Master and Commander (Aubrey & Maturin, #1)

by Patrick O'Brian

‘all flag officers, and all persons in or belonging to his Majesty’s ships or vessels of war, being guilty of profane oaths, cursings, execrations, drunkenness, uncleanliness, or other scandalous actions, shall incur such punishment as a court-martial shall think fit to impose’. Or by the echoing repetition of ‘shall suffer death’. ‘Every flag-officer, captain and commander in the fleet who shall not … encourage the inferior officers and men to fight courageously, shall suffer death … If any person in the fleet shall treacherously or cowardly yield or cry for quarter – being convicted thereof by the sentence of a court-martial, shall suffer death … Every person who through cowardice shall in time of action withdraw or keep back … shall suffer death … Every person who through cowardice, negligence or disaffection shall forbear to pursue any enemy, pirate, or rebel, beaten or flying … shall suffer death … If any officer, mariner, soldier or other person in the fleet shall strike any of his superior officers, draw, or offer to draw, or lift up any weapon … shall suffer death … If any person in the fleet shall commit the unnatural and detestable sin of buggery or sodomy with man or beast, he shall be punished with death.’ Death rang through and through the Articles; and even where the words were utterly incomprehensible the death had a fine, comminatory, Leviticus ring, and the crew took a grave pleasure in it all; it was what they were used to – it was what they heard the fir...