# Of Captain Edward Low, and His Crew explained — A General History of the Pirates

> Chapter companion for A General History of the Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson.

## What happens

This chapter chronicles the life and brutal career of the pirate Edward Low, from his thieving childhood in Westminster to his violent exploits at sea. After a failed attempt to murder his captain, Low and twelve companions turned pirate, eventually joining forces with George Lowther. The narrative details Low's savage attacks, including the massacre of a Spanish sloop's crew, the torture of prisoners, and the murder of a Portuguese captain and his crew after a treasure was lost. It also covers Low's alliance with Harris, his capture of numerous vessels, and his eventual setbacks, including the loss of his ship and the capture of a sloop crew sent to the Western Islands.

## Themes in this chapter

### Violence, Brutality, and Moral Depravity

The chapter is replete with extreme violence, including the massacre of a Spanish sloop's crew, the torture of a Portuguese captain (cutting off and broiling his lips), and the mutilation of prisoners such as cutting off ears and slitting noses.

### Economic Despair as a Driver of Piracy

Low's turn to piracy is triggered by a dispute over provisions and labor conditions (being denied a meal and ordered back to work), reflecting economic pressures and exploitation that led men to piracy.

### Law, Injustice, and the Blurred Line Between Privateer and Pirate

The chapter highlights the ambiguous legality of logwood cutting (described as 'little better than stole') and the pirates' use of false colors, showing how pirates operated outside the law while mimicking legitimate maritime practices.

## Character check-ins

### Edward Low

Protagonist of the chapter; a brutal pirate captain known for his cruelty, who began his career after attempting to murder his captain and later allied with George Lowther.

### George Lowther

Pirate captain who allied with Low; they committed joint piracies until parting ways in May 1722.

### Charles Harris

Consort of Low; mentioned as commanding a vessel in joint cruises off South Carolina.

## Key lines

> Nature seem’d to have designed him for a pirate from his childhood, for very early he began the trade of plundering, and was wont to raise contributions among all the boys of Westminster; and if any were bold enough to refuse it, a battle was the consequence; but Low was so hardy, as well as bold, there was no getting the better of him, so that he robbed the youths of their farthings, with impunity.

From a young age, Low showed a natural inclination for piracy, extorting money from other boys in Westminster and fighting those who resisted, establishing a pattern of theft and violence that continued into adulthood.

_Describes Low's early criminal behavior as a precursor to his later piracy._

> Low, upon hearing what a prize had escap’d him, rav’d like a fury, swore a thousand oaths, and ordered the captain’s lips to be cut off, which he broil’d before his face, and afterwards murdered him and all the crew, being thirty-two persons.

Enraged by the loss of a treasure, Low had the Portuguese captain's lips cut off and broiled in front of him, then killed the captain and all 32 crew members.

_Illustrates Low's extreme cruelty and the brutal consequences of thwarting his greed._

## Links

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