Chapter 1

by Herman Melville

　　In the time before steamships, or then more frequently than now, astroller along the docks of any considerable sea-port would occasionallyhave his attention arrested by a group of bronzed mariners, man-of-war'smen or merchant-sailors in holiday attire ashore on liberty. In certaininstances they would flank, or, like a body-guard quite surround somesuperior figure of their own class, moving along with them likeAldebaran among the lesser lights of his constellation. That signalobject was the "Handsome Sailor" of the less prosaic time alike of themilitary and merchant navies. With no perceptible trace of thevainglorious about him, rather with the off-hand unaffectedness ofnatural regality, he seemed to accept the spontaneous homage of hisshipmates. A somewhat remarkable instance recurs to me. In Liverpool,now half a century ago, I saw under the shadow of the great dingystreet-wall of Prince's Dock (an obstruction long since removed) acommon sailor, so intensely black that he must needs have been a nativeAfrican of the unadulterate blood of Ham. A symmetric figure much abovethe average height. The two ends of a gay silk handkerchief thrown looseabout the neck danced upon the displayed ebony of his chest; in his earswere big hoops of gold, and a Scotch Highland bonnet with a tartan bandset off his shapely head.It was a hot noon in July; and his face, lustrous with perspiration,beamed with barbaric good humor. In jovial sallies right and left, hiswhite teeth flashing into he rollicked along, the centre of a company ofhis shipmates. These were made up of such an assortment of tribes andcomplexions as would have well fitted them to be marched up byAnacharsis Cloots before the bar of the first French Assembly asRepresentatives of the Human Race. At each spontaneous tribute renderedby the wayfarers to this black pagod of a fellow -- the tribute of apause and stare, and less frequent an exclamation, -- the motley retinueshowed that they took that sort of pride in the evoker of it which theAssyrian priests doubtless showed for their grand sculptured Bull whenthe faithful prostrated themselves.To return.If in some cases a bit of a nautical Murat in setting forth hisperson ashore, the Handsome Sailor of the period in question evincednothing of the dandified Billy-be-Damn, an amusing character all butextinct now, but occasionally to be encountered, and in a form yet moreamusing than the original, at the tiller of the boats on the tempestuousErie Canal or, more likely, vaporing in the groggeries along thetow-path. Invariably a proficient in his perilous calling, he was alsomore or less of a mighty boxer or wrestler. It was strength and beauty.Tales of his prowess were recited. Ashore he was the champion; afloatthe spokesman; on every suitable occasion always foremost. Close-reefingtop-sails in a gale, there he was, astride the weather yard-arm-end,foot in the Flemish horse as "stirrup," both hands tugging at the"earring" as at a bridle, in very much the attitude of young Alexandercurbing the fiery Bucephalus. A superb figure, tossed up as by the hornsof Taurus against the thunderous sky, cheerily hallooing to thestrenuous file along the spar.The moral nature was seldom out of keeping with the physical make.Indeed, except as toned by the former, the comeliness and power, alwaysattractive in masculine conjunction, hardly could have drawn the sort ofhonest homage the Handsome Sailor in some examples received from hisless gifted associates.Such a cynosure, at least in aspect, and something such too innature, though with important variations made apparent as the storyproceeds, was welkin-eyed Billy Budd, or Baby Budd, as more familiarlyunder circumstances hereafter to be given he at last came to be called,aged twenty-one, a foretopman of the British fleet toward the close ofthe last decade of the eighteenth century. It was not very long prior tothe time of the narration that follows that he had entered the King'sService, having been impressed on the Narrow Seas from a homeward-boundEnglish merchantman into a seventy-four outward-bound, H.M.S.Indomitable; which ship, as was not unusual in those hurried days,having been obliged to put to sea short of her proper complement of men.Plump upon Billy at first sight in the gangway the boarding officerLieutenant Ratcliff pounced, even before the merchantman's crew wasformally mustered on the quarter-deck for his deliberate inspection. Andhim only he elected. For whether it was because the other men whenranged before him showed to ill advantage after Billy, or whether he hadsome scruples in view of the merchantman being rather short-handed,however it might be, the officer contented himself with his firstspontaneous choice. To the surprise of the ship's company, though muchto the Lieutenant's satisfaction, Billy made no demur. But, indeed, anydemur would have been as idle as the protest of a goldfinch popped intoa cage.Noting this uncomplaining acquiescence, all but cheerful one mightsay, the shipmates turned a surprised glance of silent reproach at thesailor. The Shipmaster was one of those worthy mortals found in everyvocation, even the humbler ones -- the sort of person whom everybodyagrees in calling "a respectable man." And -- nor so strange to reportas it may appear to be -- though a ploughman of the troubled waters,life-long contending with the intractable elements, there was nothingthis honest soul at heart loved better than simple peace and quiet. Forthe rest, he was fifty or thereabouts, a little inclined to corpulence,a prepossessing face, unwhiskered, and of an agreeable color -- a ratherfull face, humanely intelligent in expression. On a fair day with a fairwind and all going well, a certain musical chime in his voice seemed tobe the veritable unobstructed outcome of the innermost man. He had muchprudence, much conscientiousness, and there were occasions when thesevirtues were the cause of overmuch disquietude in him. On a passage, solong as his craft was in any proximity to land, no sleep for CaptainGraveling. He took to heart those serious responsibilities not soheavily borne by some shipmasters.Now while Billy Budd was down in the forecastle getting his kittogether, the Indomitable's Lieutenant, burly and bluff, nowisedisconcerted by Captain Graveling's omitting to proffer the customaryhospitalities on an occasion so unwelcome to him, an omission simplycaused by preoccupation of thought, unceremoniously invited himself intothe cabin, and also to a flask from the spirit-locker, a receptaclewhich his experienced eye instantly discovered. In fact he was one ofthose sea-dogs in whom all the hardship and peril of naval life in thegreat prolonged wars of his time never impaired the natural instinct forsensuous enjoyment. His duty he always faithfully did; but duty issometimes a dry obligation, and he was for irrigating its aridity,whensoever possible, with a fertilizing decoction of strong waters. Forthe cabin's proprietor there was nothing left but to play the part ofthe enforced host with whatever grace and alacrity were practicable. Asnecessary adjuncts to the flask, he silently placed tumbler andwater-jug before the irrepressible guest. But excusing himself frompartaking just then, he dismally watched the unembarrassed officerdeliberately diluting his grog a little, then tossing it off in threeswallows, pushing the empty tumbler away, yet not so far as to be beyondeasy reach, at the same time settling himself in his seat and smackinghis lips with high satisfaction, looking straight at the host.These proceedings over, the Master broke the silence; and therelurked a rueful reproach in the tone of his voice: "Lieutenant, you aregoing to take my best man from me, the jewel of 'em.""Yes, I know," rejoined the other, immediately drawing back thetumbler preliminary to a replenishing; "Yes, I know. Sorry.""Beg pardon, but you don't understand, Lieutenant. See here now.Before I shipped that young fellow, my forecastle was a rat-pit ofquarrels. It was black times, I tell you, aboard the Rights here. Iwas worried to that degree my pipe had no comfort for me. But Billycame; and it was like a Catholic priest striking peace in an Irishshindy. Not that he preached to them or said or did anything inparticular; but a virtue went out of him, sugaring the sour ones. Theytook to him like hornets to treacle; all but the buffer of the gang, thebig shaggy chap with the fire-red whiskers. He indeed out of envy,perhaps, of the newcomer, and thinking such a 'sweet and pleasantfellow,' as he mockingly designated him to the others, could hardly havethe spirit of a game-cock, must needs bestir himself in trying to get upan ugly row with him. Billy forebore with him and reasoned with him in apleasant way -- he is something like myself, Lieutenant, to whom aughtlike a quarrel is hateful -- but nothing served. So, in the seconddog-watch one day the Red Whiskers in presence of the others, underpretence of showing Billy just whence a sirloin steak was cut -- for thefellow had once been a butcher -- insultingly gave him a dig under theribs. Quick as lightning Billy let fly his arm. I dare say he nevermeant to do quite as much as he did, but anyhow he gave the burly fool aterrible drubbing. It took about half a minute, I should think. And,lord bless you, the lubber was astonished at the celerity. And will youbelieve it, Lieutenant, the Red Whiskers now really loves Billy -- loveshim, or is the biggest hypocrite that ever I heard of. But they all lovehim. Some of 'em do his washing, darn his old trousers for him; thecarpenter is at odd times making a pretty little chest of drawers forhim. Anybody will do anything for Billy Budd; and it's the happy familyhere. But now, Lieutenant, if that young fellow goes -- I know how itwill be aboard the Rights. Not again very soon shall I, coming up fromdinner, lean over the capstan smoking a quiet pipe -- no, not very soonagain, I think. Ay, Lieutenant, you are going to take away the jewel of'em; you are going to take away my peacemaker!" And with that the goodsoul had really some ado in checking a rising sob."Well," said the officer who had listened with amused interest toall this, and now waxing merry with his tipple; "Well, blessed are thepeacemakers, especially the fighting peacemakers! And such are theseventy-four beauties some of which you see poking their noses out ofthe port-holes of yonder war-ship lying-to for me," pointing thro' thecabin window at the Indomitable. "But courage! don't look sodownhearted, man. Why, I pledge you in advance the royal approbation.Rest assured that His Majesty will be delighted to know that in a timewhen his hard tack is not sought for by sailors with such avidity asshould be; a time also when some shipmasters privily resent theborrowing from them a tar or two for the service; His Majesty, I say,will be delighted to learn that one shipmaster at least cheerfullysurrenders to the King, the flower of his flock, a sailor who with equalloyalty makes no dissent. -- But where's my beauty? Ah," looking throughthe cabin's open door, "Here he comes; and, by Jove -- lugging along hischest -- Apollo with his portmanteau! -- My man," stepping out to him,"you can't take that big box aboard a war-ship. The boxes there aremostly shot-boxes. Put your duds in a bag, lad. Boot and saddle for thecavalryman, bag and hammock for the man-of-war's man."The transfer from chest to bag was made. And, after seeing his maninto the cutter and then following him down, the Lieutenant pushed offfrom the Rights-of-Man. That was the merchant-ship's name; tho' by hermaster and crew abbreviated in sailor fashion into The Rights. Thehard-headed Dundee owner was a staunch admirer of Thomas Paine whosebook in rejoinder to Burke's arraignment of the French Revolution hadthen been published for some time and had gone everywhere. Inchristening his vessel after the title of Paine's volume, the man ofDundee was something like his contemporary shipowner, Stephen Girard ofPhiladelphia, whose sympathies, alike with his native land and itsliberal philosophers, he evinced by naming his ships after Voltaire,Diderot, and so forth.But now, when the boat swept under the merchantman's stern, andofficer and oarsmen were noting -- some bitterly and others with a grin,-- the name emblazoned there; just then it was that the new recruitjumped up from the bow where the coxswain had directed him to sit, andwaving his hat to his silent shipmates sorrowfully looking over at himfrom the taffrail, bade the lads a genial good-bye. Then, making asalutation as to the ship herself, "And good-bye to you too, oldRights-of-Man.""Down, Sir!" roared the Lieutenant, instantly assuming all therigour of his rank, though with difficulty repressing a smile.To be sure, Billy's action was a terrible breach of naval decorum.But in that decorum he had never been instructed; in consideration ofwhich the Lieutenant would hardly have been so energetic in reproof butfor the concluding farewell to the ship. This he rather took as meant toconvey a covert sally on the new recruit's part, a sly slur atimpressment in general, and that of himself in especial. And yet, morelikely, if satire it was in effect, it was hardly so by intention, forBilly, tho' happily endowed with the gayety of high health, youth, and afree heart, was yet by no means of a satirical turn. The will to it andthe sinister dexterity were alike wanting. To deal in double meaningsand insinuations of any sort was quite foreign to his nature.As to his enforced enlistment, that he seemed to take pretty much ashe was wont to take any vicissitude of weather. Like the animals, thoughno philosopher, he was, without knowing it, practically a fatalist. And,it may be, that he rather liked this adventurous turn in his affairs,which promised an opening into novel scenes and martial excitements.Aboard the Indomitable our merchant-sailor was forthwith rated asan able-seaman and assigned to the starboard watch of the fore-top. Hewas soon at home in the service, not at all disliked for hisunpretentious good looks and a sort of genial happy-go-lucky air. Nomerrier man in his mess: in marked contrast to certain other individualsincluded like himself among the impressed portion of the ship's company;for these when not actively employed were sometimes, and moreparticularly in the last dog-watch when the drawing near of twilightinduced revery, apt to fall into a saddish mood which in some partook ofsullenness. But they were not so young as our foretopman, and no few ofthem must have known a hearth of some sort; others may have had wivesand children left, too probably, in uncertain circumstances, and hardlyany but must have had acknowledged kith and kin, while for Billy, aswill shortly be seen, his entire family was practically invested inhimself.