Billy Budd

By Herman Melville

A young sailor in the eighteenth-century Royal Navy is falsely accused of mutiny in this classic tale of good and evil by the celebrated author of Moby Dick.

England, 1797. Billy Budd, a young sailor aboard the merchant ship Rights-of-Man is conscripted to serve on a Royal Navy warship, the HMS Bellipotent. Innocent and charming despite his stutter, Billy is quickly accepted by the crew—and resented by the ship’s brooding master-at-arms, John Claggart. When Claggart accuses Billy of conspiracy to mutiny, the false charge sets the young innocent on an inescapable path toward tragedy.

Herman Melville’s final novel, Billy Budd was first published in 1924, more than thirty years after the author’s death. A tale of virtue caught in the machinery of law and wartime vigilance, this American classic has been adapted for both stage and screen, and remains one of Melville’s most beloved works.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Media
• Release date: Mar 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781504061179

Herman Melville

Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. Following a period of financial trouble, the Melville family moved from New York City to Albany, where Allan, Herman’s father, entered the fur business. When Allan died in 1832, the family struggled to make ends meet, and Herman and his brothers were forced to leave school in order to work. A small inheritance enabled Herman to enroll in school from 1835 to 1837, during which time he studied Latin and Shakespeare. The Panic of 1837 initiated another period of financial struggle for the Melvilles, who were forced to leave Albany. After publishing several essays in 1838, Melville went to sea on a merchant ship in 1839 before enlisting on a whaling voyage in 1840. In July 1842, Melville and a friend jumped ship at the Marquesas Islands, an experience the author would fictionalize in his first novel, Typee (1845). He returned home in 1844 to embark on a career as a writer, finding success as a novelist with the semi-autobiographical novels Typee and Omoo (1847), befriending and earning the admiration of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Oliver Wendell Holmes, and publishing his masterpiece Moby-Dick in 1851. Despite his early success as a novelist and writer of such short stories as “Bartleby, the Scrivener” and “Benito Cereno,” Melville struggled from the 1850s onward, turning to public lecturing and eventually settling into a career as a customs inspector in New York City. Towards the end of his life, Melville’s reputation as a writer had faded immensely, and most of his work remained out of print until critical reappraisal in the early twentieth century recognized him as one of America’s finest writers.

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Preface

The year 1797, the year of this narrative, belongs to a period which, as every thinker now feels, involved a crisis for Christendom, not exceeded in its undetermined momentousness at the time by any other era whereof there is record. The opening proposition made by the Spirit of that Age, ¹ involved a rectification of the Old World’s hereditary wrongs. In France, to some extent, this was bloodily effected. But what then? Straightway the Revolution itself became a wrongdoer, one more oppressive than the kings. Under Napoleon it enthroned upstart kings, and initiated that prolonged agony of continual war whose final throe was Waterloo. During those years not the wisest could have foreseen that the outcome of all would be what to some thinkers apparently it has since turned out to be, a political advance along nearly the whole line for Europeans.

Now, as elsewhere hinted, it was something caught from the Revolutionary Spirit that at Spithead emboldened the man-of-war’s men to rise against real abuses, long-standing ones, and afterwards at the Nore to make inordinate and aggressive demands, successful resistance to which was confirmed only when the ringleaders were hung for an admonitory spectacle to the anchored fleet. Yet in a way analogous to the operation of the Revolution at large, the Great Mutiny, though by Englishmen naturally deemed monstrous at the time, doubtless gave the first latent prompting to most important reforms in the British Navy.

Billy Budd, Foretopman

I

(An inside Narrative)

In the time before steamships, or then more frequently than now, a stroller along the docks of any considerable seaport would occasionally have his attention arrested by a group of bronzed marines, man-of-war’s men or merchant sailors in holiday attire ashore on liberty. In certain instances they would flank, or, like a bodyguard, quite surround some superior figure of their own class, moving along with them like Aldebaran among the lesser lights of his constellation. That signal object was the ‘Handsome Sailor’ of the less prosaic time alike of the military and merchant navies. With no perceptible trace of the vainglorious about him, rather with the off-hand unaffectedness of natural regality, he seemed to accept the spontaneous homage of his shipmates. A somewhat remarkable instance recurs to me. In Liverpool, now half a century ago, I saw under the shadow of the great dingy street-wall of Prince’s Dock (an obstruction long since removed) a common sailor, so intensely black that he must needs have been a native African of the unadulterated blood of Ham. A symmetric figure much above the average height. The two ends of a gay silk handkerchief thrown loose about the neck danced upon the displayed ebony of his chest; in his ears were big hoops of gold, and a Scotch Highland bonnet with a tartan band set 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, his white teeth flashing into view, he rollicked along, the centre of a company of his shipmates. These were made up of such an assortment of tribes and complexions as would have well fitted them to be marched up by Anacharsis Cloots before the bar of the first French Assembly as Representatives of the Human Race. At each spontaneous tribute rendered by the wayfarers to this black pagod of a fellow—the tribute of a pause and stare, and less frequent an exclamation—the motley retinue showed that they took that sort of pride in the evoker of it which the Assyrian priests doubtless showed for their grand sculptured Bull when the faithful prostrated themselves. To return—

If in some cases a bit of a nautical Murat in setting forth his person ashore, the Handsome Sailor of the period in question evinced nothing of the dandified Billy-be-Dam, an amusing character all but extinct now, but occasionally to be encountered, and in a form yet more amusing than the original, at the tiller of the boats on the tempestuous Erie Canal or, more likely, vaporing in the groggeries along the tow-path. Invariably a proficient in his perilous calling, he was also more or less of a mighty boxer or wrestler. It was strength and beauty. Tales of his prowess were recited. Ashore he was the champion, afloat the spokesman; on every suitable occasion always foremost. Close-reefing top-sails in a gale, there he was, astride the weather yard-arm-end, foot in ‘stirrup,’ both hands tugging at the ‘ear-ring’ as at a bridle, in very much the attitude of young Alexander curbing the fiery Bucephalus. A superb figure, tossed up as by the horns of Taurus against the thunderous sky, cheerily ballooning to the strenuous 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, always attractive in masculine conjunction, hardly could have drawn the sort of homage the Handsome Sailor in some examples received from his less gifted associates.

Such a cynosure, at least in aspect, and something such too in nature, though with important variations made apparent as the story proceeds, was welkin-eyed Billy Budd, or Baby Budd, as more familiarly, under circumstances hereafter to be given, he at last came to be called, aged twenty-one, a foretopman of the fleet toward the close of the last decade of the eighteenth century. It was not very long prior to the time of the narration that follows that he had entered the King’s Service, having been impressed on the Narrow Seas from a homeward-bound English merchantman into a seventy-four outward-bound, H.M.S. Indomitable; which ship, as was not unusual in those hurried days, had been obliged to put to sea short of her proper complement of men. Plump upon Billy at first sight in the gangway the boarding-officer, Lieutenant Ratcliffe, pounced, even before the merchantman’s crew formally was mustered on the quarter-deck for his deliberate inspection. And him only he selected. For whether it was because the other men when ranged before him showed to ill advantage after Billy, or whether he had some scruples in view of the merchantman being rather short-handed; however it might be, the officer contented himself with his first spontaneous choice. To the surprise of the ship’s company, though much to the Lieutenant’s satisfaction, Billy made no demur. But indeed any demur would have been as idle as the protest of a goldfinch popped into a cage.

Noting this uncomplaining acquiescence, all but cheerful one might say, the shipmates turned a surprised glance of silent reproach at the sailor. The shipmaster was one of those worthy mortals found in every vocation even the humbler ones—the sort of person whom everybody agrees in calling ‘a respectable man.’ And—nor so strange to report as it may appear to be—though a ploughman of the troubled waters, life-long contending with the intractable elements, there was nothing this honest soul at heart loved better than simple peace and quiet. For the rest, he was fifty or thereabouts, a little inclined to corpulence, a prepossessing face, unwhiskered, and of an agreeable color, a rather full face, humanely intelligent in expression. On a fair day with a fair wind and all going well, a certain musical chime in his voice seemed to be the veritable unobstructed outcome of the innermost man. He had much prudence, much conscientiousness, and there were occasions when these virtues were the cause of overmuch disquietude in him. On a passage, so long as his craft was in any proximity to land, no sleep for Captain Graveling. He took to heart those serious responsibilities not so heavily borne by some shipmasters.

Now while Billy Budd was down in the forecastle getting his kit together, the Indomitable’s lieutenant, burly and bluff, nowise disconcerted by Captain Graveling’s omitting to proffer the customary hospitalities on an occasion so unwelcome to him, an omission simply caused by preoccupation of thought, unceremoniously invited himself into the cabin, and also to a flask from the spirit locker, a receptacle which his experienced eye instantly discovered. In fact, he was one of those sea-dogs in whom all the hardship and peril of naval life in the great prolonged wars of his time never impaired the natural instinct for sensuous enjoyment. His duty he always faithfully did; but duty is sometimes a dry obligation, and he was for irrigating its aridity whensoever possible with a fertilizing decoction of strong waters. For the cabin’s proprietor there was nothing left but to play the part of the enforced host with whatever grace and alacrity were practicable. As necessary adjuncts to the flask, he silently placed tumbler and water-jug before the irrepressible guest. But excusing himself from partaking just then, dismally watched the unembarrassed officer deliberately diluting his grog a little, then tossing it off in three swallows, pushing the empty tumbler away, yet not so far as to be beyond easy reach, at the same time settling himself in his seat, and smacking his lips with high satisfaction, looking straight at the host.

These proceedings over, the Master broke the silence; and there lurked a rueful reproach in the tone of his voice: ‘Lieutenant, you are going to take my best man from me, the jewel of ’em.’

‘Yes, I know,’ rejoined the other, immediately drawing back the tumbler, 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 of quarrels. It was black times, I tell you, aboard the Rights here. I was worried to that degree my pipe had no comfort for me. But Billy came; and it was like a Catholic priest striking peace in an Irish

Reviews for Billy Budd

[tadad_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I know it's a classic. I don't care. Melville is just not to my taste. There's nothing wrong with the themes of the novel, nor the plot. I just don't like the writing.

[jcamilo_720582 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Although well know for Moby Dick, the truth is that Melville left us a few minor materworks such as Billy Budd. An allegory about Jesus? Or just a rant against physical punishment in the Navy? Just like his whale, it is possible to find different meanings in this book.

[schmechi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Herman Melville schildert die tragische Geschichte von Billy Budd, einem zum Kriegsdienst gepressten Matrosen, der seinen Dienst dennoch vorbildlich versieht. Seine Hingabe, Beliebtheit und Schönheit erweckt die Missgunst eines Vorgesetzten, der ihn in eine Falle lockt und der Meuterei bezichtigt. Aufgrund eines angeborenen Sprachfehlers unfähig sich zu verteidigen, schlägt Billy Budd zu und tötet den Vorgesetzten. Das Kriegsgericht unter Kapitän Vere gerät nun in eine Zwickmühle zwischen moralischen Bedenken und militärischer Pflicht. Bezeichnend ist eine Aussage Veres, die ich stellvertretend für das Dilemma des Gerichts zitieren will: "Von einem Engel Gottes erschlagen. Aber der Engel muss hängen."Der Kurzroman strotzt - wie bei Melville üblich - von historischen Exkursen, Metaphern und Symbolik ist aber dennoch flüssig zu lesen. Letzlich bleibt der Leser aber dennoch etwas unbefriedigt, zumal die Handlung selbst nicht wirklich zu überzeugen vermag.

[glennbell_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is a very disappointing book. Herman Melville is considered an excellent writer and there is a sense in which the prose is well written but the plot and the symbolism is poor. The implausibility of a sailor being accidentally killing his accuser in front of the Captain of the ship because of his fainting during his accusing makes the story worthless. Furthermore, the decision to have him executed even though they knew him not guilty of murder is improbable. The symbolism of the Christ-like death of Billy is silly. I understand that Herman must have been a rather religious person and he stole his themes from the Bible. Frankly, this book is not worth reading and I regret the time I wasted reading it.

[kanarthi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A densely written work which explores the nature of good and evil in human souls. The writing is like a beautiful tapestry. You won't get through it quickly, but each sentence is worth savoring. Make sure you get a version with good annotations, as there are many historical and cultural references.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rating 3.67ReviewThis work was published after the author's death and was unfinished. It therefore has a lot of publications. I listened to the audio which was considered complete. It did choose to not change the name of the ship and went with the original name. The work is also controversial in some think it a religious paean and some a jaded satire. As in Melville's other works; we have conflict, conflict of the individual with society. Billy Budd, the young naive sailor, an innocent. We have Claggert the Master at Arms who is intelligent and devisive and Captain the Honorable Edward Fairfax Vere. Billy Budd is taken from a merchant marine ship and inscripted or made a part of a press gang. He went from a ship called Rights of Man to a 74 Gun frigate. He went willingly without fuss. This is conflict of the individual with government which strips him of his rights. On the ship Billy is a favorite except with Claggert. Why Claggert takes a dislike to Billy, we never really know. Billy has a stutter. In Melville's work, he lays the blame to the devil leaving his mark. So the conflict is more than with societal or an autocratic government. Billy Budd is said to be a Christ figure. Billy does not know his father and answers, "God knows"The works of Melville are also historical.Great Mutiny at NoreFrench Revolution and NapoleonAdmiral Sir Horatio Nelson, the national hero who commanded the British fleet at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar. Another conflict that occurs is for Captain Vere who knows that Billy is an innocent but he is forced to follow law over conscience. And a conflict of good and evil. Billy being the good or innocent and Claggert the evil. Billy is innocent and cannot see the danger he is in. There really is no winner in the these conflicts and maybe evil actually wins over innocence. Thus the debate at the end between Purser and surgeon represent faith vs skepticism. And this same debate still exist with readers whether Melville is writing a Christian allegory or a satire. A quick read and the audio was well done. I will read it again as it is very quick.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Boring. Like most of Melville's work it's so crammed with technical asides that there's little to no room for decent story telling.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Slightly handicapped by its being over 40 years since I read this book, but there's a reason it's a classic and has even been made into an opera. Much to say about evil and innocence. Highly recommended.

[corinneblackmer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A classic of homosexual writing that exhibits how Melville idealized the youthful Christian sailor Billy Budd as a Christ figure and abhorred the sodomite Claggert.

[laserwraith_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The first half of the book was very very slow. *Everything* had to be explained with a long allegory, it seemed. And then, sometimes the allegory needed explaining. But after the half-way point, things got a bit better. Their was some more action.

[timpaul_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good friend introduced me to an alternative reading of this novel, in which the narrator is obsessed with upholding the heroic myth of Billy Budd. Every incident is spun out by the narrator to show Billy in the most positive light possible, and Claggart as his evil opposite. If you look closely at the text for the 'facts' of the story though there's not a shred of evidence to support this romantic view of Billy.In fact, reading between the lines, it's possible to read Claggart as a basically decent man stuck in an impossible situation, and Billy as a charismatic psychopath with a tyrannical grip on his shipmates.A benefit of this interpretation is that it makes sense of the circumlocutions of the narrator's dialogue, as he turns somersaults trying to maintain the myth of The Handsome Sailor.It's also an appropriately cynical response from an author near the end of his life, looking back at the success of his earlier, more romantic, adventure stories.

[citizenjoyce · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In 2018 this novella is quite dated. The heart-wrenching decision to follow the letter of the law no matter how immoral the punishment has no meaning in tump America where the idea is that regardless of how moral a law might be there is no need to follow it if it interferes with personal desires. Melville would be shocked.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A short but deep account of the life of Billy Budd. Well-written and charmingly expressed.

[engpunk77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I remember really liking this one in college. I had to read closely for clues to who the mutineer really was...a few images come to mind, but I remember really liking it.

[soylentgreen23 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

'Moby Dick' is one of the most intense, amazing books I've ever read, but until recently it was the only thing of Melville's that I'd worked through. 'Billy Budd' appears on the 1001 list, and I found a copy, so I thought, why not?It was a struggle at times to see the plot for the words, so to speak; Melville's prose is not the refined English that one would expect from a more modern writer. It's full of excuses for why the story is being written, why characters are introduced, why places and scenes were chosen or visited. Nowadays this is all extraneous, and rightly so.The stories themselves were interesting though, and once I got used to Melville's style again I did quite enjoy myself.

[pinkpandaparade_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Reading Herman Melville's book for the second time, I found that it made an interesting perspective on the law and human judgment, and how they sometimes come into conflict.Throughout life and history, laws have been around to define the boundaries between right and wrong, and providing appropriate punishment for those who overstep these boundaries. Most would say that the definitions for these boundaries are reasonable and easy to abide to. Sometimes, though, these definitions come into question. In Billy Budd the law defining the firm criteria of what constituted mutiny--the martial law--was contested by one of the ship's officers, the virtuous and seemingly flawless Billy Budd. The punishment facing him was death by hanging.Billy Budd was well-loved by all his workmates (except Master-at-Arms Claggart) and was called the "Handsome Sailor". On the ship, the Bellipotent Billy finds himself in an interesting situation as an envious Claggar is intent on framing Billy for treason.What makes Billy's breaking of the law different is the unique circumstances surrounding it. One of the characters, Captain Vere, makes no apology for this and instead justifies the punishment by saying that law can sometimes contradict human nature, and one must always show allegiance to the king and their duties as crew members. Though he mentions human nature, established law takes precedence in conflicts. Still, because humans make these laws, there is the possibly of human error and judgment. The law in this novel shows how the leaders keep order in society. Crew members made half-hearted attempts to refute him, but none could deny the existence of that law, so plain in existence and so straightforward in content.As with all of Melville's work, this was not an easy reading. There are the author's distinctive character descriptions and his digressions, but that does not mean that the book is entirely inaccessible. Some editions of this book have other stories included, as well as readers' supplements and bibliographies. There are a couple of movie editions of this book, including one with Terence Stamp and Peter Ustinov, as well as an opera.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I felt ambivalent about Moby Dick; I loved the grandeur of some of the language and beauty of some of the prose, but hated the lengthy digressions. With Billy Budd, a novella published after Melville's death, I also feel ambivalent, but here my problems are more integral, not just a matter of cutting away what I see as blubber. I've seen this described as allegory: like allegory, it often can come across as all too heavy handed. Billy Budd is the Christ-figure of almost pure good; Claggart is painted very much as a Satanic figure who hates Billy for his virtues. Captain Vere is a more complex figure. Given his position in this drama it would be easy to see him as Jehovah, as God the father, yet Melville speaks of his "mental disturbance." The narrator is intrusive--and he does things like say "for a literary sin then divergence will be"--and then goes on digressing. The narrator has a tone of omniscience, relates things only an omniscient narrator would know--then demurs he has complete knowledge and presents things as his guesses. The narration often struck me as ponderous, high-strung, melodramatic, and in describing Billy (described every several paragraphs as the "Handsome Sailor") so very, very gay. And yet there are some piercing psychological insights--and some really beautiful touches. (In the context of what was happening, the simple sentence "Billy ascended" was powerful and chilling.) Not a story I'd call a favorite, but worth reading.

[ashryan_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Billy Budd tells the story of an impressed sailor wrongfully accused of mutiny. I don't want to spoil what happens from there, but Melville examines themes of whether morality is a matter of intentions rather than consequences and whether the law can take this into account and fully serve justice, and whether innocence is enough to guarantee happiness in this life or whether hatred and envy can triumph over goodness. It's not as obscure as Moby Dick, though Melville does end it on that note, and while it doesn't have as much humor or grandeur (of a sort) as Moby Dick it fares pretty well in that regard considering its much shorter length. It's also not as polished, since it was an unfinished manuscript rather than a final draft, but I thought it was a powerful and well-told story, and on the whole I personally enjoyed it more than Moby Dick.

[whitreidtan · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

When a friend of mine from high school couldn't sell this book back at the end of the year and threatened to throw it out instead, I happily offered to take it off of his hands and save it from the bin. I mean, I have always been a fan of free books and I prided myself on being able to read and enjoy literature that frustrated and bored others. It turns out I should have let him throw the book in the trash can no matter how free it was. If Ahab had been real (and yes, I know that this is not Moby-Dick, which I, in fact, read long ago, and Ahab plays no part here), I would have begged him to take off his wooden leg and beat Melville around the head until he was too insensible to write any more of his dreadfully boring and tormenting works. In case I'm being too subtle, this is a roundabout way of admitting that I loathed this novella and short story collection and it took me well over a year to work my way through it, forcing myself all the way, unwilling to let it defeat me. The longest section of the book is the novella, Billy Budd. The story of a sweet, comely, exceedingly strong, and perfect sailor who in a moment of passion, accidently kills his accuser and therefore must be condemned to hang as per naval law, the tale is full of digressions and philosophical weavings and quite honestly, I was ready to hang this paragon of virtue myself by the end of it all just to be finished. Interpreting Billy as Adam, sinning through no fault of his own but doomed to be punished heavily for that sin or as a Christ figure, making the ultimate sacrifice in order that goodness might triumph over evil, did nothing to make the story more appealing or enjoyable. Perhaps I just don't like allegories, having had this visceral reaction to others as well. But the other stories in the collection were almost as tedious as Billy Budd with the slight advantage that they were shorter. And while I fully appreciate Melville's place in the American literature canon, I'd be happy to be the one to light the fuse and blow him away over the yardarm. (And yes, before any smug and pretentious defenders of literature come out of the woodwork, I do know the difference between canon and cannon and made a deliberate choice here.)

[bradkautz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Billy Budd is a short novel by Herman Melville. It was written towards the end of his life and was unfinished at the time of his death, being discovered amidst his papers and published by his biographer. It is a gem of writing. It is compact in the telling of the central elements of its story but rich in its use of language to give the reader a sense of being physically present as the story unfolds. There are three principal characters and just one brief moment when they are all together. Suspense builds as the pivotal moment approaches, and the way in which it unfolds is completely unexpected. I found this story to be compelling and thought-provoking.

[rajivc_18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like this book though, like "Lord Jim", that I recently read, I had to get used to the writing style all over again. The sentences are long, and need concentration in order to understand. Yet, in this book, they convey an almost lyrical, poetic quality to the story, and you feel the emotion and the atmosphere of the scenes that Melville creates.The tragedy of Billy Budd does stay on - an abandoned child, illiterate, good-looking, almost innocent in his persona, condemned to death for one mistake made in panic, over a charge that was patently false, and made with malicious intent. Is this an allegory on life as well? As an old coach once said, 'Life is not fair. Neither is it fair. It is what it is'. Having said that, innocent die and the world forgets those who are not in positions of power. This is clearly demonstrated in the epilogue.The book could have been written in a style that is angry and bitter. Yet, the lyrical quality of the writing makes the tale even more poignant.

[indygo88 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't familiar with the story of Billy Budd, and not being much of a classics reader, I think the abridged audiobooks are good enough to give the reader an idea of what the story's about. But the reader of this particular very abridged version read fast, which makes following the story a little difficult. I haven't read Moby Dick either, but I'm not sure I truly appreciate the prose of Melville. I found him rather wordy, especially near the beginning, & it wasn't until midway through the story that I felt like I was becoming engaged. And then near the end, my interest waned again. Maybe it was the abridgement -- I don't know. It didn't end as I'd expected, which took me by surprise, & wasn't particularly an uplifting note to end a book on.

[markm2315 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

They found this in HM's papers and I don't think it was published until the 20th century. I can't really recommend it, but you should see what Benjamin Britten and EM Forster did with it (get the new Blu-Ray DVD with Jacques Imbrailo and John Mark Ainsley) you will shit yourself.