesty's ships, and some small advisers,<100> that went with sail and oars, being employed to those places where they resort, might cut off most of them in a short time. And if your Highness thought fit to sell the Turks of Algiers and Tunis (that they might take) into Spain, being worth £30 to be sold one with another: as also by purchase they may chance to find in them, I think by probability, it might more than quit the charge.<101> And then the chief care must be to employ such commanders as know how to work and command like a man-of-war, where to find, how to draw himself to them, as also have a commission joined with a ready wit and judgment, to do sometimes that upon the occasion for which he can have no direction or rule, which thing is only mastered by experience, particular use, and knowledge of these things by the commander, wherein it will be necessary to consider what the Spaniard means when he says Quien ha de ingañar uno Diabolo es menester que sea dos.<102> The want whereof I take to be the chiefest reason that neither the King of Spain's, nor the Hollanders' , nor indeed any men-of-war that have been set out by the Christian princes, have done any service toward the cutting them off.

I speak not of your Highness' ships, because I think they have not of late been much employed to that purpose.<103> Or at least the commanders have been so limited by their commission, that they could not do what their own judgment would advise them to.<104> I cannot say to the glory of our nation, nor your Highness' particular comfort and assurance, that we have many such, although there be some, whose eminent, long, and faithful service to the late Queen, as also to your Highness, makes them as plainly to be deciphered as if I should name them; yet to avoid the displeasure of those, who though they may not be worthy, yet will think themselves injured to be left out of a particular calendar, I leave them to your Highness to guess at, and to esteem as so many diamonds in your royal Crown.<105> And yet I think there may be many found able to command a private ship, in company of a General, betwixt which and the Commanding of an Armada and fleet, both for the discretion and judgment, to manage, handle, content, and command the Company, both in fear and love (without which no Commander is absolute) as also in the particular disposing and ordering of his ships in fight, [there is as much difference] as is betwixt hunting with a lime-hound<106> in a string, and a kennel of dogs that run loose, as is betwixt a single combat, and a battle of two armies. I doubt not but in this case your Highness doth and will imitate the policy of the wisest princes, such as your Highness, who do make of peace but a storehouse of war.

Lastly for the disappointing of them in Ireland, which I hold the most material of all, being that this is as the great earth for foxes, which being stopped, they are easily hunted to death, and for their best succour, can but hide themselves in cony-holes, whence they are easily digged out. And as conies<107> may be easily destroyed, where they have no holes to hide themselves in, so I verily think that if they were once debarred Ireland, they might easily be confounded, and without further trouble would end per simplicem desinentiam.<108> To this purpose your Highness must allow one good ship for the South coast, that must continually keep the sea, not coming into harbour, but to trim or victual; which must lie South of Cape Clear,<109> betwixt 20 and 30 leagues, for they that come from the South do ever make that Cape for their landfall if they can. To which ship must belong a nimble pinnace, such as a Penecho carvel,<110> which may with sail and oars quickly turn to windward, and this must still be in Harbour, till she hear of any pirates, and then having directions where to find the great ship, to advertise her.<111> In the same manner must be provided for the West and North-west, where must be two such, the one lying off Black Rock<112> or betwixt that and Tillen-head-land-to,<113> or not so far, for here they keep close aboard the shore, coming or going, unless it be like to grow a storm and then they hale further off. These ships would quickly upon any notice be with the North Coast, so that I think these would serve for both those quarters. I omit to speak of fortifying of harbours there (which would put all out of question), both because of the great charge, as also that for other reasons of state, it may be held both inconvenient and dangerous. Further there must be a strict course, and duly executed, that no Vice-Admiral, or other, be suffered to speak with any of the pirates, but to forfeit either life or goods, for so long as they have any communication with them, so long will there be indirect dealing and relieving of them.

And to conclude, neither the Deputy, nor any other Presidents, must have power to protect though it be but for one hour.<114> For by reason the country be enriched very much by pirates where they come, the Presidents of every place may be willing to protect and use them with all respect they may conveniently, to draw them to their quarters. All which is done under colour of sending to the State, to know if they shall be pardoned or not. In the meantime they trim their ships, spend their money, are well refreshed, and almost weary of the shore, so that pardon or no pardon they must of necessity go to sea again, and of this there is daily experience. These things being strictly commanded by your Highness, and duly and honestly observed by the officers, will questionless be an infallible way to destroy all that are out, and so dishearten all that have any pretence that way that within a short time there will not be one English pirate, nor any have encouragement to enter into it again; which though it may be some charge to your Highness, yet will the honour which your Majesty shall gain thereby, with the benefit to all Christendom, much preponderate the pressure of the expense.
In which business, if it be worth your Majesty's consideration I say no more but this, Delibera lente, quod decreveris constanter urge.<3>

My humble suit now unto your Highness is, that if there be anything remembered here that may serve to inform your Majesty in the course of these affairs as they may not be taken as a particular information against any, for I protest on my allegiance I aim at no particular ends but merely to serve your Highness and freely to tell the truth, which I humbly desire may serve to advise your Highness hereafter, and not as an occasion to call anything past in question.