The Devil to Pay (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Devil to Pay is one of a series of nautical novels by C. Northcote Parkinson
. It is set in the late 18th Century, when Britain
was at war with Revolutionary
France
. Parkinson's hero is a junior naval officer. Unlike many fictional officers Parkinson's hero, Richard Delancey
, does not have any powerful patrons to ease his way to promotion.
The novel starts with Delancey accepting the temporary command of a small cutter. Delancey is from the Island of Guernsey
, and is fluent in French
. His knowledge of French will make it easier for him to land Royalist agents who are part of a plan to prepare for an invasion to restore the French monarchy
.
This secret mission appears to have been a failure. And it leaves Delancey on the beach, living on his half-pay
.
So he leaps at a chance to accept the temporary command of a small customs vessel. He is unexpectedly successful at intercepting smuggled goods so one of the owners of some of the smuggling vessels offers him the much better position of command of a privateer
.
He is a successful privateer commander. He has several successful cruises. But, eventually his ship is wrecked on the enemy shore. Delancey and some of his remaining crew decide to try to escape back to England. During their escape Delancey acquires some valuable intelligence.
With the aid of a smuggler who works for his boss he is able to make contact with an RN frigate
cruising offshore. The Captain of that vessel mounts an expedition to rescue Delancey and recover the secret papers. One of his lieutenants is lost. And Delancey is offered to take his place.
The novel ends with Delancey again serving in the Royal Navy.
It is believed that the phrase The Devil to Pay refers to the task of caulking, or paying, the deck seams with hot pitch
. The outermost seam—between the deck and the hull—is the hardest to caulk. It is called the devil. The full phrase is The devil to pay, and no pitch hot—more generally the phrase is used to refer to any urgent, desperate situation. However this has been disputed in numerous sources and WorldWideWords.com references the phrase as:
This novel was the first Parkinson wrote. The next novel in the series is The Fireship
. Parkinson later went back and wrote a prequel, The Guernseyman, set during the American Revolution
.
'Mr Parkinson is an expert on naval history and on sailing, and this bracing, well-plotted and exiting story reveals his knowledge' Books and Bookmen1
'The action is good, the historical detail impeccable' Spectator1
C. Northcote Parkinson
Cyril Northcote Parkinson was a British naval historian and author of some sixty books, the most famous of which was his bestseller Parkinson's Law, which led him to be also considered as an important scholar within the field of public administration.-Early life and education:The youngest son of...
. It is set in the late 18th Century, when Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
was at war with Revolutionary
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Parkinson's hero is a junior naval officer. Unlike many fictional officers Parkinson's hero, Richard Delancey
Richard Delancey (fictional character)
Richard Delancey is the hero of a series of novels by historian C. Northcote Parkinson.Delancey is a citizen of the Island of Guernsey who rises, through merit, through the Royal Navy,during its late 18th Century wars with America and France.-See also:...
, does not have any powerful patrons to ease his way to promotion.
The novel starts with Delancey accepting the temporary command of a small cutter. Delancey is from the Island of Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, and is fluent in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. His knowledge of French will make it easier for him to land Royalist agents who are part of a plan to prepare for an invasion to restore the French monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
.
This secret mission appears to have been a failure. And it leaves Delancey on the beach, living on his half-pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
.
So he leaps at a chance to accept the temporary command of a small customs vessel. He is unexpectedly successful at intercepting smuggled goods so one of the owners of some of the smuggling vessels offers him the much better position of command of a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
.
He is a successful privateer commander. He has several successful cruises. But, eventually his ship is wrecked on the enemy shore. Delancey and some of his remaining crew decide to try to escape back to England. During their escape Delancey acquires some valuable intelligence.
With the aid of a smuggler who works for his boss he is able to make contact with an RN frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
cruising offshore. The Captain of that vessel mounts an expedition to rescue Delancey and recover the secret papers. One of his lieutenants is lost. And Delancey is offered to take his place.
The novel ends with Delancey again serving in the Royal Navy.
It is believed that the phrase The Devil to Pay refers to the task of caulking, or paying, the deck seams with hot pitch
Pitch (resin)
Pitch is the name for any of a number of viscoelastic, solid polymers. Pitch can be made from petroleum products or plants. Petroleum-derived pitch is also called bitumen. Pitch produced from plants is also known as resin. Products made from plant resin are also known as rosin.Pitch was...
. The outermost seam—between the deck and the hull—is the hardest to caulk. It is called the devil. The full phrase is The devil to pay, and no pitch hot—more generally the phrase is used to refer to any urgent, desperate situation. However this has been disputed in numerous sources and WorldWideWords.com references the phrase as:
This novel was the first Parkinson wrote. The next novel in the series is The Fireship
The Fireship (novel)
The Fireship is one of a series of nautical novels by C. Northcote Parkinson. It is set in the late 18th century, when Britain was at war with Revolutionary France. Parkinson's hero is a junior naval officer...
. Parkinson later went back and wrote a prequel, The Guernseyman, set during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Critical Reaction
'all those C.S. Forester fans are going to pick it up tenderly' sunday telegraph1'Mr Parkinson is an expert on naval history and on sailing, and this bracing, well-plotted and exiting story reveals his knowledge' Books and Bookmen1
'The action is good, the historical detail impeccable' Spectator1