First and foremost, let us say that pirates, fer the most part, were despicable scallywags, horrible and cruel. They are still to this very day. So why then do we romanticize the piratical lifestyle? It's the romantic myth, as the one which follows.

Well there was this fellah, name of Jose Gaspar. Jose was born to noble parents somewhere near Seville in the year 1756 and led an aristocratic life. He was tutored in the skills of culture and gallantry as one in his position would be. Yet as boys will be boys and certain boys may turn the eye of a fair maid, it came to pass that Jose made off with the young daughter of one of the local citizenry. He held her, not entirely against her will, fer a ransom.

Not yet skilled in the arts of evasion, he was quickly captured by the local constabulary. When brought before the court a wise judge recognized the potential of a lad who made a wrong decision based on the wiles of,... well you know how that works. So, Gaspar was given the choice of spending time in a dark and dreary place with bars and locked doors or entering The Royal Naval Academy and livin' some days under blue skies and open seas. It didn't take him long to make his choice.

In the version of the story we choose to indulge ourselves with, Gaspar, being an intelligent rouge, succeeded magnificnently at the academy. Showing a remarkable apptitude and skill with weapons and seamanship he soon became a midshipman. He also continued his pursuit of skills with the ladies and seduced the academy's commander. This may, in part, account for his promotion to Captain and reassignment to the Barbary Coast and soon therefeter to the Carribbean. A brillian strategist, he was promoted to Admiral of the Atlantic fleet. It wasn't long before Admiral Gaspar's certain proclivities caught up with him again. This time with the daughter in law of Charles III. She was truly infatuated, more than that, she fell passionately in love with the dashing libertine.

Beware the wrath of a woman scorned! For Gaspar, his ultimately fatal mistake, or choice of course, was lead by the man with the smaller head. He wooed and won the affection of the most beautiful lady of the Court. The princess falsely accused Gaspar of the theft of the crown jewels, which in turn led to his entry into the world of pyrates. And this is why we love him so. A man after our own heart. One who idolized the feminine form and adventure on the high seas.

Gasparilla, as he became known, did turn to the dark side and became a cut throat scallywag of a pirate. Should you be interested you can read all of his true story, legend and myth, by clicking HERE.