His officers saw little of him, and did not love what they saw.

Though there are very serious disadvantages about being a true believer. Who would want four wives at any time, especially when one pays for the doubtful privilege by abstaining from wine?

Harm began to come to Hornblower from that day forth, despite his obedience to orders and diligent study of his duties, and it stemmed from the arrival in the midshipmen’s berth of John Simpson as senior warrant officer.

The stinks of the true believers have to be smelt to be believed.

Bush could never understand Hornblower’s disciplinary methods. He had been positively horrified when he had heard his captain’s public admission that he too had baths under the washdeck pump – it seemed madness for a captain to allow his men to guess that they were of the same flesh as his.

July 4th, 1776,” mused Keene, reading Hornblower’s date of birth to himself.

I’d rather be in trouble for having done something than for not having done anything.

When a man who is drinking neat gin starts talking about his mother he is past all argument.

The lucky man is he who knows how much to leave to chance.

Novel writing wrecks homes.