Lieutenant Hornblower Quotes
"He looked keenly round him at the infinity of activities which were making the ship ready for a long period of service in distant waters."
"In a flash of insight he realized that this fierce young lieutenant was not fierce at all, and that the intensity with which he spoke was entirely assumed."
"Promotion was at least theoretically possible; from the caterpillar stage of lieutenant one might progress to the butterfly stage of captain."
"But of those few chances, the great majority went to the senior lieutenant, to the first lieutenant; the chances of the junior lieutenant were doubly few."
"If a ship distinguished herself superlatively in some historic action the first lieutenant might be promoted."
"Every lieutenant could at least dream, even lieutenants like Bush with no imagination at all."
"That's the point: as long as the captain's disability endured."
"And grown men smiled to each other when boys were beaten, agreeing that it did all parties good; boys had been beaten since history began."
"If ever a man had shown himself unfit for duty it was the captain, but he was maintained in his position of unlimited power by these Articles of War which he was reading."
"The captain read the final solemn words and looked up from the page."
"It was exhilarating to an officer to see the high spirits of the men and to be aware of the good temper that prevailed."
"Bush looked at the lean eager face, at the long fingers drumming on the chart."
"He wanted to ask again the question he had asked once before, but to do so would not merely invite but would merit a rebuff."
"I'd rather be in trouble for having done something than for not having done anything."
"The roaring trade wind pressed her over, and she went surging along, rising and swooping as if with pleasure."
"There were the officers who could be counted on to act quickly and correctly in an emergency, and those who could not."
"Anything else would be unnatural, might even savour of the equalitarian French ideas which they were engaged in fighting."
"Hornblower leaned over to get a better view."
"I could wish we were going into action and not running away to think about it."
"Hornblower had his ideas in order now; the weariness disappeared and there was a glow of enthusiasm in his face."
"He straightened himself up and looked round the murky deck."
"Bush had his ears cocked, trying to hear what was going on above him so as to draw deductions about the situation."
"The ship was lively that night, you remember, sir."
"Their eyes, thoroughly accustomed to the darkness, could see in the starlight enough to enable them to pick their way."
"The play of expression on Hornblower's face was curious."
"The prospect of action at least took one's mind off the horrid fact that confined below lay an insane captain."
"The ability of the British sailor to get hold of liquor and his readiness to over-indulge in it were part of his physical make-up, like his ears or his eyes."
"Except for his weariness he did not find the waiting period troublesome to him; years of life at sea with its uncounted eventless watches, and years of war with its endless periods of boredom, had inured him to waiting."
"There was much left untold in that brief sentence, as Bush could guess, but he had no reason to make further inquiry while he thought of what to do."
"Bush was a fighting man, and the thought of action close ahead acted as a stimulant to him."
"A petty officer picked up some rags, and, with them to shield his hands, laid hold of two long handles that projected from the far side of the furnace, balancing two projecting from the nearest side."
"The average seaman was not fit to be trusted with a musket."
"Bush stood and grasped this astonishing fact — it could have been late afternoon as far as his own sensations went."
"The Spaniard fell under the axe; Bush saw a severed finger fall to the ground as the axe crashed through the Spaniard's ineffectual guard."
"Bush had had no sleep and no breakfast, and even though perhaps only ten minutes had elapsed since the fort had been captured, his conscience nagged at him regarding those ten minutes; there were many things he ought to have done in that time."
"Freedom and liberty, possibly; but they meant life on a lieutenant's half pay."
"Attend to your duties, or it will be the worse for you, peace or no peace."
"I'll have some of you dancing at the gratings before long!"
"He tried to think of a winter's day in England, with nothing to do. No ship to handle."
"I cannot afford wine. I thought longingly for a moment about a tankard of beer."
"The peacetime navy employed one-tenth of the lieutenants who were employed in wartime."
"I can deal with them," said Hornblower. "I keep ten pounds here. My corps de réserve."
"I wish I was d-dead! Indeed I wish I was dead!"
"Pack your chest. It won't be long before you need it."