Patrick O'Brian Quotes

8 Sourced Quotes

I am in favour of leaving people alone, however imperfect their polity may seem. It appears to me that you must not tell other nations how to set their house in order; nor must you compel them to be happy.

Patrick O'Brian
Question and answer is not a civilized form of conversation.

Patrick O'Brian
I do not say that all lawyers are bad, but I do maintain that the general tendency is bad: standing up in a court for whichever side has paid you, affecting warmth and conviction, and doing everything you can to win the case, whatever your private opinion may be, will soon dull any fine sense of honour. The mercenary soldier is not a valued creature, but at least he risks his life, whereas these men merely risk their next fee.

Patrick O'Brian
Sir,' said Stephen, 'I read novels with the utmost pertinacity. I look upon them—I look upon good novels—as a very valuable part of literature, conveying more exact and finely-distinguished knowledge of the human heart and mind than almost any other, with greater breadth and depth and fewer constraints.

Patrick O'Brian
That would be locking the horse after the stable door is gone, a very foolish thing to do.

Patrick O'Brian
"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."

Patrick O'Brian
It has always seemed to me that books are the supreme decorations of a room

Patrick O'Brian
We are always the most violent against those whom we have injured.

Patrick O'Brian