Name/Title
The Laws of the Navy [Plate II]Description
The Laws of the Navy Plate II (of four) of an edition of the poem of cautionary tales and fatherly advice:
"When the ship that is tired returneth,
With the signs of the sea showing plain,
Men place her in dock for a season,
And her speed she reneweth again.
So shall thou, lest, perchance, thou grow weary
In the uttermost parts of the sea,
Pray for leave, for the good of the Service
As much and as oft as may be.
Count not upon certain promotion,
But rather to gain it aspire;
Though the sight-line shall end on the target,
There cometh, perchance, a miss-fire.
Can'st follow the track of the dolphin
Or tell where the sea swallows roam?
Where Leviathan taketh his pastime?
What ocean he calleth his home?
Even so with the words of thy Rulers,
And the orders those words shall convey.
Every law is as naught beside this one—
"Thou shalt not criticise, but obey!"
Saith the wise, "How may I know their purpose?"
Then acts without wherefore or why.
Stays the fool but one moment to question,
And the chance of his life passeth by.
If ye win through an African jungle,
Unmentioned at home in the Press,
Heed it not; no man seeth the piston,
But it driveth the ship none the less."Context
The July 23, 1896 issue of the British "Army and Navy Gazette" presented a poem that was destined to become one of the Naval World's literary classics. Written by Royal Navy Rear Admiral Ronald A. Hopwood, this work, entitled "The Laws of the Navy", set forth what might safely be termed the "wisdom of the ages" for all who seek to make their way in large, hierarchical organizations, with special emphasis on the seagoing versions. During the World War I era Lieutenant Rowland Langmaid, R.N., made a series of etchings to accompany the poem, which was published in the version presented here.
By the mid-1920s, the virtues of "The Laws of the Navy" having crossed from the "Red" side of the broad Atlantic and penetrated the consciousness of the "Blue" side, the poem began to appear in the U.S. Naval Academy's "Reef Points", a little handbook presented to Plebes ("Freshmen" to those unversed in things U.S. Navy) for their edification and guidance. It has been featured in the annual editions of this publication up to the present day, and many a hoary former Plebe can recite its words by heart, having been made to memorize them as an essential part of the educational process.
Starting in the early 1970s, "Reef Points" provided a brief introduction to "The Laws of the Navy", which is quoted here (as printed in the 1998-1999 edition) for the benefit of All Hands:
"As a word of advice, we include 'The Laws of the Navy' by Admiral R.A. Hopwood, R.N.(ret.). These twenty-seven laws contain words of wisdom that few of you will appreciate fully now, words which you may wish you had heeded twenty years from now. Read these laws, then apply them. See how those above you apply these rules--and how they sometimes disregard them--and the consequences. Be alert to learn from others; only through experience will your understanding of others broaden. You will become a richer and fuller person, a better naval officer."