Stephen Maturin Quotes

“But you know as well as I, patriotism is a word; and one that generally comes to mean eithermy country, right or wrong,which is infamous, ormy country is always right,which is imbecile.”
― Patrick O'Brian, Master & Commander

“That would be locking the horse after the stable door is gone, a very foolish thing to do.”
― Patrick O'Brian, The Far Side of the World

“If I were a woman I should march out with a flaming torch and a sword; I should emasculate right and left.”
― Patrick O'Brian, The Far Side of the World

“How wonderfully strange,' he thought, 'to be upset by this trifle; yet I am upset.”
― Patrick O'Brian, Master & Commander

“It was an operation that Dr. Maturin had carried out at sea before, always in the fullest possible light and therefore on deck, and many of them had seen him do so.

Now they and all their mates saw him do it again: they saw Joe Plaice's scalp taken off, his skull bared, a disc of bone audibly sawn out, the handle turning solemnly; a three-shilling piece, hammered into a flattened dome by the armourer, screwed on over the hole; and the scalp replaced, neatly sewn up by the parson.

It was extremely gratifying - the Captain had been seen to go pale, and Barret Bonden too, the patient's cousin - blood running down Joe's neck regardless - brains clearly to be seen - something not to be missed for a mint of money - instructive, too - and they made the most of it.”
― Patrick O'Brian

“Gluppit the prawling strangles, there!”
― Patrick O'Brian

“He that would make a pun would pick a pocket.”
― Patrick O'Brian

“The back of my hand to guilt.”
― Patrick O'Brian, The Far Side of the World

“I've come down from the mountains, with an ass-full of specimens...”
― Patrick O'Brian

“A virtuous esculent!”
― Patrick O'Brian