hteenth, a period that might
with justice be called "The Decline and Fall of Piracy," for after
1730 Piracy became but a mean broken-backed affair that bordered
perilously on mere sea-pilfering.

[Illustration: THE

HISTORY _and_ LIVES

Of all the most Notorious

PIRATES,

AND THEIR

CREWS;

From Capt. AVERY, who first settled at _Madagascar_, to Captain _John
Gow_, and _James Williams_, his Lieutenant, _&c._ who were hang'd at
_Execution Dock_, _June_ 11, 1725, for Piracy and Murther; and
afterwards hang'd in Chains between _Blackwall_ and _Deptford_. And in
this Edition continued down to the present Year 1735.

Giving a more full and true Account than any yet Publish'd, of all
their Murthers, Piracies, Maroonings, Places of Refuge, and Ways of
Living.

The Fifth Edition.

Adorned with Twenty Beautiful CUTS, being the Representation of each
Pirate.

To which is prefixed, _An Abstract of the Laws against Piracy_.

LONDON: Printed for _A. Bettesworth_ and _C. Hitch_, at the _Red Lyon_
in _Pater-noster-Row_; _R. Ware_, at the _Sun_ and _Bible_ in
_Amen-Corner_; and _J. Hodges_, at the _Looking-glass_ on
_London-bridge_. 1735.]

A little research into the book's history shows us that it is
consistent throughout, and that it is a "piracy," in the publisher's
sense of the word, of a much larger and more pretentious work by
Captain Charles Johnson, entitled, "A General History of the Pyrates
from their first Rise and Settlement in the Island of Providence to
the Present Time; With the Remarkable Actions and Adventures of the
two Female Pyrates Mary Read and Anne Bonny."

This was published in London, in 8vo., by Charles Rivington in 1724. A
second edition, considerably augmented, was issued later in the same
year, a third edition in the year following, and a fourth edition--in
two volumes, as considerable additions in the form of extra "Lives,"
and an appendix necessitated a further volume--in 1725.

This two-volume edition contained the history of the following
Pirates: Avery, Martel, Teach, Bonnet, England, Vane, Rackham, Davis,
Roberts, Anstis, Morley, Lowther, Low, Evans, Phillips, Spriggs,
Smith, Misson, Bowen, Kid, Tew, Halsey, White, Condent, Bellamy, Fly,
Howard, Lewis, Cornelius, Williams, Burgess, and North, together with
a short abstract on the Statute and Civil Law in relation to
"Pyracy," and an appendix, completing the Lives in the first volume,
and correcting some mistakes.

The work ev