Horatio Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil (1999 TV Movie)

Ioan Gruffudd: Acting Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower

Quotes 

• [Knowing that his ship has only four guns] 

  Hornblower : How many guns does the "Oriental" have, Mr. Hunter.

  M'Man Hunter : Forty-eight, sir.

  Hornblower : Well, we'll certainly give them a run for their money, won't we Mr. Styles?

  Styles : Certainly will sir. Take them at least a minute to sink us.

• [Horatio stopped Hunter from shooting the French] 

  Hunter : We're here to fight them aren't we?

  Hornblower : No, Mr. Hunter, we're here to defeat them.

• Hornblower : Don't froth at the mouth, Styles. You've seen a woman before, man.

  Styles : Not in six bloody months I haven't.

• Duchess of Wharfedale : It is lucky for you that last night I had another card to play. At least it bought his silence.

  Hornblower : But how could you?

  Duchess of Wharfedale : What is it to you? Are you jealous?

  [sighs] 

  Duchess of Wharfedale : You completely misunderstand me. If I resisted de Vergesse, he would announce my secret, which would lead to my arrest as a spy and the discovery of your precious dispatches. So I sacrificed some small insignificant things such as my pride and my self-respect.

• Hornblower : What will you do, Ma'am? You cannot continue this in London.

  Duchess of Wharfedale : I have friends in high places and low. Friends who value me enough to forgive the manner of my return.

  Hornblower : In that case I can only wish you good luck, Ma'am.

  Duchess of Wharfedale : [as Hornblower is going over the side into the rowboat]  Horatio... I will always count you, as I hope you will count me, among those friends.

  Hornblower : In high places or low, Ma'am?

  Duchess of Wharfedale : The highest, Mr. Haitch!

• Don Massaredo : The First Minister has informed me that in recognition of your courage in saving life at the peril of your own, you and your ship's crew are to be set at liberty.

  Hornblower : We are free to go?

  Don Massaredo : That is what I usually understand "liberty" to mean.

  Hornblower : [sighs]  Thank you, sir. I am honored by their excellencies' consideration.

  Don Massaredo : Mmm... I wonder if their excellencies realize they're setting free a man who will doubtless be a thorn in their side for many years to come.

  Hornblower : I shall endeavor not to disappoint them. sir.

  Don Massaredo : Hmmm.

  [He leaves] 

• Hornblower : How are you, Archie?

  Kennedy : Hungry.

  Hornblower : Great, I will have the innkeeper send you some food. Ham and eggs, possibly. Some trout...

  Kennedy : Horatio, there is something I have to tell you...

  Hornblower : Oh, don't you worry about anything. Let's just get you back your feet, eh?

  Kennedy : The duchess isn't a duchess. Cleopatra laying at Mark Antony's feet, maybe. Cleopatra, Macbeth, Gertrude. But she is no duchess.

  Hornblower : Archie, what are you talking about?

  Kennedy : She is an actress. Her name is Catherine Cobham.

  Hornblower : You're mistaken.

  Kennedy : No, I'm not. Drury Lane was once my home, and I had saw her performed. Mark my words, Horatio. She is an actress.

• Kennedy : [observing the men]  They're planning something, Horatio.

  Hornblower : Archie, do you know Spanish?

  Kennedy : A little.

  [Horatio hands Archie a book written in Spanish and walks off] 

• Hornblower : [smiling]  He wants to give us his assistance. God damn him to hell!

• M'Man Hunter : Main dish'll probably be monkey.

  Hornblower : Monkey?

  M'Man Hunter : Mmm. Um, rock ape. And monkey you mince with a sort of a... chopping motion.

  Hornblower : Monkey; mince, chopping motion.

• Spanish Lieutenant : You have my sword. I will not attempt to escape. I have already lost my ship. I will not compound my shame by breaking my word.

  Hornblower : [Retutning the Captain's sword]  Today the luck was with me, sir.

• Kennedy : [upon seeing a storm outside] 

  [faintly] 

  Kennedy : No walk for you today, Horatio. A pity, you walk with such lovely company.

  Hornblower : Do you have a sweetheart in England, Archie?

  [no response] 

  Hornblower : Archie?

  [no repsonse] 

  Hornblower : [more worried]  Archie?

  [he runs over to Archie and pats his face] 

  Hornblower : [caling out]  Archie!

  [runs to the door and bangs on it] 

  Hornblower : Guard! Guard! Hunter, call for help.

  M'Man Hunter : Why?

  Hornblower : [races back over to Kennedy, and tries to wake him]  Archie? What's happening to him?

  M'Man Hunter : Starvation.

  Hornblower : We gave him the same rations as ours.

  M'Man Hunter : He didn't eat them.

  Hornblower : But why?

  [pause] 

  Hornblower : Why didn't you tell me this before?

  Don Massaredo : [a few moments later] 

  [upon seeing Horatio standing in the rain and carrying Archie] 

  Don Massaredo : What is the meaing of this?

  Hornblower : He's dying!

  [carries Archie inside and places him in bed] 

  Hornblower : Archie, why did you do this?

  Duchess of Wharfedale : [enters the room]  What's happened to him?

  Hornblower : [upset]  He's been starving himself! And I haven't noticed- I didn't notice because I was carrying on conversations on clifftops.

  Kennedy : [seemingly concious, to the Duchess]  The crow o' earth doth melt. My lord! O, wither'd is the garland of the war...

  Hornblower : Archie, what are you saying?

  Duchess of Wharfedale : Sssh... just rest.

  Kennedy : Are level now with men; the odds is gone, and there is nothing left remarkable beneath the visting moon.

  Hornblower : What is he saying?

  Duchess of Wharfedale : He's delirious.

  Hornblower : No, it wasn't like that. It was from something.

• Hornblower : Archie, I would do the exact same. If I were in this position...

  Kennedy : But you're not, and you never would be.