“Of course you never heard of him,” said Mr. Bickford. “That is why I mentioned him, just as an example of how a man who should have been famous remains unknown and forgotten and a man like Kidd, with no claim to fame, lives on forever. Prince Rupert was a most romantic and fascinating character, a real Don Quixote, ever getting into one scrape after another, living a series of incredible adventures that would have put the famous D’Artagnan to shame; a dashing, impetuous gallant young prince who, according to historians, was ‘very sparkish in his dress’ and ‘like a perpetual motion.’ Young, handsome, a dashing cavalier, as ready with his sword as with his purse, he championed every romantic or hopeless cause, threw himself into any wild scheme or fray where a lady was concerned or some one was in distress, and was no sooner out of one trouble than he was head over heels into another. But he was ever resourceful, ever light hearted and ever a great favorite with the ladies. In his youth, he was cast into prison in Linz, but, despite his plight, he managed to learn drawing, made love to the governor’s daughter and so won her heart that his escape was made easy. “Later, he decided that the land held too few opportunities for his restless, romantic spirit, and with a handful of choice companions he took to sea in command of a fleet of three ships. These were the Swallow, his own vessel, the Defiance, under command of his brother, Prince Maurice, and the Honest Seaman. “Gay with pennants and bunting, the little argosy set sail from Ireland in 1648, and with the gallant young Prince, dressed in his gayest silks, satins and laces, upon the high poop of the Swallow, the three tiny vessels set off on their voyage to do their bit towards championing the cause of their king in the far-off Caribbean.