The History of the Pyrates. Vol. II.

Vol. II offers a rare glimpse into the world of a 17th‑century French corsair through the eyes of Captain Misson himself. Born into a prosperous Provençal family, he receives a solid education in humanities, logic, and mathematics before choosing the restless life of a sailor over a comfortable career in the Musketeers. His first voyage aboard the Victoire takes him across the Mediterranean, where he quickly becomes an eager student of every aspect of ship‑building, rigging, and navigation, paying the ship’s carpenter and boatswain for lessons.

Beyond the technical, Misson’s narrative is a sharp commentary on the societies he encounters. His time in Rome and Naples fuels a growing distrust of clerical and political hypocrisy, as he observes the same self‑interest that drives monarchs at work within the Church. This blend of adventure and reflective critique makes the volume a vivid portrait of a pirate’s mind before his later, more infamous deeds.