Tag Archives: lord nelson

Quote of the Day

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Joy. As he walked heavily, solemnly down the stairs, it mounted in him, a great calm flood-tide of joy. His momentary disappointment about the Fanciulla (he had counted on her – such a quick, stiff, sweet-handling, weatherly pet) entirely vanished by the third step – forgotten, overwhelmed – and by the landing he had realized his happiness almost to the full. He had been made post. He was a post-captain; and he would die an admiral at last.

He gazed with quiet benevolence at the hall-porter in his red waistcoat, smiling and bobbing at the foot of the stairs.

‘Give you joy, sir,’ said Tom. ‘But oh dear me, sir, you’re improperly dressed.’

‘Thankee, Tom,’ said Jack, rising a little way out of his beatitude. ‘Eh?’ He cast a quick glance down his front.

‘No, no, sir,’ said Tom, guiding him into the shelter of the hooded leather porter’s chair and unfastening the epaulette on his left shoulder to transfer it to his right. ‘There. You had your swab shipped like a mere commander. There: that’s better. Why, bless you, I did that for Lord Viscount Nelson, when he came down them stairs, made post.’

‘Did you indeed, Tom?’ said Jack, intensely pleased. The thing was materially impossible, but it delighted him and he emitted a stream of gold – a moderate stream, but enough to make Tom very affable, affectionate, and brisk in hailing the chaise and bringing it into the court.

Post Captain – Patrick O’Brian

Quote of the Day

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‘It is just the kind of thing Nelson might have done — prompt — straight at ’em.’
‘You know Lord Nelson, sir?’
‘I had the honour of serving under him at the Nile,’ said Jack, ‘and of dining in his company twice.’ His face broke into a smile at the recollection.
‘May I beg you to tell me what kind of man he is?’
‘Oh, you would take to him directly, I am sure. He is very slight — frail — I could pick him up (I mean no disrespect) with one hand. But you know he is a very great man directly. There is something in philosophy called an electrical particle, is there not? A charged atom, if you follow me. He spoke to me one each occasion. The first time it was to say, “May I trouble you for the salt, sir?” — I have always said it as close as I can to his way ever since — you may have noticed it. But the second time I was trying to make my neighbour, a soldier, understand our naval tactics — weather-gage, breaking the line, and so on — and in a pause he leant over with such a smile and said, “Never mind manoeuvres, always go at them.” I shall never forget it: never mind manoeuvres — always go at ’em. And at that same dinner he was telling us all how someone had offered him a boat-cloak on a cold night and he had said no, he was quite warm — his zeal for his King and country kept him warm. It sounds absurd, as I tell it, does it not? And was it another man, any other man, you would cry out “oh, what pitiful stuff” and dismiss it as mere enthusiasm; but with him you feel your bosom glow.’

Master and Commander – Patrick O’Brian