But we celebrate him tonight above all for his Aubrey and Maturin; for his Villiers and his Preserved Killick and his Barret Bonden, and his Babbington and his Blaine; for his Sophie and his poor Polychrest and for his beautiful Surprise; for the extra-ordinary care which founds every reference on the rock of scholarship; for his love of nature and the sea; for his celebration of courage, honour, and humanity. For Mary, without whom I suspect none of it would have come out quite like this, we offer this evening as a 'thank you'; for Patrick we raise our glasses, in seated naval toast, to our great storyteller, and say 'may we drink to you in three times three'.
TO PATRICK O'BRIAN
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
'Speech at the Painted Hall, Greenwich'