At the time of Billy Budd's
arbitrary enlistment into the Indomitable
that ship was on her way to join the
Mediterranean fleet. Not many No long time
days elapsed dxxxt before the junction was
effected. As one of that fleet the Indomitable
seventy-four participated in its movements, tho' at
times on account of her superior sailing
qualities, in the abscence of frigates,
despatched on separate duty as a scout
an d times or or on otherwise less temporary more prolonged service. . But with all this the
story has little concerment, restricted
as it is, mainly to the inner life of
one particular ship and the career
of one an individual sailor man .
arbitrary enlistment into the Indomitable
that ship was on her way to join the
Mediterranean fleet. Not many No long time
days elapsed dxxxt before the junction was
effected. As one of that fleet the Indomitable
seventy-four participated in its movements, tho' at
times on account of her superior sailing
qualities, in the abscence of frigates,
despatched on separate duty as a scout
an d times or or on otherwise less temporary more prolonged service. . But with all this the
story has little concerment, restricted
as it is, mainly to the inner life of
one particular ship and the career
of one an individual sailor man .
It was the summer
of 1797. In the April of the that same
year had occurred the commotion
in the fleet lying among the men-of-war's men at
Spithead followed in May by a second
and yet more serious outbreak in the fleet at the
Nore. The latter is know known , and
without exaggeration in the epithet,
as the Great Mutiny. It was indeed
of 1797. In the April of the that same
year had occurred the commotion
in the fleet lying among the men-of-war's men at
Spithead followed in May by a second
and yet more serious outbreak in the fleet at the
Nore. The latter is know known , and
without exaggeration in the epithet,
as the Great Mutiny. It was indeed
a demonstration more menacing to
England than the contemporary manifestoes
and conquering and prosyliting armies
of the French Directory.
To the British Empire the Nore Mutiny
was what a strike in her the fire-brigade
would be to London threatened
with by general arson. In a time crisis
when the country kingdom might well have
anticipated the famous signal that some a few
years later published along the naval naval winged line of
battle what it was that upon
occasion England expected of
Englishmen; then it was that that was the time when that was the time
England than the contemporary manifestoes
and conquering and prosyliting armies
of the French Directory.
To the British Empire the Nore Mutiny
was what a strike in her the fire-brigade
would be to London threatened
with by general arson. In a time crisis
when the country kingdom might well have
anticipated the famous signal that some a few
years later published along the naval naval winged line of
battle what it was that upon
occasion England expected of
Englishmen; then it was that that was the time when that was the time
when
at the mast-heads of the
first-rates
three-deckers
and seventy-fours moored in her
own waters roadstead, —a fleet, the right puissant arm of a
of Power then all but the sole what was xxxxxxtly at that period the the one
free conservative one power of the Old World,
the blue-jackets, to be numbered by
thousands ran up with huzzahs huzzas
the British colors with the union and cross
wiped out ; and the cross; by that cancellation transmuting converting
and seventy-fours moored in her
own waters roadstead, —a fleet, the right puissant arm of a
of Power then all but the sole what was xxxxxxtly at that period the the one
free conservative one power of the Old World,
the blue-jackets, to be numbered by
thousands ran up with huzzahs huzzas
the British colors with the union and cross
wiped out ; and the cross; by that cancellation transmuting converting
the flag of founded law and freedom defined,
into the enemy's red meteor
of unbridled
and unbounded revolt. Reasonable
discontent growing out of practical
grievances in the fleet had been ignited
into irrational combustion as by live
cinders blown across the Channel from
France in flames. in this that terrific at that momentous conjuncture ^ of the time in of Eur E
The event converted into
into irony for a time those spirited strains of Dibdin—
as a song-writer
no mean auxiliary auxiliary to the English Government at that the European conjuncture —
strains cebebrating celebrating , among other things, the
patriotic devotion of the British tar, to the throne , :—
that is, to the state, to his country:—
" And as for my life, t'is the King's !"
Such an episode in the
Island's grand grand naval story no wonder that
her naval historians naturally abridge; one of them G. P. R. (James) (James)
candidly acknowledging that fain
would he pass it over did not
"impartiality forbid fastidiousness."
cinders blown across the Channel from
France in flames. in this that terrific at that momentous conjuncture ^ of the time in of Eur E
The event converted into
into irony for a time those spirited strains of Dibdin—
as a song-writer
no mean auxiliary auxiliary to the English Government at that the European conjuncture —
strains cebebrating celebrating , among other things, the
patriotic devotion of the British tar, to the throne , :—
that is, to the state, to his country:—
" And as for my life, t'is the King's !"
Such an episode in the
Island's grand grand naval story no wonder that
her naval historians naturally abridge; one of them G. P. R. (James) (James)
candidly acknowledging that fain
would he pass it over did not
"impartiality forbid fastidiousness."
And yet his mention
of the
is less a
narration than a reference, hardly
having to do hardly at all with
details. Nor are these readily readily to be found in
the libraries. Like some other events in every age befalling
states everywhere and including America in every age the
Great Mutiny was of such character
that national pride along with views
of policy would fain shade it off into
the historical background. Such events
can not be ignored, but there is a
considerate way of historically treating them.
If a well-constituted individual refrains
from blazoning aught amiss or calamitous in his
family history ; a nation in the like circumstance
may without reproach be equally discreet.
narration than a reference, hardly
having to do hardly at all with
details. Nor are these readily readily to be found in
the libraries. Like some other events in every age befalling
states everywhere and including America in every age the
Great Mutiny was of such character
that national pride along with views
of policy would fain shade it off into
the historical background. Such events
can not be ignored, but there is a
considerate way of historically treating them.
If a well-constituted individual refrains
from blazoning aught amiss or calamitous in his
family history ; a nation in the like circumstance
may without reproach be equally discreet.
Though after parleyings
between Government and the ring-leaders,
and concessions by the former as to some
incontestable glaring abuses, the first outbrea
uprising —that at Spithead— —that at Spithead— with great difficulty was
put down, or pacified matters for the time pacified;
yet at the Nore at the Nore the unforseen unfor e seen renewal of revolt
insurrection and on a yet larger scale ,
between Government and the ring-leaders,
and concessions by the former as to some
incontestable glaring abuses, the first outbrea
uprising —that at Spithead— —that at Spithead— with great difficulty was
put down, or pacified matters for the time pacified;
yet at the Nore at the Nore the unforseen unfor e seen renewal of revolt
insurrection and on a yet larger scale ,
and
emphasized
emphasisedHS
in the
conferences
conferences
that
ensued by demands deemed by the authorities
not only inadmissable inadmissible but agressivly aggressivly insolent, evinced indicated —
if the Red Flag did not sufficiently do so,
signify it —
what was the spirit animating the men.
Final suppression, however, there was;
but only made possible perhaps by the steady unswerving loyalty of the marine corps
a voluntary resumption of loyalty among
influential sections of the crews. To some
extent the Nore Mutiny may be
regarded as somewhat somewhat analagous to the
ensued by demands deemed by the authorities
not only inadmissable inadmissible but agressivly aggressivly insolent, evinced indicated —
if the Red Flag did not sufficiently do so,
signify it —
what was the spirit animating the men.
Final suppression, however, there was;
but only made possible perhaps by the steady unswerving loyalty of the marine corps
a voluntary resumption of loyalty among
influential sections of the crews. To some
extent the Nore Mutiny may be
regarded as somewhat somewhat analagous to the
distempering irruption of
contagious
contageous
fever
in a frame constitutionally sound . , and
which anon throws it off. At all events, of these thousands
of mutineers were some of the tars
who not so very long afterwards—
whether wholly prompted thereto by patriotism, or th pugnacious
instinct, or by both,—helped to win for
a coronet for Nelson at the Nile,
and, and then a the naval crown of crowns for him for him at
Trafalgar. To the mutineers insurrectionists of the
Nore , those superb battles and especially Trafalgar were a plenary and splendid
absolution , ; and a grand one; and a grand one; since For for all that goes
to make up scenic naval display, and heroic magnificence
in arms, Traflagar stands alone unmatched in
human naval annals.
those battles stand
especially Trafalgar stand unmatched in
human annals. And very probably Old Ocean
will never behold the like again.
in a frame constitutionally sound . , and
which anon throws it off. At all events, of these thousands
of mutineers were some of the tars
who not so very long afterwards—
whether wholly prompted thereto by patriotism, or th pugnacious
instinct, or by both,—helped to win for
a coronet for Nelson at the Nile,
and, and then a the naval crown of crowns for him for him at
Trafalgar. To the mutineers insurrectionists of the
Nore , those superb battles and especially Trafalgar were a plenary and splendid
absolution , ; and a grand one; and a grand one; since For for all that goes
to make up scenic naval display, and heroic magnificence
in arms, Traflagar stands alone unmatched in
human naval annals.
those battles stand
especially Trafalgar stand unmatched in
human annals. And very probably Old Ocean
will never behold the like again.