Patrick O'Brian

Quotes

• “"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."”
• “"And pray, what in sea language is meant by a ship?""She must have three square-rigged masts, sir," they told him kindly, "and a bowsprit; and the masts must be in three - lower, top and topgallant - for we never call a polacre a ship."”
• “"... 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.'""Then surely he must be wanting a little in penetration?""James, I trust there was no mens rea in that remark?"”
• ““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.””
• ““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?""Why," said Stephen, "it is because they are curtailed of course.””
• “"Jack,you have debauched my sloth."”

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