Duke of Wellington Quotes in Waterloo (1970)

Duke of Wellington: Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing is a battle won.

Lord Uxbridge: By God, Sir. I've lost my leg.

Duke of Wellington: By God, Sir. So you have.

Duke of Wellington: The whole line will advance.

Lord Uxbridge: In which direction your grace?

Duke of Wellington: Why, straight ahead to be sure.

[Historical quote]

Duke of Wellington: [referring to his army] I don't know what they'll do to the enemy; but, by God, they frighten me.

Lord Uxbridge: [clears throat] Sir.

Duke of Wellington: [removing his copy of The Times from over his face] Ah, Uxbridge.

Lord Uxbridge: As I am second-in-command and in case anything should happen to you, what are your plans?

Duke of Wellington: To beat the French.

[goes back to sleep, replacing the newspaper]

Duke of Wellington: [on Napolean's maneuver that split the English and Prussian armies] By God, that man does war honor.

Duke of Wellington: [to the Duchess of Richmond about arranging the ball] You really are the best of my generals.

Lord Gordon: Good beans, Wellington!

Duke of Wellington: If there is anything in this world about which I know positively nothing, it is agriculture.

Mulholland: We're doing murder, your grace.

Duke of Wellington: I hope to God... that I've fought my last battle.

[before the battle starts, the British troops are singing a mocking song about Napoleon]

William De Lancey: Shall I shut them up, Sir?

Duke of Wellington: No, no, indulge it . Anything that wastes time is good. Indulge it. Normally I don't like cheering, but there's always a time to cut cards with the Devil.

Duke of Wellington: Bylandt's's brigade has broken. Plug the gap, if you please.

General Sir Thomas Picton: Gordon, get your bastards up on to the crest. I'll bring up the rest of the brigade.

Lord Gordon: Don't hurry yourself, Pic. My lads will hold them, aye, 'til you come.

General Sir Thomas Picton: Get forward, damn your eyes!

[the French artillery has begun firing on the English positions]

Duke of Wellington: Well, that opens the ball.

Duke of Wellington: They're coming on in the same old style.

General Sir Thomas Picton: Well, then we shall have to meet them in the same old style.

[referring to the English troops]

Duchess of Richmond: They're the salt of England, Arthur.

Duke of Wellington: Scum. Nothing but beggars and scoundrels, all of them. Gin is the spirit of their patriotism.

Duchess of Richmond: Yet you expect them to die for you?

Duke of Wellington: Um-hum.

Duchess of Richmond: Out of duty?

Duke of Wellington: Um-hum.

Duchess of Richmond: I doubt if even Bonaparte could draw men to him by duty.

Duke of Wellington: Oh, Boney's not a gentleman.

Duchess of Richmond: Arthur! What an Englishman you are.

Duke of Wellington: On the field of battle his hat is worth fifty thousand men; but he is not a gentleman.

William De Lancey: He's commiting Reille's Division now sir, he intends to turn us, on the right!

Duke of Wellington: What the master does and what he intends are as different as white knight to black bishop.

William De Lancey: We could quickly move the 95th down, sir.

Duke of Wellington: I do not intend to run around like a wet hen! There'll be plenty of time, sir.

Duchess of Richmond: ...this year, soldiers are the fashion.

Duke of Wellington: [ironically] Where would society be without my boys?

Sarah: General Picton doesn't know how to walk in a ballroom.

Duke of Wellington: But he is very good when he is dancing with the French.

Duke of Wellington: If Blucher doesn't show up here soon, he'll break every bone in my body!

[as the British cavalry charge across the battlefield]

Lord Uxbridge: Sound the recall!

[a trumpeter blows the signal on his trumpet. The cavalry either ignore or can't hear it, continuing to charge towards the French cannon. The trumpeter keeps sounding]

Duke of Wellington: [irritably] Stop that useless noise!

[kinder]

Duke of Wellington: You'll hurt yourself.

ADC to Wellington: [Caroline has just slashed her wrists] Good God, your Grace! She just tried to kill herself!

Duke of Wellington: Nonsense, me boy. No difficulty about killing yourself, if you really mean to.