Col. Francis Burke Quotes in The Master of Ballantrae (1953)

Col. Francis Burke: To think I was lured to this uninhabitable land to risk me life with amateurs!

Col. Francis Burke: I could see by the look of defeat about you that you were one of the amateurs.

Col. Francis Burke: You have the honor to address Colonel Francis Burke, gentleman of Dublin, chevalier of France, and hunted refugee of a devastated ragtag army.

Col. Francis Burke: Now be off with you while I still have stomach to eat. And if you've got any of those screeching bagpipes about, please don't toot them so I can hear.

Jamie Durie: Now, one of two things, Irishman. Either we fight on the spot, or we be comrades. Which is it to be?

Col. Francis Burke: Cut each other's throats or be friends for life - either way, is it?

Jamie Durie: It makes no difference to me.

Col. Francis Burke: And how do we make the decision?

Jamie Durie: Heads, we fight.

[He flips a coin]

Col. Francis Burke: Tails. Good. I'm a wee bit tired at the moment.

Col. Francis Burke: [Grabbing him from behind] Not a sound, if you don't want a dirk in your ribs.

Henry Durie: Is this how you usually meet people?

Col. Francis Burke: It cuts out the lengthy formalities.

Col. Francis Burke: Is it gold you want? Why, I'll bring you gold from the bottom of the sea. And here's the shirt from me back, and here's me hand.

Col. Francis Burke: We need money! It's blood for our veins! It's air for the lungs of us!

MacCauley: Where's the passage money?

Col. Francis Burke: Now, faith, how can you speak of such a vulgar thing in the presence of a hero of Culloden, and a wounded one at that?

Arnaud: [Looking uneasily at the gun Burke is pointing at him] What do you expect to do with that?

Col. Francis Burke: Well, it has a certain quality of persuasion.

Jamie Durie: [Watching Burke being kissed by several girls] Burke, come on!

Col. Francis Burke: Would you have me leave these poor, lonesome bits of depravity? I'm about to enrich the lives and experience of them!

Jamie Durie: [Seeing Burke being kissed by several girls] Burke, on your way.

Col. Francis Burke: Not again, Jamie. The dear helpless females want comforting. Where's the heart of you?

Col. Francis Burke: Jamie, you're a wicked, wicked lad, and harm will come to me reputation for letting you lead me to piracy!

Col. Francis Burke: [Listening to Jamie trying to read aloud the Latin inscription on a ring] "Lift up the eyes," you're saying, unless my Latin professor was a lying fraud.

Jamie Durie: Burke, we've got to get out of here.

Col. Francis Burke: And what could be simpler? The guard could have no objection to that!

Col. Francis Burke: I'm sure of it now! Your whole line is pure-blooded Irish!

Col. Francis Burke: [to Jamie] There's almost a lift in the sky out there, and the minutes will be racing for it. Not much time to remember all the girls you've known, all the laughter you've heard, all the gold you've spent, and all the plans you had to spend more. The places we've not seen, Jamie! The things that lie about the world... the fun of it!

Col. Francis Burke: [to Bull after he mistreats a woman] Has anybody told you you were a swine?

Col. Francis Burke: Why, you swindling scum of a coward! You mouse-hearted imitation of a man! You green crawling snake that slipped up from the slime when your thieving mother wasn't looking!