it's definitely the hotspur, sir.
yes, matthews.
styles, put a ball close to her stern, but not too close.
aye, aye, sir. close but not too close it is.
but it's-- it's the hotspur, sir.
aah!
styles, for god's sake, man.
sorry, sir.
look, sir. now she shows her true colors.
i thought something was wrong.
well, if the frogs have taken the hotspur, sir,
it's only proper we should take it back.
indeed, matthews.
lay us alongside. aye, aye, sir.
mATTHEWS: gunners, stand by! contact at the next head!
[men shouting]
[crash]
[shouting]
mATTHEWS: come here! look at that!
that's their idea of the cavalry?
pity the poor bastards.
why has he got the flag down?
where is your captain?
i don't know, sir. it's to me.
oh, yes.
and do you surrender?
well done, sir,
and, uh, i just thought you ought to know, sir.
there's a cutter headed this way.
and do you suppose this cutter to be a threat, matthews?
no, sir.
i don't quite know what it is, sir.
i just thought you ought to know, sir.
look at this, sir.
he served the victory, sir.
are you british?
irish, sir.
and proud to be, sir.
english rule is ireland's curse,
and if the french offer us a hand, we'll take it.
the irish rebellion was crushed years ago, man.
it's not finished yet.
mAN: ahoy! peace, lads!
dIFFERENT MAN: it's peace with france!
it's peace! it's peace, lads! lads, it's peace!
ahoy, the ship! can you hear us?
it's peace! peace with france!
it's peace? it's peace!
[cheering]
leave him, matthews.
killing one more poor devil won't change the world.
the war is over, man.
yeah. yeah!
the war is over!
[cheering]
the war is over.
mAN: lay on your oars! homeward a larboard!
mAN: all right. mind your back. coming through.
mAN: all right, missis.
what can i do for you today?
dIFFERENT MAN: mr. hornblower,
you're here to redeem your gray coat, no doubt.
the weather is most inclement.
alas, no.
ah.
i can offer you 15 shillings.
15?
alas, mr. hornblower, with the peace,
there's little demand for naval swords.
watch where you're headed, man.
beg your pardon, sir. sir?
sir. mr. bush?
it's good to see you.
it's good to see you, sir.
you needn't call me sir. look. no epaulet.
but you're a commander.
you're captain of the retribution.
i was a commander. now that we're at peace,
i'm once again a mere lieutenant.
infernal luck.
and what's more, lieutenant without a ship.
me, too. well, it's cold. where's your coat?
why don't we go to my lodgings?
we can talk there.
i come every month, collect my half pay,
stay wherever it's convenient.
cheap, in other words.
well, why not lodge with me?
it's cheap here, i assure you.
[footsteps]
oh, it's you.
lieutenant bush, mrs. mason,
the lady of the house.
mr. bush will be my guest tonight.
you're very free with your hospitality, mr. hornblower,
for someone whose rent is so far in arrears.
i don't mind paying in advance, madam.
it'll be a shilling for the bed.
i can't wash the sheets for less than that,
not with soap, as it is.
and that just leaves mr. hornblower's 15 that he owes us.
oh, uh, sorry, mother. i forgot.
mr. hornblower gave me half a crown this morning. it's up in my room.
[sigh]
if you spent less time daydreaming...
you're just like your father-- head in the clouds--
and look where that got him.
i want that balance by the end of the week.
this way.
i'll be up presently.
she doesn't mean to be so hard on you.
i think she does, maria,
and with good reason.
i'm not a good lodger, not by any means.
oh, please don't, sir. i know you're good for it.
but your mother will expect to see
this mythical half crown.
i can handle my mother.
i have something put by for my teaching,
and you have more need of the money than me.
you truly are a good friend, maria.
i thought i had none left in the world.
i hope i'm more than that, sir.
maria, don't pin your hopes on me.
i'm but a penniless sailor with few connections
and fewer prospects.
i know you are a true gentleman,
and a gentleman...
needs his sword.
well, thank you.
please, sir.
you have an admirer--
your landlady's daughter.
i saw the way she looked at you.
maria? no.
no, no, no. nonsense.
how could you possibly afford
to come here on half pay?
follow me, and i'll show you.
mAN: ah, mr. hornblower.
are you well, sir?
admiral pellew, sir. yes. very well, thank you.
you remember lieutenant william bush.
we served together in the renown.
to great effect, as i recall. thank you, sir.
you joining us for cards, mr. bush?
mr. bush is purely a spectator this evening,
but i shall be honored, as always.
then allow me to introduce
an old acquaintance to the table.
i think you'll find this a very stimulating contest.
you earn your living here?
well, my winnings usually outweigh my losses.
ah, hornblower.
good evening, captain hammond.
a humble sloop takes on two ships of the line. hmm.
now, we shall soon see if that is valor
or mere foolhardiness.
gentleman, my nephew jack hammond.
well, step up, lad. step up.
good evening, gentlemen.
on his first visit to the fleshpots of portsmouth,
hoping to be posted to a ship.
you're in good company.
some of the navy's finest captains come here.
pELLEW: so, mr. hammond, given the choice,
with whom would you serve?
though, naturally, i can make no promises.
well, come along. come along.
you study the naval gazette.
well, there is one man, sir,
but he's not a captain.
i've read much of your exploits, sir.
what? horn--
well, i'm sorry.
i'm in no position to offer you anything.
indeed. you should think more carefully, sir,
before you nail your colors to the mast.
well, if he wishes to go into battle with mr. hornblower,
there's always the card table,
but i warn you, mr. hammond.
the lieutenant is an exceptionally gifted player.
my trick again, by god.
one more trick, and the game is ours.
well, you and your nephew
have all the luck of the devil, captain hammond.
[chuckles]
mr. hornblower, why are you a lieutenant again
and no longer a commander?
because my promotion was disallowed
when the retribution was laid up.
the country can't afford to keep a wartime navy.
otherwise, we'd be paying this damned income tax every year.
let's hope england's haste to decommission
does not prove to be premature.
what do you think, mr. bush,
or do you decline from speculating
as well as gambling?
i'm equally poor at both, sir,
but if i were a gambling man,
i'd wager that this peace won't last long.
whatever bony's planning,
we'll be ready for him, won't we, uncle?
this is hardly the place to gossip
about military matters, boy.
it's an officers club.
even in such illustrious company, sir,
the best part of valor is discretion.
and for all we know, mr. hornblower here
might be sharing his berth
with some republican strumpet.
oh.
indeed, i'm not, sir.
oh, no, not mr. hornblower.
unlucky with women. unlucky at cards.
trick and rubber, i think.
i think not, sir.
so. so we're down to the last trick, then.
which, i believe, is mine, also.
you hold but a 7, do you not?
[pellew chuckles]
i did warn you.
his talent is quite formidable.
well, gentlemen, this evening
has been quite an education.
hmm. a damned expensive education at that.
thank you, lieutenant. i hope you and i--
hAMMOND: come, jack.
sir edward. mm-hmm.
gentlemen.
here's your winnings.
use them wisely.
i'll see you aboard the flagship
two bells tomorrow forenoon. mr. bush.
what do you think he wants?
well, i doubt he wants to play whist.
no, but you--
you risked everything on one hand.
my chances had to right themselves mathematically.
don't you see? of course.
no. no, i don't. ha ha!
aha.
good evening, mrs. mason.
oh, it might be for young rakes
squandering their rent money
on dissipation and drink.
by the scent of gin, madam,
it's plain you've had a head start.
such insolence...
and those that can't even pay their reckoning.
if mr. mason were here, he'd throw you out!
please, mother. don't.
you can shut your mouth.
it's because of you i've let this young spark run on.
there's hardly a shirt in his chest,
and his chest will be at the pawnshop, too.
hORNBLOWER: mrs. mason.
25 shillings.
what i owe you plus a week's notice.
a week's? mother.
please, mr. hornblower, you can't leave.
oh, now, sir, you wouldn't leave us
on account of a misunderstanding.
no. we understood you very well, madam. come on, horatio.
mr. hornblower, don't go,
not on such terms.
well, i suppose it is rather late
to go seeking new lodgings.
william?
come, mother, you should be in bed.
i don't need your ministrations,
thank you, miss.
you wouldn't really have left us, would you, sir?
no, maria. i don't believe i would.
good night, sir.
good night.
[bell rings twice]
pELLEW: ah, hornblower.
admiral pellew, sir.
how's your head, man? hmm?
you spend the night celebrating your good fortune?
alas, no, sir.
i had some debts to settle.
do you recognize that 20-gun sloop?
hotspur, sir?
hmm. needs a captain.
a man of intelligence and ability.
i was wondering if you could suggest anyone suitable.
well, i, uh...
as you were.
your promotion to commander has been confirmed.
you are now captain of the hotspur.
she must be ready to sail in two days.
thank you, sir.
this is not idol favoritism, hornblower.
well, a little tiny.
i need you to be my eyes and ears.
no one trusts our new friend bonaparte.
[knocks on door]
enter.
[door opens]
ah, captain hornblower, this is major andre cotard,
recently secondered to the admiralty.
major cotard, it's an honor to meet you, sir.
this is the captain of the hotspur?
major cotard is of a noble french family,
who paid dearly for their opposition to bonaparte.
but i still have many well-placed contacts in france.
i have had word sent--
well, thank god not all frenchmen worship
that corsican upstart, huh?
may i continue, admiral?
of course. carry on.
i have had word sent to me
that an old and trusted friend of mine
needs to speak to me most urgently.
he insists on meeting face to face.
it must be important to warrant the risk.
exactement.
in 7 days, he sails from brest
on a british merchant ship, the eleanor.
your ship is to take me
to rendezvous with him at sea.
no doubt attracting the attentions
of the french, i take it.
quite so. we don't want to give bony the satisfaction
that we violated the peace treaty.
right. you'll report to the hotspur in two days
at 3 bells in the forenoon watch.
uh, 3 bells?
9:30 a.m., major cotard.
the major may appear a little impertinent,
but i have it on good authority he's a faithful ally,
and i have no reason to question the veracity of that information.
but? but...
men like cotard have their own agenda.
i understand that, sir.
remember, hornblower, there's folly
and foolhardiness on one side,
daring and calculation on the other.
you make the right choice,
and i'll see you through any trouble that might ensue,
and remember...
do nothing to provoke war
before war is declared.
your mission is vital for england, sir.
mAN: lay on your oars.
so what did the admiral want?
a commander...
for the hotspur.
congratulations, horatio.
sir.
they couldn't have chosen a better man.
thank you.
she's hardly the renown.
bUSH: but she's a fine ship, sir.
do you think so?
yes. i think so.
and do you also think, mr. bush,
that a lieutenant who served in a 74
might be happy to serve as a lieutenant in a mere sloop?
if you were captain, sir, i believe he might.
then would you do me the honor of being my first lieutenant?
it is i who would be honored, sir.
i feared you wouldn't want to.
i feared you wouldn't ask.
[chuckling]
well, we have a ship to rig.
aye, aye, captain.
mAN: lower away.
handsomely now. handsomely.
dIFFERENT MAN: steer it down a jot.
that's it. over here.
that's the last of the water, sir,
but we're still waiting on cordage.
cannot afford to wait, mr. prowse.
i'm the master to the ship, sir,
not superintendent of the dock.
fetch the superintendent down here.
sir? he'll answer to me,
or he'll answer to the admiral.
it's his choice.
aye, aye, sir.
bUSH: name?
wolfe, sir. thomas wolfe.
experience? 5 years as coxswain
on the northern convoys.
what brings you to portsmouth?
uh, a young lady in leeds, sir,
with a swollen belly and an angry father.
sign here, wolfe.
books are full. no more men.
mAN: oh, not again.
i hear there's an india one due in next week.
wait. matthews. styles.
captain hornblower, sir.
good to see you back in command.
she's a fine ship, sir.
uh, we can always find a place for matthews, sir.
thank you, sir.
sir?
you want to add to our troubles, do you, styles?
well, i don't have a steward yet.
i've been working in kitchens
these last 3 months, sir.
[clears throat]
styles, you never cease to amaze me.
thank you, sir.
very well. i'll take a chance, mr. bush.
make your mark, styles.
aye, aye, sir.
thank you, sir.
mARIA: mr. hornblower.
you're not leaving us so, surely.
my mother's tongue sometimes runs away with her.
i've been given command of a ship. i sail tomorrow.
then let me pack for you, sir.
that's very kind, but there's precious little here.
maria...
i'm sorry.
i told you not to pin your hopes on me.
i shall never forget your kindness.
for a long time now, no one ashore has cared much
whether i lived or died.
i care, horatio. my heart leaps
when i hear your footstep on the stair,
and when i hear your voice--
please, maria.
i know i shouldn't say these things, but i must,
for i shall never see you again.
i'm sorry.
i have my duty.
mAN: come on, you marines.
get bellied by the rail there.
come aboard, sir.
bUSH: names?
charles orrock, sir. midshipman.
john hammond, sir. midshipman, sir.
well, as midshipmen,
i'll expect you to know this ship
like the back of your hand.
otherwise, you'll know the back of mine. is that understood?
sir.
i would like to speak to the captain, sir, to thank--
you shall speak to the captain
when you're spoken to, lad, and not before.
now go on below, both of you, and store your dunnage.
aye, aye, sir. aye, aye.
ahem.
sir.
maria.
mr. hornblower, i'm sorry.
i'm sorry for what i said.
there's no need to, truly.
i couldn't bear for us to part on such terms,
so i...
you...
i made you these, sir.
gloves.
gloves, mr. hornblower.
a small token that you might think of me sometimes.
i need no token, maria.
i...
must get back to the ship.
farewell, mr. hornblower.
maria...
thank you...
for the gloves.
[bell rings 3 times]
good morning, major.
mAN: you there!
sail up and clear that bunt line!
dIFFERENT MAN: aye, aye, sir!
you are...
william bush, first lieutenant.
have my bag put in my cabin, bush,
and take me to the captain.
may i see your orders, sir?
your captain will not like to be kept waiting.
neither do i.
show me your orders, sir, and he won't be.
you're a frenchman.
you object?
no, sir. we all serve the king.
matthews, have the major's dunnage stored in my quarters.
aye, aye, sir.
mAN: boat ahoy!
dIFFERENT MAN: hotspur!
captain's coming on, sir.
very well. boatswain's mates.
side, boys. lively. ho!
[whistles blowing]
mAN: present. hut!
god's blood, what has he got in here?
provisions.
provisions? where are we going, the west indies?
will that be all, sir?
for the present, styles.
i didn't catch your name.
uh, wolfe, sir. your coxswain.
worry about where we're headed when we get there, wolfe.
major cotard, captain.
ah.
you are welcome in this ship, major.
glad to hear it. that will be all.
slack water now, sir. first of the ebb in 10 minutes.
anchors offshore.
thank you, mr. bush. i shall be up presently.
i was expecting a somewhat larger vessel.
don't judge a ship by the number of its guns, major,
but by the skill of its crew.
the hotspur is more than equal to the task.
you will make your rendezvous.
ahem.
stand by there at the capstan!
thank you, mr. prowse. mr. bush will take her out.
bUSH: aye, aye, sir.
loose the headsails!
mATTHEWS: loose the headsails!
haul away there!
come on! put your backs into it!
stand by to loose the topsail!
heave away at the capstan!
come on! do it now!
loose the topsail!
let go!
[men shouting]
mr. bush, we'll have an hour's exercise at the guns
as soon as we're out in the channel.
you never know. one of these days, we may have to use them.
aye, aye, sir.
hands to quarters!
mATTHEWS: hands to quarters!
[whistle blows]
sir.
i'd like some breakfast, please, styles.
two fried eggs, a sausage,
and some black pudding.
oh, and some coffee.
coffee, sir? yes. coffee.
you do know how to make coffee?
oh, yes, sir.
bUSH: cast loose your gun!
cast loose!
cast loose.
cast loose! come on!
best bawl your lungs out, mr. hammond, sir.
you won't be heard otherwise.
ahem. how do you make coffee?
ha! do i look like a cook?
you and your big mouth.
run out your gun!
run out!
[voice breaking] run out!
run out your guns! jump to it!
oRROCK: run out!
fire!
oRROCK: cease fire!
stand by your guns.
mr. orrock, what are your orders
regarding lanterns during a night action?
i'm to wait until mr. bush expressly orders them, sir.
then i send mr. hammond.
where do you go, mr. hammond?
for the lanterns?
i...i...
don't look to mr. orrock.
[clears throat]
forward, sir?
yes, mr. hammond. forward.
thank you, matthews.
sir.
bUSH: rest assured, sir,
mr. hammond will be warmly reminded of his duties.
i won't have to speak to you again, will i, mr. hammond?
capitaine hornblower,
if this is a joke, it is in poor taste.
sir, only the captain's steward may enter without knocking.
what's the problem, major cotard?
do you seriously expect me to sleep
in a mildewed canvas bag
with the common crew?
i thought he was sharing your berth.
he is.
behind a filthy curtain.
i have shared a berth with lieutenant bush, major cotard,
and i consider it an honor.
the admiral required you to show--
on this ship, i am the admiral.
if you are not satisfied with your quarters,
you have my permission to sleep on deck.
your breakfast, sir.
now, major, will you join us?
i am not hungry.
good day to you, sir.
sorry about the delay, sir.
still finding me way around the galley.
bUSH: styles, what's this?
uh, fried eggs, sausage, and some lovely black pudding.
as ordered, sir.
i'm just boiling the coffee now, sir.
i'll go fetch it.
but coffee shouldn't be--
boiled, william? i know. i know.
bUSH: raise up that main yard!
aah!
damnation.
hmm.
you worked in a kitchen for 3 months.
yes, sir.
don't lie to me, styles.
i'll string you up by your thumbs.
it were a prison kitchen, sir.
i were doing 3 months for fraying.
did you think to make a fool of the captain, styles?
no, sir. learn to cook,
or i'll cook you. you understand me?
sir.
were your customers this fussy in the clink?
put it this way.
i never got flogged for me cooking it, if that's what you mean.
oh, there's worse than being flogged.
mr. bush might make you eat that...
and then flog you.
pROWSE: that sail is set, sir.
very good, mr. prowse. again, please.
again, sir?
mr. prowse, how long have you been at sea?
30 years, sir, 12 as master.
good.
i respect your experience and your skills, sir.
in return, i'd like you to respect mine.
one more exercise at the headsails,
and then put the ship abound, please.
aye, aye, sir.
strike the headsails!
aah!
aah! aah! aah!
[men shouting]
god almighty!
wOLFE: get overboard! get overboard!
leave him! leave him! get overboard!
hORNBLOWER: stand fast there!
major quarters!
mr. prowse, get a team on the pump!
aye, aye, sir! below there, man the pump!
hold that aside, mr. bush!
matthews!
mATTHEWS: aye, aye, sir!
finish pumping!
mAN: finish pumping!
[cough]
the doors to the stove, sir.
they've been left wide open.
[coughs]
i secured the range, sir. i swear, i did.
then how did hot coals get scattered all over the deck?
i don't know, sir.
take him below.
i hope this will not delay us, captain.
it almost delayed us permanently, major.
[sigh]
but we are still afloat.
let us at least be grateful for that.
the cook. he should hang.
that's for the captain to decide.
all hands to witness punishment!
[crew murmuring]
mAN: this is silly. it wasn't his fault.
well, styles,
you have endangered his majesty's ship
and the lives of your fellows.
what do you have to say?
wasn't me, sir.
does anyone have anything to say on his behalf?
hORNBLOWER: if he is found to have acted maliciously,
the articles of war provide for only one sentence...
death.
bUSH: i believe it may have been an accident, sir.
he was negligent, not malicious.
very well.
seize him up.
hats off.
hORNBLOWER: "article 36--
"all other crimes not capital committed
"by any person or persons in the fleet
"which are not mentioned in this act
"or for which no punishment
"is hereby directed to be inflicted
"shall be punished according to the laws
and customs used at sea."
3 dozen, mr. matthews.
[drum roll]
[drum stops]
uh!
i've never seen so much blood.
bUSH: 3 dozen, sir.
take him down, mr. bush.
take him down!
thank you, mr. bush. dismiss all hands.
all hands dismissed!
i didn't do it, sir.
mAN: clear that mizzen coming in!
land ho!
there is no sign of the eleanor, captain.
is your contact reliable?
my contact is the duke of montreuil.
he has always been a man of his word.
hORNBLOWER: our arrival has been noted, judging by that semaphore tower.
it was not there 6 months ago.
it'll be part of a chain.
by now, they will know of us
in brest and in paris within the hour,
and that battery will have been reinforced.
hold on. this'll sting.
[panting]
hold fast. hold fast.
just vinegar and brown paper.
it'll help your wounds heal.
why are you here?
nothing cheers me up
like seeing another poor bugger in pain.
i didn't do it. i told them.
styles, you've served the crown long enough.
what did you expect?
sail ho!
flying on the larboard bow!
glass.
is it the eleanor?
mr. orrock, we'll hoist our colors, if you please.
aye, aye, sir.
should you not signal to them?
i would, major, were she a british ship.
she's a french frigate, sir.
in the very place at the very time of our rendezvous?
it may be a coincidence.
she's closing fast, sir. shall i alter course?
keep her steady as she goes, mr. prowse.
clear for action, sir?
we're at peace with france, mr. bush.
or we were when we left england.
40 guns to our 20, sir. 18-pounders.
thank you, mr. prowse.
she's have us in range in two minutes, sir.
thank you.
you don't trust her, do you sir?
in range of her broadside in one minute, sir.
so she has twice our guns, 4 times our firepower.
we must clear for action.
no, mr. bush.
we will render passing honors.
passing honors to a frenchman, sir?
hORNBLOWER: there's a first time for everything, mr. bush.
you do remember the procedure.
aye, aye, sir.
all hands man the sides!
sergeant of marines, parade your men!
mATTHEWS: all right! man the sides!
jump to it! pick those feet up!
quietly now, drummer on the right.
boatswain's mates, pipe on my command.
aye, aye, sir.
bUSH: toe the line there. toe the line.
heads up. keep still.
show these frogs how a british crew behaves.
let them have it, mr. bush.
drum.
present...arms!
pipes!
[man shouting]
for what we're about to receive...
[band playing "god save the king"]
bUSH: order...arms!
cOTARD: the loire.
well, i'll be damned. i never thought i'd get
a salute from a french frigate.
question is, what was that french frigate doing here?
and what has happened to your friend the duke?
oh, sheer folly.
hORNBLOWER: major cotard was supposed to meet his contact
on board a british ship.
now there's no sign of either.
bony is up to something along this coast,
and we must find out what it is.
yes, but i'm not sure i trust major cotard
to be the one to investigate it.
nor me.
not enough to let him go alone, anyway.
now...
how do i look?
like a pale, thin englishman with a poor tailor.
sir, if they catch you, you'll be shot as a spy, peace or no peace.
i know, mr. bush.
[knocks on door]
[door opens]
johnny boat is ready, sir.
she's rigged with nets and floats.
she should pass for a fishing boat.
thank you.
i'll just get aboard.
oh, there's no need. we'll row ourselves.
begging your pardon, sir.
just you and that frenchman?
oh, the exercise will do us good.
aye, aye, sir.
[door closes]
if i'm not back by the second dog watch,
you are to sail to portsmouth
and see that this report gets to the flagship. sir...
you are in command, mr. bush.
now take good care of her.
aye, aye, sir.
you said the captain was a clever man.
he is.
not bloody clever going ashore
with only that frog dandy for company.
better tell him that when he comes back.
you mean, if he comes back.
maybe he'd rather have a frenchman in front of him
than an irishman behind him.
matthews, half this navy is irish.
if we were all disloyal, you'd be sunk.
wasn't so long ago i came across a paddy serving on a french ship.
fancied himself as a rebel.
hope you won't tar all irishmen with the same brush, matthews.
sir, no, sir.
sorry, sir. no offense.
carry on.
all this coastland used to belong to the duke of montreuil.
i spent my childhood playing here.
this must be a bitter homecoming.
it breaks my heart to see a noble nation
debase itself before a man like bonaparte.
you find it strange that i should love my country
and still fight against it?
as long as you fight against it, major,
that's all that concerns me.
[men speaking french]
bonaparte has been busy during the peace.
peace?
this camp is for an invasion force, major.
we must get word to admiral pellew.
[men shouting in french]
for god's sakes, major!
[gunshots]
[bullets ricochet]
[gunshots continue]
aah!
[shouting]
hORNBLOWER: you wait here.
[soldiers shouting]
half an hour into the second dog watch, sir.
i can tell the time, mr. prowse.
now is not the time to make a stand, major!
damn semaphore has started up again.
mAN: deck there! sail ho!
where away?
coming down the fairway, sir!
it's our old friend the loire.
we better get underway, mr. bush.
we've stayed too long already.
mr. bush? i heard you, mr. prowse.
she's altered course towards us, sir.
sir.
very well. come onto the larboard tack. set a course for home.
we'll show them a clean pair of heels.
we'll be lucky if we can do that.
set the headsails!
brace up the mainmast!
capitaine, look.
the hotspur is still there.
thank god for english inefficiency, huh?
she's heading out to sea.
hey!
ahoy!
hey!
ahoy!
pROWSE: they're catching up, sir.
sTYLES: sir.
sir.
not now, styles, for god's sake.
not bloody now? styles!
sir, it's them! it's the captain.
on the larboard corner, sir!
hORNBLOWER: ahoy! ahoy!
bUSH: my god, it is them.
all hands to wear ship!
mr. prowse, we'll stand in towards.
the frigate is cleared for action, sir, if we're at war.
bUSH: hard aport!
they've seen us.
capitaine...
the loire.
put your back into it, major.
for a moment there, sir, we wondered which ship you were headed for.
still here, then, mr. bush?
thought the hour glass was running a little fast, sir.
we're in range of her bow chasers, sir.
raise her hard up, mr. prowse.
mr. bush, clear for action.
aye, aye, sir. clear for action!
pROWSE: raise up the mainmast!
[men shouting]
thank you, styles.
begging your pardon, sir.
on behalf of the hands, are we at war, sir?
the frogs know, and we don't yet, matthews.
very good, sir.
they're catching us fast, sir.
we'll have to come about, sir.
we'll be on the shore in 5 minutes.
as soon as we come about, they'll have us.
[cannon fires]
[cannonball whizzes]
hORNBLOWER: mr. matthews! get those halyards reroped!
aye, aye, sir! and matthews,
if you think it proper, you can tell the hands that we are at war.
[laughter]
come on. move yourselves.
mr. orrock, i want you to take 4 men up forward.
i shall be going about shortly,
but then i shall change my mind.
when i signal, you are to run the jib up
and flat it out to starboard. understood?
aye, aye, sir.
stand by to go about!
standing by, sir.
now, mr. prowse, keep an eye on that frenchman.
i want to know exactly what he does.
aye, aye, sir.
helms alee!
mATTHEWS: helms alee!
he's following us, sir.
avast!
brace all back again!
rrgh!
mr. orrock!
aye, aye, sir! set the headsail!
hard aport!
mATTHEWS: hard aport, sir!
oRROCK: drop the headsail!
hang the headsail!
volley fire!
make ready!
they tried to follow us, sir, but he's been taken all aback!
he's helpless!
present!
we'll render passing honors, mr. bush.
aye, aye, sir.
gunners, hold your fire until the mainmast is in your sights!
run out!
mATTHEWS: run out!
run out, mr. hammond!
sTYLES: thought you might use a hand with the guns, sir!
good man, styles.
rather see you on the gundeck than the galley.
come on, sir, unless you want to get your leg blown off!
stand by!
fire!
[whoosh]
mAN: fire!
damn!
she's coming round, sir.
aah! aah! aah!
wOLFE: oh, god.
[wolfe shouts]
reload!
mAN: powder monkey! over here!
aah! aah! aah!
[screaming]
shut your face! shut it, damn you!
waah!
come on. you're all right. it's not your blood, sir.
what is it, matthews?
aah! mmph!
it's all under control, sir.
one more peep out of you, and no one can save you.
you'll be going over the side with that lot.
do you understand? do you understand?!
come on, you bugger.
aah! aah! aah!
hooray! yay! hooray!
[cheering continues]
do we come to the wind, sir, and finish her off?
[cannonball whizzes]
let's not overplay our hand, mr. prowse.
we'll have drifted in range of those batteries within 5 minutes.
every shot tolled, sir, every single shot.
indeed they did, mr. bush.
i think we've overstayed our welcome here.
mr. prowse, plot a course for home.
[cheering]
pELLEW: you had no business to take on the loire, man!
she might have blown you out of the water!
it would have been folly not to, sir.
oh, there's folly and foolhardiness on the one side
and daring and calculation on the other, eh?
something like that, sir.
very good.
you made the right choice.
i'd like to know what the loire
was doing there in the first place.
one french ship outside a french port?
that's hardly rotten.
at the exact hour and place as our rendezvous
with the duke of montreuil?
well, the only one privy to that information was myself
or major cotard or some good men of the admiralty.
perhaps you should talk to those good men, sir,
or major cotard.
i will not doubt major cotard because he's a frenchman.
god, he risked his life for england, damn it.
nevertheless,
i feel we must doubt someone, sir.
indeed, if we have agents familiar with our enemies' plans,
it seems reasonable to assume that the enemy has, too.
hmm.
i'll make some discreet inquiries.
in the meantime,
i want you back watching brest
until i get the channel fleet to sea.
you sail on the morning tide first of the ebb.
aye, aye, sir.
well, there's hours, yet. come on. finish your wine.
i, uh, beg your pardon, sir.
i had hoped to visit a friend before i embarked.
a friend? a lady friend?
you do know, hornblower,
that in time of war, a captain may not
sleep out of his ship without his admiral's permission.
i hadn't intended to sleep, sir.
oh, well--
i didn't mean-- well, permission granted.
thank you, sir.
well, maybe you won't sleep ashore for the next couple of years,
maybe more if bony fights it out.
i certainly think he'll fight, sir.
in that case, we'll meet again
all flushed.
victorious war...
and beauty ashore.
you, sir, what are you doing?
what does it look like i'm doing?
oh, sorry, sir.
well, they're bankrupt, sir.
seems the old girl drank the rent.
[cell door slams]
[babies crying]
mRS. mASON: well, well...
if it isn't the grand sea captain
come to sneer at our misfortune.
mr. hornblower, sir.
maria.
i'm ashamed, sir,
that you should see us like this.
oh, don't be, i beg you.
it happened so quickly.
i didn't know we were in arrears,
and the bailiff did not listen,
and now we can't earn our release.
we wouldn't have been in arrears if he'd paid his rent.
i did pay my rent, madam.
i can see what you did with it.
i never thought i'd see you again.
you were my friend in the time of need, maria.
allow me to be yours.
mARIA: no, mr. hornblower. you mustn't.
it's too late, maria. it's been done.
i don't know what to say.
you could ask him what he wants in exchange.
mother! say nothing.
just go and pay your debts.
thank you, mr. hornblower, sir.
if mr. mason were here,
he would not accept your charity.
but he is not here and seems conspicuous by his absence.
he died, sir,
fighting for king and country.
he served in hannibal at gibraltar.
i will not allow my maria
to suffer as i have suffered, sir.
oh, you may be heroes to your ship,
but then you are but dead men to your women.
i can assure you--
oh, you can assure me, sir.
can you assure me that come the morning,
you will not be back at sea fighting death itself?
can you assure me of that?
no, madam, i cannot.
there goes the signal tower again, sir.
i'd pay good money to know what they're saying.
lOOKOUT: deck there!
sails, sir!
a whole crowd of them on the starboard beam!
that's what they're saying, mr. bush.
bUSH: the fleet.
hORNBLOWER: flagship signaling?
mr. hammond?
sir?
bUSH: the flagship is signaling, sir?
hAMMOND: yes, sir. it's, um--
it's our number followed by--
followed by 2-1-3,
which is-- which is, um...
mr. orrock.
that's captain report aboard flagship, sir.
learn your signals, you little...
gentleman.
the book is useless in a battle.
a fair and a fine dinner awaits a man aboard the talon, sir.
fine food and fine wine...
but not that you're there to enjoy yourself, of course.
planning a little surprise for bony, no doubt.
and-- wolfe...
why must you speak when you have nothing to say?
sorry, sir.
hORNBLOWER: the french fleet are at anchor in the outer harbor,
and the entrance is protected by the battery here,
and all our movements are immediately reported
by the semaphore here.
and thanks to captain hornblower,
we now know that bonaparte has 50,000 men encamped here
ready to embark at a moment's notice.
and should the weather turn foul and our fleet be dispersed...
the french will need less than two days to cross the channel.
so despite all of hornblower's heroics,
bonaparte will be issuing his edicts from windsor castle instead of versailles.
not without his fleet, he won't.
without ships, he can't launch an invasion,
which is why i intend to make a preemptive strike.
tomorrow i will lead the squadron into brest harbor
and destroy the french fleet at anchor.
we will have to do something about the semaphore and the battery first, sir.
may i volunteer the hotspur for--
god save us from young men
eager for glory.
sir, i must insist that you send a more experienced officer.
insist, captain hammond?
no, sir. it is i who insist
that you listen to the plan.
captain hornblower will indeed attack the semaphore
with a small party and signal his success with a blue rocket.
might i suggest that i launch the attack today at dusk,
making the most of the evening mist?
good. then as dawn breaks, captain hammond,
you will lead a party of marines and storm the battery
and indicate that it is taken by two red rockets.
will be an honor, sir.
mmm.
prodigious, doughty.
i trust this is more to your liking, sir.
yes. well, i don't think it's quite that simple, doughty.
we have to mount the attack first.
come on, captain hornblower. fire the first broadside.
let's see what lies below in the dungeon, sir.
thank you.
hAMMOND: well, it's easy enough to demolish a pie crust
or burn a signal tower, come to that.
you'll include my nephew in your shore party, no doubt.
well, your man is so eager to serve with captain hornblower?
oh, he's destined for great things, sir.
i trust you'll allow him to temper his steel in the fires of combat.
oh, i shall certainly consider him, sir.
well, while you're at it, you might consider taking someone else.
your raiding party is gonna need a good french speaker,
and i know just the man.
[speaks french]
allo, monsieur bush.
[speaks french]
save your linguistic skills for the action, major.
[speaks french]
as you wish.
mr. matthews, you will stay at the boat with the marines
once we've landed to cover our retreat.
aye, aye, sir.
mr. orrock, you'll be in charge of the demolition party.
you better call for volunteers
to carry the explosives and the fuses.
i'd be glad to, sir.
good man.
better find somebody to give you a hand.
carry on, mr. orrock. aye, aye, sir.
you heard the captain, wolfe.
aye, aye, sir. now then...
who wants to volunteer for the nice little job
of carrying the explosives?
hORNBLOWER: mr. hammond, report to my cabin.
come on, lads. explosives are nothing to worry about
unless you're careless.
then your worries are over.
you worried, styles?
yes. good man.
then you won't be careless, will you?
hORNBLOWER: you asked to serve with me, and you have.
should you now request a transfer,
it will not reflect on your character or reputation.
i don't want a transfer, sir.
i don't know why you should think otherwise.
my family has high expectations of me, sir.
i'm not asking your family, mr. hammond.
war is a bloody business...
and any man in his right mind would avoid it,
given half the chance.
with respect, sir, no man would avoid it
who cared about his character or reputation.
please take me with you, sir.
[man shouts in french]
[speaks french]
[man shouts in french]
he wants a password.
damn his eyes.
tell him we've got a lobster for his officer or something.
[speaking french]
bien!
unh!
quietly there.
matthews, you're in charge here. aye, aye, sir.
ready party, follow me.
[click]
bonsoir, monsieur.
oui?
unh!
aah!
right. mr. orrock, get those charges placed.
styles, stop hiding behind that woman's skirt
and lend a hand, man.
give me the fuse.
well, i haven't got it, sir. wolfe's got it.
there's no sign of wolfe, sir.
[bugle playing]
sir!
listen.
[bugling continues]
mr. hammond. sir?
run and tell mr. matthews
we'll be returning directly. go.
and get him out of here.
and everybody out.
[bird squawks]
but how do we ignite the charges
without a fuse, sir?
styles...
aim the rocket at the doorway.
ready, sir.
that was signal enough.
come on.
mATTHEWS: present!
hold your fire.
where's the captain, sir?
they've been cut off.
give me 6 men. tell them to fix bayonets.
no. there's a company of soldiers
headed up there and more on the way.
we must do what we can, sir.
no. no. we must rejoin.
if we stay on this beach, we'll be cut down where we stand.
we can't leave without the captain, sir.
for god's sakes, matthews, the captain's been cut off.
get the men into the boats.
not without an order, sir.
those are his orders, damn you!
[man shouting in french]
we'll descend the cliff to the beach.
i need two men here to slow their advance.
i will stay.
i'd rather have you with me, major.
trust me. i'm right behind you.
and i will stay, too, sir.
very well. you two, give them your pistols.
don't leave it too late.
we'll see you at the bottom of the cliff.
follow me.
aah!
[man shouts in french]
[speaks french]
sTYLES: where are the bloody marines?
[man speaking french]
mATTHEWS: all right, lads. well done.
and he ordered you to withdraw the marines?
he saw the french reinforcements
advancing on the signal post, sir.
he told me to run ahead
and evacuate the jetty.
matthews?
we wanted to wait for him, sir.
thank you, mr. hammond.
return to your duties.
aye, aye, sir.
dismissed, matthews.
sir. yes?
nothing, sir.
orders, sir?
signal to the flagship,
"captain taken in shore action. report to follow."
aye, aye, sir.
sTYLES: ohh. chained up in a bloody store room.
hORNBLOWER: there could be worse prison cells, styles.
[splat]
there's no way to break out of this, captain.
so we'll be prisoners for the rest of the war.
cheer up, mr. orrock.
if the admiral prevails,
it will be a very short war.
mAN: le commandant.
hORNBLOWER: wolfe.
eat, captain.
my cook is a french chef,
not an english jailbird.
he can prepare a meal
without setting fire to the galley.
you set that fire on the ship.
i did all i could as a humble coxswain.
i do not eat with traitors.
i'm no traitor.
you fight for bonaparte.
i fight for ireland.
bonaparte is merely a means to an end.
he's a tyrant, man.
why does an irishman put his faith in him?
to save ireland from worse tyrants.
you english have been lording it over us for long enough.
you'll hang, man.
bonaparte has used irish rebels in the past,
and every time, he has failed,
and every time, they have died on the gallows.
i won't hang, hornblower.
but you will.
sneaking ashore dressed as a fisherman
in search of military secrets.
now, i believe they call that spying.
then you are as guilty as me.
you passed word to the loire
about our rendezvous.
how could i?
i was on board the hotspur the whole time.
so your task was to delay us
long enough for the loire to intervene.
well done, captain.
so there must be someone more handily placed within the fleet.
i bet you'd love to know who he is.
if i'm to hang, it'd cost you nothing to tell me.
it would be a cruel fate indeed
to go to the gallows
tormented by the fact
that you have no idea who betrayed you.
guard.
enjoy your meal, wolfe.
once admiral pellew is done,
you won't be dining on breton lobster.
when we're done,
breton lobster will be dining on admiral pellew.
bUSH: sir, i could sent a party ashore to look for him.
no, mr. bush.
hornblower may have destroyed their communications,
but captain hammond still has to cripple their defenses
by taking the battery,
and nothing must interfere with his mission.
but, sir, it need only be a small party.
we could even create a diversion.
sir, i owe it to him.
we owe it to him.
damn it, bush, do you think i don't know that?
do you think i wouldn't--
hornblower may be lost, but the war goes on.
you will take command of the hotspur
and stand by ready to support the action.
aye, aye, sir.
come on, man.
we mustn't allow our judgment
to be clouded by sentiment
and wishful thinking.
will that be all, sir?
sentiment and wishful thinking.
no use at all.
i should have spotted wolfe for what he was.
he took me for a fool.
the closer the enemy is, the harder he is to see.
i carried that traitor aboard my ship,
and i had you flogged for his crime.
that's all right, sir.
it's wolfe who'll be sorry.
he'll have the skin off his back
if i ever get the chance.
hORNBLOWER: and wolfe is not our only concern.
hammond's attempt on the battery will fail,
and the fleet will sail right under its guns.
how do you know?
because wolfe has a contact in the fleet,
a well-placed officer,
who will have betrayed every detail
of this attack to the french.
and you still suspect me.
so when will i earn your trust,
when they hang me?
sir.
stay close by me.
all ready to go ashore, mr. bush.
stand the men down, matthews.
the admiral has other plans for us.
but, sir, we could be there and back
before he even knew about it.
are you suggesting mutiny, man?
no, sir. i just wish--
so do i, matthews.
mr. prowse will support the action.
stand by to go in with the squadron.
aye, aye, sir.
hAMMOND: marines will fix bayonets.
fix bayonets.
advance arms.
[creaking]
you will never move it.
you haven't served in his majesty's navy.
you'll be surprised what's possible.
orrock, styles.
sir? sir.
time to weigh anchor.
captain of marines, carry on.
cAPTAIN OF mARINES: right wheel, quick, march.
to the battery, men.
by the left... quick march.
left wheel.
all ready, are we, sir?
nowhere to run to now.
a word if you please, mr. matthews.
i'll have you know, matthews,
i don't much care for your tone.
well, sir, i must say, i don't give
a tinker's cuss what you care for.
captain hornblower never ordered you to clear that jetty.
you weren't there.
he would never have given up that easy,
though you might.
you don't know what happened.
i know he gave you a chance to prove yourself.
he's done that for many a man,
for me, for styles,
and nobody's ever let him down till now.
if that's all you have to say, sir,
i've got work to do.
stop there, captain hammond.
halt!
surrender your sword
and tell your men to lay down their weapons,
or would you see them all slaughtered?
are you ready, gentlemen?
2, 6.
[rocket whistles]
ugh!
[rocket whistles]
damn it!
2, 6, heave!
[wood creaking and cracking]
aah! unh!
shh! quiet now. quiet.
right. a volunteer to be first down the privy.
styles?
[rocket whistles]
i love fireworks. don't you, captain?
when the english fleets sail under the battery,
you'll see plenty more.
signal to squadron,
"all ships form line astern to flagship
with standards abreast."
handsomely there. we don't want to drop him.
gonna smell like tea
and have a nice, soft landing, sir.
sir.
ooh!
[coughs]
there's a tunnel, sir.
where does it lead?
to the outside, sir.
where outside? i don't know, sir.
well, go and have a look, man.
right. take my weight.
i don't much like this, sir.
relax, matthews.
captain hammond has seen to the guns.
let's hope we can count on your uncle, sir.
signal all ships to engage the enemy, damn it!
[cannons firing]
well?
we're on the outside by the shore, sir.
perfect. i'll get the others.
fire!
fire as you bear!
[cannonball whizzes]
the hotspur, sir, she'll be matchwood.
aah!
mr. prowse, alter course to port.
if we do, we'll run aground, sir.
if we don't, we'll be smashed to pieces.
alter course.
we'll run in under the guns
and storm ashore in the boats.
aye, aye, sir.
hard aport!
sir, i--
i'd like to come with you, sir.
they'll never do it.
not unless we help them.
mr. orrock, what do you have there?
a handy billy, sir.
good man. come on.
you intend to attack the battery
with nothing more than a block and tackle?
well, rather that than stand idly by
while the fleet is destroyed.
come on!
mr. orrock.
[man shouting in french]
on my signal.
2, 6, heave!
unh!
aah!
come on, men. it's now or never!
on my signal! 2, 6, heave!
huh?
aah! unh!
[man speaks french]
aah! aah!
hey!
aah!
unh!
[man shouts in french]
aah!
unh!
hORNBLOWER: we'll have to put those guns out of action.
swing the cannon round this way.
load it with grapeshot in case.
[screaming]
that'll learn them.
sir, we should spike the guns.
we need a more permanent arrangement, major cotard.
to me!
steady as she goes.
[men coughing and groaning]
pELLEW: they've stopped, by god.
signal all ships to withdraw.
flagship signaling, sir.
all ships then withdraw, sir.
are you sure?
yes, sir.
better check it. look it up in the book.
aye, aye, sir,
but i am sure, sir.
he is right, sir.
yes. i know he's right, but by the time
he's looked it up in the book-- ahh.
a la batterie! a la batterie!
oui?
ahem.
[speaking french]
[gunshot]
i do not always miss, captain.
i'm glad to see it, major.
get back! clear the battery!
you go on, sir. i'll do--
oh. shut up, styles!
wOLFE: hornblower!
give me your musket and run!
hornblower!
my god!
belay the last order.
signal the squadron, "engage the enemy."
you all right, sir?
i'm a bit singed, styles.
oh, no, sir. you're done to a turn.
trust me. i'm a cook.
merde!
evacuent! evacuent!
[bugle playing]
take my arm, sir.
cOTARD: thought you must be dead, captain.
not yet, major.
sTYLES: quickly, sir.
good luck don't last forever.
aah!
damn!
aah!
i should have stretched your neck
when i had the chance.
i shall surrender
if you vouch my men shall not be harmed.
no bargains, hornblower.
captain hammond.
so much for his dazzling insight.
you thought your enemy within would be a frenchman.
i thought you, sir,
had sworn an oath to serve your king.
he's no king of mine, sir.
i serve ireland and her people.
yet all these years, you've played
the loyal british officer.
what better way to serve my country?
i knew my opportunity would come,
and you, hornblower,
very nearly ruined it.
commandant wolfe.
sir!
these men were escaping from custody.
deal with them.
[shouts in french]
orrock here is irish.
for god's sakes, man, you gonna shoot him, too?
all these others--
thank you, sir, but i'll stay with you.
that goes for me, too, sir.
aye! aye!
and i will stay with my comrades, also.
you are, all of you, damned sheep,
and like damned sheep, you will be slaughtered.
[shouts in french]
[screaming]
bUSH: hotspurs, with me!
[yelling and moaning]
charge!
ohh!
well, you bastard, i owe you one!
aah! aah!
don't want to kill you, young lad.
then fight me, sir!
[screaming]
aah!
for france, sir.
unh!
aah!
good man, jack.
[gunshot]
come on, you damn bugger.
you'll get yourself killed!
aye?
aah!
you devil!
enough, hornblower, enough.
[cannons firing]
mAN: see to the wounded.
we've done our bit.
now it's up to admiral pellew and the fleet.
oh, god.
no.
oh, jack, lad.
oh, my god. what have i done?
why--
[cough]
why was i so frightened?
i wanted you to be taken with hornblower.
i wanted you off the hotspur.
uncle? uncle, is that you?
i didn't disgrace the family name, did i?
they would have been proud of you, jack.
ohh!
stop, sir.
stop where you stand, sir.
captain hammond!
don't make me shoot you, sir!
i will not hesitate, sir!
[click]
you say in your report that captain hammond blamed himself
for the failure of his assault on the battery.
yes, sir.
and despite your entreaties,
he insisted on dying with honor.
yes, sir.
you do know i've spoken
with major cotard?
i imagined you would have, sir.
there was a time, hornblower,
when you would have needed some convincing
about the merits of any economy with the truth.
yes, sir,
but these are uncertain times in ireland,
and more than a quarter of the men in the fleet are irish.
hmm, and the truth about hammond
could spread disaffection.
yes, sir,
which would only serve bonaparte's cause.
bonaparte has nothing to offer ireland
but misery and bloodshed.
ha! that's why england has a right to demand irish loyalty.
yes, sir, although-- huh?
it is perhaps better to earn loyalty
than to demand it.
when i was a child, i spake as a child,
i understood as a child, i thought as a child;
but when i became a man, i put away childish things.
sir?
well, you know, hornblower...
it's very hard for a father to see his children grow up.
i'm not sure i understand you, sir.
i dare say, you will.
mr. hornblower, sir.
i saw the hotspur, sir, in the harbor.
i hoped it might signal your return.
it must be good for you to be home again.
it is. thank you, sir,
and also good to see you.
come in.
you, uh, have enough for the rent?
oh, um, i hope to get a position as a governess.
i can't be a burden on your charity.
you're no burden, i assure you.
no, mr. hornblower, i can't.
maria, you are in greater need than i.
i have no living relatives,
and you're the closest thing i have to--
to a family.
yes, but i'm not your family.
maria.
there's a word for a woman
who accepts money from a man.
yes, and that word is friend.
i treasure your friendship,
but i cannot keep both your money and my reputation.
my apologies. of course.
i should have--
no. i didn't mean for you to leave, sir.
i can see that i have imposed upon you, maria.
i've been thoughtless.
no. that's not what i meant, sir.
you're not dead then, sir?
it would appear not, madam.
she wept when you were gone, sir,
my maria.
i'd hate to think how much she'd weep
had you not returned.
she wept?
she wept for you, sir,
and why she bothered, i don't know.
maria, please don't cry.
if i were your family, would you let me help you?
i don't know what you mean, sir.
what i mean is, uh...
if i were to ask, maria, would you--
would i?
would you marry me?
say yes.
oh, horatio!