General Flashman remarks on the capacity of British prime ministers

. . . they took a cab to the famous club, where Sir Harry stared around the imposing hall and remarked that things weren’t what they had once been. ‘Saw Palmerston fall down that staircase — the whole damned way from top to bottom. Tight as a fiddler’s bitch. Finished up wrapped round that pillar there. Can’t see Asquith doing that, somehow. Rotten prime minister. D’you know, I presented him with a school prize once? Must be fifty years ago — ugly little swot he was then, and hasn’t improved over the years. Mind you, Balfour wouldn’t have been any better — “Pretty Fanny”, they used to call him. Only good thing I know about him was that he taught Asquith how to ride a bicycle. Argued some kind of capacity, I suppose — I’d sooner try to teach a whale to play the fiddle.’


Mr American, p.388, Pan Books, paperback edition 1982.



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A pleasing gift

Aye. She’s always had the priceless gift of pleasing, has Elspeth, and making people laugh — for she’s a damned funny woman when she wants to be, a top-hole mimic, and all the more engaging because she plainly hasn't got two brains to rub together. “Never see her but it sets me in humour,” Palmerston used to say. That was her talent, to make folk happy.


Flashman and the Tiger, p.225, Harper Collins, paperback edition 2000.


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Stubborn little duck

      “Now, my dear Sir Harry, I must tell you,” says her majesty, with that stubborn little duck of the head that always made Palmerston think she was going to butt him in the guts, “I am quite determined to learn Hindoostanee.”


Flashman and the Mountain of Light, p.11, Fontana Paperback edition, 1991.



Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, Victoria.

Furtive looks

…when great men wax confidential I find myself taking furtive looks over my shoulder. I just had to think of Palmerston.


Flashman and the Dragon, p.130, Fontana Paperback edition, 1986.



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Mera Jhansi denge nay

‘…and that is why I resist as best I can. As you, and Lord Palmerston would. Tell him,’ says she, and by George, her voice was shaking, but the pretty mouth was set and hard, ‘when you go home, that whatever happens, I will not give up my Jhansi. Mera Jhansi denge nay. I will not give up my Jhansi!’

Flashman in the Great Game, p.97, Pan edition, 4th printing, 1979.

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Flashman, Flashman quotes,Rani Lakshmibai.

Rare praise

I’d swap any politician I ever met for old Pam – damn him.

Flashman in the Great Game, p.38, Pan edition, 4th printing, 1979.

Tags:
Flashman, Flashman quotes,politicians, Lord Palmerston.

Young peepers

You never saw such young peepers in a tired old face.

Flashman in the Great Game, p.38, Pan edition, 4th printing, 1979.

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Flashman, Flashman quotes,eyes, Lord Palmerston.

Bare-faced and grinning

That was Pam - and if anyone ever tells you that he was a politically unprincipled old scoundrel who carried things with a high and reckless hand, I can only say that it didn’t seem to work a whit worse than the policies of more high-minded statesman. The only difference I ever saw between them and Pam was that he did his dirty work bare-faced (when he wasn’t being deeper than damnation) and grinned about it.

Flashman in the Great Game, pp.27-8, Pan edition, 4th printing, 1979.

Tags:
Flashman, Flashman quotes,Lord Palmerston, politicans.

Palmerston was in the saddle

Which was what you’d have expected any half-competent government to stage-manage in the first place, but Palmerston was in the saddle by then, and he wasn’t really good at politics, you know.

Flashman in the Great Game, p.18, Pan edition, 4th printing, 1979.

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Flashman, Flashman quotes,Palmerston, politics.

You can't fight fate

…but you can’t fight fate, especially when he’s called Palmerston.

Flashman in the Great Game, p.14, Pan edition, 4th printing, 1979.

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Flashman, Flashman quotes,fate, Palmerston.