Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
The symmetry of form attainable in pure fiction can not so readily be achieved in a narration essentially having less to do with fable than with fact. Truth uncompromisingly told will always have its ragged edges; hence the conclusion of such a narration is apt to be less finished that (MS)than an architectural finial.
How it fared with the Handsome Sailor during the year of the Great Mutiny has been faithfully given. But tho'though properly the story ends with his life, something in way of sequel will not be amiss. Three brief chapters will suffice.
In the general re-christening under the Directory of the craft originally forming the navy of the French monarchy, the St. Louis line-of-battle ship was named the Athéiste (no period in MS)AthéisteAthéiste] In manuscript, HM left a blank space after "named," with the idea of filling in the name of the French ship at a later time. ESM filled in "the Atheiste" (sans accent) and HM inscribed the word "Athéiste" (avec accent). Neither spelling is correct if the name intended is the French word for "atheist," which is "athée." HS emends the spelling to "the Athée (the Atheist)." MEL retains HM's spelling, as does NN.. Such a name, like some other substituted ones in the Revolutionary fleet while proclaiming the infidel audacity of the ruling power was yet, tho'though not so intended to be, the aptest name, if one consider it, ever given to a war-ship; far more so indeed than the Devastation, the Erebus (the Hell) and similar names bestowed upon fighting-ships.
On the return-passage to the English fleet from the detached cruise during which occurred the events already recorded, the Bellipotent fell in with the Athéiste [no period in MS]Athéiste. An engagement ensued; during which Captain Vere in the act of putting his ship alongside the enemy with a view of throwing his boarders,boardersboarders] Composing in ink, HM originally wrote "his boarders on her decks," with the comma signaling the end of the sentence's lengthy dependent "during which-clause." Revising in ink, he deleted "on her decks" and added "across her bulwarks" but neglected to delete the comma after "decks." MEL deletes the remnant comma, as does NN. across her bulwarks was hit by a musket-ball from a port-hole of the enemy's main cabin. More than disabled he dropped to the deck and was carried below to the same cock-pit where some of his men already lay. The senior Lieutenant took command. Under him the enemy was finally captured and though much crippled was by rare good fortune successfully taken into Gibraltar, an English port not very distant from the scene of the fight. There, Captain Vere with the rest of the wounded was put ashore. He lingered for some days, but the end came. Unhappily he was cut off too early for the Nile and Trafalgar. The spirit that spite its philosophic austerity may yet have indulged in the most secret of all passions, ambition, never attained to the fulness of fame.
Not long before death while lying under the influence of that magical drug which soothing the physical frame mysteriously operates on the subtler element in man, he was heard to murmermurmur words inexplicable to his attendant—"Billy Budd, Billy Budd." That these were not the accents of remorse, would seem clear from what the attendant said to the Bellipotent's senior officer of marines who as the most reluctant to condemn of the membesmembersmembers] It appears HM inscribed "membes," with a hastily written ending to the word. of the drum-head court, too well knew tho'though here he kept the knowledge to himself, who Billy Budd was.