1. Thou shalt not scrounge, neither
shalt thou swing the lead, lest they resting place be the deep waters
upon which thou sail.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the
Petty Officer in vain or thou shalt have thy name inscribed upon the
books of the Commander and thou shalt embark on a course of Chokey.
3. Honour the Master at Arms and the
R.P.O. all the days of thy service that they credit you thy credits be
numbered even as the fishes below thee.
4. Thou shalt not fill thyself to
overflowing with beer, or by Royal Warrant thou shalt lose much of thy
pay, and the Master at Arms shalt number thee amongst his flock, for
it is written that he who drinketh to excess shall bash the square.
5. Six days shalt thou labour and on the
seventh thou shalt do twice as much.
6. If it comes to pass that thy zeal and
the sweat of thy brow cause mention of thee in the wardroom, and thou
art elevated to the dizzy heights of AB, Lo, thou shalt present thy
humble body at thy canteen and shall crave thy messmates accept
sippers of thy ale all round.
7. Thou shalt not take unto thyself they
comrade’s kit, neither shalt thou borrow when the owner thereof is
not present or thy sins will be visited upon thee by the quickness of
the hand that blacketh the eye.
8. Thou shalt not fritter away they
worldly goods by playing Crown and Anchor lest the avenging voice of
the R.P.O. be heard to say “Render unto me the names and let thy
money remain where it lieth”.
9. Though shalt not kill if the Petty
Officer grieveth thee. Thou shalt not smite him, neither shalt thou
sling him over the side. Thou shalt go unto the top man and crave
audience with him and set forth they grievance with much wailing and
gnashing of teeth. He shall open his mouth and words of wisdom shall
flow forth, next time it shall be even twice as bad.
10. And when it shall come to pass that
thou has finished thy time, thou shalt embark upon the waters and
journey thereon until thou reachest thy home port. There thou shalt
take thyself strange garments and shall be known as a civvy in the
land, and thou shalt study the dole and the drawing thereof, and so
for many years thou shalt take it easy and rest from thy labours.
