SELKIRK (Alexander), whose adventures gave rise to a well-known historical romance, was born at Largo, in the county of Fife, about the year 1676, and was bred a seaman. He went from England, in
1703, in the capacity of sailing-master of a small vessel called the Cinqu-Ports Galley, Charles Pickering captain, burthen about 90 tons, with 16 guns and 63 men; and in September the same year sailed from Cork, in company with another ship of 26 guns and 120 men, called the St George, commanded by that famous navigator William Dampier, intending to cruise on the Spaniards in the South Sea. On the coast of Brazil, Pickering died, and was succeeded in his command by his lieutenant Thomas Stradling. They proceeded on their voyage round Cape Horn to the island of Juan Fernandez, whence they were driven by the appearance of two French ships of 36 guns each, and left five of Stradling's men there on shore, who were taken off by the French. Hence they sailed to the coast of America, where Dampier and Stradling quarrelled, and separated by agreement, on the 19th of May 1704. In September following, Stradling came again to the island of Juan Fernandez, where Selkirk and his captain had a difference, which, with the circumstance of the ship's being very leaky, and in bad condition, induced him to determine on staying there alone; but when his companions were about to depart, his resolution was shaken, and he desired to be taken on board again. The captain, however, refused to admit him, and he was obliged to remain, having nothing but his clothes, bedding, a gun, and a small quantity of powder and ball; a hatchet, knife, and kettle; his books, and mathematical and nautical instruments. He kept up his spirits tolerably till he saw the vessel put off, when (as he afterwards related) his heart yearned within him, and melted at parting with his comrades and all human society at once.
"Yet believe me, Arens,
Such is the rooted love we bear mankind,
All ruffians as they were, I never heard
A found so dismal as their parting oars."
Thus left sole monarch of the island, with plenty of the necessaries of life, he found himself in a situation hardly supportable. He had fish, goat's flesh, turnips and other vegetables; yet he grew dejected, languid, and melancholy, to such a degree as to be scarce able to refrain from doing violence to himself. Eighteen months passed before he could, by reasoning, reading his bible, and study, be thoroughly reconciled to his condition. At length he grew happy, employing himself in decorating his huts, chasing the goats, whom he equalled in speed, and scarcely ever failed of catching. He also tamed young kids, laming them to prevent their becoming wild; and he kept a guard of tame cats about him, to defend him when asleep from the rats, who were very troublesome. When his clothes were worn out, he made others of goats' skins, but could not succeed in making shoes, with the use of which, however, habit, in time, enabled him to dispense. His only liquor was water. He computed that he had caught 1000 goats during his abode in the island; of which he had let go 500, after marking them by slitting their ears. Commodore Anson's people, who were there about 30 years after, found the first goat which they shot upon landing was thus marked, and as it appeared to be very old, concluded that it had been under the power of Selkirk. But it appears by captain Carteret's account of his voyage in the Swallow sloop, that other persons practised this mode of marking, as he found a goat
he hitherto distinguished himself by the classical elegance of his compositions, that he was soon called upon to fill the important post of private Latin secretary to the emperor, who was then in Italy. This was the most honourable office to which our author was ever appointed; but before he could enter upon it death put a stop to his career of glory. Having arrived at Saint Amand in the district of Tournay, in order to meet, upon business, with the bishop of Utrecht, he was on the 8th of October 1536 cut off by a violent fever, in the very flower of his age, not having quite completed his twenty-fifth year. He was interred in the church of the Benedictines, of which his patron, the bishop, was abbot or pro-abbot; and his near relations erected to his memory a marble monument, with a plain Latin inscription.
The works of Secundus have gone through several editions, of which the best and most copious is that of Scriverius already mentioned. It consists of JULIA, Eleg. Lib. 1.; AMORES, Eleg. Lib. 2.; AD DIVERSOS Eleg. Lib. 3.; BASIA, styled by the editor incomparabilis et divinus prorsus liber; EPIGRAMMATA; ODARUM liber unus; EPISTOLARUM liber unus Elegiaca; EPISTOLARUM liber alter, heroico carmine scriptus; FUNERUM liber unus; SYLVÆ et CARMINUM fragmenta; POEMATA nonnulla fratrum; ITINERARIA Secundi tria, &c.; EPISTOLÆ totidem, soluta oratione. Of these works it would be superfluous in us to give any character after the ample testimonies prefixed to them of Lelius Greg., Gyraldus, the elder Scaliger, Theodore Bena, and others equally celebrated in the republic of letters, who all speak of them with rapture. A French critic, indeed, after having affirmed that the genius of Secundus never produced any thing which was not excellent in its kind, adds, with too much truth, Mais sa muse est un peu trop lascive. For this fault our author makes the following apology in an epigram addressed to the grammarians;
Carmina cur spargam cunctis lasciva libellis,
Queritis? Infultos areco grammaticos.
Fortia magnanimitas canerem si Cæsarís arma,
Factave DIVORUM religiosa virum:
Quot miser exciperemque notas, patererque lituras?
Quot fierem teneris supplicium pueris?
At nunc uda mihi distant cum BASIA carmen,
Pruriet et versu mentula multa meo;
Me leget inuptæ juvenis placiturus amica,
Et placitura nova blanda puella viro:
Et quæcunque juvat lepidorum de grege vatum
Otia fellivis ludere deliciis.
Lusibus et latis procul hinc abfiste, sÆVI
GRAMMATICI, injultas et cohibite manus.
Ne puer, ab malleis cæsis lacrymanque leporis;
DURAM FORTE MEIS OSSIBUS OPTET HUMUM.