Robustus Puer

Pitt's journals dwell on Blood's lilting accent and piercing blue eyes, and Blood's primary biographer has faithfully transmitted that emphasis, along with Pitt's descriptions of Arabella Bishop's dashing, boyish figure.

Certain details were censored, however; though Blood's taste for his namesake is reported in appropriately piratical detail, we do not hear of Pitt's yearning, his contemplations of his own boyish figure, his stealthy research into Greek practices. One's love for one's comrade (shield-partner!) is different from one's love for one's betrothed, that swift heartbeat as one leaps to the grappled ship is of another order entirely . . . So Pitt wrote, so he emphasized the lack of contradiction, and so he rushed foremost into battle.

Here the record grows difficult to follow. Pages are torn away, crossed out, have black diluted rum (intentionally?) spilled across them. Should we fault Blood's biographer for moving to another section? For omitting an explanation of those lefthanded scrawls, "Physicking!" and "Pain!" and "Joy, oh darkest joy!"

Robustus acri militia puer . . .

Pitt, also, learned to quote Horace.

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By Ursula - Please send comments or concerns to ursula at doomchicken dot net