It was the boast of our Buccaneer that he never turned his back upon
either friend or enemy, but in this perhaps he romanced a little, as the
very best and bravest of men will. The accusation was certainly brought
against him in after years. In dwelling upon our own actions a little
latitude is always allowed, and the disposition to boast a little must
be considered to be a pardonable weakness. Indeed, why should we detract
from ourselves when there are so many kind friends and bitter enemies
ever ready to render us the service and all for nothing?
He did love to dwell upon his past actions, many of which were glorious,
and over his pipe and his glass he would spin many a yarn, and he would
declare that there was no nobler sight than a good sea-fight, no finer
music than the clash of arms, no finer scent than that which came from
the muzzle of a freshly discharged gun. All this is, of course, merely a
matter of opinion.
If his sons were successful, he rewarded them well, if otherwise they
frequently had to play the part of the scapegoat, and were driven out
into the wilderness of neglect. He worshipped success and there is
nothing like it. It changes the aspect of the blackest deed, and under
its mellowing influence rank rebellion, it is well known, comes out
oftentimes, if not always, in the pure and beautiful light of
patriotism.
It has been mentioned that our bold Buccaneer had engendered a certain
amount of jealousy amongst his neighbours, who were for ever calling him
hard names, and always retained the privilege of adding to the number.
Such things do not break bones or otherwise injure people, more
especially if nature has endowed them with good, thick, serviceable
skins, and in this respect she had been considerate to the subject of
our history. A good thick skin is, in this world, a tower of strength,
from the top of which the fortunate ones can defy ill-nature. At times,
however, a shaft did pierce through some soft and indifferently guarded
spot in the Buccaneer's armour. He had fought many a good fight both by
sea and land, and against long odds, and he could not bear to think,
that there should be a suspicion even, that he was a bully ever ready to
pitch into one smaller than himself.
There is something very offensive about the above term. Schoolboys are
for ever requesting their fellows to pitch into boys their own size and
calling them bullies if they will not. But has not the bully been
somewhat put upon, misunderstood, and subjected to unjust obloquy? To
attack one your own size is a mistake and worthy only of the immortal
Don. As a rule for everyday life it would never do, and might be fraught
with injustice. All virtue does not lie on the side of the small boy,
who frequently by his self-sufficiency and conceit deserves a thrashing.
Oftentimes he presumes upon his smallness and makes himself as
disagreeable as a drowsy fly in cold weather. If a small boy be put upon
by one bigger than himself, he can in turn set upon his inferior, and
thus the chain of responsibility can be carried on "ad infinitum," and
in the end justice will be done to all.
We are all children of nature and she has established bullying as a
principle which is, by the aid of the microscope, to be detected from
the mite to the man. The small of each species which she wishes to
preserve, she guards and surrounds with especial attributes. The skunk
is not a large animal, and yet enemies and friends alike approach him
with extreme respect. Was there ever a nation yet, that was kept from
thrashing and robbing another on account of its size?
Does the bully never walk about in public offices, or in private
dwelling-houses? Is he never to be found on the domestic hearth? Ask the
humble swain of yonder fair-haired, blue-eyed, and angel-faced damsel,
if he knows what it is to be bullied? Ask the husband of many years
standing if he has ever experienced the feeling? All things have their
allotted functions to perform in this most complex world of ours, and no
doubt the bully is as necessary as many of those minute insects whose
presence is only known by the energy of their actions. So much for the
bully.
His neighbours also said he was a money-grubber; a mere tradesman, but
withal a proud and even prosperous man. That he could fight well had
been proved on many a battle-field. What then, if now, he made a goodly
income by means of trade? All love this money, yet so many pretend to
despise the means by which it is obtained. To march your thousand into
your neighbour's country; to lay waste his lands, to filch from him his
money, and to ravish, perhaps, his daughters, has ever been considered
more noble and honourable, than to sit quietly at home and allow the
gold to trickle into your coffers through the peaceful channels of
trade.
We have touched upon this subject with the tip only of our pen before,
for we fear pollution. The trader is looked upon askance. The uncrowned
queen of society turns up her dainty nose at him. The poor man knows it,
and as soon as he can hides all trace of his calling. Frequently enrols
himself in some civic guard and calls himself a colonel, and tries to
hide under his military plumes all signs of the desk and high stool.
Then as to our Buccaneer's pride. Such a thing is, no doubt, to be
condemned, but its next-of-kin, namely, self-respect, is very much to be
esteemed. The Buccaneer maintained that his pride amounted to this and
nothing more, and he gloried in it; took it with him everywhere, more
especially to his church. When he prayed he might humble himself before
his God, but as regards his fellow-man he must hold his head up and
claim that consideration which he considered his due. If you wished to
see pride fully displayed, there could be no better place than the
debatable ground of a church pew in the Buccaneer's island.
When his sons visited his neighbours or any parts called foreign, they
were perhaps a little haughty and had a good-natured contempt for the
people they found themselves amongst. But that they did not hail from
their own fair land was, however, more their misfortune than their
fault. Perhaps it is the vulgar ostentation that sometimes accompanies
the acquirement of great wealth that renders it so offensive to the less
fortunate.
Pride, no doubt, is not a Christian virtue, yet have I found no
Christian entirely without it. The Buccaneer's High Priest and other
great church dignitaries, were they humble? Yes, humble enough if you
paid them the respect they thought their due; if you approached the
ecclesiastical breeches and gaiters with modest diffidence. Did not
contradict them--not the breeches and gaiters, but the divine beings
inside them--or doubt the superiority of their learning, wisdom, and
virtue, or presume to make use of that intellect which God has given
you. Humble enough then; but your ordinary, and sometimes your
extraordinary priests cannot brook opposition. Admit also that our
Buccaneer was great, good, rich, generous, brave, and a few other things
barely worth the mentioning, and he was humble enough, heaven knows.
What he was almost entirely without, was that offensive pride which apes
humility.