A sort of atmospheric pressure

     ‘Are you saying,’ said Mr Franklin grimly, ‘the trial was rigged?’
     ‘You’re a bigger ass than I thought you were, if you believe that,’ said Sir Harry. ‘Of course it wasn’t. It didn’t have to be. This isn’t America, where you have to slip a thousand dollars to a congressman or a judge to get things done. You’re a new country; things ain’t settled yet. But here — things aren’t rigged. Look at Button — her father’s a lord, connected to God knows who. She’s my great niece, and I’m half-Paget, and my sister-in-law married a Rothschild, and among the lot of us I dare say we’re connected to half the criminal upper-classes — you don’t “rig” things because you don’t have to. There’s a sort of atmospheric pressure that causes things to go properly and fittingly. Button couldn’t go to jail unless her family washed their hands of her — which they would, like a shot, if it was murder or high treason. But smashing pictures? Hardly. And it isn’t rigging, you see. You couldn’t rig a British judge and jury nowadays, not if you tried.’


Mr American, p.430, Pan Books, paperback edition 1982.



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Our movement

     ‘You know what they will say? That there is one law for the rich and powerful and another for the poor and feeble! The very injustice our movement is dedicated to — ’
     ‘Well, if that’s what they say, they’re quite right, and you can thank God for it.’ said Sir Harry.


Mr American, p.427, Pan Books, paperback edition 1982.



Tags: Flashman, Flashman quotes, injustice.

Holler with good grace

      At the beginning of this memoir I gave you my first Law of Economics; if I have one for Adversity it is once your essentials are properly trapped in the mangle there’s nothing for it but to holler with good grace and wait until they roll you out again. Not that hollering does any good, but it relieves the feelings…




Flashman and the Dragon, p.43, Fontana Paperback edition, 1986.


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First law of economics

Old Professor Flashy’s first law of economics is that the time to beware of a pretty woman is not when you’re flush with cash (well, you know what she’d after, and what’s a bankroll more or less?), but when you’re short of the scratch, and she offers to set you right. Because that ain’t natural, and God knows what she’s up to.

Flashman and the Dragon, p.9, Fontana Paperback edition, 1986.

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Some natural law

There is some natural law that ensures that whenever civilization talks to the heathen, it is through the person of the most obstinate, short-sighted, arrogant, tactless clown available. You recall McNaughten at Kabul, perhaps? Well, Allison could have been his prize pupil.

Flashman and the Redskins, p.232, Pan Books edition, 1983.

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An Apache ponders

Why should the Americanos try to force their law on us? . . . It is because their spirit tells them to spread their law to all people, and they believe their spirit is better than ours.

Flashman and the Redskins, p.167, Pan Books edition, 1983.

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Strict justice

‘From me they have strict justice, under law’, says this amazing gorilla. ‘And they love me for it. Has anyone seen the knout, or the butuks* used on my estate?’

*Press for crushing feet.

Flashman at the Charge, p.145, Pan edition, 5th printing, 1979.

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Half panic, half lunacy

This myth called bravery, which is half panic, half lunacy (in my case, all panic), pays for all; in England you can’t be a hero and bad. There’s practically a law against it.

Flashman, p.276, Pan edition, 12th printing, 1979.

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Laying down the law

I have soldiered in too many countries and known too many peoples to fall into the folly of laying down the law about any of them.



Flashman, p. 51, Pan edition, 12th printing, 1979.

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