Horatio Nelson

Let me alone: I have yet my legs and one arm. Tell the surgeon to make haste and his instruments. I know I must lose my right arm, so the sooner it's off the better.

— Horatio Nelson

Our country will, I believe, sooner forgive an officer for attacking an enemy than for letting it alone.

— Horatio Nelson

Duty is the great business of a sea officer; all private considerations must give way to it, however painful it may be.

— Horatio Nelson

First gain the victory and then make the best use of it you can.

— Horatio Nelson

My greatest happiness is to serve my gracious King and Country and I am envious only of glory; for if it be a sin to covet glory I am the most offending soul alive.

— Horatio Nelson

There are three things, young gentlemen, which you are constantly to bear in mind. Firstly, you must always implicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any opinion of your own respecting their propriety. Secondly, you must consider every man your enemy who speaks ill of your king; and thirdly, you must hate a Frenchman, as you do the devil.

— Horatio Nelson

Success, I trust — indeed have little doubt — will crown our zealous and well-meant endeavours: if not, our Country will, I believe, sooner forgive an Officer for attacking his Enemy than for letting it alone.

— Horatio Nelson

The lives of all are in the hands of Him who knows best whether to preserve it or no, and to His will do I resign myself. My character and good name are in my own keeping. Life with disgrace is dreadful. A glorious death is to be envied, and, if anything happens to me recollect death is a debt we must all pay, and whether now or in a few years hence can be but of little consequence.

— Horatio Nelson

I had rather suffer death than alarm Mrs. Freemantle, by letting her see me in this state, when I can give her no tidings whatever of her husband.

— Horatio Nelson

Let me alone, I have yet my legs left, and one arm. Tell the surgeon to make haste and get his instruments. I know I must lose my right arm, so the sooner it is off the better.

— Horatio Nelson

First gain the victory and then make the best use of it you can.

— Horatio Nelson

Before this time to-morrow I shall have gained a peerage, or Westminster Abbey.

— Horatio Nelson

The Neapolitan officers did not lose much honour, for God knows they had not much to lose - but they lost all they had.

— Horatio Nelson

My greatest happiness is to serve my gracious King and Country and I am envious only of glory; for if it be a sin to covet glory I am the most offending soul alive.

— Horatio Nelson

It is warm work; and this day may be the last to any of us at a moment. But mark you! I would not be elsewhere for thousands.

— Horatio Nelson

To leave off action"? Well, damn me if I do! You know, Foley, I have only one eye,— I have a right to be blind sometimes . . . I really do not see the signal!

— Horatio Nelson

If a man consults whether he is to fight, when he has the power in his own hands, it is certain that his opinion is against fighting.

— Horatio Nelson

There is in the handling of these Transatlantic ships a nucleus of trouble for the Navy of Great Britain.

— Horatio Nelson

If I had been censured every time I have run my ship, or fleets under my command, into great danger, I should have long ago been out of the Service and never in the House of Peers.

— Horatio Nelson

Victory or Westminster Abbey.

— Horatio Nelson

In honour I gained them, and in honour I will die with them.

— Horatio Nelson

Duty is the great business of a sea officer; all private considerations must give way to it, however painful it may be.

— Horatio Nelson

The measure may be thought bold, but I am of the opinion the boldest are the safest.

— Horatio Nelson

Bonaparte has often made his boast, that our fleet would be worn out by keeping the sea, that his was kept in order, and increasing, by staying in port; but he now finds, I fancy, if emperors hear truth, that his fleet suffers more in a night, than ours in one year; however, thank God, the Toulon fleet is got in order again, and I hear the troops embarked, and I hope they will come out to sea in fine weather.

— Horatio Nelson

I cannot command winds and weather.

— Horatio Nelson

...When he was on the eve of departure for one of his great expeditions the coachmaker said to him, "The carriage shall be at the door punctually at six o clock"; "A quarter before," said Nelson. "I have always been a quarter of an hour before my time and it has made a man of me."

— Horatio Nelson

The bravest man feels an anxiety 'circa praecordia' as he enters the battle; but he dreads disgrace yet more.

— Horatio Nelson

Time is everything; five minutes make the difference between victory and defeat.

— Horatio Nelson

I am Lord Nelson. See, here's my fin.

— Horatio Nelson

The business of the English Commander-in-Chief being first to bring an Enemy's Fleet to Battle, on the most advantageous terms to himself, (I mean that of laying his Ships close on board the Enemy, as expeditiously as possible;) and secondly, to continue them there, without separating, until the business is decided.

— Horatio Nelson

May the Great God, whom I worship, grant to my Country and for the benefit of Europe in general a great and glorious victory; and may no misconduct in anyone tarnish it; and may humanity after Victory be the predominant feature of the British fleet. For myself, individually, I commit my life to Him who made me, and may His blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my Country faithfully. To Him I resign myself and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen. Amen. Amen.

— Horatio Nelson

Something must be left to chance; nothing is sure in a sea fight above all.

— Horatio Nelson

When I am without orders and unexpected occurrences arrive I shall always act as I think the honour and glory of my King and Country demand. But in case signals can neither be seen or perfectly understood, no captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy.

— Horatio Nelson

England expects every Man will do his Duty.

— Horatio Nelson

Now I can do no more. We must trust to the Great Disposer of all Events and the Justice of our Cause. I thank God for this great opportunity of doing my Duty.

— Horatio Nelson

This is too warm work, Hardy, to last long.

— Horatio Nelson

It is nonsense, Mr. Burke, to suppose I can live. My sufferings are great but they will soon be over.

— Horatio Nelson

Kiss me, Hardy

— Horatio Nelson

Thank God, I have done my duty.

— Horatio Nelson

I could not tread these perilous paths in safety, if I did not keep a saving sense of humor.

— Horatio Nelson