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Horatio Nelson

Horatio Nelson Quotes

Military Commander

Horatio Nelson was a British Admiral known for his bravery in the Napoleonic Wars. He is famous for his victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar, but unfortunately, he was wounded in battle and died shortly thereafter.

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All Horatio War Ifs Enemy Men Duty Done Sea Ships Every Man Frenchmen Officers Believe Country Devil Fighting Glory Ill Kings Made

Famous Horatio Nelson Quotes

“My character and good name are in my own keeping. Life with disgrace is dreadful. A glorious death is to be envied.”

Character Names My Own Glorious Disgrace Envied Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

“The business of the English commander-in-chief being first to bring an enemy 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 until the business is decided.”

Firsts Mean Term Enemy Battle Decided Ships Chiefs Boards Commanders Commander In Chief Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

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

Way Giving May War Pain Sea Duty Painful Consideration Officers Great Business Horatio Endless Sea

Author:Horatio Nelson

“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.”

Men Form Hate Order Speak Opinion Enemy Kings Devil Ill Every Man Attempting Propriety Frenchmen Horatio

Author:Horatio Nelson

“England expects that every man will do his duty.”

Men War Duty England Every Man Total War Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

“Gentlemen, when the enemy is committed to a mistake we must not interrupt him too soon.”

Mistake Enemy Committed Commit Gentleman Officers Navy Horatio Interrupting Royal Navy

Author:Horatio Nelson

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

Ifs Humor Path Safety Saving Sense Of Humor Horatio

Author:Horatio Nelson

“No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy.”

Ifs War Can Do Enemy Courage Ships Captains Total War Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

“Buonaparte has often made his boast that our fleet would be worn out by keeping the sea and that his was kept in order and increasing by staying in port; but know he finds, I fancy, if Emperors hear the truth, that his fleet suffers more in a night than ours in one year.”

Ifs Knows Years Made Would Be Night Suffering Order Sea Fancy Staying Worn Boast Emperor Port Worn Out Horatio

Author:Horatio Nelson

“Desperate affairs require desperate measures.”

Affair Desperate Horatio Desperate Measures Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

Author:Horatio Nelson

“Our Country will, I believe, sooner forgive an Officer for attacking his Enemy than for letting it alone.”

Believe Country I Believe Enemy Forgiving Our Country Officers Attacking Horatio

Author: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.”

Knows Hands Loses Arms Let Me Instruments Legs Surgeons Haste Me Alone Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

“I have only one eye, I have a right to be blind sometimes... I really do not see the signal!”

Sometimes Eye Blind Blindness Signals Horatio Blind Eyes

Author:Horatio Nelson

“Never break the neutrality of a port or place, but never consider as neutral any place from whence an attack is allowed to be made.”

Made Break Port Neutrality Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

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

Inspirational Firsts War Use Victory Gains Horatio

Author:Horatio Nelson

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

Differences Five Minutes Victory Defeat Five Minutes Horatio Victory And Defeat

Author: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 opportunity of doing my duty.”

I Can Opportunity Causes Can Do Justice Events Trust Duty Thank God Trust No One Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

“Something must be left to chance; nothing is certain in a sea fight”

Certain Fighting Left Chance Sea Horatio

Author:Horatio Nelson

“I cannot, if I am in the field of glory, be kept out of sight: wherever there is anything to be done, there Providence is sure to direct my steps.”

Ifs Done Steps Fields Glory Direct Sight Providence Umpires Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount 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.”

Ifs Men Hands Certain Fighting Opinion Horatio

Author: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.”

Ifs Should Long Running House Danger Should Have Ships Command Long Ago Peers Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

“I cannot command winds and weather.”

Wind Weather Command Horatio

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount 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.”

Ifs Soul Country Sin Alive Kings Glory Gracious Envious Great Happiness Offending Horatio Coveting

Author:Horatio Nelson

About the Author

Born: September 29, 1758
Died: October 21, 1805
Known for: Military Commander
Quotes: 55

Related Topics

Horatio War Ifs Enemy Men Duty Done Sea Ships Every Man Frenchmen Officers Believe Country Devil Fighting Glory Ill Kings Made

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Books & Sources

The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount NelsonRelated source material

The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton, Vol II. With A Supplement Of Interesting Letters By Distinguished CharactersRelated source material

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