Frank Mildmay; Or, the Naval Officer

by Frederick Marryat

  Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

  Frank Mildmay, by Captain Marryat.

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  Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself towriting. In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which areamong the very best of English literature, and some of which are stillin print.

  Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in hisstories. He says somewhere that when he sat down for the day's work, henever knew what he was going to write. He certainly was a literarygenius.

  "Frank Mildmay" was published in 1829, the first book to flow fromMarryat's pen. It had been written while at sea, during a long search,which Marryat considered ridiculous, for a non-existent island thatsomeone had reported seeing in mid-Atlantic. While writing this bookMarryat decided that he would be better employed out of the Navy,writing books. The full title of this book was "The Naval Officer; or,Scenes and Adventures in the life of Frank Mildmay". A similar titlemight have been applied to at least four others of his books. Forpeople wishing to know how ships were handled in battles and otherengagements, from books by an experienced early nineteenth century navalofficer, they could not do better than to read them.

  This e-text was transcribed in 1998 by Nick Hodson, and was reformattedin 2003, and again in 2005.

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  FRANK MILDMAY, BY CAPTAIN FREDERICK MARRYAT.

  CHAPTER ONE.

  These are the errors, and these are the fruits of mis-spending our prime youth at the schools and universities, as we do, either in learning mere words, or such things chiefly as were better unlearned. MILTON.

  My father was a gentleman, and a man of considerable property. In myinfancy and childhood I was weak and sickly, but the favourite of myparents beyond all my brothers and sisters, because they saw that mymind was far superior to my sickly frame, and feared they should neverraise me to manhood; contrary, however, to their expectations, Isurmounted all these untoward appearances, and attracted much noticefrom my liveliness, quickness of repartee, and impudence: qualitieswhich have been of much use to me through life.

  I can remember that I was both a coward and a boaster; but I havefrequently remarked that the quality which we call cowardice, in achild, implies no more than a greater sense of danger, and consequentlya superior intellect. We are all naturally cowards: education andobservation teach us to discriminate between real and apparent danger;pride teaches the concealment of fear; and habit render us indifferentto that from which we have often escaped with impunity. It is relatedof the Great Frederick that he misbehaved the first time he went intoaction; and it is certain that a novice in such a situation can no morecommand all his resources than a boy when first bound apprentice to ashoemaker can make a pair of shoes. We must learn our trade, whether itbe to stand steady before the enemy or to stitch a boot; practice alonecan make a Hoby or a Wellington.

  I pass on to my school-days, when the most lasting impressions are made.The foundation of my moral and religious instruction had been laid withcare by my excellent parents; but, alas! from the time I quitted thepaternal roof not one stone was added to the building; and even thetraces of what existed were nearly obliterated by the deluge of vicewhich threatened soon to overwhelm me. Sometimes, indeed, I feebly, butineffectually, endeavoured to stem the torrent; at others, I sufferedmyself to be borne along with all its fatal rapidity. I was frank,generous, quick, and mischievous; and I must admit that a large portionof what sailors call "devil" was openly displayed, and a much largerportion latently deposited in my brain and bosom. My ruling passion,even in this early stage of life was pride. Lucifer himself, if he everwas seven years old, had not more. If I have gained a fair name in theservice, if I have led instead of followed, it must be ascribed to thismy ruling passion. The world has often given me credit for betterfeelings, as the source of action; but I am not writing to conceal, andthe truth must be told.

  I was sent to school to learn Latin and Greek, of which there arevarious ways of teaching. Some tutors attempt the _suaviter in modo_,my schoolmaster preferred the _fortiter in re_, and, as the boatswainsaid, by the "instigation" of a large knotted stick, he drove knowledgeinto our skulls as a caulker drives oakum into the seams of a ship.Under such tuition, we made astonishing progress; and whatever my lessdesirable acquirements may have been, my father had no cause to complainof my deficiency in classic lore. Superior in capacity to most of myschoolfellows, I seldom took the pains to learn my lesson previous togoing up with the class: "the master's blessing," as we called it, didoccasionally descend on my devoted head, but that was a bagatelle; I wastoo proud not to keep pace with my equals, and too idle to do more.

  Had my schoolmaster been a single man, my stay under his care might havebeen prolonged to my advantage; but, unfortunately, both for him and forme, he had a helpmate, and her peculiarly unfortunate disposition wasthe means of corrupting those morals over which it was her duty to havewatched with the most assiduous care. _Her_ ruling passions weresuspicion and avarice, written in legible characters in her piercingeyes and sharp-pointed nose. She never supposed us capable of tellingthe truth, so we very naturally never gave ourselves the trouble tocultivate a useless virtue, and seldom resorted to it unless it answeredour purpose better than a lie. This propensity of Mrs Higginbottomconverted our candour and honesty into deceit and fraud. Neverbelieved, we cared little about the accuracy of our assertions;half-starved through her meanness and parsimony, we were littlescrupulous as to the ways and means provided we could satisfy ourhunger; and thus we soon became as great adepts in the elegantaccomplishments of lying and thieving, under her tuition, as we did inGreek and Latin under that of her husband.

  A large orchard, fields, garden, and poultry-yard, attached to theestablishment, were under the care and superintendence of the mistress,who usually selected one of the boys as her prime minister andconfidential adviser. This boy, for whose education his parents werepaying some sixty or eighty pounds per annum, was permitted to pass histime in gathering up the windfalls; in watching the hens, and bringingin their eggs when their cackling throats had announced their safeaccouchement; looking after the broods of young ducks and chickens, _ethoc genus omne_; in short, doing the duty of what is usually termed theodd man in the farm-yard. How far the parents would have been satisfiedwith this arrangement, I leave my readers to guess; but to us whopreferred the manual to mental exertion, exercise to restraint, and anydescription of cultivation to that of cultivating the mind, it suitedextremely well; and accordingly no place in the gift of government wasever the object of such solicitude and intrigue, as was to us schoolboysthe situation of collector and trustee of the eggs and apples.

  I had the good fortune to be early selected for this important post, andthe misfortune to lose it soon after, owing to the cunning and envy ofmy schoolfellows and the suspicion of my employers. On my first cominginto office, I had formed the most sincere resolutions of honesty andvigilance; but what are good resolutions when discouraged on the onehand by the revilings of suspicion, and assailed on the other by thecravings of appetite? My morning's collection was exacted from me tothe very last nut, and the greedy eyes of my mistress seemed to inquirefor more. Suspected when innocent, I became guilty out of revenge; wasdetected and dismissed. A successor was appointed, to whom Isurrendered all my offices of trust, and having perfect leisure, I madeit my sole business to supplant him.

  It was an axiom in mathematics with me at that time, though not found inEuclid,
that wherever I could enter my head, my whole body might follow.As a practical illustration of this proposition, I applied my head tothe arched hole of the hen-house door, and by scraping away a littledirt, contrived to gain admittance, and very speedily transferred allthe eggs to my own chest. When the new purveyor arrived, he foundnothing but "a beggarly account of empty boxes;" and his perambulationsin the orchard and garden, for the same reason, were equally_fruitless_. The pilferings of the orchard and garden I confiscated asdroits; but when I had collected a sufficient number of eggs to furnisha nest, I gave information of my pretended discovery to my mistress,who, thinking she had not changed for the better, dismissed mysuccessor, and received me into favour again. I was, like many greatermen, immediately reinstated in office when it was discovered that theycould not do without me. I once more became chancellor of the hen-roostand ranger of the orchard, with greater power than I had possessedbefore my disgrace. Had my mistress looked half as much in my face asshe did into my hatful of eggs, she would have read my guilt; for atthat unsophisticated age I could blush, a habit long since discarded inthe course of my professional duties.

  In order to preserve my credit and my situation, I no longer contentedmyself with windfalls, but assisted nature in her labours, and greatlylightened the burthen of many a loaded fruit-tree; by these means, I notonly gratified the avarice of my mistress at her own expense, but alsolaid by a store for my own use. On my restoration to office, I had anample fund in my exchequer to answer all present demands; and, by aprovident and industrious anticipation, was enabled to lull thesuspicions of my employers, and to bid defiance to the opposition. Itwill readily be supposed that a lad of my acuteness did not omit anytechnical management for the purpose of disguise; the fruits which Ipresented were generally soiled with dirt at the ends of the stalks, insuch a manner as to give them all the appearance of "_felo de se_," i.e.fell of itself. Thus, in the course of a few months, did I become anadept of vice, from the mismanagement of those into whose hands I wasintrusted to be strengthened in religion and virtue.

  Fortunately for me, as far as my education was concerned, I did not longcontinue to hold this honourable and lucrative employment. One of thoseunhappy beings called an usher peeped into my chest, and by way ofacquiring popularity with the mistress and scholars, forthwith denouncedme to the higher powers. The proofs of my peculation were too glaring,and the amount too serious, to be passed over; I was tried, convicted,condemned, sentenced, flogged, and dismissed in the course of half anhour; and such was the degree of turpitude attached to me on thisoccasion, that I was rendered for ever incapable of serving in that orany other employment connected with the garden or farm; I was placed atthe bottom of the list, and declared to be the worst boy in the school.

  This in many points of view was too true; but there was one boy who badefair to rival me on the score of delinquency; this was Tom Crauford, whofrom that day became my most intimate friend. Tom was a fine spiritedfellow, up to everything, loved mischief, though not vicious, and wasready to support me in everything through thick and thin; and truly Ifound him sufficient employment. I threw off all disguise, laughed atany suggestion of reform, which I considered as not only useless, butcertain of subjecting me to ridicule and contempt among my associates.I therefore adopted the motto of some great man, "to be rather than seemto be." I led in every danger; declared war against all drivellers andhalf-measures; stole everything that was eatable from garden, orchard,or hen-house, knowing full well that whether I did so or not, I shouldbe equally suspected. Thenceforward all fruit missed, all arrows shotinto pigs, all stones thrown into the windows, and all mud spatteredover clean linen hung out to dry, were traced to Tom and myself; andwith the usual alacrity of an arbitrary police, the space betweenapprehension and punishment was very short--we were constantly broughtbefore the master, and as regularly dismissed with "his blessing," tillwe became hardened to blows and to shame.

  Thus, by the covetousness of this woman, who was the grey mare, and thefolly of the master, who, in anything but Greek and Latin, was an ass,my good principles were nearly eradicated from my bosom, and in theirplace were sown seeds which very shortly produced an abundant harvest.

  There was a boy at our school lately imported from the East Indies. Wenick-named him Johnny Pagoda. He was remarkable for nothing butignorance, impudence, great personal strength, and, as we thought,determined resolution. He was about nineteen years of age. One day heincurred the displeasure of the master, who, enraged at his want ofcomprehension and attention, struck him over the head with the knottedcane. This appeal, although made to the least sensitive part of hisframe, roused the indolent Asiatic from his usual torpid state. Theweapon, in the twinkling of an eye, was snatched out of the hand, andsuspended over the head of the astonished pedagogue, who, seeing thetables so suddenly turned against him, made the signal for assistance.I clapped my hands, shouted "Bravo! lay on, Johnny--go it--you have doneit now--you may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb;" but the ushersbegan to muster round, the boys hung aloof, and Pagoda, uncertain whichside the neutrals would take, laid down his arms, and surrendered atdiscretion.

  Had the East-Indian followed up his act by the application of a littlediscipline at the fountain-head, it is more than probable that a popularcommotion, not unlike that of Masaniello, would have ensued; but thetime was not come--the Indian showed a white feather, was laughed at,flogged, and sent home to his friends, who had intended him for the bar;but foreseeing that he might, in the course of events, chance to cut afigure on the wrong side of it, sent him to sea, where his valour, if hehad any, would find more profitable employment.

  This unsuccessful attempt of the young Oriental was the primary cause ofall my fame and celebrity in after-life. I had always hated school; andthis, of all others, seemed [seem] to me the most hateful. Theemancipation of Johnny Pagoda convinced me that my deliverance might beeffected in a similar manner. The train was laid, and a spark set it onfire. This spark was supplied by the folly and vanity of a fat Frenchdancing-master. These Frenchmen are ever at the bottom of mischief.Mrs Higginbottom, the master's wife, had denounced me to MonsieurAristide Maugrebleu as a _mauvais sujet_; and as he was a creature ofhers, he frequently annoyed me to gratify his patroness. This fellowwas at that time about forty-five years of age, and had much moreexperience than agility, having greatly increased his bulk by the roastbeef and ale of England. While he taught us the rigadoons of his owncountry, his vanity induced him to attempt feats much above the cumbrousweight of his frame. I entered the lists with him, beat him at his owntrade, and he beat me with his fiddlestick, which broke in two over myhead; then, making one more glorious effort to show that he would not beoutdone, snapped the tendon Achilles, and down he fell, _hors de combat_as a dancing-master. He was taken away in his gig to be cured, and Iwas taken into the school-room to be flogged.

  This I thought so unjust that I ran away. Tom Crauford helped me toscale the wall; and when he supposed I had got far enough to be out ofdanger from pursuit, went and gave information, to avoid the suspicionof having aided and abetted. After running a mile, to use a sea phrase,I hove-to, and began to compose, in my mind, an oration which I intendedto pronounce before my father, by way of apology for my sudden andunexpected appearance; but I was interrupted by the detested usher andhalf a dozen of the senior boys, among whom was Tom Crauford. Comingbehind me as I sat on a stile, they cut short my meditations by a tap onthe shoulder, collared and marched me to the right about in double quicktime. Tom Crauford was one of those who held me, and outdid himself inzealous invective at my base ingratitude in absconding from the best ofmasters, and the most affectionate, tender, and motherly of allschool-dames.

  The usher swallowed all this, and I soon made him swallow a great dealmore. We passed near the side of a pond, the shoals and depths of whichwere well-known to me. I looked at Tom out of the corner of my eye, andmotioned him to let me go; and, like a mackerel out of a fisherman'shand, I darted into the water, got
up to my middle, and then verycoolly, for it was November, turned round to gaze at my escort, whostood at bay, and looked very much like fools. The usher, like alow-bred cur, when he could no longer bully, began to fawn; he entreatedand he implored me to think on "my papa and mamma; how miserable theywould be, if they could but see me; what an increase of punishment I wasbringing on myself by such obstinacy." He held out by turns coaxes andthreats; in short, everything but an amnesty, to which I consideredmyself entitled, having been driven to rebellion by the most cruelpersecution.

  Argument having failed, and there being no volunteers to come in andfetch me out of the water, the poor usher, much against his inclination,was compelled to undertake it. With shoes and stockings off, andtrousers tucked up, he ventured one foot into the water, then the other;a cold shiver reached his teeth, and made them chatter; but, at length,with cautious tread he advanced towards me. Being once in the water, astep or two farther was no object to me, particularly as I knew I couldbut be well flogged after all, and I was quite sure of that, at allevents, so I determined to have my revenge and amusement. Steppingback, he followed, and suddenly fell over head and ears into a hole, ashe made a reach at me. I was already out of my depth, and could swimlike a duck, and as soon as he came up, I perched my knees on hisshoulders and my hands on his head, and sent him souse under a secondtime, keeping him there until he had drunk more water than any horsethat ever came to the pond. I then allowed him to wallow out the bestway he could; and as it was very cold, I listened to the entreaties ofTom and the boys who stood by, cracking their sides with laughter at thepoor usher's helpless misery.

  Having had my frolic, I came out, and voluntarily surrendered myself tomy enemies, from whom I received the same mercy in proportion, that aRussian does from a Turk. Dripping wet, cold,--and covered with mud, Iwas first shown to the boys as an aggregate of all that was bad innature; a lecture was read to them on the enormity of my offence, andsolemn denunciations of my future destiny closed the discourse. Theshivering fit produced by the cold bath was relieved by as sound aflogging as could be inflicted, while two ushers held me; but no effortof theirs could elicit one groan or sob from me; my teeth were clenchedin firm determination of revenge: with this passion my bosom glowed, andmy brain was on fire. The punishment, though dreadfully severe, had onegood effect--it restored my almost suspended animation; and I stronglyrecommend the same remedy being applied to all young ladies andgentlemen who, from disappointed love or other such trifling causes,throw themselves into the water. Had the miserable usher been treatedafter this prescription, he might have escaped a cold and rheumaticfever which had nearly consigned him to a country church-yard, in allprobability to reappear at the dissecting-room of St. Bartholomew'sHospital.

  About this time Johnny Pagoda, who had been two years at sea,--came tothe school to visit his brother and schoolfellows. I pumped this fellowto tell me all he knew: he never tried to deceive me, or to make aconvert. He had seen enough of a midshipman's life, to know that acockpit was not paradise; but he gave me clear and ready answers to allmy questions. I discovered that there was no schoolmaster in the ship,and that the midshipmen were allowed a pint of wine a day. Aman-of-war, and the gallows, they say, refuse nothing; and as I had somestrong presentiments from recent occurrences, that if I did notvolunteer for the one, I should, in all probability, be pressed for theother, I chose the lesser evil of the two; and having made up my mind toenter the glorious profession, I shortly after communicated my intentionto my parents.

  From the moment I had come to this determination, I cared not what crimeI committed, in hopes of being expelled from the school. I wrotescurrilous letters, headed a mutiny, entered into a league with theother boys to sink, burn, and destroy, and do all the mischief we could.Tom Crauford had the master's child to dry nurse: he was only two yearsold: Tom let him fall, not intentionally, but the poor child was acripple in consequence of it for life. This was an accident which underany other circumstances we should have deplored, but to us it was almosta joke.

  The cruel treatment I had received from these people, had so demoralisedme, that those passions which under more skilful or kinder treatment hadeither not been known, or would have lain dormant, were roused into fulland malignant activity: I went to school a good-hearted boy, I left it asavage. The accident with the child occurred two days before thecommencement of the vacation, and we were all dismissed on the followingday in consequence. On my return home I stated verbally to my fatherand mother, as I had done before by letter, that I was resolved to go tosea. My mother wept, my father expostulated. I gazed with apathy onthe one, and listened with cold indifference to the reasoning andarguments of the other; a choice of schools was offered to me, where Imight be a parlour boarder, and I was to finish at the university, if Iwould give up my fatal infatuation. Nothing, however, would do; the diewas cast, and for the sea I was to prepare.

  What fool was it who said that the happiest times of our lives is passedat school? There may, indeed, be exceptions, but the remark cannot begeneralised. Stormy as has been my life, the most miserable part of it(with very little exception) was passed at school; and my mind neverreceived so much injury from any scenes of vice and excess inafter-life, as it did from the shameful treatment and bad example I metwith there. If my bosom burned with fiend-like passions, whose faultwas it? How had the sacred pledge, given by the master, been redeemed?Was I not sacrificed to the most sordid avarice, in the first instance,and almost flayed alive in the second, to gratify revenge? Of thefilthy manner in which our food was prepared, I can only say that thebare recollection of it excites nausea; and to this hour, bread andmilk, suet pudding, and shoulders of mutton, are objects of mydeep-rooted aversion. The conduct of the ushers, who were eithertyrannical extortioners, or partakers in our crimes--the constant lossof our clothes by the dishonesty or carelessness of the servants--thepurloining our silver spoons, sheets, and towels, when we went away,upon the plea of "custom"--the charges in the account for windows whichI had never broken, and books which I had never received--the shamefuldifference between the annual cost promised by the master, and the sumactually charged, ought to have opened the eyes of my father.

  I am aware how excellent many of these institutions are, and that thereare few so bad as the one I was sent to. The history of my life willprove of what vital importance it is to ascertain the character of themaster and mistress as to other points besides teaching Greek and Latin,before a child is intrusted to their care. I ought to have observed,that during my stay at this school, I had made some proficiency inmathematics and algebra.

  My father had procured for me a berth on board a fine frigate atPlymouth, and the interval between my nomination and joining was spentby my parents in giving advice to me, and directions to the severaltradesmen respecting my equipment. The large chest, the sword, thecocked-hat, the half-boots, were all ordered in succession; and thearrival of each article, either of use or ornament, was anticipated byme with a degree of impatience which can only be compared to that of aship's company arrived off Dennose from a three years' station in India,and who hope to be at anchor at Spithead before sunset. Thecircumstance of my going to sea affected my father in no other way thanit interfered with his domestic comforts by the immoderate grief of mypoor mother. In any other point of view my choice of profession was asource of no regret to him. I had an elder brother, who was intended tohave the family estates, and who was then at Oxford, receiving aneducation suitable to his rank in life, and also learning how to spendhis money like a gentleman. Younger brothers are, in such cases, justas well out of the way, particularly one of my turbulent disposition: aman-of-war, therefore, like _another piece of timber_, has its uses. Myfather paid all the bills with great philosophy, and made me a liberalallowance for my age.

  The hour of departure drew near; my chest had been sent off by thePlymouth waggon, and a hackney-coach drew up to the door, to convey meto the White Horse Cellar. The letting down of the rattling stepscomple
tely overthrew the small remains of fortitude which my dearestmother had reserved for our separation, and she threw her arms around myneck in a frenzy of grief. I beheld her emotions with a countenance asunmoved as the figure-head of a ship; while she covered my stoic facewith kisses, and washed it with her tears. I almost wondered what itall meant, and wished the scene was over.

  My father helped me out of this dilemma; taking me firmly by the arm, heled me out of the room; my mother sank upon the sofa, and hid her facein her pocket-handkerchief. I walked as quickly to the coach as commondecency would permit. My father looked at me, as if he would inquire ofmy very inward soul whether I really did possess human feelings? I feltthe meaning of this, even in my then tender years; and such was my senseof propriety, that I mustered up a tear for each eye, which, I hope,answered the intended purpose. We say at sea, "When you have no decencysham a little;" and I verily believe I should have beheld my poor motherin her coffin with less regret than I could have foregone the gay andlovely scenes which I anticipated.

  How amply has this want of feeling towards a tender parent been recalledto my mind, and severely punished, in the events of my vagrant life!