THE PERFECTION OF PIRACY.
ao THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.") Sue—There hare lately been placed on record two further instances of submarine outrages on the part of those who may justly be called enemies of the human race. In addition to their other crimes against humanity, the Germans seem to have brought Piracy to perfection. They have exalted murder on the high seas to the rank of a fine art. In this connexion it may be interesting to recall what an ancient commander in somewhat similar circum- stances was able to achieve. This is the way, so Plutarch tells us, Pompey cleared the Mediterranean of pirates :— " He divided the Mediterranean into thirteen parts, appointing a lieutenant for each, and assigning him a squadron. By thus stationing his fleets in all quarters, he inclosed the pirates as it were in a net, took .great numbers of them, and brought them into harbour. Such of their vessels as had got out in time, and could escape the general chase, retired to Cilicia, like so many bees into a hive. Against these he proposed to go himself, with sixty of his best galleys; but he resolved first to scour the Tuscan Sea, and the coasts of Africa, Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily of all piratical adventurers; which he effected in forty days, by his own indefatigilele endeavours and those of his lieutenants"—(Lang- horne's version, Vol. IV., 2nd Ed., p. 157.) Plutarch further tells us how Pompey treated the corsairs who fell into his hands, and the effect of the unexpected speed of his achievement in the superabundant plenty which reigned in the markets. The whole account is deeply interesting and instructive.
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