Wednesday, September 19, 2007

It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day

In an honest service there is thin commons, low wages, and hard labour. In this, plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power; and who would not balance creditor on this side, when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst is only a sour look or two at choking? No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.
Captain Roberts

5 comments:

Unknown said...

"I practice fencing three hours a day, so that when I meet a pirate, I might kill him!"

Will whats-his-name from that pirat movie a couple years ago.

A. L. Brackett said...

If there can be no arrangement, then we are at an impasse.

Brad Ellison said...

We, the undersigned, are men without a country. Outlaws in our own land and homeless outcasts in any other. Desperate men, we go to seek a desperate fortune. Therefore, we do, here and now, band ourselves into a brotherhood of bucaneers... to practice the trade of piracy on the high seas. We, the hunted, will now hunt! Therefore, to that end, we enter into the following Articles of Agreement: First: We pledge ourselves to be bound together as brothers in a life and death friendship, sharing alike in fortune and in trouble. Second Article: All monies and valuables which may come into our possession shall be lumped together into a common fund... and from this fund shall first be taken the money to fit, rig, and provision the ship. After that, the recompense each shall receive who is wounded is follows: for the loss of a right arm: 600 pieces of eight; left arm: 500; for the loss of a right leg: 500; left leg: 400. If a man conceal any treasure captured or fail to place it in the general fund, he shall be marooned. Set ashore on a deserted isle, and there left with a bottle of water, a loaf of bread and a pistol with one load. If a man shall be drunk on duty he shall recieve the same fate. And if a man shall molest a woman captive against her will... he, too, shall receive the same punishment. These Articles entered into this 20th day of June, in the year 1687.

Now, men, you've heard the Agreement. It's the world against us and us against the world!

Those of you in favor of these Articles raise your right hands and say, "Aye!"

Unknown said...

If you had fought like a man, you would not now be about to die like a dog.

Helen Louise said...

A rollicking band of pirates we
Who tired of tossing on the sea
Are trying their hands at burglary
With weapons grim and gory...

With cat-like tread upon our prey we steal
In silence dread, our cautious way we feel
No sound at all, we never speak a word
A fly's footfall would be distinctly heard
Come, friends who plough the sea
Truce to navigation
Take another station
Let's vary piracy with a little burglary!

"I don't think much of our profession, but compared with respectability, it is comparatively honest."