Frank Mildmay

Frank Mildmay, by Captain
Frederick Marryat

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Title: Frank Mildmay The Naval Officer
Author: Captain Frederick Marryat
Release Date: May 21, 2007 [EBook #21554]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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MILDMAY ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

Frank Mildmay
by Captain 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 my
infancy and childhood I was weak and sickly, but the favourite of my
parents beyond all my brothers and sisters, because they saw that my
mind was far superior to my sickly frame, and feared they should never
raise me to manhood; contrary, however, to their expectations, I
surmounted all these untoward appearances, and attracted much notice
from my liveliness, quickness of repartee, and impudence: qualities
which have been of much use to me through life.
I can remember that I was both a coward and a boaster; but I have
frequently remarked that the quality which we call cowardice, in a child,
implies no more than a greater sense of danger, and consequently a
superior intellect. We are all naturally cowards: education and
observation teach us to discriminate between real and apparent danger;
pride teaches the concealment of fear; and habit render us indifferent to
that from which we have often escaped with impunity. It is related of
the Great Frederick that he misbehaved the first time he went into
action; and it is certain that a novice in such a situation can no more
command all his resources than a boy when first bound apprentice to a
shoemaker can make a pair of shoes. We must learn our trade, whether
it be to stand steady before the enemy or to stitch a boot; practice alone
can 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 with care by my excellent parents; but, alas! from the time I quitted
the paternal roof not one stone was added to the building; and even the
traces of what existed were nearly obliterated by the deluge of vice
which threatened soon to overwhelm me. Sometimes, indeed, I feebly,
but ineffectually, endeavoured to stem the torrent; at others, I suffered
myself to be borne along with all its fatal rapidity. I was frank,
generous, quick, and mischievous; and I must admit that a large portion
of what sailors call "devil" was openly displayed, and a much larger

portion latently deposited in my brain and bosom. My ruling passion,
even in this early stage of life was pride. Lucifer himself, if he ever was
seven years old, had not more. If I have gained a fair name in the
service, if I have led instead of followed, it must be ascribed to this my
ruling passion. The world has often given me credit for better feelings,
as the source of action; but I am not writing to conceal, and the truth
must be told.
I was sent to school to learn Latin and Greek, of which there are
various ways of teaching. Some tutors attempt the suaviter in modo, my
schoolmaster preferred the fortiter in re, and, as the boatswain said, by
the "instigation" of a large knotted stick, he drove knowledge into our
skulls as a caulker drives oakum into the seams of a ship. Under such
tuition, we made astonishing progress; and whatever my less desirable
acquirements may have been, my father had no cause to complain of
my deficiency in classic lore. Superior in capacity to most of my
schoolfellows, I seldom took the pains to learn my lesson previous to
going up with the class: "the master's blessing," as we called it, did
occasionally descend on my devoted head, but that was a bagatelle; I
was too 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
have been prolonged to my advantage; but, unfortunately, both for him
and for me, he had a helpmate, and her peculiarly unfortunate
disposition was the means of corrupting those morals over which it was
her duty to