Patrick O'Brian Quotes

But you know as well as I, patriotism is a word; and one that generally comes to mean either my country, right or wrong, which is infamous, or my country is always right, which is imbecile.

Jack,you have debauched my sloth.

... He is not very sharp in some ways; and in his simple view of the world, paederasts are dangerous only to powder-monkeys and choir boys, or to those epicene creatures that are to be found in Mediterranean brothels. I made circuitous attempt at enlightening him a little, but he looked very knowing and said, 'Don't tell me about rears and vices; I have been in the Navy all my life.'

Other people's marriages are a perpetual source of amazement.

Come," he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to a distant sopha, "come and sit by me, and let us talk of bats.

My God, oh my God," he said. "Six hundred men.

“This short watch that is about to come, or rather these two short watches--why are they called dog watches? Where, heu, heu, is the canine connection?'

And pray, what in sea language is meant by a ship?